Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
In California water news this weekend …
Atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward, reshaping global weather patterns
“Atmospheric rivers – those long, narrow bands of water vapor in the sky that bring heavy rain and storms to the U.S. West Coast and many other regions – are shifting toward higher latitudes, and that’s changing weather patterns around the world. The shift is worsening droughts in some regions, intensifying flooding in others, and putting water resources that many communities rely on at risk. When atmospheric rivers reach far northward into the Arctic, they can also melt sea ice, affecting the global climate. In a new study published in Science Advances, University of California, Santa Barbara, climate scientist Qinghua Ding and I show that atmospheric rivers have shifted about 6 to 10 degrees toward the two poles over the past four decades. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Climatologists downgrade chances La Nina will form
“The National Weather Service on Thursday lowered the chances that a La Nina will form this fall to 60%, down from 71% a month ago. If a La Nina takes shape, it’s expected to be weak and could lack the snowpack-building, drought-busting punch of a stronger La Nina, according to the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center. Below-average Pacific Ocean temperatures trigger a La Nina. In the past month, temperatures remained near normal, or “neutral.” Even if seas cool, they aren’t expected to cool as much as previously expected. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t just end up being neutral,” Oregon State Climatologist Larry O’Neill said. … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
Accusations of “extortion” and “bullying” fly in dispute over who should pay for sinking the Friant-Kern Canal
“A last-resort attempt to shore up funding for ongoing Friant-Kern Canal repairs has run into a buzzsaw of opposition from several irrigation districts that were stuck with the bill – up to $295 million. A letter disputing the fees accuses the Friant Water Authority, which operates the canal, of, among other things, extortion. “What would you expect my districts to do?” asked Sean Geivet, general manager of Terra Bella, Porterville and Saucelito irrigation districts. “I’m pulling out all the stops now. There’s no need to play nice in the sandbox because Friant is not playing nice.” The Friant Water Authority is about $90 million shy of the $326 million already spent to rebuild a section of the sinking canal and needs to show the Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the canal, how it will pay for another $250 million in still-needed repairs. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Supreme Court will hear San Francisco’s challenge to NPDES permits next week, a case with national implications
“The Supreme Court’s upcoming review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory authority over wastewater discharge pollution is likely to highlight bitter divides over the court’s role in the democratic system. “Given the makeup of this Supreme Court and in the aftermath of the Loper Bright decision, the court will be less willing to give EPA any sort of deference with respect to their interpretation of the Clean Water Act,” Wyatt Kendall, a partner at Morris Manning focused on environmental regulatory processes, said in an interview. … Next week, the court will shift its attention to San Francisco, which challenged the EPA’s authority to condition National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits on discharges that don’t negatively impact the quality of the receiving waters. To give wastewater plants certainty of their compliance, the city and county say the agency must delineate specific pollutant limits. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Tribes, environmental groups address fundamental flaws with Delta tunnel project hearings
“The struggle by Tribes, environmental organizations, fishing groups and the people of California to stop the construction of the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), AKA Delta Tunnel, heated up today with the submission of a formal statement with the State Water Resources Control Board that highlights the “fundamental flaws” with the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) hearings. The Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), represented by the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, along with the California Indian Environmental Alliance, San Francisco Baykeeper, and Golden State Salmon Association, submitted the statement exposing the flaws of the hearings concerning petitions submitted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in February 2024. The petitions ask the State Water Board to modify water rights permits issued in 1972, allowing DWR to use them now to construct and operate the DCP. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
DELTA CONVEYANCE PROJECT: Community Benefits Program discussion draft Implementation Plan and Guidelines Public Review
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released a Discussion Draft Implementation Plan and Guidelines for the Delta Conveyance Project’s Community Benefits Program (CBP). The implementation plan provides more detail about how the CBP could be implemented for each of the four elements of the program, which include Delta Community Fund, Economic Development, Integrated Benefits, and Community Benefits Agreements. The implementation plan suggests screening criteria to determine fund eligibility, methods to prioritize potential projects, procedures to distribute and audit funds, ways to develop and maintain economic development goals, and public input opportunities for identification of potential integrated benefits. DWR welcomes your feedback on this document, which was developed as a starting point to initiate the process of determining how the Community Benefits Program should be implemented. … ” Read more from DWR.
