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In California water news this weekend …
Kings County judge rules against state Water Board in high-stakes groundwater case
“The state Water Resources Control Board exceeded its authority, operated under a web of “underground regulations” and made unlawful demands of Kings County water managers, according to a preliminary injunction that is a near total repudiation of state actions in its attempt to reign in excessive groundwater pumping. “Clearly, the actions of this state agency have not been transparent, are only known to SWB, and there has been no review, analysis or ability to challenge their conduct,” Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini wrote in the injunction issued Friday. The ruling is part of a lawsuit brought by the Kings County Farm Bureau against the Water Board after the board placed the region, known as the Tulare Lake subbasin, on probation at an April 16 hearing. “Today’s ruling highlights the validity of our claims and showcases our likelihood to win in court in the future,” Dusty Ference, executive director of the Farm Bureau, said in a statement. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SEE ALSO:
- Kings County farmers win preliminary injunction against state over groundwater restrictions, from the San Joaquin Valley Sun
- Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction to KCFB Against the California State Water Resources Control Board, from Water Wrights
Trump threatens to withhold wildfire aid from California unless ‘Newscum’ agrees to changes
“Former President Donald Trump is threatening to cut off wildfire aid to California if the state doesn’t reduce water restrictions for farms and wealthy Southern California residents. During a Friday news conference, Trump talked about farmers and wealthy residents in enclaves like Beverly Hills who have to reduce their water use because of California environmental regulations intended to protect Delta smelt, an endangered species of fish. Trump, who is running for president, said if he is elected he will force Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an agreement to end those restrictions. “The reason you have no water is because Gavin Newscum didn’t want to do it,” Trump told reporters in Rancho Palos Verdes, a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles. “Gavin Newscum is going to sign those papers and if he doesn’t sign those papers we won’t give him money to put out all his fires.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Trump threatens to hold disaster money if California rebels on water rules
“Former President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to withhold federal disaster response funding from California over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s position on water deliveries to farmers. Speaking to reporters from a golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday, Trump said he would strong-arm California’s governor into agreeing to send more water from California’s lush north to farm fields in its drier south. “Gavin Newscum [Newsom] is going to sign those papers,” Trump said, seemingly referencing a 2020 federal decision to increase water deliveries by weakening endangered species rules that Newsom sued over. “If he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires, and if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.” … ” Continue reading from Politico.
SEE ALSO:
- Trump promises California ‘more water than you ever saw’, from E&E News
- Trump Says He Will Withhold Disaster Money From California Unless State Renegs On Water Usage Rules, from the California Globe
- Trump threatens to cut wildfire aid if California doesn’t deliver more water, from the New York Times
- Trump ‘knock[s] the hell’ out of California during fundraising jaunt to the state, from Politico
- Trump threatens to cut off California wildfire aid if Newsom doesn’t change water policy, from The Hill
The NWS just issued its earliest winter weather advisory in 20 years for this part of California
“The National Weather Service in Hanford (San Joaquin Valley) has issued its earliest winter weather advisory in two decades for the high Sierra as a storm system is expected to bring several inches of snow to the area, including large parts of Yosemite National Park. An unusually cold and potent storm will move through California late Sunday night into Monday morning, bringing light rain to the Bay Area and more significant precipitation to the Sierra. Snow levels will start at around 10,000 feet Sunday evening, dropping to about 7,000 feet by Monday morning as the heaviest precipitation moves in. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
La Niña is expected to develop ahead of winter. Here’s what that means for Northern California.
“A weak La Niña pattern is expected to develop later this fall according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A forecast update from Thursday evening shows a 71 percent chance for La Niña conditions by October or November. Once established, this pattern is expected to last through early next spring. La Niña is marked by an increase in the easterly trade winds over the equatorial Pacific. That increase in wind pushes warm water near the ocean’s surface to the west. As that happens, colder water rises to the surface and stays in the east Pacific. That shift in ocean temperatures is one of many things that can impact seasonal weather over North America. … ” Read more from KCRA.
