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On the calendar today …
- EVENT: Pure Water Southern California from 11:30am to 1pm in Irvine. Pure Water Southern California is a new local water supply for the region that will help ensure our homes and businesses have reliable water in the face of a changing climate. At full scale, it could be one of the largest potable reuse programs in the world, producing 150 million gallons of water a day – enough to serve the daily needs of 1.5 million people. It will be used to replenish groundwater basins, serve industries and eventually be directly integrated into Metropolitan’s drinking water treatment and delivery system – benefiting 19 million people across Southern California. Plan to attend this incisive look at what will prove to be an important addition to our Southern California water supply. Presentations by MWDSC are always well attended and never fail to impress. You won’t want to miss this important topic. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Beaver Restoration and Management on Tribal Land from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. Presenters: Allison Warner, The Tulalip Tribes, Skip Lisle, Beaver Deceivers International. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: LIVING IN A HOTTER FUTURE: Protecting Californians from Intensifying Extreme Heat from 12pm to 1:30pm. Record-breaking heat waves in California this summer drive home what science makes clear: Temperatures are spiking as climate change heats the planet. Last year was the hottest in the planet’s recorded history, and 2024 is shaping up to be even hotter. California’s leaders are taking action to confront these worsening heat waves. In 2022, state agencies launched an Extreme Heat Action Plan, spurring new efforts to help Californians live and thrive in a hotter future. Join us for a candid conversation on these efforts. We will discuss what’s happening to protect communities from extreme heat and challenges that lie ahead. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California’s first snow of season coming to the Sierra Nevada from rare August storm
“The Tahoe ski season ended less than three months ago — on Memorial Day, when Palisades Tahoe became the last resort to close — but winter-like weather is already knocking on the door. The first snowfall of the 2024-25 season is possible in the Sierra Nevada in the coming days as a rare August storm sweeps across Northern California. Weather models predict an unusually strong August low-pressure system will drop straight down from Canada toward the Oregon-California border Friday. While the system would be nothing to write home about during winter, it may end up being one of the strongest on record for August. … “ Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News
Lake Tahoe braces for freezing temperatures and chance of summer snow
“An upcoming cold front is expected to bring unseasonably chilly temperatures to the Lake Tahoe area this week. The forecast even has a chance of snow, a rather rare occurrence for August in the Sierra Nevada. Tahoe’s highest elevations may see trace amounts of snow over the weekend. The National Weather Service’s forecast for Lake Tahoe’s west shore shows a 30% chance of precipitation starting Friday, with snow possible at elevations above 8,200 feet. The snow level is expected to drop to 8,000 feet Saturday morning before rising to 9,100 feet by Saturday evening. Only Tahoe’s highest peaks reach elevations that high, like Mount Tallac, which tops at 9,739 feet. … “ Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: Typhoon’s remnants to trigger rare California storm, bringing a shift to cooler weather, from the SF Chronicle
Algae here, alien life out there — Cal State L.A.-JPL partnership connects engineers to astrobiology
When Erika Flores applied for an internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2014, she wasn’t quite sure if her undergraduate work in environmental science fit at a place known for work much farther afield. … “I did not see myself in an astrobiology lab,” Flores said from her office at the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, where she has worked since 2023 as an engineering associate. But as it turns out, understanding how microorganisms came to be in Earth’s water is valuable knowledge to those tasked with cleansing that supply today, her mentor at JPL said. “There’s a lot of overlap between wastewater and astrobiology,” said Laurie Barge, a JPL scientist who co-leads the Origins and Habitability Laboratory with research scientist Jessica Weber. “Sounds weird, but it’s true.” … “ Read more from the LA Times.
CNRA Posts Responses to Questions About Agreements on Bay-Delta
“The California Natural Resources Agency has posted a “Common Responses” document that addresses questions and comments about the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (Agreements) that were raised by State Water Resources Control Board members, staff, and members of the public during the State Water Board’s three-day April workshop about the Agreements. The document was developed by the Department of Water Resources, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and parties to the Agreements—which include numerous ACWA member agencies and the State Water Contractors, which issued a statement following the release of the “Common Responses.” … “ Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
California’s golden trout persist with project help from TU
“An angler since she was four years old, even after a long day working in the backcountry, Trout Unlimited’s Jessica Strickland couldn’t resist the opportunity to fish an iconic stream winding its way through a mountain meadow. In September, during the last weeks of the fieldwork season in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, a group of TU staff, ecologists and U.S. Forest Service staff left Horseshoe Meadow and hiked 10 miles further into the Golden Trout Wilderness to reach the Big Whitney Meadow complex. The team would spend multiple days mapping and planning in Big Whitney, but a few couldn’t wait until the morning to see it. That evening, Strickland and a handful of folks hiked an additional two miles to fish on Golden Trout Creek. In narrow runs and pools, native golden trout snapped at dry flies. Gently cradled in her hands, the wild fish glowed in the evening light. … “ Read more from Trout Unlimited.
