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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Baylands Habitat Map Webinar from 12pm to 1pm. The Baylands Habitat Map 2020 (BHM 2020) provides updated mapping of tidal habitats and diked baylands in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program is offering a series of webinars to learn how to use this powerful tool and the possibilities for regional analyses to support decision-making about wetland restoration, permitting, and management. This webinar will provide a broad overview and orientation to the Baylands Habitat Map, including what it is, how to access it, and how it can be used to generate critical information to support decision-making about the region’s wetlands. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Water Control Manual Updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams from 5pm to 6:30pm in Yuba City. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District will share information regarding water control manual updates for New Bullards Bar and Oroville Dams. The meeting will be held at the Sutter County Veterans Memorial Building at 1425 Veterans Memorial Circle in Yuba City. A panel of team members from USACE, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Yuba Water Agency will present information on the water control manual update process, purpose and need, key issues, and the process timeline. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the update process. Questions and comments will be limited to two minutes per person to help maximize the opportunity for individuals to be heard before the meeting concludes. Comment cards will also be available to submit questions or comments. Click here for more information.
In California water news today …
Big change to autumn weather, including snow, coming to western US
“Temperatures will tumble over much of the western United States from the middle to late part of the week with the lowest temperatures since last spring. The chiller air will also be accompanied by some snow over the higher elevations of the region, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The extended period of heat, which has featured temperatures of 4-8 degrees above the historical average in some areas of the interior West, including double-digit anomalies in recent weeks, is coming to an end. Since August, there have been some quick bursts of cool air over parts of the West, but nothing like what is brewing for the middle and latter part of this week. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
SEE ALSO:
Tap dancing through data for Delta drought insights: An interview with Rosemary Hartman
“In today’s climate … let’s be honest, we don’t really know what to expect. Recent years have brought less and less freshwater to the San Francisco Estuary, and then other years, it seems like a nonstop deluge. Our estuary’s watershed provides drinking water to about two thirds of Californians and irrigates millions of acres of farmland in the Delta and Central Valley. But the impacts of the three driest years on record, 2020, 2021, and 2022, are still being felt throughout this ecosystem and beyond. Lots of people are working to tackle the challenges of prolonged drought … including a special group of scientists and resource managers. They’re looking at the past to answer questions that trouble us today. Will the Delta ecosystem survive into the next century? Will the waterways that we’ve come to depend on continue to flow? Will there be enough fresh water to go round? … ” Read more or listen to podcast at Maven’s Notebook.
Chinook salmon face habitat challenges
“Chinook salmon are facing unprecedented challenges as their once-thriving populations struggle to survive. A new study published in the journal Ecosphere suggests that decades of human activities, including ocean harvest, artificial propagation and reservoir construction, have not only reduced the size of these fish, but also disrupted their ability to spawn successfully. Joe Merz, lead author of the paper and a research affiliate with the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, said Chinook salmon play a crucial role in their ecosystems, and that fisheries management and habitat changes have weakened their natural reproductive potential. “We’ve got an organism that utilizes a variety of ecosystems during its life cycle,” Merz said. “We tend to slice up those ecosystems and manage them separately. We, as a society, need to think more holistically about what will benefit our fish populations.” … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Migrating birds find refuge in pop-up habitats
Kenneth James / California Department of Water Resources.
“Every July, the western sandpiper, a dun-colored, long-beaked bird, leaves the shores of Alaska and migrates south. It may fly as far as the coast of Peru, where it spends several months before making the return trip. Western sandpipers travel along the Pacific Flyway, a strip of land that stretches along the Western coast of the Americas, from the Arctic down to Patagonia. The wetlands of California’s Central Valley offer sandpipers and thousands of other species a crucial place to rest and feed along the way. In September, at the peak of the southward migration season, tens of millions of birds stop there. But intensive farming and development have destroyed 95% of the Central Valley’s wetlands, and as the wetlands have disappeared, the number of migrating birds has plummeted. Shorebirds like the western sandpiper, which dwell in seashores and estuaries, are particularly imperiled, declining by more than 33% since 1970. … ” Read more from High Country News.
