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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sites Reservoir Water Right Permit beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board is holding a multi-day public hearing on the Sites Project Authority’s application for a water right permit to store up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually in a proposed reservoir in the Sacramento Valley. View hearing on the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel.
- WEBINAR: Ecological Drought: Future of Aquatic Flows from 12pm to 1pm. This webinar will explore how climate change is altering aquatic flows in streams and rivers across the country. Implications of how the nexus of climate and aquatic flows may impact aquatic ecosystem management will also be discussed. Research findings from the 2022–2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort will be shared. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
A dam paradox: Managing reservoirs for environmental and human uses
“The construction of dams and reservoirs has been linked to various environmental impacts. Dams obstruct access to essential upstream spawning habitat for native fish and are correlated with declines in fish biodiversity. They also significantly alter water quality and disrupt natural flow regimes. … Many management strategies use dams to regulate the amount of water released from their reservoirs to mimic natural river flows and reduce the environmental strain caused by dams. Pass-through flows are the proportion of water flowing into a reservoir that is immediately released through the dam without being retained in the reservoir. Flow regulation strategies are intended to improve water quality and sustain populations of fish and other aquatic organisms. However, diverting water for environmental reasons can constrain water resources essential for human needs like agricultural irrigation, safe drinking water, and other municipal and industrial requirements. … A publication by Null et. al (2024) addressed this conflict by looking into how water in reservoirs can be more efficiently managed to satisfy both conservation and human needs. … ” Read the full post at FishBio.
Aaron Fukuda is ready to get off probation
“Aaron Fukuda, general manager of the Tulare Irrigation District, took a gamble when he supported cracking down on his growers as wells across the arid southern San Joaquin Valley were going dry — and he’s still waiting to see if it will pay off. Fukuda said he got angry phone calls from his community for about a year after he championed a local emergency ordinance in 2022 to put pumping limits and penalties on irrigation wells across 163 square miles of prime farmland in Tulare County, where overuse and drought have been lowering groundwater levels 2 to 3 feet per year. He’s since also embraced policies to recharge more groundwater and protect domestic wells. But the specter of his region’s over-pumping is still coming for Fukuda. State officials have determined that his sub-basin still hasn’t done enough to stop groundwater levels from dropping further by 2040, as required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. … ” Read more from Politico.
Bottled water gets the boot: A look at San Jose Water’s emergency water distribution unit
“A demonstration of San Jose Water’s new Emergency Water Distribution Unit (EWDU) in March 2024 highlighted the collaborative development crucial to creating a rapid-response mobile unit enabling quick and efficient drinking water delivery and distribution directly to customers during water outages, boil-water notices and emergency disaster response. The EWDU is a fully self-contained mobile water distribution station designed and manufactured by SCG Process in collaboration with San Jose Water’s emergency management team for accommodating high-volume public engagement at a moment’s notice — particularly crucial for San Jose Water given the high risk of seismic activity in the Bay Area and the potential for water distribution system failures following earthquakes. “Every minute matters in an emergency,” says Jake Walsh, San Jose Water’s Assistant Chief of Engineers, Planning. “Our new EWDU enables us to deploy safe water directly to our customers as quickly as possible and get closer to where the problem or event is happening — instead of loading up crates of bottled water on vehicles and transporting them to some central distribution site that may not be anywhere close to the actual water event or affected area.” … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Duarte has ideas for the Folsom-South Canal
“Most of us get along without too much notice of a 27-mile or so long canal. The Folsom South Canal (FSC) starts on the American River east of Sacramento where the Nimbus Dam forms Lake Natoma along Highway 50. It flows west along the highway turning south near Sunrise Boulevard east of Sacramento and continuing south until it ends a few miles east of Galt.According to the US Bureau of Reclamation website the Folsom South Canal is part of the federal Central Valley Project. It was designed to be 69-miles long and terminate 20-miles southeast of Stockton. Only two of the five reaches were completed in 1973 and there are currently no funds authorized to finish the project. … Congressman John Duarte has some ideas for utilizing the potential of the FSC. We asked Duarte some questions regarding how this could come about and what that would do for the San Joaquin Valley’s water supply. … ” Read the full post from Water Wrights.