Rice water quality programs monitoring summary
“The 2024 surface and groundwater monitoring under the RPP and WDR programs was completed in August. For the Rice Pesticide Program (RPP), only one detection of thiobencarb was reported for the whole season. That result was well below the agricultural drain performance goal. Additional samples were collected in non-program monitoring sites, with similar results. We thank the County Agricultural Commissioner’s offices for their support of the program. … “ Read more from the California Rice Commission.
As the world heats up, so does the debate around artificial turf
“Artificial turf carpets athletic fields, playgrounds, and residential lawns across the US, offering a low-maintenance alternative to natural grass that always looks lush and doesn’t require heavy watering. But while this popular synthetic material is marketed as eco-friendly, it has also long attracted controversy – for decades, environmental and health advocates have expressed concern about the chemical byproducts of the turf’s plastic fibers. Now, as climate change drives global temperatures to searing new records and cities scramble for ways to cool down, the old debate around artificial turf has taken on a new intensity. Along with concerns about toxic chemicals, some have begun to sound the alarm that artificial turf simply gets too hot in a world of ever-harsher heatwaves, exacerbating the health risks of the climate crisis. … “ Read more from The New Lede.
State selects and funds 94 wildfire projects to build community and climate resilience
“As part of the Newsom Administration’s key priorities to bolster the state’s wildfire response and resilience efforts, CAL FIRE has announced grants for 94 local wildfire prevention projects across California, supported by $90.8 million in funding. Over the last five years, CAL FIRE has awarded more than $450 million in its Wildfire Prevention Grants Program to over 450 projects across the state. Wildfire Prevention Grant projects include hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention planning and education, with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over two-thirds of the projects are awards to communities that are low-income and disadvantaged. … “ Read more from YubaNet.
And lastly … Young designers shape the future of water
“This year’s contingent of Future100 architecture students displays a distinct tendency to design around water’s central importance to humans and other species. Their projects imaginatively address water conservation, filtration, and flood protection and depict natural and human habitats sensitive to water shortages, including architecture imagining life 100 years into the future and on Mars. In Aqua-Haven, for instance, a project by California College of the Arts master’s in architecture student Negar Hosseini, the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge becomes a place of shelter in the year 2083. Humans live in podlike bubbles suspended across San Francisco Bay. The pods are constructed of a mesh material inspired by desert-dwelling Namib beetles, which capture moisture from the air and convert it into drinkable water. … “ Read more from Metropolis.
In commentary today …
Sites Reservoir: The Time is Now
“This week marked the beginning of a pivotal series of public hearings conducted by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearings Office regarding the Sites Reservoir Project. These hearings are crucial for the State Water Board to approve the Sites Project Authority’s petition for water rights and the construction of a new reservoir west of Maxwell. The project proposes diverting up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually from the Sacramento River and its tributaries, which would be stored in the planned Sites Reservoir. This water would serve various purposes, including agricultural use, municipal supply, and environmental protection across Northern and Southern California. The hearings, which will continue through October, provide a forum for the Sites Project Authority and others to present evidence and share their perspectives on water availability and this significant water infrastructure project. … “ Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Basin adjudication moves forward in Oregon Circuit Court
“Nearly a half-century after its formal start, Oregon’s Klamath Basin Adjudication (KBA) is lurching toward a significant milestone: a judgment in the trial court. Oregon’s water rights adjudication law establishes a two-stage process to determine water rights claims. First, in the administrative stage, the Oregon Water Resources Department evaluates claims and issues an administrative order approving or denying the claims, in whole or in part. In the KBA, that process concluded in 2013. Second, in the judicial stage, a circuit court adjudicates exceptions to the determined claims. In the KBA, that process is ongoing. Once completed, the Klamath County Circuit Court will issue its judgment/decree, affirming or modifying the administrative order. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Truckee River water quality could be impacted due to Gold Ranch Fire, experts say
“The Gold Ranch Fire, which burned more than 600 acres along Interstate 80 near the Nevada-California state line, might have an impact on one of the main water sources in the Truckee Meadows. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) tells News 4-Fox 11 they typically see an impact on water quality when we have a precipitation event. When it rains or snows, the runoff from the burn scar gets in the river and that’s when you see the change in water quality. Experts say it could take some time before we see any impact, but the potential is still there. … ” Read more from Channel 11.
