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 tomorrow …
- SATURDAY: All are invited to the Yurok Tribe’s 60th Annual Klamath Salmon Festival on Saturday, August 17 in Klamath. The 60th Salmon Festival offers enjoyment for everyone. The family friendly event features a parade, Ney-puey Fun Run, live music by Blue Rhythm Revue and Brett McFarland and the Freedom Riders, kids’ activities, basket-weaving demonstrations, Stick Game, softball, basketball, arm-wrestling and Indian Card Game Tournaments, high-quality gift items made by more than 100 local vendors and 20 delicious food options. Click here for more information.
In California water news today …
As La Niña strengthens, forecasters warn of a potential return to drought
“As La Niña gathers strength in the tropical Pacific, forecasters are warning that the climate pattern could plunge California back into drought conditions in the months ahead. La Niña is the drier component of the El Niño Southern Oscillation system, or ENSO, which is a main driver of climate and weather patterns across the globe. Its warm, moist counterpart, El Niño, was last in place from July 2023 until this spring, and was linked to record-warm global temperatures and California’s extraordinarily wet winter. Though ENSO conditions are neutral at the moment, La Niña’s arrival appears increasingly imminent. There is a 66% chance it will develop between September and November and a 74% chance that it will persist through the winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
California aims to improve ability to measure how much water is flowing throughout the state, critical to managing water supplies
“[Yesterday], the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced a new partnership opportunity to support the state’s ability to measure stream and river flows through the California Stream Gage Improvement Program (CalSIP) as climate extremes continue to impact the state’s water supply. As part of the approximately $7 million program, DWR is seeking to partner with public agencies to install, upgrade and/or reactivate existing stream gage stations. This effort will expand California’s ability to access critical data that can inform important water management decisions during both flood and drought conditions. “California can’t manage what we don’t measure. Expanding our network of gages in rivers and streams helps us all make better decisions about managing our precious water supply while protecting vulnerable communities from flooding and drought,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “It also benefits our natural environment, improving our understanding of the needs of salmon and other native fish especially during drought conditions.” … ” Read more from DWR.
Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program advances before the State Water Board
“Today, DWR, Reclamation and public water agencies participating in the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program provided responses to questions and comments raised during the April 2024 workshops or submitted to the State Water Board during its public comment period for the Draft Staff Report in support of potential updates to the Bay-Delta Plan. The responses were developed in collaboration with program proponents across the state and highlight how transparency, enforceability and accountability are fundamental components of the program. “Public water agencies from Redding to the Mexican border are working with state and federal agencies to advance the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program as a new and transformational approach to managing California’s water,” said Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors. “The collaboration in developing these responses demonstrates broad commitment by these agencies to manage the delta watershed in a way that is inclusive, science-based and responsive to climate extremes.” … ” Continue reading this press release from the State Water Contractors.
DELTA CONVEYANCE PROJECT: Dr. David Sunding responds to Dr. Jeff Michael’s critique of the Benefit-Cost Analysis
“Dr. Jeff Michael recently released a critique of the 2024 Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) of the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). Dr. Michael is a longtime critic of the project, and his work has been supported by various Delta farming and environmental interests. In his latest report, Dr. Michael raises a number of objections to the BCA. As detailed in this memo, Dr. Michael’s criticisms reveal some significant misunderstandings about the role of the BCA, the framework of the analysis, the treatment of risk in the BCA, the choice of economic parameters like the discount rate, and other important aspects of the BCA. The economic analysis we conducted is based on industry standards and follows industry best practices. It is informed by current, applicable and documented data and policies. It carefully avoids speculation and is purposefully conservative in nature. This memo is meant to help decision-makers better understand our approach by correcting Dr. Michael’s errors. … ” Continue reading this memo from Dr. David Sunding.
Drought in the West has cost hydropower industry billions in losses in two decades, analysis finds
“Persistent drought in the West over the last two decades has limited the amount of electricity that hydropower dams can generate, costing the industry and the region billions of dollars in revenue. The sector lost about 300 million megawatt hours of power generation between 2003 and 2020 due to drought and low water compared with the long-term average, researchers from the University of Alabama found. That equals about $28 billion in lost revenue. Half of the drop in power generation was due to drought in Oregon, Washington and California, which produce half the hydropower generated in the U.S. The researchers published their findings July 23 in the journal Environmental Research Letters. … ” Read more from the Oregon Capitol Chronicle.