Election 2024: Low-profile environmental measures could bring big changes to California
“The marquee races in California on Tuesday are the presidential showdown and several close House contests that could decide control of Congress.But across the state, the environment also is on the ballot. More than a dozen local measures in cities and counties would provide millions of dollars for parks and open spaces, beach restoration, increased wildfire prevention efforts, slowing development on farmland, and even turning a prominent Bay Area highway over to cyclists, hikers and roller skaters. “You may not see television ads or mail ads for them, but these are very critical in California,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California director for the Trust for Public Land, an environmental group. The most high-profile environmental issue on Tuesday’s ballot is Proposition 4, a statewide $10 billion bond measure to provide funding for preventing wildfires, boosting water supplies and expanding parks. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SEE ALSO: Conservation groups speak out in favor of Proposition 4, from the Public News Service
Decline in California farmland values raises economic concerns
“The California Farm Bureau reports a significant decline in San Joaquin Valley land values, attributed primarily to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA restricts groundwater pumping, which has hit farms without surface water access the hardest, particularly almond orchards and vineyards, where values have reportedly dropped by as much as 50%. This plunge in land value is compounded by challenges like low crop prices, high operational costs, and increasing SGMA enforcement. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
State Water Board releases draft Delta Water Quality Control Plan
” … The delta is the home of a number of native fish species that are protected as endangered, and it is also intensively farmed. There are many state, federal and local government entities that have overlapping jurisdiction governing activities in the delta. One of the most powerful entities is the State Water Resources Control Board which regulates all of the surface water running in and through the delta according to the Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The current plan was adopted in 2006 and is in the process of being updated. In October, the State Board released a draft of potential updates to the water quality control plan for public review and comment. The major public water agencies are evaluating those proposals now and will soon communicate their thoughts. But the reality is that over the past 30 years, the plan carried out by the State Board, in conjunction with the state and federal agencies in charge of recovering endangered fish species, greatly reduced the surface water delivered by the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project to people and farms in Central and Southern California. Moreover, the endangered fish these water restrictions were supposed to save were not recovered. In essence we have the worst of both worlds – massive water and economic costs to people and farms and declining fish populations. … ” Read more from the Milk Producers Council.
New invasive species threatens Delta: ‘Clean, drain and dry watercraft’
“As if the imperiled Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta didn’t already face a number of problems, the California Department of Water Resources staff has discovered a new invasive species, the golden mussel, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta while conducting routine operations. The non-native freshwater bivalve (Limnoperna fortunei) was found in the Port of Stockton. Suspected golden mussels have also been identified at O’Neill Forebay in Merced County and are currently undergoing genetic testing for confirmation, according to a statement from the CDFW. “This discovery is the first known occurrence of golden mussels in North America,” said Steve Gonzalez from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The species poses a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state, water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
SEE ALSO: Invasive mussel found in North America for first time, posing immediate threat in California’s Delta, from the LA Times
‘It’s tough.’ California fly fisher says trout are struggling as the climate warms
“For decades, Bernard Yin has fly-fished for trout in California’s mountain streams. He’s used to seeing changes. Yin: “There can be droughts and wet years. … As time has gone on, and in more recent years, it has become quite clear that these swings are more dramatic.” Droughts are intensifying as the climate warms. With less water, streams heat up, and the oxygen in the water drops. This stresses cold-water fish like trout. And if anglers catch and release them, the already-struggling fish may not recover. So Yin and his wife Rebecca Ramirez often wait to fish until rain or melting snow make the water cooler. … ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections.
Can toxic algae blooms be predicted? La Jolla scientists think so
“A harmful algae bloom off the California coast created a neurotoxin called domoic acid that killed hundreds of sea lions and about 60 dolphins in a short period last year. Soon after, scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla started studying the process of how such masses of algae develop so researchers, industries, officials and communities can be better prepared for future outbreaks. As part of a study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bradley Moore, a professor of marine biology, marine chemistry and geochemistry at Scripps Oceanography, worked to determine how domoic acid is produced with the hope of creating a predictive model. Now, a team of researchers from SIO, La Jolla’s J. Craig Venter Institute and other organizations appear to have done it. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Researchers hope to rescue California coast by zapping sand with electricity
“A team of researchers is hoping it can future-proof the California coastline against erosion by zapping the sand with electricity. Our California coastline is eroding at a pace that some experts fear could accelerate as sea levels rise in the face of climate change. “We’re talking about anywhere between about a foot of sea level rise to somewhere closer to two, three feet or even more by the end of the 21st century. And, you know, just ballpark estimates, what that means in terms of mean shoreline change rates, you know, we’re talking between somewhere in the ballpark of, you know, 40 to 50 feet for the low ends upwards of well over 100 to 150 feet for the higher ends,” said Oregon State professor Peter Ruggiero, Ph.D. For decades construction crews have fought to shore up beaches and cliffsides, saving homes, and in some cases entire neighborhoods, with technologies ranging from cement to rocky sea walls. But now, a research team from Northwestern University believes it may have another solution: essentially gluing the sand into place by zapping it with electricity. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
Record territory for U.S. Drought Monitor
“The final U.S. Drought Monitor for October 2024 shows record or near-record drought coverage in the lower 48 states. Rod Bain has more.” Listen at AgNet West (1:12).