NAPA/SONOMA
Climate concerns inspire innovation in wine vineyards
“As he does most mornings, Bernat Sort Costa walked through 160 acres of grapevines in American Canyon, checking on the largest of five vineyards cultivated by Napa Valley wine producer Grgich Hills Estate. Growers in the wine region are embracing innovations to monitor vineyard conditions amid California’s hotter, drier climate. But Costa said he still employs a hands-on and “boots-on-the-ground” approach for evaluating grapevine health, as well as soil and moisture conditions in the vineyard of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Costa, a winemaker and biologist who serves as Grgich’s regenerative organic research manager, pointed to the soil and described how it cracked beneath his feet due to high deposits of clay. He explained how that is a challenge for retaining water, while noting that the no-till and “super low-tech” farming operation uses mulch to boost soil moisture. But things are changing in this vineyard and others in the Napa and Sonoma Valley wine regions, where growers are employing sustainable farming practices and technology to adapt to climate change. … “ Read more from Ag Alert.
BAY AREA
Marin Municipal Water District digests ‘breathtaking’ costs of water pipeline options
“The Marin Municipal Water District’s water supply projects can’t be phased as the staff had hoped. Staff presented an update on its pipeline projects to the operations committee at its meeting on Friday. The update included construction cost estimates on three water conveyance options, and news on how they could be built. “I think it’s exciting,” said district board member Larry Russell, chair of the committee. “But the costs are breathtaking, so I don’t know where we’re going on that part.” … “ Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Delivering BART muck to south bay marshes?
“Sometime in 2025, an enormous cylindrical machine, built especially for the purpose, will begin burrowing deep beneath the streets of San Jose, creating a five-mile-long tunnel for the Valley Transportation Agency’s planned BART extension into downtown. A rotating cutter-head will dig through soil and rock; as the machine advances along its underground route, a conveyor system inside the machine will remove the excavated material and carry it back to the surface. If an innovative plan by the Valley Transportation Authority, the Coastal Conservancy and others comes to fruition, that material may help several marsh restoration projects along the South Bay shore stay ahead of climate-driven sea level rise. “This opportunity is just huge,” says the Coastal Conservancy’s Evyan Sloane. The conservancy manages the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, which is restoring more than 15,000 acres of former industrial salt ponds to tidal wetlands and other habitats. The conservancy hopes excavated material can help restore the salt ponds to tidal marsh much more quickly than is normally possible. … “ Read more from Knee Deep Times.
Knock-on flood threat gets 4-inch reality check
“For years, sea level rise planning in the Bay Area has carried a dark asterisk: Protect your own city with caution, or your seawalls and levees might contribute to flooding your neighbors. Fears of cross-bay flooding — or inadvertently foisting extra water onto parts of the San Francisco bayshore by defending other areas of shoreline from rising seas with flood walls — have taken on a life of their own in public discourse from San Rafael to the South Bay. But the magnitude of these redirected effects may be far smaller than the public imagines. “The myth comes from the perspective of flood management along a river, when the narrow channel has little storage,” explains Matt Brennan, a senior engineering hydrologist with Environmental Science Associates, a firm involved in many local sea level rise adaptation projects. … “ Read more from Knee Deep Times.
San Jose water rates keep going up
“The for-profit company providing water for six Santa Clara County cities will walk back proposed rate hikes over three years. But watchdogs say the cuts are a sham and residents will still face higher water bills. San Jose Water Company initially proposed to hike rates by a total of 20% through 2027. A proposed settlement agreement between the company and state Public Advocates Office could slash that to 10%. While that might seem like a win for taxpayers, observers said other increases have taken effect between the time San Jose Water filed its rate hike on Jan. 2 and the settlement proposed on Monday. San Jose Water’s Jan. 2 proposal aimed to raise average residential rates from $107 to $120 a month in the first year. Rates would now go from $117.91 to $122.94 per month, according to San Jose Water representatives, even if the settlement shrinks the increase. The company serves 1 million customers across San Jose, Cupertino, Campbell, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Gatos and unincorporated parts of Santa Clara County. … ” Read more from the San Jose Spotlight.
