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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sites Reservoir Water Right Permit beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board is holding a multi-day public hearing on the Sites Project Authority’s application for a water right permit to store up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually in a proposed reservoir in the Sacramento Valley. In person at CalEPA Headquarters, 1001 I St., Sacramento, California or view on the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel.
- BOARD STAFF WORKSHOP: Proposed designation of Kern County subbasin as a probationary basin (in-person) from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Staff will hold a public staff workshop to explain the draft staff report and share more about how to participate in the State Water Board’s state intervention process. Staff will also accept verbal public comments on the draft staff report at the workshops. Staff presentation will start at 5:30 PM. Staff will begin accepting public comments at 7:00 PM. Hodel’s Country Dining: Liberty Hall, 5917 Kundsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308. Click here to read the full notice.
In California water news today …
When a summer drought begins in the winter: Investigating snow drought
“From thirsty agricultural crops to whitewater rafters contemplating a low river, a lack of water is the most obvious in the summertime. Its impact is particularly clear when many people rely on the same source of water. What happens in the Colorado River’s East River Watershed affects 40 million people from seven U.S. states as well as Mexico. Around the world, similar mountainous areas provide the water that helps feed one to two billion people. In fact, scientists call these regions “the world’s water towers.” But problems with these watersheds don’t start in the summer or even the spring. In fact, they begin in the winter, when snow isn’t building up in the Rocky Mountains and similar areas as it once did. The snow that falls – or doesn’t fall – in the mountains has huge effects on what’s available for the rest of the year. Future climate change may cause less and less snow to fall in these areas and reliably convert to water downstream. Researchers supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science are working to understand the role of snow drought, how to measure it in the future, and how to use such data to inform decision-making. … ” Continue reading from the Department of Energy.
AI modeling delivers more benefits, less risk for water partnerships
“A Cornell-led research collaboration found that cooperative partnerships seeking to spread the cost burden of water infrastructure projects among regional stakeholders often end up forcing local partners to bear the brunt of underlying supply and financial risks. That imbalance is caused by a range of factors, from institutional complexity to hydroclimatic variability. However, the researchers demonstrated that AI-driven computing and modeling algorithms can help design partnerships with substantially higher water supply benefits and a fraction of the financial risk. To explore the tradeoffs inherent in these water infrastructure partnerships, the researchers, led by Patrick Reed, the Joseph C. Ford Professor of Engineering in Cornell Engineering, used the Friant-Kern Canal in California’s San Joaquin Valley as a case study. The team’s paper, “Resilient Water Infrastructure Partnerships in Institutionally Complex Systems Face Challenging Supply and Financial Risk Tradeoffs,” published Aug. 27 in Nature Communications. … ” Read more from the Cornell Chronicle.
California’s water workforce is aging. Promoting the next generation of workers is essential
“A career building and maintaining California’s water and wastewater treatment systems may be unglamorous, failing to spring to mind — at least it did for me — when young people contemplate their future careers. However, the state faces a looming shortage of workers in these critical roles. It is imperative to support local, state and federal policies that help fill them. Some 17 million workers will be retiring from infrastructure jobs during the next 10 years, taking their skills and institutional knowledge with them, as the workforce ages. … While President Biden and Congress agreed to spend $1 trillion on thousands of infrastructure projects, including $50 billion alone on water resilience projects in the West, California needs to ensure that there are enough workers equipped with the know-how and sweat equity to build and operate these projects. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
SEE ALSO: EVMWD awarded $150,000 grant for elevating female professionals in water industry, from Wastewater Digest
Klamath River and its salmon free-flowing after final two dams breached in California