USDA Rural Development awards funds to strengthen rural California’s water infrastructure, recover from disaster
“Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera announced USDA is investing nearly $2 million in projects that will help foster and protect clean water supplies for rural Californians. “Access to clean and reliable water systems is essential for the health and well-being of all communities, and in rural California, USDA regularly invests in these systems to protect the health of our residents and advance rural prosperity,” said Gallegos Herrera. “I’ve seen the need firsthand as I’ve witnessed Californians work hard to recover after disaster, and I am so pleased to be able to support this recovery, and work with our partner Self-Help Enterprises to advance clean water in more rural areas.” … ” Read more from the USDA.
In commentary this weekend …
Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 4. California can’t wait to invest in climate resilience
“Proposition 4 defies easy categorization. Is it a water bond? A climate resilience bond? A Christmas tree with environmental gifts to private and public interests across the state? The answer is yes. The $10-million state bond is all of those things. The disparate expenditures in this proposition’s 15,000 words of text are a reflection of the all-encompassing nature of climate change, but also the political deal making in the state Legislature needed to get this measure on the Nov. 5 ballot. Despite some misgivings about the process, we think voters should vote yes on Proposition 4. It will save the state and Californians in the long run to invest now to gird against the growing and inevitable impacts of climate change. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
C-WIN supports November water bond – with reservations
“In November, Californians will vote on the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, which was approved in July by the California legislature. The California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) supports voter approval of this $10 billion bond, but advises rigorous oversight of its implementation. “First, our state legislators should be commended for supporting a bond that funds the climate change responses needed for an equitable society and sustainable environment,” said Max Gomberg, a water policy expert and C-WIN board member. Gomberg cited the $610 million earmarked for safe drinking water as a particularly important component of the bond. “Safe drinking water is a basic human right and foundational to good public health, but there are many disadvantaged communities in California that don’t have access to it,” Gomberg observed. “This bond is a good step toward correcting these inequalities.” … ” Read more from the California Water Impact Network.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Metropolitan Board reelects Adán Ortega, Jr. as chair for two more years
“Adán Ortega, Jr. will remain at the helm of Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors through 2026 following a unanimous vote today by the board to reelect him as chair. Ortega, who will begin his second two-year term on Jan. 1, 2025, pledged to continue his leadership on critical issues, particularly the urgency to address climate change in water planning decisions and investments. Ortega has served on Metropolitan’s 38-member board since 2019 and has worked in government relations and water for more than 30 years. He was unchallenged in his bid for reelection. … “One of my goals when I was first elected chair was to reduce some divisiveness on our board. The board has harnessed the urgent need to adapt to climate change as a unifying priority that drives us to work better together,” Ortega said. “Today’s vote to continue my tenure is an indication of the success we’ve had moving in that direction. I am committed to continuing this evolution.” … ” Read more from Metropolitan Water District.
Podcasts …
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Leader of the pack (Vroom! Vroom!)
In the early 1900’s California water projects were Big and Bold. Today’s guest, Mehul Patel, Orange County Water District’s Executive Director of Operations, oversees a project that can be classified in that same category – the Groundwater Replenishment System or GWRS . The only reason urban water agencies are even talking about, let alone planning for, direct potable reuse is because of this project. Mehul joins Darcy and Darcy in the studio and shares the history of the project back to Water Factory 21, the courageous decisions two agencies had to make to move forward and make significant investments, and of course, one-of-the-most-important-things-of all, how they overcome the “Yuck factor” when so many others could not.