Restoring the Tuolumne River
“Turlock Irrigation District’s partnership in a restoration project on the lower Tuolumne River is expected to revitalize and better protect native fish species in their natural habitat. TID, along with Modesto Irrigation District and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, on Friday unveiled the project into which they’re sinking a combined $80 million over the next eight years. An agreement between the three utilities and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was forged in February of 2021, with the project getting under way just weeks ago and should be completed by the summer of 2026. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
San Francisco is trying to restore the river it drinks from — but environmentalists say it’s not enough
“Beneath the warm sun of the San Joaquin Valley, crews with heavy machinery have spent the past two months moving heaps of gravel into the cool waters of the Tuolumne River. The work, in rural Stanislaus County, marks an unlikely partnership between the city of San Francisco and two large irrigation districts to try to revive the river’s struggling salmon population. The gravel bars and riffles being fashioned in the lower reaches of the waterway are expected to help the renowned fish spawn. San Francisco and the Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts have long relied on the Tuolumne for water supplies, and they’ve often fought over who gets what. But now the three parties are working in tandem to save the fish that are close to being wiped out in large part because of the water draws. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Metropolitan Water District and the Sacramento Regional Water Authority support Prop 4
The Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors has voted to endorse Prop 4, a $10 billion bond measure slated for the November ballot, known as the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. The Sacramento Regional Water Authority has also endorsed Proposition 4. This initiative includes $3.8 billion dedicated to ensuring the availability and quality of water supplies while safeguarding communities against drought and flooding. The bond includes $386 million for groundwater management and recharge, $100 million for watershed resilience, $610 million for water quality and safe drinking water, $550 million for flood protection, and $480 million for dam safety, among others. At least 40% of the funds will benefit vulnerable or disadvantaged communities. Here is Metropolitan’s statement. Here is the Regional Water Authority’s statement.
Opportunity to comment/Scoping for seawater desalination provisions in the State Water Board’s Ocean Plan
The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will accept written comments on Proposed Amendments to the Seawater Desalination Provisions of the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California (Proposed Project) and hold a public scoping meeting to receive oral input and recommendations on the Proposed Project. The State Water Board will consider amendments to the Seawater Desalination Provisions of the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California (Proposed Project) to improve efficiency of planning and permitting seawater desalination facilities while protecting water quality and related beneficial uses of ocean waters, including by minimizing intake and mortality of all forms of marine life and addressing adverse environmental effects of such facilities. In this process, the State Water Board seeks to promote state policies fostering Tribal engagement, environmental justice, and community outreach when planning and permitting seawater desalination facilities. … ” Continue reading from the State Water Board.
DAVID SEDLAK: Water for All: Global solutions for a changing climate
“Dr. David Sedlak is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Water Center and chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Water Science and Technology board. Dr. Sedlak is the author of Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource. In this Arizona Water Resources Research Center webinar, Dr. Sedlak discusses his latest book, Water for All: Global Solutions for a Changing Climate. … “What I hope to do today is to share with you some of the things that are in the latest book, Water for All, and to put the types of challenges that you’re experiencing in Arizona and the American Southwest into a larger context, so you could understand that the issues being dealt with on the Colorado River and other places are similar to what’s going on in much of the rest of the world, to understand the drivers and solutions that might be relevant to your situation, and the way in which innovations being developed in Arizona might find applications elsewhere in the world.” … ” Read the full post at Maven’s Notebook.
