WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for 9/15-9/20: Sites Reservoir permitting process hits a snag; Kings County judge rules against state Water Board in SGMA case; Tule groundwater basin put on probation, with two exceptions; and more …

A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …

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In California water news this week …

Sites Reservoir project hits troubled waters in permitting process

Sites, Colusa County. Photo by Tom Hilton.

“The California state water board on Monday formally announced that the Sites Reservoir project failed to get federal approval, a situation they say isn’t permanent and can be rectified.  The rejection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the latest setback for the estimated $4 billion project in Northern California that would capture water during the rainy season. Officials have said the reservoir would hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, or enough for 3 million homes a year.  The denial stems from a back-and-forth over documents between governmental agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, Sites Project Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The denial is effective Monday, the day the water board sent its letter to the Sites Authority. … ”  Read more from Courthouse News Service.

RELATED: NOTICE: Sites Reservoir Project: Denial without prejudice of water quality certification

Kings County judge rules against state Water Board in high-stakes groundwater case

Farmland in Kings County in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. Photo by DWR.

“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.

State puts second San Joaquin Valley groundwater basin on probation, with two exceptions

Sunset on Rocky Hill overlooking Exeter, Farmersville, and Visalia. Photo by Mike Trimble.

“Farmers in southern Tulare County will face greater pumping scrutiny after the state placed the region on probation following a lengthyhearing in Sacramento on Tuesday.  State Water Resources Control Board members acknowledged a new groundwater plan submitted by water managers in August had made great strides in many areas. But the big sticking point was subsidence, or land sinking.  Calling the situation a “crisis,” State Water Resources Control Board members voted unanimously to put the Tule groundwater subbasin on probation based on a staff report that showed subsidence continues to plague the region, causing ongoing damage to the vital Friant-Kern Canal. … ”  Read more from SJV Water.

Ten years after the law known as SGMA changed California’s water world, what’s next?

“Monday marked the 10-year anniversary of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, (SGMA) which aims to bring severely over pumped aquifers back into balance by 2040.  Even with more than $1 billion already spent, two groundwater subbasins on probation and enforcement actions being challenged in court, some state officials say the hard part is just beginning.  And the San Joaquin Valley is ground zero for what’s coming.  SGMA was passed in 2014 during a devastating drought that left thousands of domestic wells dry in the San Joaquin Valley. The law seeks to regulate groundwater pumping through local control. To that end, it mandated the creation of a new layer of government, groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) to create and impose plans for regulation. … ”  Read more from SJV Water.

The key to fix California’s inadequate water storage? Put water underground, scientists say

A drone view of Fresno Irrigation District’s Lambrecht Basin in Fresno, California, which provides groundwater recharge and groundwater banking. Ken James / DWR

“A new University of California Riverside study on California agriculture and climate proposes a plan for new water capture, storage and distribution systems throughout California that will sustain agriculture and keep up with climate trajectories.  Available water for consumption is disappearing because of climate change and failing storage systems, leaving one of its top consumers—the agricultural industry—scrambling, the study concludes.  California’s agriculture sector uses about 40 percent of all the state’s water, or 80 percent of its consumed water. With less water available, agriculture must adjust. The study provides a pathway for the sector to do so.  The study, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that groundwater aquifers have more storage potential than surface water reservoirs. So, instead of devoting decades to build more dams and reservoirs that are subject to evaporation and overflow, water should be diverted into these depleted aquifers below the Central Valley and the coastal plains. … ”  Read more from Inside Climate News.

Extension of Yuba Accord transfer program could bring in millions

“The Yuba Water Agency believes that the estimated financial impact of an extension to its water transfer program could generate millions of dollars in revenue through 2050.  On Tuesday, the agency’s board of directors are scheduled to hold a public hearing about that extension as it relates to the Yuba Accord Long-Term Water Transfer Program. Earlier this year, the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors submitted a water-right change petition to the State Water Resources Control Board. First established in 2008 after decades of legal battles, the Yuba River Accord is a landmark multi-agency agreement that has guided water usage, purchases, and instream flow requirements since its inception. … ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat.

Trump’s big vendetta against the tiny delta smelt

“There are certain things former President Donald Trump vehemently dislikes: Taylor Swift. Low-flow toilets. And a 3-inch-long endangered fish that lives in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in California.  Although it draws less attention than his other annoyances — Swift for her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid and water-efficient toilets for requiring repeated flushes — Trump is unusually dedicated to his nearly decadelong grudge against the tiny delta smelt.  Last week, Trump once again took aim at the delta smelt at a press conference near Los Angeles, garnering headlines for promising California voters he would curb environmental protections in the frequently drought-stricken state in order to “give you more water than almost anybody has.” … ”  Read more from E&E News.

