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In California water news today …
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Trying yet again for fish friendlier exports from the Delta
“In California’s arid San Joaquin Valley, communities have long grappled with an unrelenting challenge: Their sun-blasted region doesn’t have nearly enough water—at least not to support agriculture of the scale and intensity that has been established in its fertile soils. Though water is imported from as far away as the Klamath River basin via massive conveyance facilities, supplies have been spread thin by nut orchards that now span the valley floor. Groundwater reserves are declining, and worsening droughts and warming winters aren’t helping. Neither are water pumping restrictions meant to protect imperiled fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
But what if there was a way to not just maintain current Delta water exports but increase them without impacting the San Francisco Estuary’s remaining fish? Water supply advocates in the region say they have a plan for one. They call the proposed system “fish-friendly diversions.”
A new plan seeks to protect California’s coast against a rising ocean. And it doesn’t require sea walls.
“Recent raging winter storms have caved in streets, wrecked piers, collapsed homes and apartment buildings, and submerged property up and down California’s coastline. Now, as sea levels continue to rise from climate change, scientists are working on a real-world experiment that could help reduce the impacts. At a 247-acre property near the Santa Cruz-Monterey county line, crews are planning to protect against flooding — not by trying to hold back the ocean by building bigger sea walls — but by converting flood-prone farmland into tidal wetlands. During big storms and high tides, this allows ocean waters to move inland in an orderly way instead of threatening homes and other property. In other words, working with nature, as opposed to trying to battle the ocean’s relentless forward march. “It’s a demonstration,” said Sarah Newkirk, executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which is overseeing the project. “What we are doing here is applicable to other places in California, the Gulf of Mexico, and other parts of the country.” … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
The Delta smelt controversy in sociological perspective
Caleb Scoville writes, “The Delta Smelt is a small, endangered fish that lives exclusively in the heart of the state’s water distribution system, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At times, regulations to protect smelt affect conveyance of water to 35 million Californians and the state’s multi-billion-dollar agricultural industry. As Peter Moyle put it in a 2022 post, “Few native species are as controversial as Delta Smelt.” This means that the controversy can be explained in terms of how protecting the species impacts the flow of water to farms and cities, right? Not exactly. As an environmental sociologist, I study the interplay among human interests, institutions, cultural meanings, and society’s relationship with nonhuman nature. I have been studying various aspects of the Delta Smelt case for years, drawing on a wide array of evidence, from archival documents to expert interviews to field observations. My research on the controversy focuses on the species’ portrayal in the media, its political mobilization, and public interest in the topic. … ” Continue reading this post at the California Water Blog.
Report: CA factory farms perilously close to your produce
“California is known throughout the country for its fruit and vegetable bounty. The golden state produces more than 40 percent of the vegetables we eat and 75 percent of its fruits and nuts. But the state has also struggled with deadly outbreaks of the E. coli pathogen on many of its produce farms — romaine lettuce and walnuts are two recent examples. When outbreaks happen, investigators work round the clock to trace the outbreak, sometimes leading back to contaminated water used to irrigate crops. Yet exactly where the pathogen comes from originally can be harder to pinpoint. A new report from the Environmental Working Group adds some important data points. Researchers mapped 1,062 industrial meat and dairy operations in the state, and found a worrying 93 percent were located within a mile of a water source for irrigating fresh produce. What’s more, 42 percent of the meat and dairy operations mapped — close to half — were found even closer: within a quarter of a mile of a waterway used for irrigation. … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
Outbreak of neurotoxin killing unprecedented number of sea lions along California coast
“By the time the rescue squad got to her, a small crowd had formed around the agitated California sea lion. As the team crept toward her — carrying large wooden shields and a giant net — the animal’s head weaved, craned and rocked back and forth in frenzied rhythms. Lucille — as she was later named by the Marine Mammal Center’s Morro Bay field office — had barely registered her captors’ approach as the team of five animal rescue volunteers pounced on her. A small struggle ensued as the creature’s body went rigid with seizures, but the team managed eventually to push her into an XXL portable dog crate.
