A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Californians to face steep fines for violating water orders under new legislation
“California lawmakers late Friday approved a massive increase in fines for water scofflaws after ranchers intentionally defied state orders and pumped water from the drought-plagued Shasta River for eight days. Two years ago, state officials imposed the maximum fine allowed under law — $4,000, or roughly $50 per rancher, causing outrage among tribes and conservationists. The river provides vital habitat for salmon, and California was experiencing its driest three-year stretch on record. The new legislation, which is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature, would double daily fines for water rights holders who commit minor violations. Those violating curtailment orders could face fines of up to $10,000 per day — a 20-fold increase — plus $2,500 for every acre-foot of water taken. Had it been in place at the time, the Siskiyou County ranchers could have faced total fines exceeding $1.2 million. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
New California water measures aim to increase fines for violators, protect wetlands
“Under California law, anyone caught diverting water in violation of a state order has long been subject to only minimal fines. State legislators have now decided to crack down on violators under a newly approved bill that sharply increases penalties. Assembly Bill 460 was passed by the Legislature last week and is among the water-related measures awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. Other bills that were approved aim to protect the state’s wetlands and add new safeguards for the water supplies of rural communities. … One of the other water-related measures passed by the Legislature included a bill intended to protect California’s wetlands after the rollback of federal protections un
GOP Reps say preferred alternative for Delta water project operations inappropriately prioritizes environmental goals at expense of water supplies
“In July 2024, the Bureau of Reclamation released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the long-term operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) for public comment. The draft document considers revised operations of dams, power plants, and related facilities of the Central Valley Project and Delta facilities of the State Water Project. (More on these documents here.) Twelve California GOP representatives have written the Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries, and US Fish & Wildlife Service, expressing concerns that the preferred alternative analyzed in the documents inappropriately prioritizes environmental goals unrelated to Endangered Species Act compliance at the expense of municipal and agricultural water supplies. They point out that the water projects were constructed for multiple purposes such as irrigation and drinking water, and neither state nor federal law makes the delivery of water for consumptive uses subordinate to environmental uses. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
Valadao, Calif. Republicans push Reclamation to reconsider proposal for long-term water operations
“California Congressional representatives are pushing back against a new proposal from the Bureau of Reclamation’s plan for the long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The California Republican Delegation, led by Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) sent a letter to Reclamation saying its plan prioritizes environmental goals at the expense of municipal and agricultural water needs. … The delegation – which also included Central Valley Republicans John Duarte, Tom McClintock and Vince Fong – said the current approach to Endangered Species Act consultation under the draft EIR prioritizes environmental goals that are unrelated to Endangered Species Act compliance. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition challenges legality of Delta Conveyance Project in new petition
“Yesterday, the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, on behalf of the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), (Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta), submitted a formal letter to the State Water Resources Control Board concerning the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) latest attempt to modify expired water permits for the controversial Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The Coalition’s letter highlights significant jurisdictional and procedural flaws in DWR’s petition, calling for the Board to reject the Department’s request for a so-called “Minor Change” to extend the expiration date of its permits by over fifty years. The letter was sent in response to the filing by DWR for what it styled as this “minor change” to its permits and the scheduling of a closed session meeting for 1 pm today for State Water Resources Control Board Members to consider simultaneously petitions for the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Kern subbasin groundwater sustainability agencies urge State to consider updated plan
“The Kern Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) have responded to a draft report from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The draft report finds the Kern subbasin’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to be inadequate and recommends that the subbasin be placed on probation. The GSAs’ response was submitted during public workshops held on August 26, 2024, and August 29, 2024, and highlighted the significant improvements made in the 2024 GSP, which addresses previous deficiencies and outlines a strategy to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. Notable improvements include enhanced protection for drinking water wells, expanded monitoring network, and the application of uniform data sets and methodologies across the entire subbasin to establish and maintain the subbasin’s sustainability goals. Despite these advancements, the SWRCB’s draft report, primarily based on outdated plans, recommends placing the Kern subbasin on probation, which could lead to state oversight and additional requirements for local landowners. … ” Continue reading this press release.
