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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Optimizing Water Supply and Sustainability Through Technological Innovation from 12pm to 1pm. Discover how OCWD is using innovation to boost water supply and support local wildlife at the Prado Wetlands. This webinar will highlight a record year for the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, driven by OCWD’s successful habitat restoration efforts. We’ll also introduce the development of a “digital twin,” a cutting-edge tool that will provide a quantifiable method to monitor habitats and track species recovery, while optimizing water management. Don’t miss this opportunity to see how OCWD is integrating technology and environmental stewardship to meet both wildlife and regional water needs. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: A Bureau of Reclamation Perspective on Tribal Water Rights Settlements and the Colorado River Basin from 2pm to 3pm. Presenter: Gary Gold, Esq., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, US Department of Interior. The Colorado River provides immeasurable value to over forty million people in two countries, seven states, and thirty Tribal Nations. The river is currently experiencing its most severe drought on record. Through partnerships facilitated by Tribal water rights settlements, the Bureau of Reclamation and Basin Tribes have made considerable progress on building a more resilient and sustainable future. Note: 2pm to 3pm, MST. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Could California be off to a good snow start this season? It’s a good start so far
“People from Truckee to South Lake Tahoe will be gearing up for blustery conditions for trick or treating as Halloween nears. A cold storm system is set to arrive from the Gulf of Alaska with decent moisture. A Weather Impact Alert was issued for Thursday and Friday in the Sierra for inches of snow at pass level and as much even one to two feet for the peaks and summits. Could this early precipitation be a sign of a good snow season? As of now, it’s too soon to tell what winter has in store, but, for autumn, it’s a good start so far. The Central Sierra Snow Lab at Soda Springs, near Donner Pass, is showing only 1.18 inches of snowfall so far this water year, but more snow may push it past the average of 3.15”. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
SEE ALSO:
- Weather Impact Alert: Sierra snow and valley rain might impact plans, from Channel 10
- ‘Most significant storm activity so far this fall’ coming to California, from SF Gate
California has its own “hurricanes”—and we are just as vulnerable to flooding as the southeast
“The two hurricanes that walloped the southeast recently—Helene and Milton—caused extensive damage and loss of life, with Helene becoming the second-deadliest hurricane in the last 30 years. Although thousands of miles away, these two hurricanes serve as reminders about flood management in California. Here are a few key takeaways: California storms can be just as intense and destructive as hurricanes. Although hurricanes are not part of California’s natural disaster portfolio, people sometimes forget that California has its own equivalent in atmospheric rivers (ARs). These storms—which often carry as much water as the Amazon River up in the atmosphere—originate in the subtropical Pacific Ocean and deliver prodigious amounts of rain and snow to California. Although ARs do not pack the high-speed winds of hurricanes, their precipitation intensities match what we’ve seen in Helene and Milton. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
New NASA instrument for studying snowpack completes airborne testing
“Summer heat has significant effects in the mountainous regions of the western United States. Melted snow washes from snowy peaks into the rivers, reservoirs, and streams that supply millions of Americans with freshwater—as much as 75% of the annual freshwater supply for some states. But as climate change brings winter temperatures to new highs, these summer rushes of freshwater can sometimes slow to a trickle. “The runoff supports cities most people wouldn’t expect,” explained Chris Derksen, a glaciologist and Research Scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “Big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles get water from snowmelt.” To forecast snowmelt with greater accuracy, NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) and a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, are developing SNOWWI, a dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar that could one day be the cornerstone of future missions dedicated to measuring snow mass on a global scale – something the science community lacks. … ” Continue reading from NASA.
In California, Trout Unlimited takes down another dam
“If April is the cruelest month, October is the least cruel. The summer heat finally breaks, trees explode in color, big orange caddis bounce around and salmon and steelhead are pushing into rivers. October is also the end of the construction season for many Trout Unlimited restoration projects. Such projects can take years to move from concept through design and planning to construction––which, ironically, may take only a few days. Exhibit A is TU’s Pickell’s Dam removal on Little Arthur Creek, a tributary to the Pajaro River, an important watershed for South-Central Coastal steelhead on the California coast. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
Audio: Chinook salmon have returned after 100 years
“The first sighting of wild Chinook salmon in a stretch of the Klamath River that had been blocked by dams for over a century marks a pivotal milestone in the river’s ecological restoration. Wild Chinook salmon have returned to waters upstream of the site where the Klamath River’s Iron Gate Dam once stood. The removal of a total of four dams in the Klamath River Basin was part of the largest river restoration project in U.S. history. Joining the Jefferson Exchange to discuss the latest evolution in the process are three guests: Ken Brinks, Vice-Chairman of the Karuk Tribal Council, Ren Brownell, Public Outreach Officer for the Klamath Renewal Corporation, and Damon Goodman, Director of the Klamath, Mt. Shasta and Lassen region of the California Trout organization.” Note: Show airs at 9am this morning; audio posted afterwards. Listen at the Jefferson Exchange.