Congress comes to Santa Nella to talk about water

“The Great Valley of California, one of “the more notable structural depressions in the world,” covers an area of 20,000 square miles. More than half of it, about 6.7 million acres, or over 10,000 square miles, is irrigated farmland. If you drive south on the main north-south artery, Interstate 5, orchards and cultivated fields appear as soon as you drop out of the foothills around Red Bluff. For the next 430 miles, until you begin ascending the Tehachapi Mountains far to the south, everywhere you look there is agriculture.  About 75 percent of California’s total agricultural production occurs in the Central Valley. According to the Public Policy Research Institute, in 2018, the Central Valley had an estimated 3.5 million acres planted with trees and vines, 2.1 million acres had grains, 1.2 million acres had alfalfa, 750,000 acres had vegetables (including tomatoes which are technically referred to as “non-tree fruits”), and not quite 900,000 acres had corn. Since 2018, roughly 750,000 acres have been taken out of production, with another million at risk. The reason? Not enough water. … ”  Read more from The Current.

Levee breach marks completion of the Delta’s largest-ever tidal wetland restoration project

Photo by Xavier Mascarenas / DWR

“For the first time in 100 years, tidal waters are flowing to 3,400 acres of restored habitat that will support fish and wildlife species and provide new flood capacity in Solano County. Today, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Ecosystem Investment Partners (EIP) held a levee breaching ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project (Lookout Slough). This multi-benefit project restores tidal wetland habitat and produces food for Delta smelt and other fish species, while reducing overall flood risk in the Sacramento area.  “Lookout Slough is the biggest environmental restoration project in the Delta in decades. And a critical feature of it is the improved flood protection it provides to surrounding communities. Protecting people from flooding doesn’t have to be at odds with the environment – it can actually work with it,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “More intense droughts and floods require these solutions. Congratulations to our local, state, federal, tribal, private, and non-profit partners who made this happen.” … ”  Read more from DWR News.

Location, location, location: Snowpack storage and runoff timing in burn scars depend on site and terrain

Increasingly severe wildfires at high elevations are impacting snowpack – an important reservoir for the U.S. West. The altered landscape makes it more challenging to predict when snow will melt and how much water will be available for use.   Colorado State University researchers studied the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire’s effects on snowpack across mountainous terrain and found that location is key to melt rate and timing.  Snowmelt rates vary from slope to slope, based on how much sun the slope receives and vegetation. Snow generally melts faster on south-facing slopes, which get more sun. The researchers found that the amount of water in the snow on a burned south aspect peaks earlier in the season than other snowpack locations, and south aspect snow melts sooner. … ”  Read more from Colorado State University.

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.

Do you know what chemicals are in your drinking water pipes?

“Vinyl chloride, which is used in the manufacturing of PVC pipes that are in many drinking water systems in the United States, has been a “chemical of concern” for decades. In fact, it was classified as a human carcinogen since 1974, and the federal government at that time banned the use of vinyl chloride in consumer products such as hair sprays, refrigerants, cosmetics, and drugs. The EPA has stated that vinyl chloride is still used to make PVC and vinyl products such as drinking water pipes and children’s toys.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a review of vinyl chloride and four other chemicals to determine if any should be subject to additional restrictions under the federal Toxic Substance Control Act. The agency recently announced that it has moved to the next step in this process, which in practical terms means opening a second public comment period to allow anyone concerned about this chemical to weigh in on the agency designating the chemical as a “High-Priority Substance.”  Despite the dangers presented by vinyl chloride, most people are unaware of how prevalent this chemical is in their lives. … ”  Read more from The Source.

What scientists have learned from 20 years of microplastics research

“Twenty years ago, a team of U.K. scientists sounded the alarm on a then-underappreciated problem: the breakdown of plastic litter into small, even microscopic, fragments. While many previous reports had documented the buildup of plastic bottles and bags in the natural environment, much less attention had been paid to what the scientists dubbed “microplastics.”  Due to “the rapid increase in plastic production, the longevity of plastic, and the disposable nature of plastic items,” the researchers concluded that there was “considerable potential” for microplastic pollution to become a major problem for the environment and human health.  It turns out, they were right.  Over the past two decades, the rate of plastic production has roughly doubled, to more than 400 million metric tons per year, about the weight of 1,200 Empire State Buildings. In the same time period, microplastics — defined as particles with a diameter less than 5 micrometers, about the width of a human hair — have exploded into the public consciousness, riding on a wave of research into the particles’ prevalence across ecosystems and in humans’ bodies. … ”  Continue reading from Grist.

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In commentary this week …

A call for balanced water management in California

Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “The draft environmental impact statement for the long-term operation of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project has raised alarm bells for farmers and urban water users who depend on these water projects.  Based on the document released July 26 for public review, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service seem to be pushing a regulatory agenda that prioritizes environmental objectives to the detriment of agricultural, municipal and industrial water needs.  The CVP and SWP were originally constructed with multiple purposes in mind, central to which was the provision of water for uses such as irrigation and drinking water.  But the operational plan under consideration for the water-delivery systems seems to elevate environmental protections, despite the 2009 Delta Reform Act, which established “coequal goals” of ensuring a reliable water supply for California while protecting and restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ecosystem. … ”  Continue reading this commentary.