“Inside slider” systems to bring drier and windier conditions into mid-Nov, with rising SoCal wildfire risk
“Fortunately, recent conditions in California have not been (quite) as warm or dry as initially suggested by model ensembles (and as noted in the previous blog post) for late Oct and early Nov. Widespread wetting rainfall has now fallen across most or all of northern California, including the SF North Bay region and most other places north of the Interstate 80 corridor. (In the map above, all areas in dark blue-green have seen at least a half inch of precipitation over the past 2 weeks.) Farther south than that, some precipitation has fallen during this period thought it has generally been lighter and patchier–with some places in SoCal and along the Central Coast still having seen little or no rainfall so far this autumn. And temperatures, while they have been somewhat warmer than average in SoCal during this period, have not been nearly as anomalously warm as they could have been during this period. … ” Read more from Weather West.
Is California’s climate resilience funding ready for the future?
“As climate change accelerates, California faces increasingly severe threats to its communities, economy, and environment. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, sea-level rise, and worsening wildfires are among the risks stretching State and local resources and driving demand for adaptation funding. California has utilized its longstanding leadership in climate policy to confront these challenges, including developing the State Climate Adaptation Strategy, establishing the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program (ICARP) to coordinate action across state, local, and regional government, and funding a suite of statewide investment programs in adaptation and resilience. However, an implementation gap remains between ICARP’s vision for a resilient California and the resources available to achieve the State’s priorities. … CLEE’s latest report, Bridging the Implementation Gap: Challenges and Opportunities for California’s Resilience Funding Landscape, outlines three key challenges facing the funding landscape, which impact the State’s ability to support effective and equitable climate adaptation strategies: oversubscription, instability, and complexity. … ” Read the full post at Legal Planet.
In commentary today …
Here’s how California can conserve 30% of our lands and coastal waters by 2030
“Four years ago, California set the ambitious goal of conserving 30% of our lands and coastal waters. We’re not there yet. And achieving what is known as “30×30” is about more than just numbers, it’s about the health of our ecosystems and the well-being of our communities. As of 2024, we have protected 25.2% of our lands and 16.2% of our coastal waters. Last year alone, California conserved an area exceeding the size of Yosemite National Park. Collectively, these efforts are the result of collaboration among government leaders, agency representatives, nonprofits, tribes and community members. While these numbers represent significant progress, they don’t tell the full story. It’s one thing to protect California land. It’s another thing to return them to a more natural condition. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Fish biologists collaborate to track pioneering Klamath River salmon
“Chinook salmon are spawning in streams above four former dam sites on the Klamath River in numbers that are astounding biologists. Now, a network of tribes, agencies, university researchers, and conservation groups is working together to track the fish as they explore the newly opened habitat. Reservoirs behind three of the Klamath River dams were drawn down starting last January; by October 2, the barriers were fully removed. Just days later, the first Chinook was discovered in Jenny Creek in California’s Siskiyou County. On October 16, biologists from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Klamath Tribes spotted the first Chinook in a key tributary in Oregon, above all four of the former dams. “We’re learning how these fish are recolonizing new areas,” says Barry McCovey, senior fisheries biologist for the Yurok Tribe. “This type of thing doesn’t happen very often. The more information we can gather about how fish are using these new areas, the better.” … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
The largest dam-removal project in US history has finally been completed. Now something truly amazing is happening
“When the first of four hydroelectric dams was constructed in 1912 on the Klamath Basin in Oregon, US, it marked the end of Chinook salmon migration up the river. Now, more than 100 years later, the fish are returning thanks to the largest dam removal project in US history, which was finally completed in September. By mid-October, conservationists spotted migrating salmon on the river’s tributaries. “Seeing salmon spawning above the former dams fills my heart,” says Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “Our salmon are coming home. Klamath Basin tribes fought for decades to make this day a reality because our future generations deserve to inherit a healthier river from the headwaters to the sea.” … ” Read more from Discover Wildlife.
