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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sites Reservoir Water Right Permit beginning at 1pm. 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.
In California water news today …
New California water permit seeks to balance water delivery with environmental protections
“A new operating permit issued Monday for California’s state water project is expected to help protect fish and ensure almost 30 million people can access a reliable water supply. “The new incidental take permit for the state water project issued today provides California with new tools and resources to better manage our water supply for endangered fish species and millions of Californians,” said Karla Nemeth, water resources department director, in a statement. The incidental take permit is required under state law to protect endangered and threatened fish species like the Chinook salmon. The state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife issued the permit to the Department of Water Resources after the certification of a final environmental impact report for the state water project’s long-term operation. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO: New operating permit issued for California’s State Water Project to preserve water supply while protecting endangered species, press release from the Department of Water Resources
Water, wildfires, climate: Californians vote on $10 billion bond
“As California voters go to the polls today, they’ll decide whether to approve $10 billion in bonds for climate and environmental projects. If passed, Proposition 4 would fund projects across the state to safeguard drinking water, combat wildfires, protect natural lands, and improve resilience against floods and extreme heat, but some of the money is also directed toward shorter-term items like job training. At least 40% of the funds would be spent to benefit communities considered most harmed by climate change and environmental fallout — prioritizing support for populations that might lack the resources to cope with those impacts. Alfredo Gonzalez, head of the campaign backing the measure, described the financing as a strategic response to the state’s growing environmental threats. The bond measure would be a down payment aimed at water security, wildfire management, and resilience against intense heat waves, floods and even rising sea levels, he said. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Why the election might not matter for California water
“Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom want you to believe they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum on California water. But their policies aren’t drastically different — and both lean toward the Republican-leaning farmers of the Central Valley. On the campaign trail, Trump has promised to force Newsom to turn on the faucet for water-strapped farmers if he is elected. Meanwhile, Newsom today finalized rules that insulate the state’s endangered fish protections from federal changes. But he’s also advancing controversial proposals to store and move around more water, a perennial ask of the agricultural industry, and easing pumping limits meant to protect an endangered fish in order to send more water south to parched farms. Newsom’s positioning has put the otherwise green-leaning governor squarely on the foe list for environmental groups and garnered him credit from unlikely sources. … ” Read more from Politico.
This California congressman is betting the farm on water
“When Donald Trump was running for reelection four years ago, he paid a visit to Bakersfield, California. With the Golden State staring down a historic drought, Trump held a standing-room-only rally in an airplane hangar, focusing on water needs in the state’s Central Valley, which stretches from Bakersfield hundreds of miles north and includes some of the country’s most productive farmland. Amid raucous cheers, the then-president signed a memo that directed federal agencies to relax endangered species rules, which had limited deliveries of irrigation water to fruit and nut farmers in the region.Standing alongside Trump at that rally was David Valadao, a former dairy farmer who now represents a largely rural swath of the valley in the U.S. House of Representatives. … The president’s intervention in the California water wars seemed to help rally support for the former representative. He won back his seat in Congress later that year. In the years since, however, Valadao has soured on Trump. His congressional district voted for Biden by a 12-point margin, and he was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach the former president over his role in the January 6 riot, calling Trump’s behavior “un-American.” Trump, in turn, reportedly said he “never loved” Valadao. But as Trump seeks the Oval Office once again, there’s a sense of deja vu in Valadao’s district, where thirsty dairies and nut farms occupy almost every square mile of available land. … ” Read more from Grist.