A (relative) mid-August reprieve for CA, but peak of fire season may be yet to come
“Although the tea leaves were already pretty clear from the preliminary data available when I wrote the last blog post, it’s now official: July 2024 was the hottest July (and, in many places, single month) on record for most of California away from the immediate coast. But, over the past 10 days or more, it has been noticeably less hot nearly everywhere than it was last month–a reprieve welcome by most. The first two weeks in August were still considerably warmer than average across most of California, but not record-breakingly so. And despite some inland heat that has lingered a bit longer than expected so far this week, even cooler temperatures are quite likely by this weekend into early next week as unusually strong autumn trough and associated low pressure system move across the Pacific Northwest. … This weekend, a very conspicuous pattern change will occur along the West Coast thanks to the arrival of an unseasonably deep low pressure system centered just off of the southwestern Oregon coast. … ” Read more from Weather West.
California faces weekend of weather hazards, from increased fire risks to coastal rain
“A developing storm system is set to bring a bevy of hazards to California this weekend, from rain showers along the Northern California coast to increased fire weather risk across the Sierra. On Saturday morning, an unusually strong low-pressure system for this time of year will move onshore and bring a period of light rain showers and maybe even a few rumbles of thunder from Crescent City down through Ukiah. As the system moves further inland on Saturday afternoon, fire weather risk will increase as gusty southwest winds of 30-40 mph develop across the dry landscapes of the central and northern Sierra. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Climate Ready: Hottest July on record takes a toll on California’s table grape harvest
“It wasn’t just your imagination; this past July was hotter than normal. ABC30 meteorologist Christine Gregory, explains “The National Weather Service took an average of afternoon highs and the lows. You get what’s called the mean temperature for the month of July, and it was actually the hottest July on record.” Fresno sweltered through 26 days of 100 degrees or more in July. The hottest day was 114. “We haven’t seen temperatures quite that hot in the past 20 or 30 years,” said Gregory. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Record heat is testing Kraft Heinz’s efforts to climate-proof its ketchup
“For Heinz ketchup, nothing is more important than tomatoes. Sure, by calories, a tablespoon of the flagship condiment is 80% added sugar. But by weight — and frankly, by reputation — it’s Heinz Tomato Ketchup for a reason. Now some of those tomatoes are in peril from climate change. The $5 billion-plus Heinz brand is critical to Kraft Heinz, the $42 billion packaged food giant that owns it. It produces 660 million bottles of ketchup each year, 300 million of them in the US. In a recent interview, Pedro Navio, the company’s North America president, referred to Heinz as its “powerhouse.” Kraft Heinz has also invested in organic and no-added-sugar versions — and charges more for them — which then Chief Executive Officer Miguel Patricio said on a 2019 earnings call was paying off. … ” Read more from Bloomberg.
In commentary today …
Editorial: Generative AI is an energy hog and that could hurt progress fighting climate change
The LA Times editorial board writes, “Artificial intelligence is one of the world’s fast-growing technologies, with Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and others rolling out generative AI models. It’s also one of the most energy-intensive technologies, and that is raising alarm that AI data centers’ thirst for electricity will increase planet-warming emissions and strain the electrical grid. Google AI takes 10 times as much electricity to process a result as a regular Google search, according to one analysis. Data centers, or large buildings filled with computer servers, already accounted for about 4% of energy use in the U.S. in 2022, with consumption expected to hit 6% by 2026, an increase driven in part by the boom in AI use. … In addition to being a threat to the power grid, servers produce heat and data centers use a lot of water to cool them down. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘Manufactured Drought’: Ukiah demands rehearing on water flow reductions
“The City of Ukiah is taking action over impacts to the Upper Russian River, including environmental and economic harm to the region, caused by PG&E dramatically reducing flows to the Russian River from the Potter Valley Project. In a formal “Request for Rehearing” filed July 29th, the City again underscored how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval for PG&E’s reduction in water flows was made without fairly or adequately considering the harmful impacts to the Upper Russian River. For 120 years, abandoned flows diverted from the Eel through the Potter Valley Project have been the foundation for progress in the Upper Russian River. But in the past few years PG&E has made yearly requests for a “variance” to reduce these flows. This year PG&E requested to reduce flows to the East Branch Russian River to match the dry water year minimum flow requirement of 25 cfs, with the “flexibility” to drop all the way down to 5 cfs. FERC granted the request. … ” Read more from Mendo Fever.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
CAL EPA: Bi-state program continues to show results for Lake Tahoe clarity