“After more than a century of being blocked by a series of dams, the Klamath River is once again free-flowing after two cofferdams in northern California were breached on Wednesday, according to the office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Letting the river flow without being constrained by dams gives native fish species, like steelhead, coho and Chinook salmon a chance to regain access to more than 400 miles of spawning and rearing habitat on the Klamath and its tributaries in California and Oregon. It allows allows Native American groups in the region like the Klamath, the Yurok and Karuk Tribes to regain access to culturally important food sources. “This moment is decades in the making — and reflects California’s commitment to righting the wrongs of the past. Today, fish are swimming freely in the Klamath for the first time in more than a century, thanks to the incredible work of our tribal, local and federal partners,” Newsom said in a press release. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO:
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- As removal of dams frees Klamath River, California tribes see hope of saving salmon, from the LA Times
- How much salmon will return to Klamath River after dam removal?, from KCRW
- The Klamath River Flows Free for First Time in 100+ Years, from Cal Trout
- Fish are swimming the Klamath River freely for the first time in more than a century, press release from the Office of the Governor
Sustainable Conservation unveils roadmap tool to navigate restoration permitting in the Sacramento River Basin
“Sustainable Conservation’s Accelerating Restoration program is excited to announce the Restoration Permitting Roadmap, a first-of-its-kind web tool designed to help restoration practitioners in the Sacramento River Basin navigate the often complex and time-consuming permitting process. This new resource aims to accelerate regional ecological restoration efforts so projects can move forward more efficiently while meeting essential environmental regulations. The web page and associated materials were developed through a contract with the Northern California Water Association, funded by a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Cooperative Agreement administered by Reclamation District 108. … ” Continue reading this press release from Sustainable Conservation.
Legal alert: Trial Court finds that Sonoma County’s groundwater well ordinance violates the public trust doctrine
“The public trust doctrine is a concept drawn from the Roman Empire. Though ancient, it has experienced a recent resurgence in how California manages natural resources like water. As applied to water, the doctrine recognizes that the public has a right to use surface water. Those uses include commerce, navigation, recreation, habitat for wildlife, and other ecological purposes. Given the public’s interest in using those resources, California and its local governments hold them in “trust.” As the public’s “trustee,” the government is dutybound to protect those public uses when feasible. That duty arises often when an agency grants a permit or transfers property affecting those resources. … A few years ago, Sonoma County was sued for allegedly issuing groundwater well permits without considering their impact on public trust resources. … ” Read more from Hanson Bridgett.
SEE ALSO:
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- Court strikes down county well ordinance; says officials blew off environmental rules, from Northern California Public Media
- Sonoma County officials forced to have more care with well permits along Russian River, from CBS San Francisco
Westlands, Friant push for change in water management
“Some of the Central Valley’s largest water organizations are pushing for specific rule that will lead to lower water supplies to be changed this year. Westlands Water District, the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, the Friant Water Authority and the State Water Contractors sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) asking them to revise how they manage a rule that impacts pumping in the Sacramento Delta. The big picture: The water groups are targeting the Fall X2 provision for the 2024 water year, which is detailed in the biological opinions that govern the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Tribes ask Newsom to sign bill on co-management of lands, waters
“Indigenous leaders are asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would allow federally recognized tribes to sign agreements with the state to co-manage and co-govern ancestral lands and waters. Assembly Bill 1284 unanimously passed both houses of the state Legislature this week. Scott Sullivan is vice chairman of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. “This is going to allow us to deepen our relationship on a government-to-government level, it’ll give us better access to our traditional ancestral territories to improve the environment and to reconnect our people to the land,” he said. … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
What is ‘blue carbon’? Inside USC’s research on carbon capture in Upper Newport Bay
“Despite covering just 2% of the ocean, coastal wetlands — such as tidal salt marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass beds — are responsible for storing nearly half of all carbon found in ocean sediment. These “blue carbon” ecosystems naturally absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and bury it deep within their soil. But rising sea levels — projected to increase by up to a meter by 2100 — threaten to disrupt the water’s chemistry and the delicate balance of microorganisms essential for carbon cycling. Rising tides could also transform marshes into mudflats, releasing stored carbon back into the atmosphere and exacerbating climate change. … ” Read more from USC.