A Trump win could spell major changes for California’s drinking water, RFK Jr. says
“More than half of Californians and nearly 75% of U.S. residents live in communities where fluoride has been added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay, an intervention hailed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as one of the 20th century’s greatest public health achievements. Yet should Donald Trump be elected to a second term, water systems will be immediately directed to end this practice, according to supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy posted Saturday on the social media platform X. Kennedy described the mineral, which occurs naturally in all fresh water supplies, as an “industrial waste” associated with a variety of health risks. On Sunday, Trump told NBC News that he had not discussed the fluoride proposal with Kennedy, “but it sounds OK to me.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
SEE ALSO:
- On eve of election, Newsom admin finalizes water rules separate from feds, from E&E News (paywalled)
- Scarce water concerns prominent in several Western races, from E&E News (paywalled)
Recent developments intensify California’s groundwater management landscape
“Recent activity in California’s groundwater management landscape is marked by critical developments across Central Valley subbasins. Regulatory hearings, court rulings, and ongoing challenges highlight the pressures on groundwater users. The Tule Subbasin has become the second basin to be placed on probation by the State Water Resources Control Board at its hearing on Sept. 17. The board’s determination came after a day-long hearing with presentations from State Water Board staff, Tule Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, and other stakeholders as well as various public comments. Additional battles in the decade-long Water War between the State Water Board, SGMA, local GSAs, and the agriculture industry include a court victory for the first subbasin placed on probation — the Tulare Lake Subbasin. In September, Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini ruled in favor of the Kings County Farm Bureau in their efforts to sue the State Water Board after the basin was placed on probation in April. The Farm Bureau’s lawsuit was filed in May. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
The Mono Lake Decision turns 30: Historic State Water Board action halted ecosystem collapse, but lake is still only halfway to management level
“On September 28, 1994, the California State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously to approve Decision 1631, amending the water licenses of the City of Los Angeles in order “to establish fishery protection flows in streams tributary to Mono Lake and to protect Public Trust resources at Mono Lake and in the Mono Lake Basin.” The crowd in the Sacramento hearing room stood in a genuine and enthusiastic ovation, a rarity for state agency decisions. Board member Marc Del Piero pronounced: “Today we saved Mono Lake.” Remarkably, not one of the parties that participated in the hearing process that led to D1631 appealed the decision—most notably, not even the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP). D1631 provided water for the lake and streams. At the same time the Mono Lake Committee had helped to secure water solutions for Los Angeles that included conservation programs and millions of dollars in state and federal funding to develop local supplies. A decades-long water battle had ended with all parties agreeing to stop fighting and move forward to implement the solution. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
Butte Creek spring run status – Fall 2024
“The spring-run Chinook salmon in Butte Creek had extremely low spawning runs in 2023 and 2024. In part, this was because all Sacramento River Valley salmon populations are collapsing due to the direct and indirect effects of the 2020-2022 drought and related management actions, on top of climate change and catastrophic fires.1 Drought conditions in 2021 and 2022 in the spawning rivers, lower Sacramento River, Delta, Bay, and ocean all contributed to poor juvenile salmon survival. The poor number of Butte Creek spawners in 2024 is also related to the high pre-spawn mortality of adult salmon in Butte Creek in 2021, as a result of drought conditions during the winter-spring upstream migration and summer-fall holding and spawning. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog.
Invasive mussels recently spotted in California mark a first for North America
“With a name like golden mussels, it may seem like the freshwater bivalve now making headlines in California belongs in the golden state. But the species recently found in the Port of Stockton of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is hundreds of miles away from its native habitat. “The species poses a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state,” officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in a statement on Thursday. Golden mussels, or Limnoperna fortunei, belong in the lakes and rivers of China and Southeast Asia, but can also be found in other non-native waters, like Hong Kong and Taiwan. The invasive mussels form heavy encrustations that could block waterways, as well as harm native species and diminish water quality, the officials write in the statement. Other mussels discovered downstream are undergoing further testing to confirm the species. … ” Read more from the Smithsonian.