SEE ALSO: State Board Workshop Kern Subbasin August 29, 2024, coverage by Water Wrights
SGMA’s groundwater costs could slash fruit and nut production, study finds
“Groundwater makes up roughly a third of California’s freshwater supply used for irrigation — a necessary resource to continue producing three-quarters of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and half of its vegetables. Yet, a new study finds that with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act imposing higher groundwater pumping costs, farmers may switch to crops that use less water. According to a study led by the University of Maryland, California can meet SGMA’s groundwater targets, but doing so will cut fruit and nut production by a quarter and leave 50% more cropland unused. “Our study found that farmers will ride out short-term increases in the cost of water, like during a drought, but as cost increases become permanent, they shift away from crops like fruit trees, which are long-term investments,” Louis Preonas, UMD Assistant Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics and study co-author, said in a release. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Unusually hot weather returns to the West, with major heatwave & fire weather escalation after Labor Day
“Well, it’s not official yet–but when the formal NOAA statistics come out later this week, it’s quite likely that Summer 2024 will be deemed the hottest on record across much or most of the American Southwest, perhaps including Arizona, Nevada, California, and maybe Utah at a statewide level. Although not official, the regions painted in dark red in the map plot above should give a general sense of how widespread the record-breaking heat was this summer. And it wasn’t universal: In fact, most of California’s immediate coastline missed out on record heat this season (including some of the most densely populated portions of the SoCal megalopolis)–meaning that while a majority of California’s land area did indeed just experience a record-hot summer, the majority of California’s population likely did not (a pattern we’ve seen repeated in several recent years). The millions of folks living in and near Las Vegas and Phoenix, however, were not so lucky. … ” Read more from Weather West.
Calif. backs EPA’s High Court fight to keep SF water limits
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s water quality standards for San Francisco are legal and should be upheld in the face of a challenge from the city, California and various green groups told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. San Francisco is challenging a Clean Water Act permit for its Oceanside combined sewer system and wastewater treatment facility issued by the EPA, which includes narrative standards that the city said are too vague to comply with. The California Department of Justice said in an amicus brief in support of the EPA that narrative standards are not only permissible but sometimes “indispensable” for ensuring compliance with water quality standards. The state said that often, state water quality standards are expressed in narrative terms. … ” Continue reading at Law 360 (free registration required).
‘It’s complicated’: Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts wet, mild winter, but meteorologists question forecast
“The Bay Area can expect a wet and mild winter – if the prediction of the Old Farmer’s Almanac proves to be true. But the reality of predicting an upcoming winter’s climate is “complicated,” said meteorologist Jan Null, and the Almanac has only been right between one-third and one-half of the time, based on his comparisons. “Whatever they’re using, it’s unverifiable,” Null said. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which has been predicting the weather for the United States since 1794, forecasted that weather will be temperate across the country this upcoming winter, according to a press release. Winter will be “warmer than normal” through most of California, with the coldest temperatures coming through between mid-December and mid- to late-January, according to the almanac’s weather report. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
More than half of California is now ‘abnormally dry,’ drought experts say
“More than half of California is experiencing abnormally dry conditions or worse, according to a new report, as months without precipitation as well as evaporation caused by summer heat waves take their toll. That includes parts of the Central Valley, which are back in abnormally dry conditions for the first time since April 2023, according to the National Weather Service’s Hanford branch. “With minimal precipitation over the past few months, abnormally dry conditions are beginning to return to Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties,” the weather service posted on X. Within the Bay Area, Sonoma is the only county experiencing abnormally dry conditions. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Drought emergency lifted for parts of California
“Coastal and desert communities across California can breathe a sigh of relief. After a few wet winters, Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ended a years-long drought emergency declaration for 19 counties across the state. “As this week’s weather makes clear, California and the West experience extreme weather swings that exacerbate our water challenges and make it more important than ever that we build a climate-resilient water system. This targeted action is responsive to current conditions while continuing the tools and support for work underway to help future-proof water supplies in the most impacted communities,” Newsom wrote in a press release. The new proclamation will roll back a number of water restrictions in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Inyo, Sonoma, and other counties where about 70% of the state’s population lives. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
REPORT SUMMARY: The Science of Non-native Species in a Dynamic Delta
“The Delta is home to over 200 non-native species and is among the world’s most invaded estuaries. These species, introduced by human activities, pose a significant threat to the ecosystem. The potential for more non-native species to arrive, coupled with factors like habitat alterations, pollution, and climate change, can make the Delta’s ecosystem more vulnerable to invasion. Non-native species are recognized as a significant factor driving ecosystem change, as they can disrupt the food web, modify nutrient and contaminant cycles, affect the populations of other species, and alter habitat structures. Such changes significantly impact a wide range of ecosystem services, with native species being particularly affected. The Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan recognizes the significance of non-native species as a threat to the Delta ecosystem and mandates the restoration of a healthy ecosystem by promoting diverse populations of native species and reducing the risk of harm from invasive species. So the Delta Independent Science Board (Delta ISB) in 2021 assessed the scientific needs in the Delta to address the threat. … ” Continue reading this report summary.