Commentary: Water for the future

Assemblymember Marie Waldron writes, “San Diego County has made great strides to safeguard itself against California’s recurring drought cycle. For example, in 1991, 95% of our water was imported by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). By 2023, only 14% of our water was imported by the MWD. Diversification efforts included building the Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination plant in Carlsbad, increased conservation, an agreement to import water from the Imperial Irrigation District, and other measures. By 2045, it’s projected that only 8% of our water will be imported by the MWD.  But it’s a different story statewide. Most of our largest dams and reservoirs were built between 1945 and 1968, when our population was less than half its current size. Voter approval of a $7.5 billion water bond in 2014 has resulted in few, if any new projects. For more than 50 years, California has failed to make necessary investments in water infrastructure. … ”  Read more from the Patch.

The climate crisis won’t wait for California’s budget to recover. Vote yes on Prop. 4

Ellie Cohen, the CEO of The Climate Center, writes, “Faced with a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers were forced to make some tough decisions this year. As a result, they’re cutting more than $9 billion from climate solutions across California, walking back investments in everything from sustainable agriculture to clean drinking water, wildfire preparedness and renewable energy. Unfortunately, for Californians, the climate crisis won’t wait for our state budget to recover. That’s why it’s critical that we pass Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, this November. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.

Prop. 4 will prevent wildfires and protect California’s coasts as the climate changes

Laura Engeman, an environmental researcher and a member of the San Diego Sea-level Rise Working Group, and Christopher Anthony, a registered professional forester and former chief deputy director at Cal Fire, writes, “You don’t have to look very far in San Diego to witness the real and growing threats of a changing climate.  To the east, hillsides thick with brush put communities at risk of destructive wildfires. To the west, beaches and lowlands are imperiled by a rising sea. And in nearly every direction, communities lack safe drinking water.  Among the state’s top 20 deadliest wildfires, four have occurred in San Diego County — destroying thousands of homes and filling the sky with lung-burning smoke and ash. Communities and livelihoods here depend on the coastline but many local beaches are disappearing, eroding 1 to 3 meters a year. Of nearly 2.4 million Californians living in communities without clean drinking water access or where local water systems might fail, more than 20,000 live in the county. … ”  Read more from the Times of San Diego.

California Fisheries blog comments on Fall X2

Tom Cannon writes, “I fully support implementation in 2024 of the Fall X2 action prescribed in the biological opinion for Delta smelt.  Furthermore, I support maintaining Delta Outflow at 10,000-12,000 cfs year-round[1] in all water year types to protect Delta smelt and longfin smelt.  The compelling reason for such action is to maintain the low salinity zone (LSZ) and the head of that zone downstream of the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in the western Delta, on an average-daily or tidally-filtered basis … ”  Read more at the California Fisheries blog.

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In regional water news this week …

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.

Controversial landfill in wine country expected to close

“A landfill in California’s wine country that has drawn scrutiny for its management of toxic chemicals may be poised to close, Napa County officials confirmed this week.  Waste Connections, the large national waste management company that owns the Napa Valley-area Clover Flat Landfill, is expected to submit a closure plan to the county’s Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) “near the end of this year,” Holly Dawson, the county’s deputy CEO for communications, said in an email.  Based on recent discussions with Waste Connections, the closure process is expected to take about three to four years, and there are no plans for future operations at the site beyond long-term monitoring, said Dawson. … ”  Read more from The New Lede.

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.

AT&T agrees to settle case over abandoned lead cables beneath Lake Tahoe

“AT&T on Wednesday signaled it will resolve a yearslong legal struggle over abandoned telecommunication cables contaminating Lake Tahoe, and remove the disused lines.  The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance filed suit in 2021 over the cables that it said were leaching toxic lead into the lake that bridges California and Nevada. The two cables, about 8 miles long, are at the bottom of the lake and contain over 68 tons of lead.  The federal case was advancing through court when both the alliance and AT&T on Wednesday filed documents in support of a consent decree. A hearing on that decree is set for Nov. 7.  “This is a monumental win for the environment, the communities who drink Lake Tahoe water, and people with lake-dependent livelihoods, and the millions of annual visitors,” said Chris Shutes, executive director of the alliance, in a statement. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service.

Restoring the Tuolumne River

Tuolumne River. Photo by the USFS.

“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.

Fifty-one miles: walking the Los Angeles River

“Once a meandering, transient body of water that brought alluvium-rich soils to the Los Angeles Basin, the Los Angeles River has been encased in concrete, severed from its groundwater, and treated as little more than a regional storm drain since the mid-20th century. A multidisciplinary student team with expertise in ecology and mapping, urbanism and access, and heritage conservation and narrative ethnography walked the 51-mile length of the river, encountering and documenting “what has died, survived, and thrived in this industrial and wild landscape.” … ”  Continue reading at Landscape Architecture.

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Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …

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

NOTICE: Notification Level Recommendation for Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) in Drinking Water, from OEHHA

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