“A bi-state effort to reduce pollution and restore Lake Tahoe’s world-famous water clarity kept significant amounts of stormwater and fine-grained sediment out of the lake in 2023, despite challenges from a winter of record snowfall and runoff, according to an annual lake performance report released today. While a prolonged snowmelt period in spring 2023 swept sediment into the lake and reduced clarity, partners in the Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL Program) helped keep the lake’s annual average clarity at around 68 feet, which is in line with what has been observed over the past two decades, the bi-state report shows. This was achieved despite continuous periods of heavy snowfall and cold temperatures in 2023, which hindered street sweeping and stormwater infiltration efforts for long stretches. … ” Continue reading this press release from Cal EPA.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Westlands Water District awarded $1m by Department of Water Resources
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded Westlands Water District (District), a $1,000,000 grant as part of DWR’s Flood Diversion Recharge (FDRE) Initiative. This grant will assist the State’s efforts to reduce flooding by increasing flood flow diversion volumes to recharge areas and expand local capacity to divert future flood waters. These efforts in turn reduce downstream flood impacts and facilitate groundwater recharge. “The District is committed to building a resilient water future for the San Joaquin Valley and our family farms,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “This grant will greatly assist us in clearing the way for flood diversion and support our ongoing groundwater recharge efforts as we navigate through climate-driven weather extremes and continued decline in reliable surface water supplies and work towards groundwater sustainability.” … ” Read more from the Valley Voice.
Rep. Valadao visits Delano to discuss water treatment
“Representative David Valadao stopped by Delano and toured a Kern County water treatment plant Aug. 14. Valadao joined Delano city officials Wednesday to tour a water plant and preview the city’s plans for the Well 42 Project. The $6 million project will create a new city well and treatment plant to provide clean water for residents. … ” Read more from KGET.
Bakersfield: Cal Water embarks on major infrastructure overhaul to enhance water quality
“Turning the knob on your household faucet to receive flowing water may seem like a simple task, but with California Water Service setting their sights to improve the city’s water distribution through a series of intricate plans, it’s evident there is much more behind the process. Under the 2025- 2027 Infrastructure Improvement Plan, California Water Service, Cal Water, is in the middle of a handful of projects throughout the city. On Bank Street, near the corner of 3rd and N streets, the work started with replacing 78,445 feet of the main, which is the hub for delivering water to customer homes. … ” Read more from Bakersfield Now.
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Water District considers alternatives to imported water for future of the valley
“The Indian Wells Valley Water District board members did everything except make a formal statement of opposition to the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s imported water pipeline project at the Water District’s board meeting on Aug. 12. In fact, an item for formal opposition was on the agenda, but board chair Ron Kicinski tabled the item at the last minute. He indicated it’ll be back for a vote at a future board meeting. Instead, conversation at the Water District meeting kept flowing back to their desire for a recycled water project. “We have an alternative, we just haven’t publicized it,” said board member Stan Rajtora. “The only reason we haven’t made any progress on recycled water is the fact that the [City of Ridgecrest] won’t cooperate with us in any way, shape, or form.” … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Think the LA Aqueduct was the city’s first water system? Nope, it’s the Zanja Madre
“William Mullholland is often hailed as the man who brought water to Los Angeles, but there’s an earlier group Angelenos owe flowers to: The original founders of L.A., and the Zanja Madre. The system of zanjas — Spanish for trench or ditch — was the city’s first irrigation network that brought water from the L.A. River to people’s homes and fields. For the 44 pobladores who came from New Spain (modern Mexico) to settle in today’s downtown, every drop of water was liquid gold. Having quick access to water helped sustain life and raised crops for food. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Advancing stormwater capture for greener schools in Los Angeles
“Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States, has a vast public school system comprising 80 school districts that serve approximately 1.3 million elementary to high school students. Urban schools are often surrounded by asphalt creating urban heat islands and exacerbating runoff issues during heavy rains. Climate change intensifies these problems, contributing to hotter temperatures, severe droughts, and more intense flooding. Because of these challenges local efforts are underway to create more green space around schools, especially through the careful management of stormwater runoff. This report, titled “Advancing Stormwater Capture for Greener Schools in Los Angeles,” reveals the significant potential for stormwater capture on public school campuses in Los Angeles County. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute.