State dam safety programs could get new look after summer storms
“Supercharged summer storms unleashed a deluge of rain in many Midwestern states this year, pushing several aging dams past their capacity as floods tore away embankments, inundated subdivisions and carried sediment that had built up for decades downstream. In the southern Illinois town of Nashville, six inches of rain fell in just a few hours in mid-July. The deluge pushed water from a city reservoir over the top of a 90-year-old dam, prompting evacuations of 200 nearby homes and businesses. Officials also ordered evacuations in the eastern Wisconsin town of Manawa in early July, after water started eroding the banks along the side of a dam. But the most striking scenes came from southern Minnesota in early June, when the Blue Earth River tore a new path around the Rapidan Dam near Mankato. Trees and other debris blocked the gates where water was supposed to flow, so it diverted course to its western bank, which was made of topsoil. … ” Read more from Route 50.
California continues to prioritize water and climate programs despite budget cuts
“Thanks to California’s extraordinary budget surpluses in 2021 and 2022, the Newsom administration invested the historic sum of $16.3 billion in water and climate projects through various budget packages. In the last two years however, decreased tax revenues necessitated significant cuts to the state budget, and water and climate projects experienced a 21% reduction, resulting in a final FY25 budget of $12.9 billion. But even after these cutbacks, the General Fund budget allocated to climate and natural resources investments since 2021 remains significant—larger than any general obligation bond that’s ever been on the ballot. The use of the General Fund for these projects marks a departure from how California typically funds water and climate projects, which is usually through general obligation bonds passed by a simple majority vote in elections. The following provides more detail on the program areas currently supported through the General Fund. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
In commentary this week …
Delta tunnel plan is a risky, destructive and unnecessary gamble
Malissa Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, and Scott Artis, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, write, “The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is more than just a water source. It is a vibrant, living estuary — the largest on the West Coast of the Americas — with over 1,100 miles of waterways that support diverse wildlife, including declining salmon runs that have led to fishery closures two years in a row. Saving the estuary is of national importance. Yet state officials continue to push forward with a plan to build a 36-foot-diameter, 45-mile tunnel through the Delta that would pump as much as 7,500 cubic feet of water per second from the Sacramento River — enough to cover 11,000 football fields with a foot of water daily. The State Water Resources Control Board is fast-tracking public hearings for the so-called Delta Conveyance Project, limiting meaningful and fair public participation. … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
Common sense still missing in Delta water management
Scott Hamilton, President of Hamilton Resource Economics, writes, “Water management in California is often perplexing. Earlier this year, state and federal pumps were brought to minimal levels to reduce salvage of steelhead. Perhaps only a small percentage of the steelhead population was turning up at the pumps – no one knows as there are no estimates of the population. The fish that were caught were diverted into holding tanks before they reached the pumps and released back into the Delta to continue their journey to the ocean. So, if the fish were being salvaged, why was there a need to reduce pumping in the first place? … ” Continue reading at Valley Ag Voice.