It was the first of dozens of frantic rescue phone calls made by horrified beachgoers that day, as an acute domoic acid outbreak continued to wreak havoc along the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara coasts this summer. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California bill would abolish state fire hazard rankings; ‘true insanity,’ critics say
“A legislative proposal to overhaul California’s decades-old wildfire mapping system is generating intense debate, with critics saying it threatens to fundamentally reshape the state’s fire and housing policies and increase development in fire-prone areas. Senate Bill 610 seeks to repeal current rules that classify state and local lands into “moderate,” “high” and “very high” fire hazard severity zones — a process that rates areas based on their probability of burning, which in turn influences development patterns and building safety standards. The legislation would instead empower the state fire marshal to designate lands as a “wildfire mitigation area” and dispense with the tiered severity zones. Residents and developers in a wildfire mitigation area would be required to follow the same fire hardening precautions, whereas currently the precautions vary according to the degree of assessed hazard. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Explosion of power-hungry data centers could derail California clean energy goals
“Near the Salton Sea, a company plans to build a data center to support artificial intelligence that would cover land the size of 15 football fields and require power that could support 425,000 homes. In Santa Clara — the heart of Silicon Valley — electric rates are rising as the municipal utility spends heavily on transmission lines and other infrastructure to accommodate the voracious power demand from more than 50 data centers, which now consume 60% of the city’s electricity. And earlier this year, Pacific Gas & Electric told investors that its customers have proposed more than two dozen data centers, requiring 3.5 gigawatts of power — the output of three new nuclear reactors. While the benefits and risks of AI continue to be debated, one thing is clear: The technology is rapacious for power. … the specialized chips required for generative AI use far more electricity — and water — than those that support the typical internet search because they are designed to read through vast amounts of data. … ” Read the full article at the LA Times.
July was California’s hottest month in history
“California experienced its hottest month on record in July as grueling heat baked the American west for weeks on end. The state’s average temperature for the month was 81.7F (27.6C), according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, but some areas endured days of temperatures greater than 100F (about 38C). Several cities broke temperature records during a heatwave in early July – Palm Springs hit 124F on 5 July, while Redding in the state’s far north saw a high of 119F on 6 July. Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth, recorded its hottest month ever in July, according to the National Park Service (NPS). In Nevada, Las Vegas reached 120F on 7 July, its hottest day in history, and set a record for number of days over 115F. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Avian botulism outbreak in Klamath Basin and Tule Lake refuges
“Waterfowlers, birdwatchers, and conservationists alike rejoiced this spring when the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) allocated water for the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges in Southern Oregon and Northern California. For the first time in several years, water would be put on to the wetland systems for wildlife on their spring migrations. Many were hopeful that the influx in water resources would bring new life to these critical stops for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds on the Pacific Flyway after years of drought and underallocation of water resources even after the record rains of 2022-2023. Then, the first boot fell when the pump houses were turned off weeks earlier than anticipated this spring. Now, the second one has started to fall: avian botulism outbreaks due to the warm, stagnant waters in the refuge systems. … ” Read more from Wildfowl.
No salmon at Salmon Festival for the second consecutive year
“For the second year in a row, the Yurok Tribe’s Salmon Festival will not have any salmon, with the tribe citing below-average spawns in the Klamath River. The 60th annual Salmon Festival on Aug. 17 is coming in the wake of the dismantling of the four Klamath dams, a multi-agency effort to restore the river’s ecological health, which for decades suffered from warm water flows that promoted unhealthy ecosystems. In a release, the tribe lauded dam removal and noted that this year’s fish forecast is slightly healthier than the previous year, but not enough to justify fishing enough salmon to feed the festival. “Through dam removal and restoration, the Yurok Tribe is confident that the Klamath’s salmon runs will recover. Right now, there is more positive momentum on the Klamath than ever before. Large-scale river restoration work is happening in lower, middle and upper Klamath. More habitat rehabilitation projects are planned for next year too,” the release said. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard. | Salmon Festival information from Yurok Tribe
Trinity River project in Siskiyou touted as water protection for all of California
“About 11,000 acres of forest and watershed, located amid some of the North State’s most recognizable landmarks ― including the Trinity River, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Eddy and the Pacific Crest Trail ― will be set aside for conservation and to protect one of California’s prime water sources. The Pacific Forest Trust, which has thousands of acres of landholdings and conservation easements in the North State, said it recently obtained another easement on numerous sections of land surrounding the upper Trinity River. The conservation easement will protect the upper Trinity River watershed, an important component of the water supply throughout California, according to officials with the forest trust and the California Wildlife Conservation Board. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
More delays at Spaulding, Powerhouse #2 requires additional repairs
“While there has been progress on multiple repairs at PG&E’s infrastructure at Spaulding, a new delay will push normal throughput for Spaulding Powerhouse #2 well beyond the expected mid-September return to service date. Spaulding #2 had been offline since late 2023. The repair to the wicket gates was completed sometime before July, according to an update provided by PG&E at NID’s July 10th board meeting. Spaulding #2 feeds into the South Yuba Pipe, the segment of the South Yuba Canal directly below Spaulding and owned by PG&E. Approximately 240 ft of the South Yuba Pipe were taken out by a rockslide in February. Last week a heavy-lift helicopter placed new pipe segments on the newly-constructed concrete footing. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
New Zealand mudsnails approach one year from discovery date: what’s being done about them?