CENTRAL COAST
State approves PV Water’s groundwater sustainability plan update
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has notified PV Water that its Groundwater Sustainability Update 2022 (GSU22) is approved. General Manager Brian Lockwood explained “This approval is yet another significant win for the Pajaro Valley as it validates the important work PV Water has been doing to achieve sustainable groundwater resources, and, importantly, the determination keeps PV Water moving forward. In addition, DWR’s approval of PV Water’s GSP Alternative in 2019 was among the first approvals in the state, DWR’s approval of PV Water’s periodic update to its GSP Alternative, GSU22, is also among the first in the state. The GSU22 was prepared under the oversight of the Ad Hoc Sustainable Groundwater Committee, and that Committee deserves to be recognized for this achievement.” … “ Read more from PV Water.
Commentary: How a difficult year revealed our farmers’ resilience
Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, writes, “Early in 2023, the Salinas Valley and Pajaro Valley regions of Monterey County experienced extensive flooding during a series of atmospheric river storms. Along the Salinas River, floodwaters flowed over levees, washing away valuable topsoil and leaving substantial amounts of debris and trash. The Pajaro River levee system experienced a catastrophic failure, inundating the Pajaro community and flooding vast acres of strawberry fields and other farmland. More than 20,000 acres of farmland went underwater during these flood events. Fields needed remediation. Levees needed rebuilding; debris needed clearing. Pathogen testing for food safety compliance had to be completed before fields could be replanted. For many of these acres, growers lost their first crop of the season because of the extensive process needed to get fields back into production. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Tehachapi water district may be headed to settlement of ‘fourth cause of action’
“Two local agencies embroiled in a legal dispute since September 2021 may be headed toward settling the remaining part of a lawsuit. The city of Tehachapi and Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District were expected to be in court Friday for a case management conference ordered by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto. On Tuesday morning, the judge approved the water district’s request for a brief stay of the litigation and set a case management conference for 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. On Thursday, attorneys for the water district filed the stipulation and proposed order, asking the judge to stay the litigation. The document states that the parties are working toward a settlement. The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning. … “ Read more from Tehachapi News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Local business and real estate leaders slam IWVGA pipeline decision in letter to judge
““Representatives of the Ridgecrest Association of Realtors, Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, and Indian Wells Valley Economic Development Corporation sent a letter to the judge handling the IWV Groundwater Authority lawsuits, stating their position that the IWVGA as an unelected board is ignoring the residents of the valley with its decision to pursue an expensive pipeline from the Antelope Valley. In the letter to Orange County Superior Court Judge William Claster, the three agencies stated, “Let’s get right to the point. Many of the citizens and business owners do not want to go in the direction that the Groundwater Authority Board continues to vote in favor of, long distance water importation. The direction they are choosing is to build a 50-mile-long pipeline up from California City.” … “ Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tap water in LA’s Watts neighborhood is contaminated with lead, report finds
“A new report has found elevated lead levels in tap water across Watts, a south Los Angeles community that has faced decades of environmental racism, including in the drinking water of multiple public housing developments. Researchers working with the Better Watts Initiative, a community environmental group, tested tap water at sites across the neighbourhood, and found lead, a neurotoxic metal, at or above US government limits. The elevated concentrations were most often found in housing developments that have been plagued for decades by toxic contamination from lead and other pollution. Researchers relied on community leaders to recruit residents to participate in the study, collecting water samples from across homes and apartments in the area. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
After massive sewage spill that polluted beaches, L.A. agrees to spend $20 million on improvements
“Three years after a massive spill at a Los Angeles wastewater facility sent millions of gallons of sewage into Santa Monica Bay, the city has agreed to spend more than $20 million on improvements to remedy the environmental blunder, according to a settlement with federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. The agreement comes after an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and federal prosecutors into the 2021 spill at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey, the city’s largest wastewater treatment facility. Federal prosecutors allege that the sewage spill “resulted from the city of Los Angeles’ failure to adequately staff Hyperion, train its employees at Hyperion and/or maintain Hyperion’s equipment,” though the settlement notes that the city does not concede these points. … “ Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: City of Los Angeles to Pay $20.8 Million for Discharging More Than 12 Million Gallons of Untreated Wastewater into Santa Monica Bay, press release from the US Attorney’s Office
Along the Colorado River …
Coalition calls upon Colorado River water managers to embrace severity of climate crisis amid federal forecasting exercise
“In anticipation of the Bureau of Reclamation’s 24-month water forecast on the Colorado River, a coalition of nonprofit organizations is calling for more focus on the climate crisis in managing Colorado River water supplies. The Bureau’s forthcoming August 24-month study is a key benchmark for managing the nation’s two largest reservoirs – Lake Mead and Lake Powell – but this annual exercise continues to be a problematic endeavor that creates false hopes and unrealistic expectations for the 1 in 10 Americans who live in the Colorado River Basin. The coalition — Glen Canyon Institute, Great Basin Water Network, Utah Rivers Council and Living Rivers the Colorado River Waterkeeper — is calling on the Bureau and water managers to do more to plan for a drastically drier future. … “ Read more from the Cheyenne Post.