California groundwater levels show improvement, but challenges remain
“As California enters a new water year, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released its Fall Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions update. The update highlights improvements made under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), passed 10 years ago, while acknowledging ongoing challenges from climate extremes. Groundwater is crucial for nearly 85% of Californians, supporting households, agriculture, and ecosystems. However, the state’s groundwater has been stressed by extended droughts and heavy use. The report notes that while groundwater levels have rebounded slightly in recent years, full recovery will take more wet years and efforts to recharge aquifers and reduce groundwater pumping. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
OpenET: Balancing water supply and demand in the West
“At the end of 2022, 65 percent of the Western United States was in severe drought, the result of a two decades long mega drought in the Colorado River Basin that had captured headlines around the world. However, it was flooding, not drought, that was making headlines when we began our research for this story about OpenET, a revolutionary new online platform geared towards helping farmers and water managers monitor and reduce water use in watersheds where supplies were not keeping up with demand. The start of 2023 brought flooding to many counties in California, leaving 68 percent of the state with suddenly little to no drought. And caused Forrest Melton, the NASA Project Scientist for OpenET and Associate Program Manager for agriculture and water resources with the NASA Earth Action program, to pause our video interview after a tree fell down outside his Bay Area home on a rainy day in March, 2023. … ” Read more from NASA.
Protests grow as corporate-backed biomass projects threaten forests and communities
““Who will own the forests? Who will own the sky?” sang dozens of umbrella-wielding protesters as rain drizzled outside the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon on Sept. 25. Inside the building, timber company representatives, investors and others involved in deciding the fate of forest ecosystems were meeting for an event called CANOPY: Forests + Markets + Society. Billed as “the premier annual event on institutional forestland investing,” CANOPY is a conference whose 2023 attendees included Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascades, biomass energy giant Drax and J.P. Morgan. It was formerly called “Who Will Own the Forests?” and has drawn criticism from climate groups concerned about its focus on corporate and investor-led approaches to forest management. Last year, climate activists blockaded entrances to the event’s opening reception for over an hour. … ” Read more from Truth Out.
SEE ALSO: ‘Legacy’ Forests. ‘Restoration’ Logging. The New Jargon of Conservation Is Awash in Ambiguity. And Politics, from Inside Climate News
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Sierra Nevada Regional Meeting held for first time in Tahoe
“For the first time, the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force held its Sierra Nevada regional meeting in Tahoe, at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The task force unveiled their new developments and discussed the headway that local and regional partners have made in the field. Tahoe also represents another first for the meeting, in that it’s the only area that is managed by both California and Nevada. Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency and co-chair of the task force, expressed his interest in learning from the bi-state management strategies. Crowfoot also outlined the three major goals of the task force: integrating efforts for local, regional, state, and federal agencies; increasing the pace and scale of work that needs to be done; and building regional leadership. He said, “The answers are not in Sacramento or in Washington D.C. They’re here in the Basin.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Why Lake Tahoe’s Homewood Resort will remain closed for the 2024-2025 season
“One of Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts will be keeping its slopes closed for the 2024-2025 season. Homewood Mountain Resort, a privately owned resort on the west shore, will not open this season, saying it’s facing financial challenges caused by delays in approvals for infrastructure improvements. The resort submitted revisions to its 2011 master plan in May but the delays and no clear path forward have caused the resort’s financial partner to pull back funding. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
Meadow and watershed restoration in the Golden Trout Wilderness
“The Kern Plateau features a chain of meadows that serve as headwaters for the Kern and Owens Rivers, making it a crucial ecosystem for California’s water supply. Nestled within this stunning landscape just south of Mount Whitney, the Golden Trout Wilderness is home to small streams that nurture the last genetically pure populations of California’s state fish, the legendary golden trout. Working with our partners at the Inyo National Forest (INF) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Trout Unlimited’s Golden Trout Meadows Restoration Project aims to restore meadow functionality and critical fish habitat in 20 alpine meadows across the Kern Plateau. 2024 marks the second year of construction for this ambitious project. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Chico: Water and Resource Conservation meeting draws unexpected crowd over groundwater concerns
“The Water and Resource Conservation group held a meeting at the local Chico library on Monday morning, where they invited local members of the community to give their feedback on their current and future plans. The group called the meeting “Coffee with Water”. Originally, only seven people had signed up to attend the event. To the department’s surprise, almost 30 people were in attendance. A main concern for everyone in the room was the ground-level water, which has been reported to be at a deficit within Butte County areas like Vina. Many locals drove from their small towns to express their worries about another drought and what that could mean for landowners who mainly live off well water. … ” Read more from KRCR.