RIPPLE EFFECT REWIND: Reclaiming the discussion
This week we are revisiting an earlier episode that is still highly relevant to today’s water discussion. We are looking back on episode 16: Reclaiming the Discussion. A talk with Mike Luers of the Snyderville Basin Reclamation District regarding water reclamation and reuse. Interesting tidbits about fish on Prozac and re-framing the narrative on waste water.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Ideas and Teamwork
The water issues are the most important in the community. Water is the undergirding of the entire community infrastructure. Without the water, in particular potable water, everything else becomes unnecessary. Water is taken for granted way too frequently. 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
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
People — and salmon — return to restored Klamath to celebrate removal of 4 dams
“One of the first banners used by a coalition of tribes, environmentalists and other allies in a 20-year struggle to remove four dams from the Klamath River along the California-Oregon state line was lovingly hung by some longtime fish protectors. The vinyl decals, featuring salmon crying to get beyond the first of the dams, were wrinkled, the banner itself battle-scarred in places. But the message was still clear: “Un-dam the Klamath now!” That message became fact at the end of September, when the final hunks of concrete were trucked away from the last of the four dams that had impeded fish migration for nearly a century. The world’s largest dam removal project to date was complete, and about 500 people came to a meadow about 10 miles south of the Klamath on Oct. 5 to celebrate and to look forward to the next phase of restoring an entire basin the size of West Virginia. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Yurok crew resumes revegetation work behind former Klamath Dams
“Building on the success of the winter planting, the Yurok Tribe’s Fisheries Department revegetation crew initiated phase two of a massive revegetation project along the recently undammed segment of river this week as salmon migrate to the Upper Klamath Basin for the first time in more than a century. The Yurok Revegetation Crew, under contract with Resource Environmental Solutions, is hand sowing millions of native plant seeds in the former J.C. Boyle Reservoir, where a band of lush flora lines the now free-flowing river. Custom curated by Yurok Fisheries Department Senior Riparian Biologist Joshua Chenoweth, the planting includes specialized blends of dozens of mutually beneficial native plant species that flourished along the Upper Klamath before the dams and colonization. “On the first morning, we saw an otter, eagles and waterfowl on the river’s edge. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few salmon move through there soon,” said longtime Yurok Revegetation Crew member Ben Hunsucker, a Yurok citizen. “I know our ancestors are proud of the work we are doing on behalf of the river.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Beloved Tahoe ski area says it won’t open at all this winter
“Homewood Mountain Resort, the independently owned ski area on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, announced Friday that it will not open or operate this coming ski season. The historic 1,200-acre ski area has been owned by San Francisco real estate investment firm JMA Ventures for 18 years and has long served as a winter community hub. But sales of lift tickets and season passes have plummeted significantly in recent years, prompting the owners to rethink the business. In 2011, JMA was awarded approvals from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to build more than 100 ski-in, ski-out homes and condos, a boutique hotel and grocery store as part of a broader vision to redevelop the property. Those plans were held up by environmental lawsuits the company resolved in 2014 and 2016. However, the project has not yet come to fruition. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY+
Yuba Water could help fix Marysville flood issue
“An ambitious project to improve the levee system around Marysville has had one unintended consequence: street flooding in parts of East Marysville. On Tuesday, the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors will consider approving a $713,000 grant to the City of Marysville to replace high flow pumps at the East 17th detention basin near Highway 20. Beginning in 2023, the detention basin has filled during high intensity rain events, and flooded some of the surrounding streets because the pumps are no longer large enough to drain the detention basin. According to a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting, the flooding is directly related to the multi-million dollar 7.6 mile long Marysville Ring Levee project, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers launched in 2010. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat.
BAY AREA
State commission clears Tomales Bay vegetation removal plan
“A plan to improve the ecological health of 1,590 acres in Tomales Bay State Park has cleared its last administrative hurdle, although a lawsuit against it is still pending. The project, which would be implemented in phases over a 10-year period, involves removing trees and other vegetation by a variety of means, including chainsaws, masticators, grazing animals, pesticides and fire. Project supporters say the work is necessary because the area is overgrown, and trees would be at risk if an uncontrolled fire were to break out. Opponents say the forest is not overgrown and warn that trees and wildlife will be harmed by the aggressive remediation planned. California State Parks approved the plan in July. On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission voted to affirm that the project is consistent with a public works plan for the park that the commission approved in April, a necessary step before work can begin. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Project aims to restore Struve Slough, improve water quality
“Work is moving forward on a project to restore native habitat and implement a series of water quality treatment projects to redesign the path of stormwater to Middle Struve Slough. Workers are already several weeks into the job, which is located between Hope Park and Pennsylvania Drive. The city of Watsonville and Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW) are collaborating on the project, which is funded by the California Ocean Protection Council. “Construction of the sediment catchment basins and new ponds is near complete and the contractor is currently beginning work on a new overlook for the trail system,” said WWW Director Jonathan Pilch. … ” Read more from the Daily Pajaronian.