The art of water conservation
“As a part of several Getty “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” exhibitions, Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studio are presenting “Portable Wetland for Southern California,” a conceptual artwork and experimental proposal for ecological remediation at Brackish Water Los Angeles. Located on the California State University, Dominguez Hills campus in South Los Angeles, where local rivers have been transformed into concrete channels, and where industrial contamination and ecological racism have plagued surrounding communities for generations. The exhibition considers issues of access, inclusion, ecological racism and cultural/class system interchanges along Los Angeles’ waterways. … ” Read more from the Beverly Press.
Consultants and stakeholders address FEIR for the Topanga Lagoon project
“The proposed expansion of the Topanga Lagoon and restoration of all or part of the historic Topanga Ranch Motel thatwas built in the 1930s and is owned by State Parks has been contemplated for more than two decades. On Aug. 5, representatives from various involved state and county agencies and their consultants held a Zoom meeting to present the final environmental impact review and answer any questions from stakeholders. The FEIR calls for renewing animal, fish, and bird habitats, protecting two endangered fish — the tidewater goby and steelhead trout, which only breeds in Topanga Creek in the Santa Monica Bay — and improving coastal access for visitors, consisting of a visitors pavilion, restrooms, and other amenities. … ” Read more from the Malibu Times.
On an eroding Malibu beach, an MLB owner is accused of stealing sand
“For decades, Broad Beach, Calif., has lured the likes of Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg, Goldie Hawn and Pierce Brosnan to its secluded 1.1-mile stretch of killer views and pristine water. But in recent years, sea level rise and erosion have washed away nearly all of the dunes in this Malibu neighborhood — turning sand into a premium commodity and a source of conflict between neighbors. Now, the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team’s principal owner, multimillionaire Mark Attanasio, is up to bat in the dispute. His neighbor accused him in court last week of stealing the neighborhood’s scarce public sand and using it for an ongoing construction project at his home. “This case is about a private property owner using a public beach as their own personal sandbox,” states the lawsuit filed last Thursday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Attanasio’s next-door neighbor, financier James Kohlberg. … ” Continue reading at the Washington Post (gift article).
SAN DIEGO
While Tijuana sends sewage over border, US avoids source of stink
“For decades, San Diegans have been trying to hold the federal government responsible for sewage spilling into the United States from Tijuana via the International Boundary and Water Commission or IBWC, the binational federal agency that cleans some of the sewage as it crosses the border. They’ve sued the IBWC. They’ve written it up hundreds of times for breaking environmental laws. Some of the most radical citizens of the California town that’s most impacted, Imperial Beach, called on the United States to take Mexico to the Hague, the international court that handles disputes between nations. And every step of the way the federal government has said: It’s not our fault. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Federal agency hit with notice of violation due to foul odors following sewage spill
“The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission has been cited again for violating air or water quality standards – this time for noxious odors. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on July 29 issued a notice of violation to the federal agency and its contractor, Veolia, for causing a public nuisance due to a June malfunction at its Hollister Pump Station that led to a five-hour spill of about 302,000 gallons of untreated wastewater. On July 31, commission spokesperson Frank Fisher said in an emailed response that the agency was reviewing the notice. The U.S. section of the binational commission manages federal infrastructure, including the San Ysidro-based South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, along the border. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River allotment cuts coming to Arizona, Nevada, Mexico
“Even though the water level on Lake Powell rose half a foot this year, the Bureau of Reclamation announced on Thursday that Lake Mead is projected to be in a “shortage condition” in 2025 — meaning Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will see cuts in how much water they can use from the Colorado River. “We are in a base period and we are seeing decreases in our reservoirs and we expect to see decreasing storage through the winter prior to spring runoff next year. However, our reservoirs are at normal levels and look fairly good,” said Heather Patno, a hydraulic engineer at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Glen Canyon Dam, during an online presentation of the bureau’s 24-month study on the conditions of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, two large reservoirs for the Colorado River. Although precipitation has been normal this year and there were major storms in January through March this year, warm weather led to significant runoff, Patno said. Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu are 95% full, but Lake Mead is only 33% full. … ” Read more from the Associated Press via Courthouse News.