NAPA/SONOMA
Ross Valley flood project gets new $1.6M influx
“A multifaceted flood control project in the Ross Valley has received $1.6 million in federal funding for creek work slated to start next year. The grant is a second installment authorized by the California Coastal Conservancy, bringing the funding total to $2.2 million. The funds will support work to remove 1960s-era concrete walls from the Corte Madera Creek and restore wetlands near the College of Marin campus in Kentfield. Marin County planners are planning a public forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to discuss the construction that is set to begin in the summer. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the student center at Marin Catholic High School at 675 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Kentfield. “The open house is a great opportunity to talk with community members one on one and answer their specific questions about the upcoming work,” said Berenice Davidson, the county’s assistant director of public works. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
BAY AREA
A tale of two turfs: Bay Area residents split over using artificial grass
“Summer may be over, but there’s a hot debate brewing that’s becoming more intense and thought provoking by the day, and it’s all about — grass? Yes, grass. As school districts look to resurface their athletic fields and cities consider how to update public parks, local leaders must decide what kind of play surface to install. And, the two options — natural grass or artificial turf — are sharply dividing Bay Area residents. Turf, which is made from thousands of synthetic fibers and crumb plastic infills, is quickly becoming America’s go-to field material for its ability to provide a smoother, year-round surface at a lower maintenance cost than grass. The artificial turf market is projected to nearly double in the U.S. by next year. Americans are installing 1,500 new turf fields each year, contributing to 19,000 fields around the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
New study reveals major sea level rise vulnerabilities at Seacliff State Beach
“After more than a year of work, California State Parks has produced a 65-page report detailing serious vulnerabilities to climate change-fueled impacts at two popular oceanside destinations in Santa Cruz County. But what exactly should be done about it remains an open question and the work to get some answers is just getting started. State Parks, in partnership with its local operating partner Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, hosted a community workshop at the Seacliff Inn in Aptos late last month to announce completion of the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment for Seacliff and New Brighton state beaches. The event drew interest from at least 319 residents that attempted to pack themselves into the typically spacious conference room at the hotel, but ended up spilling out into the parking lot. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Sold out: Coming home to a flood-prone California landscape
“In March 2023, the rain-swollen Pajaro River burst the seams of a levee, flooding the rural Northern Monterey County town of Pajaro in the dark of night and damaging hundreds of homes. In the last season of Sold Out, we followed the story of the Escutia family as they set out to find a new place to call home. Now, a year later, we share their next chapter. The family’s housing journey was anything but quick or easy. For a year and a half, they cycled through a shelter, group homes, and the homes of friends and family members as they searched for a permanent place they could afford. They vowed never to return to the floodplain but came up against the reality that this part of coastal California is the most expensive rental market in the county, and the number of homes is limited. In August, the family broke their vow and moved into a home in Pajaro, right across the street from the house they fled from when the levee burst. They are happy to be settled again but are nervous that their new home will meet a similar demise if winter rains prove too strong for the levee. … ” Continue reading at KQED.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
State Attorney General, Fish and Wildlife join fight to bring flows back to the Kern River