SEE ALSO: Salmon Migrate Above Former Klamath River Dams, from Cal Trout
Troublesome rodent has made its way into Solano County
“Solano County has sent a letter to a number of Congress members seeking support for legislation that would help eradicate a rodent that the county believes is a threat to agriculture and natural habitats. In a letter signed by board Chairman Mitch Mashburn, the county is supporting reauthorization of the Nutria Eradication and Control Act. Nutria is an invasive species of semi-aquatic rodents native to South America. It had not been seen in California for about 40 years. “That changed in March 2017 when a USDA Wildlife Services specialist detected nutria in Merced County,” the letter to Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and four other House members states. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Why not just drink the ocean?
“California is in the very early stages of making it easier for desalination plants along the coast. The State Water Resources Control Board took the first step today toward changing its ocean protection standards to make it faster to permit desalination plants and to clarify how and when developers measure and mitigate the harm to marine life. The effort is part of Newsom’s strategy to boost supplies as the climate changes. Desalination is more expensive than other water supply alternatives, costing twice as much as water recycling, but it appeals to otherwise arid coastal areas willing to experiment with new technology. … ) Read more from Politico (scroll down for story).
A wastewater recycling program could be a model for regions where water is scarce
“The Orange County Water District’s wastewater recycling program uses ponds, manmade waterfalls and technology to keep wells from running dry — a model for other regions facing water scarcity.Orange County in Southern California is doing something unusual to help with the scarcity of fresh water there. They’re putting clean recycled water into the ground. See; rivers run low in the summer, and there’s not a lot of rain. And as water sources get less predictable across the country because of climate change, the OC strategy is inspiring other water districts to follow suit. NPR’s Pien Huang went to see how it’s done. … ” Read more or read transcript at NPR.
A new survival strategy for Central Valley farmers
“Facing a future with less water, the country’s largest agricultural water district is turning from growing nuts, vegetables, fruit and beef to a new crop: solar power. Westlands Water District, which supplies some of California’s driest farmland in the Central Valley, is making plans to convert some 200 square miles of it — an area roughly the size of Detroit — into what would be the largest solar installation in the world. The move marks both an economic and political diversification for a district usually better known for its ties to former President Donald Trump and for fighting aggressively for every extra drop of water it can get. “We have this survival strategy now, with our limited water supply,” said Allison Febbo, the hydrologist at the head of Westlands. … ” Read more from Politico.
New biochar facility to repurpose almond shells for sustainability
“Treehouse California Almonds has announced a partnership with biochar producer Sitos Group to launch a $9 million biochar manufacturing facility in Delano, California. This 25,000-square-foot facility will be the first commercial biochar plant directly connected to agriculture on the West Coast. It is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2025. The facility will process almond shells from Treehouse’s hulling operations into biochar, a carbon-rich material known for its environmental benefits. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
How factory farms can contaminate onions with dangerous pathogens like E. coli
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration report that onions are the likely source of the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak that killed one person and sickened dozens more. The exact location where these onions, used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, were grown has not yet been confirmed. But the affected onions, pulled off the market by McDonald’s and other fast food companies, were apparently supplied by a California produce company’s Colorado processing facility. Factory farms can increase the likelihood of E. coli and other pathogens contaminating onions, and many other vegetables and fruits. That’s because dangerous bacteria, like E. coli, salmonella and giardia, commonly found in animal manure, can wash or drift with dust into irrigation waterways whose water is then sprayed on food crops such as onions. … ” Read more from the Environmental Working Group.
New maps identify legacy mercury contamination in the Sierra Nevada
“Many may not know that mercury was used by miners during the California Gold Rush to extract gold. Using a process called amalgamation miners would combine mercury with gold ore to form a gold-mercury amalgam. The mercury was then removed by heating. After the mercury had evaporated, pure gold was left behind. However, this method had severe environmental consequences. Millions of pounds of mercury were released into rivers and other bodies of water. This caused long-lasting ecological damage, especially to wildlife. One form of mercury, called methylmercury, is especially toxic. Mercury levels in sport fish remain elevated in areas downstream of historical gold mines where amalgamation was practiced. This has led to fish-consumption advisories in these parts of California. To better understand mercury contamination caused by historic mining, USGS scientists took samples of sediment, water, and biota, or animal life, and tested them for mercury and methylmercury. … ” Read more from the USGS.