Ducks Unlimited, Klamath Tribes spur major investment from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Klamath Basin
“In an important step for restoration efforts in the Klamath Basin, the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced $46 million in funding, a significant portion of which will be used to finish essential projects supported by Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Klamath Tribes. As a part of the investments, $13 million will be used to complete the construction of Agency Barnes at Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. DU and the Klamath Tribes have partnered with the USFWS to undertake the largest freshwater wetland restoration project in the western U.S, which will reconnect over 14,000 acres of historic wetlands with the northern arm of Upper Klamath Lake. … ” Read more from Ducks Unlimited.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Invasive Golden Mussel found in Bay-Delta near Stockton; Tahoe on high alert
“Last week California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) discovered golden mussels that could significantly damage the ecology of waterbodies in the Bay-Delta near Stockton, California. Lake Tahoe is now on high alert, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). It is the first time the species has been detected in North America. “While this discovery is concerning because of the proximity to Lake Tahoe, our watercraft inspection program is robust and we will continue our existing protocols to prevent its spread to the Lake Tahoe Region,” said Dennis Zabaglo, aquatic invasive species program manager at the TRPA. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
A collaborative success: Thank you to all who supported and assisted with the Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test
Dave Petersen writes, “Following a thorough analysis and significant public input, in 2022 the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association (TKPOA) began a project to test innovative methods to control the aquatic invasive weeds in the Tahoe Keys Lagoons. Aquatic invasive species pose a serious risk to Tahoe’s water quality and clarity, native species, and the public’s enjoyment of the lake. As we approach the completion of the third year of our Control Methods Test (CMT) project, the TKPOA would like to extend its deepest gratitude to our partners and homeowners who have made this ambitious initiative a success. The CMT was designed as a multi-year test done in small sections of the Tahoe Keys Lagoons as a feasibility study to determine what combination of aquatic weed control methods could be successful in Tahoe based on the principle of a limited application of herbicides. Over the last three years, we have seen an unprecedented level of collaboration, effort, and dedication aimed at controlling the spread of invasive aquatic weeds in the Tahoe Keys Lagoons. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
$10 million FEMA grant to improve Marlette dam, Carson water
“On Oct. 22, U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both Democrats representing Nevada, announced the Silver State would receive a $10 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to enhance the safety and functionality of the Marlette Lake Dam, reducing the risk of a dam breach during an earthquake,” according to a news release. The Nevada State Public Works Division, the grant sub-applicant, has undertaken a yearslong project to fortify the historic dam of the mountain lake, which sits around 7,800 feet in the Carson Range and supplements Carson City’s drinking water. “I am proud to see these federal funds come into our state to make essential improvements to the Marlette Lake Dam and better resist an earthquake,” said Cortez Masto. “These funds will help protect our water supply in Storey County and Carson City while keeping Nevadans safe and healthy.” … ” Read more from the Nevada Appeal.
NAPA/SONOMA
Proposed factory farm ban divides California county
“When voters head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the next US president, residents of Sonoma County, California, will be asked to decide another contentious issue – they will be voting on a measure that would make their county the first in the nation to ban factory farms. Measure J would prohibit farm operations that meet the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s definition of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), requiring them to either close or downsize within three years. The measure would also prevent new CAFOs from coming into the county. Proponents say that CAFOs, where large numbers of animals are crowded together generating massive amounts of manure, are “major polluters” that pose a threat to wildlife and “vital watersheds” and present a “serious risk to public health” by providing a breeding ground for disease and creating other hazards. They cite one Sonoma County poultry operation with more than 500,000 birds as well as “documented criminal animal cruelty” at some CAFOs. … ” Read more from The New Lede.