Failure to implement environmental laws shows what’s really in store for the endangered San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem
Gary Bobker, Senior Policy Director at Friends of the River, and Jon Rosenfield, Science Director at San Francisco Baykeeper. write, “Earlier this year, two eminent fish researchers wrote “California … is a world leader in having its endemic freshwater fishes likely to be driven to extinction by the end of the century.” We know the reason. California habitually fails to enforce environmental laws designed to protect our aquatic ecosystems. Following the state’s lead, federal agencies skimp on environmental safeguards and waive the meager protections they do offer any time protecting the public’s fish, wildlife, waterways, and water quality, gets in the way of diverting more water to meet California’s seemingly unquenchable demand. For example, in late August water diverters and their allies in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley wrote letters to state and federal leadership requesting “suspension” of this year’s planned action to allow more outflow from the Delta to San Francisco Bay in the fall (known as “Fall X2”). The Fall X2 action is a required part of the federal (CVP) and state (SWP) water projects’ endangered species permits. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
More water supply requires industry unity
Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy at the California Water Policy Center, writes, “Probably the most consequential and controversial water policy decisions in California involve how much water to pump out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and into southbound aqueducts, and we’re in the middle of another one right now. For the last several years, as summer turns to fall, state and federal regulators reduce the amount of water that gets pumped south in order to help the Delta smelt, an endangered fish. This year is no exception. In what is referred to as the “Fall X2 Action,” the pumps are about to be throttled down again. Water agencies at the receiving end claim the reduction, set to last about two months, will cost them up to 400,000 acre feet. The reason the state wants to let this much water escape into the San Francisco Bay is to improve habitat for the endangered smelt, but critics of this strategy claim that smelt haven’t been found in the area, making the action fruitless. They also claim that regulators have the authority to restore higher rates of pumping without requiring a protracted bureaucratic process. … ” Read more from the California Water Policy Center.
California water wars – the fish-killing Delta tunnel boondoggle that wouldn’t die
Dan Bacher writes, “The struggle against the fish-killing Delta Tunnel, the zombie water boondoggle that keeps getting resurrected by state officials and the state and federal water contractors, continues. In the latest battle in the California water wars, the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, on behalf of the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), submitted a formal letter to the State Water Resources Control Board concerning the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) latest attempt to modify expired water permits for the controversial Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). … ” Continue reading at Red, Green and Blue
Securing California’s future water supply is critical
Joseph Cruz, Executive Director of the California State Council of Laborers, and Craig Miller, General Manager of Western Water, write, “Unless a new bill to grow California’s essential water supply, SB 366 (Caballero), is signed into law, our only progress on water supply this year – as this summer’s record temperatures foreshadow potential droughts to come – will be another, dubious conservation mandate, which is a multi-billion-dollar effort for a miniscule volume of water. SB 366 is where state policy should start: With an overall target for a sustainable, statewide water supply, and a timeline to achieve that target. Our legislators agree: The legislature has done the right thing with the bill passing both the Assembly and Senate without receiving a single “no” vote and now needs only Gov. Newsom’s signature by Sept. 30 to become law. Without it, we are left only with “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” —new rules to reduce residential water use across the state and save 200,000 acre-feet a year by 2040. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
In regional water news this week …
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.