Designing and funding California’s climate change response strategies
“Experts providing scientific data relating to sea-level rise, Coastal Commission personnel, engineers, urban planners, local and county elected officials, policymakers who work for and consult with local and county governments, bankers, realtors — including Jerel Taylor, executive director of the Malibu Association of Realtors, and Congressperson Katie Porter, who represents constituents in Orange County, all convened at the Newport Beach Renaissance Hotel on Sept 5 and 6 for the fourth annual Smart Coast California Summit: One California. One Coast. The mission of Smart Coast California, an Agoura Hills-based nonprofit organization, is to provide planning advocacy and information to California’s coastal communities and citizens, focus on stewardship of the state’s 1,100-mile coastline, foster community sustainability, and address property rights and environmental changes. … ” Read more from the Malibu Times.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
San Diego Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham profiled in “Municipal Water Leader” Magazine
“A familiar face was featured on the cover of the October edition of Municipal Water Leader magazine: Water Authority General Manager Dan Denham. In a wide-ranging interview with former Metropolitan Water District General Manager Jeff Kightlinger, Denham discussed his background, the relationships between the Water Authority and other agencies, major challenges facing the water sector and more. … What are the biggest challenges facing SDCWA right now? Dan: Climate change whiplash. We’ve had an unprecedented 2 consecutive wet years in Southern California, and while that was wonderful, it also created financial havoc, because water sales and revenues plummeted far below projections. Like most water agencies, we have high fixed expenses, but our revenues remain highly variable. This year, that combination of factors created unprecedented fiscal challenges. … ” Read more from the Water News Network.
National Groundwater Association mourns loss of Michael Campana, Ph.D. (Water Wired blog)
“NGWA member Michael Campana, Ph.D., passed away on August 25 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was 76. Campana was a professor emeritus in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. He came to OSU in 2009 to direct its Institute for Water and Watersheds after a long and successful career at the University of New Mexico’s water resources program. His specialties were hydrogeology, hydrophilanthropy, and water resources. His research interests included transboundary groundwater resources; integrated and sustainable water resources management; water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in developing regions; regional hydrogeology; and science-policy interface. … ” Continue reading at the NGWA.
The disgraceful end of California’s water king
“Mulholland Drive sits high atop the Santa Monica Mountains, overlooking the vast expanse of the Los Angeles Basin. If you’ve ever been there, the view is especially spectacular at night: With the whole city beneath, a thousand lights glitter in the darkness like jewels. The roadway is named after William Mulholland, an Irish immigrant engineer who, almost by accident, became one of LA’s most important figures — before becoming a cautionary tale. Mulholland’s great achievement came when Southern California needed him the most. He is LA’s first water king, the man who brought much-needed Sierra snowmelt to the city by completing the Los Angeles Aqueduct. … But the aqueduct that made Mulholland was not his undoing; it was his decision to turn off the flow of water that would cost hundreds of lives and lead to his exiting in disgrace from the public eye. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Podcasts …
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Meeting of the Waters
I don’t know how many times I have heard this statement, “Any water that gets to the ocean is wasted water.” This certainly seems true looking through the eyes of a thirsty human but from a biological perspective all forms and uses of water seem important. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Making water affordable IS a public health service
Imagine this: you shut off 31% of your customers for non-payment and the United Nations shows up at your door. This is a true story and Darcy and Darcy were very curious to see how this played out. Join them as they welcome Matt Phillips, who leads the City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s Customer Service Division as well as serves as the Department’s Chief of Staff. Matt shares how he was tasked with finding a way to collect the over $200 million (you read the right!) in outstanding receivables, making water and waste-water services affordable to Detroit’s residents, with more than 50% living below the national poverty level, and all while NOT turning off services. Curious how he is doing it? Darcy and Darcy were! Tune in to learn what Detroit is doing and what we can all learn.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Opportunity to comment: Draft Environmental Assessment for implementation of Klamath Project operating procedures 2024-2029
“The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) manages the Klamath Project (Project), which has provided water for irrigation, domestic, and related purposes since its authorization in 1905. Reclamation is proposing to modify certain aspects of its water management for the Project under the Proposed Action Alternative. The objective of this Environmental Assessment is to determine whether implementing the Proposed Action Alternative as described here (and in the modified 2024 Biological Assessment (Reclamation, 2024a)) may significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Siskiyou County residents urge injunction amid claims of racially motivated water restrictions
“A federal judge is weighing whether to impose a preliminary injunction on a Northern California county facing a class action on claims it restricts water access for Asian Americans. Four Siskiyou County residents claim that a county ordinance is discriminatory against Asian Americans, who in some cases are forced to use bottled water. White residents don’t face the same discrimination. In one case, someone provided up to 4,000 gallons of water to another with no county intervention, said attorney John Do, who represents the plaintiffs, at a Friday hearing. “We’re in a situation where a substantial amount of water is needed by a substantial amount of folks,” Do said. … ” Read more from Courthouse News.