SEE ALSO: A Sonoma County ballot measure seeks to outlaw big animal farms. Farmers say it would be devastating, from KQED
BAY AREA
San Francisco’s famous water was put to a taste test. The results are surprising
“San Francisco is often said to have some of the best drinking water in the nation. Fed by snow on the peaks at Yosemite, the cold, unspoiled supplies are so crisp and clean that the water requires no filtration before being piped 160 miles to Bay Area taps. Celebrity water sommelier Martin Riese once called the city’s water “smooth” with earthy notes and “almost like you have little lime” in the aftertaste. This beloved elixir, however, may not be as good as some people think it is. A recent taste test found that the city’s supplies were slightly inferior to water from other Bay Area providers. To be clear, the test conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder, with Bay Area residents doing the tasting, is not the final word on San Francisco water. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Public raises concerns at meeting about chemical spill at Tesla research facility in Palo Alto
“Questions are still swirling about a chemical spill in Palo Alto. A neighbor took video on Oct. 17 and alerted the city. Officials say 916 gallons of a nonhazardous solution came from a Tesla research facility on Oct. 24. The spill was seemingly an accident. On Friday evening, Palo Alto’s city manager and the fire chief hosted a community meeting. “When we first walked over to ask the cleanup crew what was spilled, they said that it was just water that had dye in it and the cleanup was just there for the ‘warm and fuzzies.’ Then it came out it was coolant that was spilled a few days later, and then it came out it was sodium hydroxide,” one resident said during the Q& A. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
DA investigates Tesla spill into Palo Alto creek
“The Santa Clara County District Attorney has opened an investigation into Tesla Motors’ spill of chemicals into the storm drain near its engineering headquarters in Palo Alto, city officials said Friday. The city is still investigating the exact amount and composition of the chemical, which the company discharged on Oct. 17, but preliminary results showed that the fluorescent green liquid included bright dyes that are used for leak detection and Meras 1020, a chemical that is composed of disodium tetraborate pentahydrate and sodium hydroxide. City officials determined shortly after the spill that the chemical poses no danger to health or the environment. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online.
CENTRAL COAST
Dead anchovy influx brings odor to Monterey Bay region
“An influx of anchovies on the coastline created a feast for sea lions, pelicans and other animals, bringing an odor to Monterey and surrounding cities that could last for several more days. “The die-off doesn’t happen every year, but it’s not unusual,” said Monterey Communications Manager Laurie Huelga. Last month there was a similar anchovy die-off in Santa Cruz, with 20,000 gallons of dead anchovies being removed. For the last week, the city has been using large aerators to help pump more oxygen into the harbor and prevent fish from dying off. The aerators help keep the anchovies alive in the small space, similar to a fish tank. Though the process is helpful, it doesn’t completely mitigate the issue. … ” Continue reading from the Monterey Herald,
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
$4.5 million settlement reached with Martinez Refining Co. for Clean Water Act violations
“The Martinez Refining Co. has agreed to pay $4,482,000 to settle allegations of Clean Water Act violations linked to its refinery in Contra Costa County, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board announced today. The company allegedly made unauthorized discharges of millions of gallons of wastewater from oil refinery processes, which harmed water quality and threatened aquatic life in marshes linked to Carquinez Strait. The proposed settlement has been posted for public review and comment, and, depending on the feedback received, will likely be submitted to the board’s executive officer for review and approval. The refinery, which is owned by PBF Energy Inc., produces a broad range of petroleum products. The San Francisco Bay Water Board found three instances of unauthorized discharges into nearby marshes … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Morris Dam dedicated as National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
“The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognized the Morris Dam in Los Angeles County, California as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The Morris Dam is a concrete gravity dam that spans the San Gabriel River. Construction on the dam started in 1932, and it was completed in 1934. The dam is currently owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. The dedication ceremony and celebration of the dam’s 90th anniversary was held near the Morris Dam and was hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and the Los Angeles Section of ASCE. The event also included ASCE Past-President Marsia Geldert-Murphey, P.E., F.ASCE, representatives from the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, and family members of Samuel Brooks Morris, the chief engineer of the Pasadena Water Department at the time of the dam’s construction. … ” Read more from Water Online.