CA Tribes call for national monuments at world biodiversity conference
“This week, more than 100 Californians are in Cali, Columbia, for the 16th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity.
Tribes, policymakers and conservation groups are promoting national monument status for three sites in the Golden State. Lena Ortega, a Kw’tsán cultural committee member for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, wants federal protection for the proposed Kw’tsán National Monument in Imperial County. “The movement to save the environment isn’t a choice for us,” Ortega explained. “It’s a matter of survival and our past healings are intertwined with that of Mother Earth. We are the land. The land is us.” … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
California’s role in the global fight to protect nature
“California is home to more species of plants and animals than any other state in the nation. So maybe it’s no surprise the state has sent a large delegation to the United Nations summit on biodiversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. The aim of the two-week conference is to figure out how to achieve the goals of a landmark agreement signed by more than 190 countries in Montreal two years ago — including the protection of 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030. The United States technically isn’t a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as Republicans have blocked ratification of the treaty. Even if it were, California wouldn’t be directly involved in these negotiations since it’s not a nation-state. But the Golden State is still playing a big role as an advocate and model for protecting nature, said state Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
The Delta tunnel: California’s biggest stranded asset in the making
“The $20+ billion Delta Tunnel pushed by the Newsom administration will not only burden ratepayers and taxpayers with tremendous debt, say water policy analysts – it will end up as a massive “stranded asset” that will never fulfill its promise of reliable water deliveries. “It will be obsolete before it’s even built,” said California Water Impact Network board member and policy expert Max Gomberg. “A Delta conveyance project was a poor idea when it was first proposed more than forty years ago, and it was soundly defeated at the ballot box. Today, the concept is economically absurd and even more out of touch with what California needs for a vibrant and sustainable water future.” … ” Continue reading from the California Water Impact Network.
In regional water news and commentary today …
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Sutter County farmers monitor their harvest for effects from the summer heat wave
“Flocks of birds have returned to the shallow waters along Highway 99 south of Yuba City where fields of rice grew weeks before, a sure sign that harvest is over and winter is near. Like most crops throughout the state, by this point in the year, the rice fields of Montna Farms have been harvested and stored. Testing of the farm’s medium grain rice has come back at a typical, high quality, said Jon Munger, Montna Farms vice president of operations. But it remains to be seen whether this summer’s heat wave in the Sacramento Valley affected the quality of rice planted and harvested later in the season. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
BAY AREA
A hazardous waste site becomes ‘San Francisco’s next great park’
“Since he moved to Bayview at five years old, Darryl Watkins wondered why a neglected lot, called 900 Innes, was closed off. He often played basketball at India Basin Shoreline Park next to the yard sloping into the Bay, and peeked through the fence to find dirt, trash, neglected buildings, and a dilapidated cottage that housed shipbuilders over a century ago. It was in such disrepair that Watkins never imagined it could be a park. The parks he liked had clean bathrooms, trees, and nature—things found outside of his community. Over $200 million and four years of remediation and construction later, the fences enclosing the yard finally opened on October 19. It’s the first time residents will be able to step foot on the completely transformed property, with two new piers, a floating dock, a food pavilion, and access to some of San Francisco’s last remaining natural shoreline. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
Tesla chemical spill: Palo Alto apologizes for delay in notifying residents
“A Tesla chemical spill is under investigation in Palo Alto. Officials say more than 900 gallons of a solution were recovered from storm drains. On October 17, Palo Alto resident Mike Hedlom took this video of the neon green liquid outside a Tesla research facility. “I was pretty sure it was probably a coolant or a brake fluid, something along those lines but even so it wasn’t what should be in the gutter,” Hedlom said. Hedlom reported it to the city. The Office of Emergency Services said some kind of chemical used to cool the Tesla AI Supercomputer was released into a storm drain, the gutter and Matadero Creek. … ” Continue reading from ABC 7.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
To avoid state intervention, Stanislaus County OKs plan to reduce groundwater pumping
“County supervisors on Tuesday approved a groundwater pumping reduction plan for an area in Stanislaus’ West Side in hopes of preventing intervention from the state. The Delta-Mendota Groundwater Subbasin is considered to be critically overdrafted, according to the California Department of Water Resources, raising concerns about ground subsidence near the Delta-Mendota Canal and California Aqueduct. Affected parties in the Delta-Mendota groundwater subbasin, in west Stanislaus and Merced counties, developed six coordinated groundwater sustainability plans, which were deemed incomplete by the state after a two-year review and declared inadequate after amendments were submitted to address deficiencies in 2022. Faced with a perceived three-strikes rule, the local agencies decided to work with a consultant on a single plan for reduced pumping, along with well metering and monitoring, which was approved by Stanislaus supervisors Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Keyes soon to have the ‘best and safest water ever’