Erosion following wildfire has increased in California since 1984
“In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists compiled one year’s worth of soil and sediment erosion quantities occurring after large California wildfires between 1984 and 2021. Scientists found that postfire erosion has accelerated over time, particularly in northern California, likely reflecting both the increase in wildfire in the state and the frequency of wet water years. In addition, scientists found that 57% of postfire erosion by mass occurred upstream of reservoirs. This research helps planners understand the degree to which postfire erosion has impacted watersheds and can inform management actions to minimize the effects of runoff on clean water storage. Using the Water Erosion Prediction Project model developed by the USDA Forest Service, in combination with field-based debris-flow volume measurements and modeled debris-flow volumes, scientists from the USGS and California Geological Survey evaluated postfire erosion throughout California for 196 large wildfires, which includes fires over 100 km2,~25,000 acres, in California between 1984 to 2021. … ” Continue reading from USGS.
SEE ALSO: Wildfire and extreme rain intensify erosion and sediment flow, USGS-led study shows, from the USGS
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Water transfer from Oregon ranch to California refuge ruled lawful
“Irrigators have failed to persuade the Oregon Court of Appeals that a water transfer between a Klamath basin ranch and a wildlife refuge was unlawful. The appellate court has determined the Oregon Water Resources Department didn’t violate state water law by authorizing the temporary transfer of 3,750 acre-feet of water from an Oregon ranch in 2021. Though much of the transferred water ended up in California, the transaction didn’t have to comply with standards for out-of-basin transfers, the appellate ruling said. “It is undisputed that the Upper Klamath Basin is a hydrological basin within both Oregon and California,” the ruling said. … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
The Great Carnelian Bay poop spill of 2024
“On July 18, a worker contracted with Caltrans drilled into a 24-inch sewage line about 200 feet away from Lake Tahoe. “Oh shit!” I like to imagine the worker yelling as they realize the damaged North Tahoe Public Utility District (PUD) line was sending sewage toward the “Jewel of the Sierra.” It was 8 p.m. when I received a phone notification from TART Connect about that section of the road being closed, and that it likely would be for the next several hours as they dealt with this sewage leak. While the notifications I received seem to downplay the sewage leak, it ended up being much more significant. The pipe released all that pressure, dispensing the contents of flushed toilets onto Highway 28 and heading towards Big Blue. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Ally.
Eldorado National Forest publishes Environmental Assessment for Caldor Fire Restoration Project
“The Eldorado National Forest has published the Caldor Fire Restoration Project Environmental Assessment, beginning a 30-day comment period. The project aims to reduce safety risks, restore forest features and strengthen resilience to future disturbances. “The publication of this environmental assessment is an important step in rebuilding our forest and communities from the impacts of the Caldor Fire,” said Eldorado Forest Supervisor Amy Reid. “The proposed actions will help to reduce the threat of future uncharacteristic, large-scale wildfires like the Caldor while also restoring the ecological processes, habitat conditions and access to recreation that are essential to the Eldorado National Forest.” … ” Read more from YubaNet.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Vacaville council approves transfer of water to state water project agency
“The City Council unanimously authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute a transfer of up to 2,000 acre feet of Vacaville’s state project water to a State Water Project Agency. The item was on the consent calendar, so there were no comments. The city’s diversified water portfolio creates a strong position for a one-time transfer of water south of the Delta, while still retaining ample volume to reliably meet customer demands and sustain and build storage for any potential drought, the council agenda said. The projected revenues from this water transfer will support well and pipeline replacement infrastructure projects, the city reported. … ” Read more from the Daily Reporter.