Estimated 20,000 migratory birds have died so far in Klamath Basin botulism outbreak
Increased water allocation to the Klamath Basin wildlife refuges is helping mitigate a summer botulism outbreak that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of migratory birds. On Aug. 17, the Bureau of Reclamation started flowing water to the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges to help mitigate an outbreak of avian botulism. Thousands of ducks, waterfowl, and shorebirds at the Tule Lake Refuge have died from the disease this month. Both refuges are part of the Klamath Basin Refuge Complex straddling the Oregon-California border near Klamath Falls. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
Biden administration adds Afterthought Mine to federal cleanup list
“The Biden administration announced Wednesday the addition of a historic Northern California mine to the Superfund National Priorities List — a federal index that ranks hazardous waste site risk and helps in prioritizing cleanup operations. The Afterthought Mine, located in Shasta County about 200 miles north of Sacramento, produced gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc from 1862 to 1952, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Despite its name — denoting the site’s attachment to a much larger initial claim — Afterthought became one of Shasta County’s biggest copper mines. But the property, which changed hands multiple times over the years, also went on to cause environmental contamination for decades beyond its mid-20th-century closure. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Redwood Valley Water Board blasts PG&E for drastic flow cuts to Lake Mendocino
“At the August 15, 2024 meeting of the Redwood Valley Redwood Valley County Water District Board, General Manager Jared Walker reported a sharp drop in water flows into Lake Mendocino after PG&E received permission from FERC to reduce the flow to 5 cubic feet per second. The City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Valley Water Authority have protested this drastic cut, arguing it creates an artificial drought and harms the Russian River. The Board also reviewed recent water use, consolidation with Ukiah, and upcoming audits at their latest meeting. General Manager Jared Walker reported on the reduced flows into Lake Mendocino. PG&E was granted a variance by FERC to reduce flows through the Potter Valley Project into Lake Mendocino to 25 cubic feet per second, with the option to go as low as 5 cfs. A week after the variance was granted, PG&E dropped the flows to 5 cfs. … ” Read more from MendoFever.
Fresno district marches toward groundwater recharge goals
“The Fresno Irrigation District is 47 acres closer to its goal of building 1,300 acres of recharge basins capable of sinking 200,000 acre feet of water during a wet years. It celebrated the completion of the 47-acre Kenneson and Sanchez basins on August 21. The addition of those basins brought its total recharge acreage to 940, with 215 acres added just since 2015. And the district has purchased another 350 acres for more recharge, said Bill Stretch, general manager of FID. “But we need funds to engineer, permit and construct,” said Stretch. “In approximately the next five years we’ll bring those online, so at that point, we’ll be close to just under 1,300 acres of recharge basins.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Fish flop: Environmental groups allege that SLO County isn’t doing enough to help steelhead populations succeed in Arroyo Grande Creek
“Four environmental organizations recently teamed up to sue San Luis Obispo County over Lopez Dam and what it’s not doing for the endangered steelhead trout. “Lopez Dam is a complete barrier blocking SCCC [South-Central California Coast] steelhead migration to the majority of high-quality spawning, rearing, and refugia habitat above Lopez Lake,” the lawsuit reads. “Moreover, the county releases insufficient flows from Lopez Dam to the mainstem Arroyo Grande Creek resulting in severely degraded spawning, rearing, and migration habitat downstream of the dam.” San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, Los Padres ForestWatch, California Coastkeeper Alliance, and The Ecological Rights Foundation filed their lawsuit against the county on Aug. 13. It alleges that several species in the Arroyo Grande Creek watershed that are listed as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act are in jeopardy because of the way the county manages Lopez Dam. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Cemex files appeal of State Water Resources Control Board decision
“A mining company with contracts to extract more than 50 million tons of aggregate from Soledad Canyon is now pursuing an appeal for its right to build a mine on 500 acres just east of the city of Santa Clarita. Santa Clarita officials have feared for years that such an operation could irrevocably alter the bucolic nature surrounding the community’s eastern borders. The city has spent millions over the past three decades purchasing open space in order to preserve a “green belt” around the Santa Clarita Valley that connects the area with paseos and hiking trails. … ” Read more from The Signal.
What happens when a concrete jungle becomes a ‘sponge city’
“In early February, meteorologists warned Southern Californians that a supercharged storm was headed their way, potentially bringing catastrophic flash flooding. The predictions came true, and then some: Up to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Los Angeles over a 24-hour period, shattering all-time precipitation records. That meant as much as 21 million acre-feet of water — or one and a half times the entire annual volume of the Colorado River — fell on the 36,000-square-mile greater LA metro area. When trillions of gallons drench a typical concrete-dominated cityscape, the water runs off rooftops and slides onto impermeable concrete driveways and into streets, turning them into virtual rivers. It cascades into stormwater drains and concrete-cased arroyos — picking up dirt, garbage, oil and other substances — before rushing into larger rivers and, ultimately, the sea. When it rains as much as it did in February, the chances of a system failure — drains clogging, gutters overflowing, flood-control structures collapsing — rise, setting the stage for an urban flooding catastrophe. … ” Read more from High Country News.
