A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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Klamath River now flows free to the ocean
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.
California details path to reintroducing fish into Klamath River
“California officials on Thursday released a plan they say will aid officials in the reintroduction of fish, including the imperiled Chinook salmon, to the Klamath River. The report’s release came the same week that river, which crosses from southern Oregon to Northern California, became free-flowing for the first time in a century, after the final two cofferdams in California on it were breached. The main goal of the Klamath River Anadromous Fishery Reintroduction and Restoration Monitoring Plan is to create healthy, self-sustaining fish populations, including Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey. This would bring economic benefits, as well as enhance tribal, recreational and commercial fisheries, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. “The approach outlined in the plan minimizes interruption of natural biological processes to allow natural demographics, ecology and evolution to unfold thus promoting wild fitness, life history diversity and resiliency of these species,” said Charles H. Bonham, director of the fish and wildlife department, in a statement. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News.
Governor’s office denies state of emergency assistance for Klamath dam removal project
“Siskiyou County will not get state funding to address the effects of the lower Klamath dam removal project. According to a Facebook post from the county, the California Governor’s Office has denied its requests for a state of emergency. “The County had requested state and federal assistance to address the impacts anticipated from the dam removal, citing concerns about air and water quality, and the potential risks to public health and safety,” the post said. “Despite these concerns, the assessment conducted by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) concluded that the situation does not meet the threshold required for a State of Emergency declaration.” This means that the state believes the county can manage the effects of the dam removal project without state or federal assistance, the post said. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Unexpected feral horses creating chaos on Klamath River reservoirs
“When land management experts and others were laying out scenarios for revegetation work after the removal of the four Klamath River dams, dealing with feral horses wasn’t on the agenda. They are now. “It’s a bit of a problem because horses can bring in exotic vegetation on their hide and hooves,” said Dave Meurer, director of community affairs for Research Environmental Solutions (RES), the nation’s largest ecological restoration company overseeing what will be a years-long restoration process along the 263-mile-long river. “It’s not a super big problem.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
In other California water news this week …
Judge issues first-of-its-kind ruling to rein in groundwater pumping in Sonoma County
“As Californians pump increasing amounts of water from the ground, sometimes siphoning flows from the rivers above and hurting fish, wildlife and other water users, an old state law is proving to be a new and successful means of reining in excessive pumping. A Superior Court judge ruled this week that Sonoma County must do more to ensure responsible groundwater pumping under the state’s Public Trust Doctrine. The historical doctrine holds that rivers, creeks and other waterways must be protected for the public. Groundwater has only recently been considered part of the Public Trust Doctrine, as the hydrological connection between waterways and below-ground water supplies has become clear. The new court decision is likely the first to enforce this. The ruling will not only require Sonoma County to revisit and perhaps rewrite its ordinance for permitting groundwater wells, but it could set the stage for other counties to similarly step up regulation for groundwater pumping. With aquifers being overdrawn across the state as above-ground supplies get squeezed, environmentalists are optimistic that this will be the case. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
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.
PRESS RELEASE: Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California Water Coalition submit urgent request to Governor Newsom and Interior Secretary Haaland to suspend Fall X2 action reducing water supplies for 2024
“The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California Water Coalition submitted a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, advocating for the temporary suspension of the Fall X2 component of the Summer Fall Habitat Action for the 2024 water year. This request is based on scientific findings that demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the measure for its intended purpose of aiding the delta smelt and highlights its detrimental impacts on water supply. The Fall X2 Action, as currently mandated, results in significant water supply reductions to the water projects that provide water for the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural industry, rural communities, including disadvantaged communities, along with federal and private wildlife refuges and Southern California. … ” Continue reading this press release.
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: We are still here: Partnering with tribes on the Delta
“The first time Malissa Tayaba visited one of her ancestral village sites on the banks of the Sacramento River, she was in tears. “We are river people, we are salmon people. The river fed us, clothed us, and kept us healthy,” said Tayaba, Vice Chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, at the 2024 State of the Estuary Conference. “Everything we need to be who we are comes from the river.” But her ancestors were forced off their homelands in and around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta long ago, and relocated inland away from the waterways intrinsic to their identity. Now the Delta Stewardship Council, a state agency, is collaborating with tribes to highlight their priorities, such as facilitating tribal access to ancestral lands and waters, weaving traditional knowledge into managing and restoring the Delta, and fostering tribal and environmental justice. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Hearing process could boost Sites Reservoir project
“The plan to build California’s first new major reservoir in decades advances as the state considers whether to issue a water-right permit for the proposed Sites Reservoir, an off-stream water storage project that could store up to 1.5 million acre-feet annually. The California State Water Resources Control Board last week began a public hearing process on the project’s water-right permit application. Hearings will continue through October. Representatives of agriculture, water districts and government agencies spoke at the first session Aug. 19 and urged the state water board to approve the water-right permit to advance the project. “After a half-century of conceptual proposals and a quarter-century more of hard study, California is finally ready to build Sites, and not a moment too soon,” said Alexandra Biering, senior policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau. Biering noted projections estimating climate change will cause the Sierra Nevada snowpack to erode by as much as 60% by the end of this century, resulting in a 10% reduction of water supplies. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
When a summer drought begins in the winter: Investigating snow drought
Photo by Jeremy Snyder, DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
“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.