San Diego forgoes more Colorado River water in new deal
“The Colorado River’s biggest single user – farmers in Imperial Valley – made another agreement with the federal government to cut their take of the overused, threatened river for the next two years, with help from San Diego. The Imperial Irrigation District’s board announced this week it’d pay farmers to skip some harvests in the coming two years in order to keep around 700,000 acre feet of water (an acre-foot is two California households’ annual water use) in the river’s biggest reservoir, Lake Mead. San Diego is in discussions with Imperial Valley to help farmers reach that goal by selling back some of the water it purchases from the valley. The San Diego County Water Authority has more water than it can use right now after recent rainy years broke multiple years of drought. It’s in a budget pinch, facing a $2 million cut to its budget along with a 14 percent rate increase on the cost of water for its 22 customer water districts. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Nevada to take Colorado River water cuts for 4th straight year
“Nevada will face cuts in how much water it can use from the Colorado River for the fourth year in a row, triggered by new Bureau of Reclamation projections for Lake Mead, the country’s biggest reservoir. While the Colorado River Basin has experienced above-normal snowfall for two consecutive years, it’s not been enough to best Western drought that’s persisted over two decades. And water managers are bracing for further potential cuts if dry years fueled by climate change and La Niña conditions are to follow. In 2022, Lake Mead’s water level was the lowest it’s ever been. Today, it stands nearly 22 feet higher, but it’s expected to dip to only 13 feet above the all-time low in the next two years, according to projections released Thursday. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
SEE ALSO:
- Reclamation announces 2025 operating conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, press release from the Bureau of Reclamation
- Colorado River shortage triggers 7% Nevada water cut, from the Las Vegas Sun
- Reclamation projects Tier 1 shortage for 2025 – Lower Basin continues extraordinary actions to stabilize Colorado River system, from CAP Know Your Water News.
- Water reductions will continue in 2025 due to Lake Mead’s level projections, from Channel 12
Why isn’t Colorado’s snowpack ending up in the Colorado River? New research suggests the problem might be the lack of spring rainfall
“The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water for hydropower, irrigation and drinking water in seven U.S. states and Mexico. Much of this water comes from the snowpack that builds up over the winter and then melts each spring. Every year in early April, water managers use the snowpack to predict how much water will be available for the upcoming year. But since 2000, these predictions have been incorrect, with the actual streamflow being consistently lower than the predicted streamflow. That’s left water managers and researchers flummoxed — where’s the water going? The problem lies with the lack of rainfall in the spring, according to new research from the University of Washington. The researchers found that recent warmer, drier springs account for almost 70% of the discrepancy. With less rain, the plants in the area rely more on the snowmelt for water, leaving less water to make its way into the nearby streams. Decreased rain also means sunny skies, which encourages plant growth and water evaporation from the soil. … ” Read more from the University of Washington.
SEE ALSO: Water Level Mystery Flummoxing US Scientists May Be Solved, from Newsweek
Strengthening western resilience in the face of drought
“The lifeblood of the American West, the Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million people and fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states. Additionally, the Colorado River is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations and two states in Mexico, and supports 5.5 million acres of agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, in addition to important ecosystems and endangered species. In 2021, historic drought along the river brought the communities it serves to a near crisis. A 23-year megadrought diminished the river’s largest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to critically low elevations, which threatened water deliveries and power production. The Department and Bureau of Reclamation jumped into action. Through the President’s Investing in America agenda, Reclamation is leveraging nearly $13 billion in critical investments across the west through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. … ” Read more from the Department of Interior.
Conservationists sue to protect San Pedro ground water
“Conservationists sued Arizona’s governor and director of water resources Thursday, demanding they revoke a guaranteed water certificate from a 7,000-home development project they say will illegally siphon groundwater from the last free-flowing river in the Southwest. Arizona’s Department of Water Resources approved the development’s certificate in 2013 based on the availability of groundwater congressionally assigned to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Using the water for a commercial and residential housing development instead will cause irreversible harm to fragile ecosystems along the river, the plaintiffs say in a new lawsuit brought against Governor Katie Hobbs, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, its director Tom Buschatzke and Pueblo Del Sol Water Company. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