“Divers are currently assessing the status of New Zealand mudsnail populations once again after almost one year from their initial discovery in Lake Tahoe. As the first invasive species discovered since before 2008, the finding last September was quite alarming when divers on a routine invasive weed survey came across the small invaders offshore near South Lake Tahoe. With Lake Tahoe’s world class motorized watercraft inspection program launched in 2008—inspecting over 100,000 boats, performing 55,000 decontaminations and intercepting all motorized watercraft before they hit the lake—the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and partners have been scratching their heads on how exactly the new invader got here. Although they may never know for sure, one clue to the mystery is where divers found the snails. “…not in a place you would normally find them,” TRPA Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager, Dennis Zabaglo, says, “They’re called mudsnails for a reason.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
BAY AREA
No water, no power, hordes of birds: who will buy San Francisco’s $25m private island?
“Chris Lim gazed across the water, perched at the hull of a small speedboat hurtling over choppy waves towards the only private island in the San Francisco bay. The stony cliffs of Red Rock Island loomed in the distance, encircled by seagulls, the noise of traffic on the nearby Richmond-San Rafael Bridge droning overhead. As we reached the shore, Lim, the former president of Christie’s International Real Estate, jumped from the boat, adeptly hurdling over the waves and landing on dry sand. “The deepest part of the bay is right there – it’s actually perfect for a yacht,” Lim said as he crunched along the rocky beach in a blue vest and Gucci glasses. A future owner, he surmised, “could also come on a helicopter”. While “private island” may bring to mind a tropical beach with gleaming white sand, Red Rock Island is something else. The 5.8-acre property is a hunk of red rock, complete with a narrow strip of stony beach and a thriving bird population. When the island hit the market last year, asking price $25m, the news made national headlines. … ” Continue reading at The Guardian.
Ross Valley residents avoid flood fee increase again
“For the third year running, Ross Valley property owners will have no increase in a county stormwater drainage fee, even though San Anselmo has dropped out of the taxing district. Marin County supervisors are required to approve an annual report on fee collection and decide whether to increase it by up to 3%. County officials elected to forgo an increase in the 2024-25 fiscal year. The report made no mention of San Anselmo’s vote in March to withdraw from the district, known as Zone 9. “This year, we’re recommending no fee increase,” said Tracy Clay, an engineer with the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, told supervisors at their meeting July 30. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Undercover staffers, burial pits and a five-ton mess: How Fremont scrambled to respond to 1,000 dead fish
“In a scramble to clean up a large fish die-off last month, park rangers buried fish in a mass grave to mask the smell, a city administrator went “incognito” to dodge reporters, and employees were rushed in to work overtime over a holiday weekend, new records show. The documents, obtained by this news organization through a public records request, paint a clearer picture of what happened in the days after a Bay Area heatwave killed about 1,000 fish in Fremont’s Lake Elizabeth. Rising water temperatures and leached oxygen from the manmade lake suffocated the fish between July 3 and July 6. It left an estimated five-ton fish mess on the city’s hands and forced staffers to scramble for a response. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Local water treatment plant replacing outdated equipment
“The Rinconada Water Treatment Plant, nestled in the heart of Los Gatos, was constructed in the 1960s and is Valley Water’s second largest plant. As the plant nears its 60th year, essential equipment is reaching the end of its useful life. The Rinconada Water Treatment Plant Reliability Improvement Project is a six-phase project underway to retrofit, upgrade and replace the key equipment so the plant can continue serving the county with safe, clean water. As the Valley Water Board chair, I am proud to share exciting updates on the reliability improvement project. We’ve already completed several new Rinconada Water Treatment Plant facilities and systems. This work includes new and improved buildings, equipment and energy systems that are functional and have been in use at the plant since their completion. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
First project in 20GW solar, 20GW storage plan for ‘challenged land’ in Fresno County, California
“California community choice aggregator MCE and developer Golden State Clean Energy (GSCE) have partnered to work on a solar and storage project in California, the first in a plan to install up 20GW of solar and 20GW of storage. MCE and GSCE will work on a solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) project as part of a development programme known as the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan aims to repurpose up to 130,000 acres of drainage-impaired or water-challenged lands in the Westlands Water District in Fresno County. The District is the largest agricultural water district in the US at 614,000 acres, or 2,400 square kilometres, and serves the agricultural sector. … ” Read more from Energy Storage News.