Judge erred in tossing challenge to California logging project, environmentalists tell Ninth Circuit
“A logging project in Northern California continues to threaten endangered species in the Gualala River watershed, environmental groups told a Ninth Circuit panel on Friday. A lower federal court erred when it threw out a 2020 lawsuit over the project from the Center for Biological Diversity, those groups further argued. The underlying case dates back to 2016, when Friends of Gualala River sued Cal Fire in state court, claiming the agency did not adequately review environmental impacts related to a logging project by the company Gualala Redwood Timber. The issue was settled in state court after California’s First Appellate District sided with a Sonoma County trial court’s decision to greenlight the project in February 2021. That came after multiple revisions to the project, which ultimately narrowed its range from 402 to 342 acres. … ” Read more from Courthouse News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
How Yolo County bats help sustainable farming methods
“On any given summer evening, as construction crews work and traffic hurtles over the Yolo Causeway, which connects West Sacramento and Davis, something mysterious is percolating below. A large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats, who have spent the day sleeping under the warm concrete of the 3-mile-long bypass, begin to stir. As the bats awaken and their chatter becomes louder, they begin their sunset flyout in long, elegant ribbons from beneath the causeway in search of their dinner. This Yolo County colony is the largest in California, with as many as 250,000 bats that roost and birth their pups yearly in the 16,000-acre Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area with its restored wetlands and rich habitats. Bats, which are the only mammals that fly, use their long, narrow wings to quickly (up to 99 mph) lift up over the rice fields and nearby farms in Yolo and Sacramento counties to consume the equivalent of about 500 grocery sacks full of insects nightly. … ” Read more from the Sacramento News & Review.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma Creek project fosters dreams of development
“The Aug. 1 edition of the Kenwood Press discussed in detail the Sonoma Ecology Center’s restoration of Sonoma Creek at Morton’s Warm Springs. It would be wise and educational for Sonomans to read the article. Residents near Morton’s and along the upper Sonoma Creek are working with the Ecology Center to widen and clear the creek. They are collaborating with local restoration contractor Hanford ARC to clear creek sediment and remove barriers that prevent steelhead trout and possibly Chinook salmon from spawning. This is a wonderful beginning, and the parties involved should be congratulated. It’s a “beginning” because Sonoma Creek is approximately 28 to 30 miles long, from the base of Mt. Hood to the bay in Schellville. The Morton project is far upstream, while the greater portion of the creek lies downstream. This is significant, as fish traveling upstream must contend with barriers, downed trees, brush, rocks, and sediment. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Gazette.