Nonprofit using $71 million for Monterey Bay climate resilience
“California Marine Sanctuary Foundation hosted a gathering to highlight plans to use $71 million in new federal grant money for community climate resilience. The kickoff event was hosted in Moss Landing and further showcased the nonprofit’s efforts to enhance the coastal communities in the Monterey Bay region against sea level rise, storm surges, river flooding and wildfires. These communities include San Lorenzo, Pajaro, Salinas and Carmel rivers, as well as areas prone to wildfire in the coastal watersheds. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Biden administration designates Chumash marine sanctuary on California Central Coast
“The Biden administration said Friday it has designated 4,543 square miles of coastal and offshore waters along 116 miles of California’s Central Coast as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary, which stretches from from just south of the Diablo Canyon power plant in San Luis Obispo County to the Gaviota Coast in Santa Barbara County, is the third-largest in the National Marine Sanctuary System, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. It is also the first tribally nominated sanctuary in the United States, said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat representing California and chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife. “After years of advocacy, today’s announcement finally honors the Chumash people’s sacred waters as a National Marine Sanctuary and safeguards a vibrant and diverse Central Coast ecosystem,” Padilla said. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO: A New Marine Protected Area on America’s West Coast: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, from NOAA
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Photo gallery: Sandhill cranes return to winter in the Central Valley
The Stockton Record has a photo gallery from the Phil and Marilyn Isenberg Sandhill Crane Reserve: “Thousands of cranes migrate from their summer homes in Alaska and Canada tin the fall to the Central Valley where they stay until the spring. The cranes stand 4 to 5 feet tall with a wingspan of about 6-feet. They are known for their unique trumpeting calls and graceful courtship dance. The grey-bodied, red-capped birds fly into the reserve each evening then out every morning. They can also be seen on Staten Island near Walnut Grove and the Cosumnes River Preserve near Thornton. The best times to observe them is near sunset and sunrise. … ” View pictures at the Stockton Record.
Friant releases draft EIR for pump-back project
“On Wednesday the Friant Water Authority, which oversees the Friant-Kern Canal, issued a notice of availability, releasing its Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Friant-Kern Canal Pump-Back Project. The draft EIR is now available for public review over a 45-day period. The draft EIR is the next step to developing the $10 million Pump-Back project so more flexibility can be provided for Friant Division contractors to rceive and exchange water from the canal. In 2017, Friant began implementation of the Friant-Kern Canal Pump-back Project, which is part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program that was established in 2006 as part of a settlement. To reverse adverse water supply impacts on Friant contractors, the settlement directed the Bureau of Reclamation to explore the feasibility of reverse flow pump-back facilities on the Friant-Kern Canal with reverse flow capacity of about 500 cubic feet per second. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
Westlands Water District teams up with democrats on massive solar project
“The powerful, and politically right-leaning Westlands Water District recently teamed up with left-leaning democratic assemblymember Esmeralda Soria on renewable energy. Her bill, AB 2661, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last month and will allow Westlands in western Fresno County to oversee the generation, storage and transmission of solar energy. Within Westlands, about 130,000 acres – a little more than one-third the footprint of the City of Los Angeles – has been taken out of agricultural production and is available for solar development under the renewable energy project, called the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP,) said Jose Gutierrez, assistant general manager of Westlands. “What AB 2661 does is it provides us the ability to be the master planner for this solar development, which we’re excited about, because it allows us to be more thoughtful about how the solar goes in and how it’s integrated with the surrounding land use and incorporated into the district,” said Jeff Payne, the other assistant general manager of Westlands. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Effects of water scarcity, regulations discussed at State of Kings County event
“Regulatory challenges and increasing water demands are shifting pressures and creating fierce resource competition in the San Joaquin Valley that will affect Kings County’s future, according to one speaker at the State of Kings County event held Thursday. “The press for water is giving you more and more depth for individuals running out, you have people that have water supply, people that don’t, and that’s creating a dynamic that is creating some unfortunate competition,” said Steve Haugen, Kings River Watermaster and head of the Kings River Water Association, which serves portions of Fresno and Kings Counties. Water is, and will continue to be, a driving force in Kings County’s economic well being, according to Kings County Supervisor Doug Verboon. “Water is the number one topic,” Verboon told the crowd at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Harmful algal bloom found at Bridgeport Reservoir