Innovative effort to restore native Apache trout gets a boost
“On the surface, stocking more of the invasive fish you are trying to remove might seem counterintuitive, but one innovative restoration project in Arizona is hopeful they can have success using that approach. The addition of $350,000 from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2023 is supporting the effort to use male brook trout that only produce male offspring to eliminate the population from that stretch of the river. In stretches of the West Fork Black River and Thompson Creek, in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona, efforts to remove invasive brook trout and bolster native Apache trout and loach minnow have been ongoing for several years. Apache trout are one of Arizona’s two native trout species and they are of cultural importance to the region’s indigenous peoples. … “ Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Utah State graduate student research aids in future Colorado River basin planning
“The future is uncertain, but the agreements for water management in the Colorado River Basin are expiring in 2026, and new agreements need new solutions. To find these solutions, decision makers have to run simulation models to evaluate alternative management options. They look at the impact of drought and declining runoff due to climate change, working to understand the availability and variability of future water resources in the basin. To run these models, they need streamflow data that reflects the uncertain future. Working on a project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Water Research Laboratory graduate student Homa Salehabadi developed a structured framework for assessing streamflow data to inform management options post-2026. … “ Read more from Utah State Today.
Utah lawsuit seeks state control over vast areas of federal land
“Utah’s Republican leaders made good Tuesday on a decade-old vow to launch a legal challenge aimed at wresting control from the U.S. government over much of the federal lands that dominate the state. The state’s attorney general said he asked to file a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court in what is considered a long-shot attempt to assert state powers on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property across about one-third of Utah. It marks the latest jab in a running feud between states and the U.S. government over who should control huge swaths of the West and the enormous oil and gas, timber, and other resources they contain. Federal agencies combined have jurisdiction over almost 70% of Utah. … “ Read more from the Associated Press.
As Lake Powell shrinks, a thriving desert oasis is coming back
“Seth Arens has all the adventurous swagger of Indiana Jones. His long hair is tied up in a bun, tucked neatly under a wide brimmed hat. His skin bears the leathery tan of someone who has spent the whole summer under the desert sun. But as Arens pushed his way through a taller-than-your-head thicket of unforgivingly dense grasses, he explained why he doesn’t carry a machete, betraying his differences from the whip-cracking tomb raider. “I guess, as an ecologist, I can’t quite bring myself to just hack down vegetation,” Arens said. … “ Read more from KUNC.
In national water news today …
Innovative solutions for water conservation in modern homes
“Water scarcity affects regions around the globe, prompting a need for innovative conservation methods in residential settings. To this end, modern homes increasingly integrate smart technologies and thoughtfully water-efficient designs to reduce consumption without sacrificing comfort or functionality. By integrating technologies like smart water fixtures, IoT water sensors, and eco-friendly investments into your home, you can save money while reducing your water footprint. With larger-scale adoption, we can make serious gains toward a more efficient and resilient future in the face of water scarcity. … ” Read more from Water Online.
Transforming water tanks – refurbished reservoir sets a new standard
“The refurbishment of the Norma Marshall Reservoir in southern California offers a promising view into the future of interior water tank linings. To prolong the lifespan of this 40-year-old, 4.8-million-gallon welded steel reservoir, officials from the Rancho California Water District chose a 100% solids epoxy system. This new system replaced the old polyurethane and epoxy linings, which had shown considerable wear after just a dozen years. The epoxy solution promised a quick turnaround, allowing the tank to be disinfected and operational within 36 hours post-repair, and the entire project was completed in just four months. Finished in mid-2021, the project also helped the tank meet the new NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 standards for potable water, well ahead of their January 2023 implementation. … “ Read more from Water World.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE of commencement of 2024 review of state water quality control plans and state policies for water quality control
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