“Two powerful California agencies have jumped into the legal fight over flows in the lower Kern River. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a brief Monday “on behalf of the People of the State” as well as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife urging the 5th District Court of Appeals to reinstate a Kern County judge’s order mandating enough water be allowed to run through the river to keep fish alive. “We are super excited about this,” said Kelly Damian, spokesperson for local group Bring Back the Kern, which, along with several other groups, sued the City of Bakersfield in 2022 over its river operations. It then sought and won a preliminary injunction in Oct. 2023 mandating the city keep enough water flowing for fish. She said the firepower brought by Bonta’s amicus, or friend-of-the-court, brief adds significant momentum to Bring Back the Kern’s cause. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SEE ALSO:
- State backs environmentalists after water shutoff kills thousands of fish in Kern River, from the LA Times
- Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief on Importance of Protecting California’s Waterways, press release from AG Bonta
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SoCal’s water supply could be crippled by next major earthquake
“Living in Southern California, it may frequently cross your mind: when will the next big earthquake hit? “We’re afraid of earthquakes because they’re sudden, we can’t predict them, you don’t see them coming,” seismologist Lucy Jones told Eyewitness News. Jones is the first to acknowledge common fears of injury or earthquake-related deaths, like those seen in the 1994 Northridge quake. But should that still be top of mind 30 years later? Maybe not, she said. “The earthquake is inevitable. The disaster is not,” she said. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
Orange County Water District wins legal victory upholding authority over groundwater basin management
“On October 7, 2024, the California Court of Appeal upheld the Orange County Water District’s (OCWD) authority to manage the Orange County Groundwater Basin in the case Irvine Ranch Water District v. Orange County Water District et al. This ruling ensures the continued ability of OCWD to achieve sustainable management of the basin, a vital source that provides 85% of the water for 19 cities and water districts serving 2.5 million Orange County residents. The court’s decision reaffirms OCWD’s groundwater management practices and statutory authority, ensuring the continued equitable distribution of groundwater across north and central Orange County. This legal validation allows OCWD to maintain its proven framework for managing basin resources while protecting water quality and local water supplies. … ” Read more from the Stormwater Solutions.
These beaches are among LA’s favourites. But they’re fake
“Today, Santa Monica Beach is one of the most iconic in the world, stretching more than three miles (4.8km) with 245 acres (1sq km) of sand. In 2023, 4.6 million people visited Santa Monica alone. But it wasn’t always like that – those golden beaches were once a rocky, wild coastline, until city officials decided to take matters into their own hands. … “City officials wanted to turn Santa Monica [one of the beach towns] into the American Riviera,” explains Elsa Devienne, assistant professor of history at Northumbria University in the UK, who recently published a book about the history of Los Angeles’ beaches. “Santa Monica wanted to establish itself as the resort city for the rich and famous. These beach cities had big ambitions.” … ” Read more from the BBC.
Along the Colorado River …
Arizona: Environmentalists, state regulators grapple with uncertainty in new Clean Water Act interpretation
“An analysis from the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund says up to a quarter million wetlands in Arizona may have lost federal clean water protections. environmentalists and state regulators both say there’s a great deal of uncertainty. A Supreme Court ruling last year, Sackett v. EPA, required that wetlands that have a “continuous surface connection” to federally protected water be covered under the Clean Water Act. Environmental Defense Fund spokesperson Ben Bryce says it’s unclear which wetlands qualify. “Not only do we have questions about what rules would apply,” he says, “but also questions about whether any rule would apply at all. It’s tricky, and it puts in a tough spot, especially at a time when water availability is so important.” … ” Read more from KNAU.
In national water news today …
What’s in the Biden administration’s final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements?
“On Oct. 8, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) will also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them. This final rule has been a priority for the Biden EPA as it aims to see every lead pipe in the country replaced within a decade. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