A completely useless dam in Malibu is finally coming down
“Most drivers on Malibu Canyon Road pass right by the hulking, useless 100-foot-tall dam without even realizing it’s there. But if they pulled off onto the right turnout, walked about 15 feet and peered over the edge, they’d glimpse it: a huge gray dam entirely filled with sediment. The crumbling infrastructure project is one of the last vestiges from the days when the now-affluent coastal community was dominated by one landowner, known as the “Queen of Malibu.” “Like a million people a year drive up and down that road,” said Russell Marlow, a senior project manager for the South Coast Region for California Trout. “This is in the middle of Los Angeles County, and right there is a major dam that needs to be removed, and we can easily see the impact that it has.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Dying algae is causing a stink on Southern California beaches
“The electric blue waves along Southern California beaches have delighted beach goers and surfers alike. “Past week, we’ve had bioluminescence which is beautiful but also we’ve had the “red tide” which is brown water,” said Michael Davidson. The rust-colored water is caused by algae that is also responsible for the blue glow known as bioluminescence, but there is a flip side to this nighttime beauty. “It smelled a bit like fish, rotting fish. So, it smelled like fish, dead fish.” said Martin Gauss of Latvia. So, what’s behind the putrid smell? … ” Read more from ABC 7.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The toxic wind of Salton Sea is impacting kids’ health in Southern California
“The Salton Sea in southern California is getting stinkier, saltier, and potentially more dangerous than previously realized. Once a popular tourist spot, the largest lake in California (by surface area) is drying up at an alarming rate, causing its exposed bed to crumble and kick up toxic dust into the surrounding air. Two new studies have recently looked at the plight of the troubled region and highlighted how the lake’s polluted legacy has started to take its toll on the local community. If the problem isn’t tackled swiftly, the situation could deteriorate further. … ” Read more from IFL Science.
SAN DIEGO
The border crisis Trump doesn’t talk about
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday — but not for the reason you’d expect. The border crisis that drew the Democrat wasn’t immigration, but sewage. For nearly a century, billions of gallons of sewage have been pouring into Southern California from Mexico, making coastal communities near San Diego the victim of a crisis few people know about. The problems have disrupted daily life around America’s eighth-largest city, affected military operations and exposed how generations of politicians in Mexico and the U.S. have failed to provide sanitation on both sides of the world’s busiest border. The wastewater has closed beaches, ruined a major river, fouled the air, upended the local economy, canceled Navy SEAL training, melted the boots of border patrol agents, been tied to dolphin deaths, set off diplomatic disputes and spurred a body of research examining exactly how much it’s sickened people. … ” Read more from Politico.
Cross-border sewage contaminated flows: Monitoring the Tijuana river
“The Tijuana River runs across the US-Mexico boundary, flowing into and throughout southern California, carrying with it nutrients and contaminants throughout the estuary. In recent decades, the flows have been heavily polluted with untreated sewage from the City of Tijuana. The wastewater enters the greater Tijuana River estuary, impacting coastal communities and disrupting the natural environment. In order to better understand these cross-border flows, researchers out of San Diego University sought to monitor the waterway test the capabilities of in-situ sensors to measure the contaminated water. Natalie Mladenov and Trent Biggs were two of the researchers involved in the project, deploying a real-time monitoring system in May of 2021. The research concluded in 2023 and was published in the Science of the Total Environment Journal—however, Mladenov and Biggs have continued to monitor the river due to recent developments in the estuary. … ” Read more from Environmental Monitor.
Along the Colorado River …
The Colorado River is in a custody battle with 7 states
“The Colorado River is managed like a joint bank account — seven states have equal shares of two basins, and not a single drop of water is overlooked. Lake Powell in Utah and Lake Mead in Nevada manage the fortune; when drought hits, and the budget is low, the stress of being down on funds is shared among account partners. One of the first lessons I learned when trying to understand the endless issues surrounding the river was to put them into one of three categories: People, policy and ecosystem. When the Colorado River Compact was established in 1922, it allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water per year, or 75 million acre-feet over 10 years, to each of the two basins. However, the river’s strain from population growth in certain areas, agricultural demands and the impacts of climate change have decreased the flow significantly, often delivering less than the initially intended amount. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
With another Colorado River deadline missed, how much does the election matter?