DWR releases operation plan for the Delta Conveyance Project
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has transmitted to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) an Operations Plan for the Delta Conveyance Project (Project) describing Project operations. The Project operations have been presented previously in several public documents, including the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) certified in December 2023 and the Project Incidental Take Permit (ITP) Application submitted to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in April 2024. The Operations Plan consolidates this information in one convenient location for presentation to the State Water Board and participants. In February 2024, DWR submitted a petition to the State Water Board for the change in point of diversion (CPOD) for existing State Water Project (SWP) water rights to implement the Delta Conveyance Project. The Operations Plan was prepared to assist the public in better understanding how the new north Delta intakes will be operated. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources.
Kern disputes state’s take on its groundwater plan at first of two workshops
“Calling the state’s review of the Kern subbasin’s newest groundwater plan “cursory,” a representative of the agencies that wrote the plan detailed how it will protect drinking water wells, improve water quality and restore the water table during a workshop held Monday. This was the first of two public workshops to discuss Kern’s groundwater plan. The next will be held Thursday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Hodels in Bakersfield. It will be in person only with no online access. The stakes are very high as the subbasin is facing possible probation by the state Water Resources Control Board at a hearing set for Feb. 20, 2025. Probation is the first step toward a possible state pumping take over and comes with requirements for farmers to meter and register their wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay $20 per acre foot pumped. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
CV-SALTS UPDATE: Environmental justice advocates frustrated by slow pace of the program
“In 2006, the Central Valley Water Board initiated the Central Valley – Salinity Alternatives for Long-term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) program to seek and implement solutions to the widespread nitrate and salt contamination in shallow groundwater and wells. In 2019, the CV-SALTS program was approved by the State Water Board. The program requires dischargers, such as irrigated agriculture, dairies, and others, to organize into coalitions to address nitrate discharges in their regions and to provide interim replacement drinking water while long-term measures are developed. Since the program was approved, significant progress has been made-coalitions have been formed, plans have been submitted, and well testing and deliveries of replacement water in the most severely impacted areas have begun. But is enough progress being made? Environmental justice advocates said no and expressed frustration during the annual CV-SALTS update at the August 6 State Water Resources Control Board meeting. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Potential water restrictions at Arrowhead Springs Hotel raise concerns over wildfire danger
“A dispute between the U.S. Forest Service and the bottler of Arrowhead Water could deprive the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of millions of gallons of water, compromising the tribe’s ability to fight wildfires around its iconic Arrowhead Springs Hotel. Blue Triton Brands, which bottles and manufactures Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water, was denied a special-use permit by the federal agency on July 26. The Forest Service ordered the company to stop drawing water from Strawberry Canyon, near the architecturally renowned hotel, and to remove its equipment and infrastructure. The San Manuel Indians receive a substantial amount of water from Blue Triton’s gravity-fed pipeline. A San Manuel spokesperson said the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, Cal Fire and the Forest Service all share the tribe’s water supply with the San Manuel Fire Department, and assist each other in battling wildland fires in the foothills and front country areas. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
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
In commentary this week …
Solutions to rising cost of climate change in California should include passage of Prop 4
Juliet Christian-Smith, Western States Regional Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes, “The heat is on: it’s burning down forests and towns, it’s melting down grids, and it’s making hard jobs even harder. Beyond the staggering human and environmental toll of danger season’s extreme weather, there are rising costs associated with climate damages. And those costs are not being borne equitably. California has taken important steps to address some of these equity concerns—and now has another big opportunity to pass the water and wildfire bond, which will be on the ballot this November as
Proposition 4. As one example of these rising costs, Californians’ electricity bills have been skyrocketing over the past few years. This is concerning not only because people are struggling to pay their utility bills, but also because increasing rates are starting to become a barrier to transitioning to electric vehicles for some families and individuals. There are multiple reasons why bills are increasing, but the main driver is costs related to reducing wildfire risks, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Endorsement: No on Proposition 4, a giant feedbag of climate pork
The SoCal News Group writes, “Most state bonds suffer from similar flaws. They promise to fix every manner of problem by “investing” billions of dollars without increasing anyone’s tax bill. However, they rack up state debt and spend money inefficiently, which is why we oppose them except in the rare instances they are targeted at a critical long-term infrastructure project that can’t realistically be funded another way. … Proposition 4 would spend $10 billion on various climate-resiliency programs. It is one of two bond measures on the November ballot – the other being a $10-billion (Proposition 2) bond to build schools and colleges. Both were placed on the ballot with two-thirds votes of the Legislature. Per analyses, borrowing $10 billion could divert around $400 million from the budget each year, take 40 years to repay and cost $19 billion to pay off. We’ll deal with Prop. 2 in a separate editorial, but we can’t see anything in Prop. 4 that justifies such a massive long-term spending commitment. … ” Read the full editorial at the OC Register.