BAY AREA
Bolinas Beach closed as wastewater descends from bluff
“Bolinas Beach, a popular surf spot, has been closed indefinitely because of wastewater contamination believed to be emanating from the gridded Big Mesa area of the town. Sarah Jones, director of the Marin County Community Development Agency, said members of her staff spotted effluent coming out of Big Mesa’s eroding cliff face above the beach when visiting the town to inspect a site for a permit application on Sept. 5. Jones said the staff members identified wastewater coming off the bluffs at a couple of dozen spots. “In some areas the water was seeping and in others it was flowing,” she said. “Our staff observed some high volume flows of up to 10 gallons a minute or more, so that is a lot of liquid coming out and going into the ocean,” Jones said. “This would not be what we would expect to see from one person’s septic system failing. There seems to be something bigger going on.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
EASTERN SIERRA
Indian Wells Valley Water District votes to oppose IWVGA pipeline at meeting
“At the Indian Wells Valley Water District board meeting on Sept. 9, the Water District board of directors unanimously approved a resolution to oppose the imported water pipeline project that is pivotal to the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s groundwater sustainability plan. The IWVGA is a local agency responsible for ensuring sustainable water for the future of the IWV. The Water District is the public utility agency responsible for supplying water to IWV residents. The Water District is one of five voting members on the IWVGA board of directors. So far, the other four voting members have supported the imported water pipeline project. Reasons for the Water District’s opposition to imported water rely largely on three things: cost, science, and alternatives. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Sierra Club sues IID to aid the Salton Sea, nearby residents
“Despite being put on notice by one of the country’s largest environmental organizations, Imperial Irrigation District has yet to be served with a threatened lawsuit to halt their agreement with the feds to forgo up to 900,000 acre-feet of its Colorado River allotment, a move the challenge says would harm those living at the Salton Sea as well as harm the sea itself. The Sierra Club filed what appears to be a barebones version of a lawsuit filed under the California Environmental Quality Act in Imperial County Superior Court on Friday, Sept. 13, which also seeks injunctive relief to stop the agreement the IID entered into with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in early August that holds back a significant portion of its Colorado River allotment for 2024 through 2026 and keeps it in Lake Mead for safekeeping during drought. … ” Read more from the Calexico Chronicle.
SAN DIEGO
Air purifiers, IBWC abatement order discussed as possible solutions for toxic sewage smell
“The San Diego Air Pollution Control District governing board met Thursday to discuss steps to protect South Bay communities from high levels of toxic chemicals detected in the air from pollution flowing in the Tijuana River, an issue that has been ongoing for years. Six sensors were installed throughout the Tijuana River Valley to measure the levels of the compounds emitted into the air. The findings revealed high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in those areas in the last three months, which officials with the San Diego Air Pollution Control District say do not pose a threat. “We have not seen any data to indicate that there’s immediate threat to life and health,” Paula Forbis with the Air Pollution Control District said. But some scientists who have been studying conditions at the border disagree. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Along the Colorado River …
The 2024-2025 season of water consumption: Can we retain our gains?
“Between mid-April and early July 2024, reservoir storage in the Colorado River basin increased by 2.45 million acre feet (af). Now we are in the nine-month period of progressive decline as reservoir storage supports consumptive uses and losses throughout the basin until the 2025 spring snowmelt season begins. As of 1 September 2024 basin reservoir storage was 28.9 million af, and the combined storage in Lake Mead and Lake Powell was 18.0 million af. Those amounts are similar to conditions from spring 2021 when media outlets began reporting on the emergence of a water crisis. That crisis continues. It is useful to monitor changes in basin reservoir storage because it is the “bank account” from which we can make withdrawals during dry years. Basin water managers have little control over each year’s watershed runoff, but they have a continuing ability to reduce water consumption. … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
Arizona: Mayes demands water director act on Fondomonte well, but Hobbs pushes back
“Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is demanding that state water officials revoke a deep water well drilling permit issued to a controversial Saudi Arabian company in rural Arizona. The Arizona Department of Water Resources in July authorized Fondomonte to drill a new well for irrigation on the company’s private land in La Paz County, state records show. The company previously gained notoriety for its leasing of several tracts of state land in western Arizona where it had been allowed to pump groundwater unchecked. One of those leases was canceled by the State Land Department and 2023, and three others expired earlier this year. Mayes’ letter, dated Thursday, was addressed to Tom Buschatzke, Arizona Department of Water Resources director. It demands action, although there is some question whether Buschatzke has the power to do what Mayes wants. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
SEE ALSO: AG Mayes wants approval of new well for Saudi-backed alfalfa farm revoked, from Arizona Public Media
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT/SCOPING for seawater desalination provisions in the State Water Board’s Ocean Plan, from the State Water Board
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Draft Environmental Assessment for implementation of Klamath Project operating procedures 2024-2029, from the Bureau of Reclamation