CENTRAL COAST
Cambria submits permit application for more water usage
“Cambria is one step closer to possibly receiving the permit it needs for its water reclamation facility, a years-long effort to allow the district to use the facility more than it’s allowed. “This marks a major milestone in our mission to secure Cambria’s reliable and sustainable water supply. The Water Reclamation Facility is a key component of our long-term water management strategy,” read an Aug. 24 letter from General Manager Matthew McElhenie. According to McElhenie, the district submitted a coastal development permit to San Luis Obispo County for its water reclamation facility (WRF), a temporarily permitted facility created to address water shortages during a historical drought in 2014. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
A California lake turned pink this week — in the name of science
“Stockton’s McLeod Lake is looking pretty in pink this week. The splash of color is part of a study being conducted by the California Department of Water Resources, which is dumping pinkish dye into the water to figure out why the lake has become a hot spot for harmful algae. Hazardous algal blooms, which can be toxic to humans, pets and aquatic life, popped up in McLeod Lake in 2020 and 2022 but — curiously — not this year. So scientists are using the dye to record the flow of water, which they’re hoping will answer the question of why the algae spreads some years but not others. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Rural Kings County families have a 50-50 chance their well is contaminated with nitrates
“There’s about a 50-50 chance the tap water that 10,000 rural Kings County residents are drinking is contaminated with nitrates. That’s a type of salt that can be toxic, even lethal to newborns, causing what’s commonly known as “blue baby syndrome.” Starting in February 2025 rural residents will be able to have their water tested for free thanks to a new program under the Kings Water Alliance. The free testing program was featured during a webinar on August 27 where water alliance Executive Director Debra Dunn explained the risks. “One in two wells are impacted by nitrates, making those wells unsafe to drink in the Kings County area,” Dunn said during the webinar. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Audio: Why the state is reviewing groundwater management in parts of Kern County
“The Kern County water subbasin lies underneath much of the southern Central Valley and is a vital resource for farmers and residents. However, years of over-pumping from the subbasin have left its water levels in a concerning state. In 2014, lawmakers passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which mandates that water managers in all critically over-drafted areas, including the Kern County Subbasin, create plans to bring aquifers back to healthy levels by 2040. California’s State Water Resources Control Board oversees SGMA compliance and found the subbasin’s long-term management plans were insufficient. As a result, next year, the subbasin and its controlling agencies could face probation from the agency. Tomorrow, the water board will hold an in-person workshop at 5:30pm in Hodel’s Country Dining in Bakersfield to discuss these next steps. Joaquin Esquivel is the chair of the state water board and joined KVPR’s Elizabeth Arakelian for a conversation, starting with an overview of SGMA and the five other subbasins under review in the Central Valley.” Listen at KVPR.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Chiquita Canyon Landfill gets over 20,000 odor complaints — and new orders to fix them
“The beleaguered Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic will have to take additional steps to mitigate the odors that have plagued nearby residents for years. On Tuesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s hearing board issued an abatement order that includes more than two dozen conditions aimed at improving leachate collection, mitigating odors, and requiring additional air monitoring. Smells from the 639-acre landfill, which opened in 1972, have bothered the community for a long time. The issue stems from a rare reaction in the landfill. Temperatures are too high for the microbes that eat waste to function properly, which is causing it to decompose faster, releasing large amounts of heat, liquid, and landfill gas to the surrounding community. … ” Read more from the LAist.
L.A. mayor demands more testing after lead is found in Watts drinking water
“On the heels of an environmental study that found lead-tainted water in public housing developments in Watts, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called on the city’s housing authority and largest water utility to conduct further testing for the potent neurotoxin. The discovery of lead-contaminated tap water in Watts, home to three of Los Angeles’ 13 major public housing complexes, has jolted city leadership and raised serious questions about the age of the plumbing that serves low-income residents. Although California banned the installation of lead pipes in 1985, the average home in Watts is nearly 77 years old, which makes the South L.A. neighborhood more likely to contain corroded lead plumbing. “It’s absolutely unacceptable for families to not have access to safe, clean drinking water,” Bass wrote on X. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
California locals concerned about new Disney development: ‘Chaos’ in the neighborhood
“A new Disney living community is stirring concerns about pollution, over-crowding and general annoyance among the local California population. In 2022, Disney announced a series of residential communities called Storyliving to bring a Disney experience into residents’ everyday lives. The company began construction on the first community in Rancho Mirage, a desert city in the Coachella Valley. … Wolpa took issue with the company’s plans to build a 24-acre lagoon in an area prone to droughts. “We had tight restrictions on water usage at the time. Everyone was ripping out their yard and replacing it with artificial grass. And meanwhile, I started seeing signs for a massive lagoon,” Wolpa said. “It’s still a desert, and water is still a precious resource,” he said. “To think about having a lagoon here just feels wasteful.” … ” Read more from Fox News.