Greg Collins talks H2O at 210
“Water has always been important for Greg Collins, maybe even more than most people. Whether as a swimmer, competitive water polo player and coach, urban planner, Visalia City Council member, grower, skier, fly fisherman and simply lifelong resident of the San Joaquin Valley, where water has been a defining feature of its history forever. Since retiring from his business and from city leadership, Collins has taken a renewed interest in the Valley’s relationship with water, especially because of recent stipulations in California to assure its sustainability. Water has literally been his home. For the first time, Collis has written about it. … ” Read more from the Valley Voice.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
More flooding is certain in LA’s future. Researchers want new models to help prevent disaster
“Researchers out of UC Irvine have said that nationally used flood modeling lacks specificity when it comes to measuring risks in urban areas like Los Angeles County. They’ve created their own modeling system, PRIMo-Drain, that can better predict which properties are at risk when using accurate, granular data. In a new report, UCI engineering professor Brett Sanders and his team compared widely used national flood risk assessment modeling in areas like Los Angeles County against their own PRIMo-Drain model. Long story short: Traditional models don’t usually include infrastructure like levees and dams, unresolved drainage and topographic data, which means their modeling is less specific when it comes to measuring risks for the spreading of floods in cities. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Along the Colorado River …
Some of Arizona’s most valuable water could soon hit the market
“South of Headgate Rock Dam, beyond riverbanks lined with willow and mesquite, the broad floodplain of the Colorado River spreads across emerald fields and sun-bleached earth. The Colorado River has nourished these lands in present-day western Arizona for millennia, from the ancestral Mohave people who cultivated corn, squash, beans, and melons, to the contemporary farmers of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, whose reservation extends for 56 miles along its namesake river. CRIT has rights to divert a large volume of Colorado River water – nearly 720,000 acre-feet in Arizona and California combined, which is more than twice Nevada’s allocation from the river. To this point, the water has remained within the bounds of the CRIT reservation. But soon, the water might flow to lands far beyond CRIT’s borders. … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
In national water news today …
How close are the planet’s climate tipping points?
“Right now, every moment of every day, we humans are reconfiguring Earth’s climate bit by bit. Hotter summers and wetter storms. Higher seas and fiercer wildfires. The steady, upward turn of the dial on a host of threats to our homes, our societies and the environment around us. We might also be changing the climate in an even bigger way. For the past two decades, scientists have been raising alarms about great systems in the natural world that warming, caused by carbon emissions, might be pushing toward collapse. These systems are so vast that they can stay somewhat in balance even as temperatures rise. But only to a point. Once we warm the planet beyond certain levels, this balance might be lost, scientists say. The effects would be sweeping and hard to reverse. Not like the turning of a dial, but the flipping of a switch. One that wouldn’t be easily flipped back. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Earth just had its warmest July on record
“Last month was Earth’s warmest July on record, extending the streak of record-high monthly global temperatures to 14 successive months. The world’s sea-surface temperatures in July were the second-warmest on record, ending a run of 15 consecutive, record-setting months, according to data and scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). The average July global surface temperature was 2.18 degrees F (1.21 degrees C) above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degrees F (15.8 degrees C), ranking as the warmest July in NOAA’s 175-year global record. July 2024 was also the 14th-consecutive month of record-high temperatures for the planet. … ” Read more from NOAA.