“How the country manages a shrinking river that provides water to 40 million people is a decision that is sure to be made under the next president’s administration. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages water in the West, is wrapped up in a yearslong process to update the Colorado River’s 2007 operating guidelines before they expire at the beginning of 2027. Two coalitions of states from the north and south are at odds with one another, disagreeing about whether Upper Basin states should “share the pain” of water use reductions amid drought conditions. … “We anticipate doing that at the end of this year, releasing that range of alternatives,” Carly Jerla, senior water resources program manager, said in a Bureau of Reclamation webinar last month. “That will keep us on track for … adopting that record of decision in mid-2026.” That is, if there is consensus at all. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Climate crisis is straining the Colorado River’s complex policy architecture
“Conversations about policies on the Colorado River Basin (CRB) invariably lead to criticism of the antiquated nature of the 1922 Colorado River Compact and its overestimate of future water flows. However, the 1922 compact is just one of a suite of water-sharing agreements, court decrees, and treaties that dictate how CRB water is shared among seven states, Mexico, a myriad of sovereign tribes, and the environment. These policies are referred to as the Law of the River. The CRB states faced a problem in the early 1900s. Southern states, especially California, had begun developing agriculture and wanted infrastructure for flood control and irrigation. The passage of the Reclamation Act and creation of the Bureau of Reclamation in 1902 provided the means by which the infrastructure could be built. However, Congress would not approve any spending until states in the CRB reached an agreement on the division of the CRB’s water. Eventually, the 1922 Colorado River Compact was created (Meyers, 1966). … ” Read more from Choices Magazine.
‘This river has a spirit’: Native Americans share ancestral ties to Colorado River and its tributaries
“Autumn Gillard’s dark eyes are serious as she gazes upon the hordes of visitors on the Virgin River bank in Zion National Park. The striking red cliffs form a natural amphitheater carved by the river’s sheer power at the Temple of Sinawava as she contemplates Native Americans’ relationship to the water. Gillard, the cultural resource manager of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, told St. George News that the Colorado River and its tributaries, including the Virgin River in southwest Utah, are considered among Native Americans’ most sacred pieces of ancestral landscape. “It is a symbolization of the lifeblood of Mother Earth,” Gillard said, adding that she believes the river should always be protected and treated with respect. “I sit here alongside the river today and watch visitors interact with the river; I see a lot of people disturbing the river. There are people right now throwing rocks in the river, picking up stones, throwing them on the ground and not realizing that this river has a spirit. It has a voice and a power, and that true power lies in natural resources like rivers. We must always maintain them and try our best to keep them wild and free to roam as nature intended them to.” … ” Read more from the St. George News.
On the Colorado River, water rights are more valuable than gold
“The Colorado River is in trouble. The 1,450-mile river sweeps across the Rocky Mountains into the Gulf of California, providing water to over 40 million people in seven states. The river has lost nearly 20% of its water, reaching crisis levels in recent years. If water levels drop too low, there may not be enough water to generate electricity to meet all of the resident’s needs. Climate change has intensified the problem, including a once-in-a-millennium drought from 2011 to 2017. Alarm bells are going off for several more reasons. A population boom means more residents in need of drinking water. Water-guzzling agricultural interests such as mega-dairies need 218 million gallons of water every single day for washing and drinking, as Food and Water Watch reports. Industrial farms also guzzle up millions of gallons of water every day, and the oil and gas industry likewise requires mass amounts to operate. But it wasn’t supposed to be this way. … ” Read more from Equities.
Will Lake Powell become Lake Mud? Inside the growing sediment crisis
“In 1963, the Glen Canyon Dam was built. It created Lake Powell Reservoir, which straddles Utah and Arizona, to ensure a water supply for the lower Colorado River basin states and Mexico. Over the past six decades, it has also become a recreation destination for millions. The dam has experienced its fair share of unexpected trauma, threatening river flow levels, depleting water storage and exposing sediment. Sediment is the walled molded mud that contains the Colorado River. It’s always been there, but historic droughts like those in 2002 and 2020 have caused the lifeline of the West to drop to alarming levels, exposing the mud. Before the water is potable, it’s brown and murky. “The Colorado got its name from the color. Colorado means colored red in Spanish. That red color comes from suspended sediment floating down,” according to Davide Ippolito, Returning Rapids researcher and the OARS river guide on our trip. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
In national water news today …
Decontamination of landfill waste leads to increase in toxic chemicals, says study
“Processes intended to decontaminate noxious liquid landfill waste before it enters rivers and sewers have been found to increase the levels of some of the worst toxic chemicals, a study has shown. Landfills are well known to be a main source of PFAS forever chemicals – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – but the new study shows that the treatment plants designed to clean up the liquid waste can instead boost the levels of banned PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS, in some cases by as much as 1,335%. … Using data from an Environment Agency investigation into landfill liquid waste, which is known as leachate, Dr David Megson from Manchester Metropolitan University, who co-authored the study found “that instead of removing the banned chemicals PFOS and PFOA our treatment plants are actually creating them … likely being formed from the transformation of other PFAS within a chemical soup”. Read more from The Guardian.