“Tests have confirmed harmful algal blooms at several locations in the Bridgeport Reservoir, prompting the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to urge the community to stay out of the water. The board has posted a recreational warning advisory at the Old Marina Boat Ramp area and a danger advisory for areas near the dam and RV park. … ” Read more from the Inyo Register.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Monsanto will pay Los Angeles $35 million to settle lawsuit over contaminated waters
“Monsanto has agreed to pay the city of Los Angeles $35 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that the agrochemical giant’s use of polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs in a range of its products tainted the city’s water supplies. “With this settlement, Monsanto is being held accountable for the damage its dangerous PCBs have inflicted upon Angelenos for decades,” LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a written statement on Friday. “This is a significant step towards cleaner, safer waterways and justice for our City’s residents.” The Environmental Protection Agency classifies PCBs as a “probable” human carcinogen, meaning that evidence points to it causing certain kinds of cancer. Although the chemical was banned in the United States in 1979, PCBs have lingered in a variety of older products including paints, sealants and electrical equipment. For nearly 50 years — until 1977 — Monsanto was the United States’ sole producer of PCBs, which it sold under the name “Aroclor.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Stormwater capture drain reimagines flood management and sustainability
“A stormwater capture project, known as the Beaumont MDP Line 16, is forging a new path for conservation and flood protection in Southern California. A $7.6 million joint venture between the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District (BCVWD) and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, this underground storm drain balances flood mitigation in Cherry Valley, California, with stormwater capture for regional groundwater replenishment. It collects 150 to 500 acre-feet of stormwater annually — enough water to supply as many as 900 local families for a year. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Sediment removal keeps water flowing to downstream users in Arizona and California
“After flowing through the Imperial Dam into the All-American and Gila Gravity Main canals, Colorado River water irrigates more than 500,000 acres of farmland and serves homes and businesses in southern Arizona and California’s Imperial and Coachella valleys. To keep that water flowing, the Bureau of Reclamation is removing 54 million cubic feet of sediment from a 70-acre area upstream of the Imperial Dam. The operation is expected to restore about 1,250 acre-feet of water storage space in the reservoir above the dam. Reclamation’s Yuma Area Office Deputy Area Manager Owen Fulsome said the recovered storage was not the driving force behind the project but is an added benefit. “If we didn’t remove it, sediment would build up near the entrance to the canals and would prevent water from flowing through the Imperial Dam,” explained Fulsome. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Along the Colorado River …
Reclamation in limbo on Colorado River plans
“The Bureau of Reclamation continues to weigh options for dealing with expected shortages in the Colorado River Basin in the decades ahead, even as it remains without a seven-state agreement on how to share anticipated reductions in water supplies. Reclamation officials said this week their agency remains uncommitted to any of the nine proposals it received from regional groups, conservation advocates and tribal nations earlier this year but they expect to decide on alternatives outlined in planning documents by December. “Reclamation’s goal in this phase is to develop a reasonable and broad range of alternatives through collaboration with our key partners for consideration in a draft [environmental impact statment],” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said Thursday. … ” Read more from E&E News (subscription required).
Residents of ‘sinking’ North Las Vegas neighborhood await promised funds for new homes
“For Eli Valdez, 2019 was a “very happy time,” he said. He had become a first-time homeowner and gotten married. But not long after buying his first home in Windsor Park, a neighborhood in North Las Vegas, Valdez said things “just started to go wrong.” The door to Valdez’s home had to be replaced because it wasn’t fitting correctly in the doorway. And sitting in his living room, Valdez said he could see that his house had become slanted. These are the same concerns residents living in the neighborhood, which is sinking into the ground because of geological faults, have been raising for decades. A Review-Journal article published in 1988 reported residents complained of “years of sloping floors, cracking walls and ceilings, jammed doors and sinking yards as the ground around them mysteriously caves in.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In national water news this weekend …
The EPA is mandating removal of lead pipes. What will replace them?
On October 8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a landmark rule aimed at tackling lead contamination in drinking water. Utility companies are now required to identify and replace their lead pipes within the next 10 years, the EPA announced, and the threshold for acceptable lead levels in drinking water has been lowered from 15 to 10 parts per billion — the strictest guidelines since federal regulations were first set in 1991. … Additionally, the new EPA rule does not specify what materials must be used to replace the lead pipes. The cheapest alternative is plastic, yet a growing body of concerning research shows that popular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes can also leach toxic chemicals into the water. … ” Read more from Truth Out.