Contaminated sediment proposed for burial in Newport Harbor could go to Port of Long Beach instead
“A plan to bury contaminated sand and debris dredged up from main navigational channels in Newport Harbor in a pit at the harbor’s floor appears to be off the table, with the material instead to be repurposed by the Port of Long Beach. The Army Corps of Engineers is set to clear an estimated 1.2 million cubic yards from the harbor’s central channel and channels near its entry. Of that, about 10% of the material removed can’t be dumped into the open ocean under federal law because it contains elevated levels of mercury and industrial chemicals such as DDT. A confined aquatic disposal facility dug into the harbor’s floor was proposed for the dredge material that needed a place to go, with blessings from the California Coastal Commission to bury the sediment in the pit with a clean layer of sand over top. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
Salton Sea Conservancy Act: A new chapter for environmental restoration
“The State of California has established the Salton Sea Conservancy under the Salton Sea Conservancy Act, a comprehensive initiative to reverse decades of ecological damage and promote sustainable development in the Salton Sea region. This new state agency, housed within the Natural Resources Agency, is poised to lead the charge in environmental restoration, community revitalization, and public health improvements in one of California’s most environmentally challenged areas. The Salton Sea Conservancy is specifically tasked with supporting and implementing the Salton Sea Management Program Phase I: 10-Year Plan and the Long-Range Plan. The primary goal of these plans is to address the ecological crisis caused by the receding Salton Sea shoreline, which has led to increased dust emissions, loss of critical habitat for fish and wildlife, and deteriorating public health conditions for surrounding communities. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
State’s dust busting efforts at Salton Sea ‘one-sided’?
“At the Salton Sea’s western edge, near Salton City, the efforts of the Salton Sea Management Program are starting to show promise. But as the western side of the lake begins to stabilize, a different story is unfolding at Bombay Beach on the eastern shore. At the Clubhouse Site of the SSMP’s Vegetation Enhancement Project just outside of Salton City, grass bales laid out across acres of exposed lakebed have begun to serve their intended purpose. Vegetation is now sprouting between them and slowly covering the dusty landscape. This success has fueled optimism among SSMP officials, who believe they are seeing the kind of progress needed to combat the dust storms and environmental degradation that have plagued the area for years. Just across the water at Bombay Beach, the optimism has turned to frustration. Here, the same grass bales sit exposed, with little vegetation to cover them, and the community remains unconvinced. For them, the dust continues to swirl, and the promised relief seems a long way off. … ” Read more from the Calexico Chronicle.
Congressional delegation demands answers from Mexico about border odors
“Members of San Diego’s congressional delegation Wednesday demanded answers as to why despite the dry weather, environmental officials are reporting an increase in sewage flow and strong odors from Mexico in the Tijuana River. Reps. Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, all D-San Diego; Mike Levin, D-Dana Point; and U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, both D- California, called on the U.S. Department of State to pressure Mexican officials for answers on the unprecedented dry weather sewage and sediment flows from Mexico. “We write to you to express our deep concerns regarding the significant dry weather transboundary flows in the Tijuana River Valley, reports of increased sediment coming from Mexico, and the recent increase in odors coming from the Tijuana River Valley, and to urge you to press Mexican officials to address these issues as soon as possible,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the agency. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM to release pulse flow for salmon spawning
SITES AHO RULING: Procedural Ruling Regarding Evidentiary Issues, Time Limits, and Site Visit in the AHO Proceeding on the Proposed Sites Reservoir Project
NOTICE: September 17, 2024, SGMA Public Board Hearing on Tule groundwater subbasin: Final Staff Report available
NOTICE: Public hearing on proposed reservoir project in Sacramento Valley continues in September
NOTICE: Curtailments remain in effect for Scott River watershed