In regional water news this week …
A Mount Shasta meadow is at risk of being ‘loved to death.’ Can a federal order save it?
“An idyllic meadow on Mount Shasta that some people feel is at risk of being “loved to death” by tourists was brought under new restrictions this month to curb visitation and bad behavior and help the environment recover. Panther Meadows, a lush and remote landscape of waist-high wildflowers and bubbling springs on Shasta’s southern flank, is sacred to the native Winnemem Wintu tribe. Headwaters flowing from the mountainside there are considered the “doorway of all life forms,” according to tribal Chief Caleen Sisk, and tribal members have made annual pilgrimages there for centuries. About a half-hour drive east of the town of Mount Shasta, the meadow is a destination for spiritualists, sightseers, hippies and hikers as well, some of whom have, over the years, flouted rules meant to preserve Panther’s special character and fragile ecosystem. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Northern California water agencies ask customers to conserve as PG&E continues repairs
“Customers of the Placer County Water Agency and the Nevada Irrigation District will need to practice their water conservation into 2025 as new issues have arisen along their water supply network. The two water agencies said that while work continues to progress along two PG&E pipelines that were damaged from winter storms, a new problem occurred at Lake Spaulding. As operators of the Spaulding 2 Powerhouse turned on the generator for testing, unforeseen mechanical failures occurred that created a major delay in the return of regular water flows along the system, according to NID. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
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.
Monterey court tentatively rules water district can advance Cal Am buyout
“A Monterey County Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling in favor of the Monterey Peninsula water district’s voter-mandated acquisition of California American Water Company’s Monterey Peninsula operations Friday. The court action, when finalized, will allow the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to begin the legal process of acquiring Cal Am’s infrastructure and take over the retail distribution of water to the Peninsula. “When it becomes final, our takeaway is that it will look very similar to the tentative ruling, which is very favorable for us,” said Dave Stoldt, the general manager of the water district. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald (gift article).
Tainted groundwater from old Rocketdyne plant stirs concern anew
“Officials with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board are reviewing findings from RTX Corp., the owner of the former Rocketdyne site, seeking to test soil and groundwater at several businesses, homes and the Westfield Shopping Mall for contamination. The vast 47-acre property in Warner Center sits across the street from bustling Westfield Topanga Mall, and is one of the largest undeveloped sites in Los Angeles. The former Rocketdyne parcel has been undergoing an extensive cleanup to address the tainted soil and groundwater at the site that trace back to toxic chemicals produced at the site three decades ago. Cleanup of the site has been underway since 1991. Still, its contaminated groundwater has spread to the land beneath nearby homes, businesses and the busy Westfield Topanga mall, according to a report filed in June with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, which is overseeing the cleanup. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
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.
Disney’s new mega-neighborhood is taking shape in the California desert. Some locals are dubious
“Mickey Mouse is making his way to the Coachella Valley — whether locals want him there or not. In Rancho Mirage, the Walt Disney Co. is making progress on an ambitious development that promises to sprinkle some Disney magic into real estate. Dubbed Cotino, the master-planned community is the first of the entertainment giant’s “Storyliving” projects, designed for home buyers who want to bring Disney deeper into their everyday lives. Donald Duck won’t be delivering your mail, but the specs offer plenty of Disney flourishes, including an “Incredibles”-themed gathering space and a 24-acre lagoon. It’s a massive undertaking, with 1,932 planned homes spread across more than 600 acres. … ” Continue reading from the LA Times.
Imperial Valley goes dry as farmers act to protect river
“Irrigators cut off water to a huge portion of the Imperial Valley’s half-million acres of farmland earlier this month after the federal government approved a long-awaited program designed to bolster water levels on the Colorado River. The conservation agreement, authorized Aug. 12 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Imperial Irrigation District, pays farmers to stop irrigating forage crops such as alfalfa for a period during the summer. Farmers participating in the “deficit irrigation” program will be compensated to sacrifice one or two hay cuttings without—they hope—killing the perennial crops. “Our staff has been super busy locking a large number of (irrigation) gates,” IID Water Manager Tina Shields said last week at a district board meeting. About 150,000 acres have been enrolled in the program, close to a third of the valley’s farmland and by some estimates around half the ground that is farmed in the summertime. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