Hotly contested Easley solar project near Desert Center wins OK from Riverside County
“A bitterly contested commercial solar project in the California desert was unanimously approved by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday after what one official described as a “doozy” of a public hearing in which retirees begged the board to consider an “environmentally superior” alternative further from their homes. Federal land officials must still sign off on the Easley project, which would sit next to several others off Interstate 10 between Palm Springs and Blythe. Developers of the 390-megawatt solar array near the tiny community of Desert Center said they had already made numerous changes and concessions over more than two years of negotiations and planning reviews. … But seasonal and full-time residents at Lake Tamarisk vigorously contested the company’s claims and said they remain concerned about heavy construction dust, impacts on a groundwater aquifer and steep declines in property values due to lost scenic views. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun.
SAN DIEGO
City will not repair Ocean Beach Pier; focus turns to long-term replacement
“The City of San Diego has determined the safest and most cost-effective option for the Ocean Beach Pier is to keep the structure closed to public access while the City moves forward with a long-term solution to replace the 58-year-old pier. The Ocean Beach Pier has been closed since it was damaged by high surf in October 2023. Additional, and more significant, damage occurred in December 2023 when a support bracket – or “pile” – broke off and fell into the ocean. Engineering teams have determined that any work to rehabilitate the pier is not feasible, especially given the likelihood of additional damage occurring during future winter storms. “The Ocean Beach Pier is an iconic landmark of San Diego, but it was built nearly six decades ago and no longer can withstand the impacts of rising sea levels and storm surges along our coast,” said Elif Cetin, assistant director of the Engineering and Capital Projects Department. … ” Read more from San Diego News.
Along the Colorado River …
Audio: What do more water cuts in 2025 mean for Las Vegas and Nevada?
“Even though it still gets over 100 degrees, and forecasters say it’ll stay there for another week or so, right now … we’re all breathing a sigh of relief. Because the summer’s awful summer heat seems over. To make matters worse, the news came a few weeks ago that Las Vegas would once again have cut back on its use of the Colorado River, even though it already has the smallest share of water out of seven states that use the river. And it’s made us all wonder about our water supply. We can have all the megaresorts we want, but without a steady supply of water, Las Vegas doesn’t exist, or it exists on a much smaller scale. But is that even a potential future? Will the seven states get their act together and come up with enough river cuts that we can stop worrying for a while?” Listen at NPR.
From date palms to alfalfa: How Arizona became fertile ground for Saudi farms
“The history of Arizona’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Arabian peninsula starts with a pre-Civil-War military program involving camels run by Jefferson Davis. It went on to involve the state’s first college professor, an attempt to launch a new cash crop that became a common tree in the state, and much more. All of that lead to the most recent chapter, when monarchs began seeing Arizona as a place to grow thirsty crops like alfalfa as they exploited weak water laws in the state’s rural places. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
In national water news today …
The quiet death of mechanical water meters?
“Is the end near for mechanical water meters? With ultrasonic technology storming the market, the answer seems clear to us. These advanced water meters promise not only accuracy and reliability but also significant savings in both time and money, starting from installation at the construction site through remote data collection and accurate billing. It’s no secret that the submetering market in North America is largely driven by new constructions, adding significant volumes of new households and commercial spaces to the real estate market. Most of these require individual water metering. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Amazon says it’s going ‘water positive’ — but there’s a problem
“Earlier this year, the e-commerce corporation Amazon secured approval to open two new data centers in Santiago, Chile. The $400 million venture is the company’s first foray into locating its data facilities, which guzzle massive amounts of electricity and water in order to power cloud computing services and online programs, in Latin America — and in one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, where residents have protested against the industry’s expansion. This week, the tech giant made a separate but related announcement. It plans to invest in water conservation along the Maipo River, which is the primary source of water for the Santiago region. Amazon will partner with a water technology startup to help farmers along the river install drip irrigation systems on 165 acres of farmland. The plan is poised to conserve enough water to supply around 300 homes per year, and it’s part of Amazon’s campaign to become “water positive” by 2030, meaning the company will conserve or replenish more water than it uses up. … ” Read more from Grist.