“The people of Keyes don’t have to be “afraid of the faucet,” according to Keyes Community Services District general manager Ernie Garza who heralded improvements to the town’s water system. Earlier this month, construction began on a long-awaited water filtration project in Keyes to eliminate the chemical called 1,2,3-trichloropropane from compromising the drinking water system. In 1992, 123 TCP was added to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer, pursuant to California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. It has been used as a cleaning and degreasing solvent and also is associated with pesticide products, according to the state. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Some landslide-damaged homes to be bought out in Rancho Palos Verdes, thanks to $42 million from feds
“The federal government plans to give Rancho Palos Verdes $42 million to finance buyouts for the homeowners hardest hit by the ongoing landslides in the Portuguese Bend area, with the properties eventually converted into lower-risk open space. The program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s hazard mitigation assistance grants, provides one of the first long-term solutions for residents in the landslide-ravaged region, which has for decades gone through periods of increased land movement — though the scale and speed of the movement in recent months has been unprecedented. Officials project that they’ll have enough money to buy out 20 property owners in the Portuguese Bend area, the majority of whom face increasing property damage and indefinite utility shutoffs due to land movement. Applying for a buyout is voluntary; no one will be forced to sell their home to the city. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
How a new us president could shake up Tijuana sewage crisis
“San Diegans across the political spectrum worry a changing of the guard at the White House could bring major upheaval to the federal agency on the frontlines of the Tijuana River sewage crisis: The International Boundary and Water Commission or IBWC. The president of the United States appoints the IBWC leader and a post-election shake up could add uncertainty to the already precarious state of one of San Diego’s largest pollution problems. Treating millions of gallons of sewage spilling from Tijuana into San Diego is just one among myriad IBWC water management responsibilities along 1,255-miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. The grossly underfunded and little-known federal agency under the U.S. Department of State has trouble even doing that. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
SEE ALSO:
- Locals Don’t Want Lead Tijuana Sewage Crisis Wrangler to Go, from Voice of San Diego
- $400M project launched to tackle South Bay sewage crisis, from Channel 10
Along the Colorado River …
As a closed Utah uranium mill seeks state approval to reopen, taxpayers are still paying to clean up others
“As a Canadian company is working to restart one of Utah’s old uranium mills, federal officials are considering new steps toward cleaning up radioactive waste at another — showing the continuing toll of the last surge of uranium development in the state. Isoenergy Ltd. announced earlier this month that it had acquired Anfield Energy Inc. and all its assets, including the closed Shootaring Canyon mill near Ticaboo and uranium mining projects across the Four Corners region. The only conventional uranium mill currently operating in the country is at White Mesa, in San Juan County. The Shootaring mill has been on standby in adjacent Garfield County since 1982. Isoenergy has applied to restart it and expand its capacity, and hopes to begin processing uranium ore in 2026. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Acidic mine drainage haunts Western rivers
Dave Marston writes, “It was the summer of 2015 when the Animas River in southern Colorado turned such a garish orange-gold that it made national news. The metallic color came from the Gold King Mine, near the town of Silverton in the San Juan Range. The abandoned mine had been plugged by an earthen and rock dam known as a bulkhead, behind which orange, highly acidic drainage water accumulated. But after a federal Environmental Protection Agency employee accidentally breached the plug during an unauthorized excavation, 3.5 million gallons of additional runoff rushed downstream. The worker and the EPA came in for a slew of outrage and blame. Alarmed Tribal Nations and towns halted drinking water and irrigation operations; tourists fled the region during the height of tourist season. But here’s the surprising opinion of Ty Churchwell, the mining coordinator for Trout Unlimited: “Looking back, this can be taken as a positive thing because of what happened afterward.” He sits on a community advisory group for the Bonita Peak Mining District, a Superfund site that contains the Gold King mine. … ” Read more from Writers on the Range.
Lake Powell water levels face threat from ‘overgrown’ forests
“Lake Powell, a vital water source in the Colorado River Basin that serves 40 million people, has suffered from severe drought in recent years. Though water levels have recovered from historic lows, the lake may never be full again, and the reasons go beyond just climate change and record temperatures. One often-overlooked factor affecting water availability is the extensive forest cover throughout the basin, according to Gene Shawcroft, the Colorado River commissioner of Utah. “Our forests are significantly overgrown, and if snow falls on pine trees, the majority of that snow never hits the ground,” Shawcroft told Newsweek. “It stays on the trees even if it freezes. Then when it melts, a lot of it evaporates, and so the more trees you have per acre, the less efficient runoff you have.” … ” Read more from MSN News.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
INFO SHEET: Delta levees 101
INFO SHEET: California Environmental Flows Framework