First Tahoe ski resort of the season set to open
“For skiers and snowboarders who can’t wait to hit the slopes at Lake Tahoe, there’s good news: The first resort of the season will open this weekend. Mount Rose/Ski Tahoe, the resort with the highest base elevation in the Tahoe region, begins limited operations on Friday. The easternmost resort in the Tahoe area, Mount Rose isn’t one of the biggest names, but it’s often the first to open. With an elevation is 8,260 feet at its base and cooler weather than some of the other mountains, the resort can often lay down a base of manmade and natural snow. Recent weather has delivered snow and cold temperatures to the mountain, and its snowmaking equipment has been in use for the past couple of weeks, helping crews build a good base, according to resort spokesman Mike Pierce. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
In a record, all but two states are in drought
“Almost the entire United States faced drought conditions during the last week of October. Only Alaska and Kentucky did not have at least moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a record in the monitor’s history. The past four months were consistently warmer than normal over a wide swath of the country, said Rich Tinker, a drought specialist with the National Weather Service. But in June, while roughly a quarter of the country was dry to some degree, he said, now 87 percent of the nation is. “Drought in many parts of the country and the world is becoming more frequent, longer and more severe,” said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute and a professor at Oregon State University. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Powerful Santa Ana winds threaten California with severe fire danger
“Powerful Santa Ana and Diablo winds are forecast to begin Tuesday night across California, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of potential damage, power outages and heightened wildfire risk. “This is a fairly rare type of Santa Ana wind event we’re expecting,” said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Oxnard. The weather service issued a high wind warning for gusts of 60 to 80 mph — up to 100 mph in mountain locations — for much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, including Santa Clarita, Woodland Hills, Ventura, Oxnard, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. The warning is in effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 4 p.m. Thursday. Additional high wind warnings and advisories have been issued for other parts of Central and Southern California. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
California braces for severe wildfire weather. Bay Area could see worst risk.
“California is preparing for what may be the most severe round of heightened wildfire risk so far this year in certain areas of the state, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. Critical wildfire conditions are expected as offshore winds develop Tuesday into Wednesday. In Northern California, PG&E may shut off power to 17,000 households, a preemptive measure to prevent wind-damaged equipment from sparking wildfires. Blustery conditions are forecast Wednesday into Thursday for Southern California, where offshore winds are called Santa Anas. “We have a low-pressure system dropping into the Four Corners region and then eventually into the desert Southwest,” said Roger Gass, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. “The pressure gradient is going to support gusty offshore winds.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
In commentary today …
The problem with misrepresenting science
Scott Hamilton, President, Hamilton Resource Economics, writes, “Delta smelt has cost valley farmers, rural communities, and residents in Southern California significant quantities of water. Since water supplies have been restricted to protect delta smelt starting in 2008, no estimate of the water cost has been produced, but it is very likely that the total number exceeds 10-million-acre feet. The cost to replace that water is in the order of $5 billion. Delta smelt are a small, native fish, found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and westwards to the Napa River in salinity that ranges from slightly salty to one third that of sea water. They were listed as threatened in 1993 and the status was later changed to endangered. Since 2017, they have no longer been found in long-running fish surveys in which they were once abundant. Their protection under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. … ” Continue reading at Valley Ag Voice.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
After dams removed, biologists say salmon returning to the Klamath River
“Just a month after completing work to remove four dams on the Klamath River, fish and wildlife officials in California and Oregon said they have already spotted a salmon upstream of the locations where the dams once blocked the fish from migrating. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said a fall-run chinook salmon was found in a tributary stream west of Klamath Falls, Oregon, on Oct. 16. That fish reached Spencer Creek after migrating some 230 miles upstream from the Pacific Ocean. State and federal fisheries officials, along with representatives from Native American tribes, have begun extensive monitoring along the Klamath River to see how the fish have reacted after the dams were destroyed, and whether they are migrating upstream past where the four dams were once located. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
SEE ALSO: Klamath River flows free in photos that show progress of largest US river restoration, from the Redding Record-Searchlight
Pit River Nation is leading the effort to establish Sáttítla National Monument
“In Northern California, nestled among tall conifers of the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests, lies the water rich and culturally significant landscape known by the Pit River Nation as Sáttítla, comprising the upper reaches of the Medicine Lake Highlands. The area boasts unique geology formed by volcanoes and serves as a giant freshwater aquifer, storing snow melt that provides water for millions of Californians. … To protect the area’s geological significance and natural and spiritual value, the Pit River Nation is calling on the Biden administration to designate the Sáttítla National Monument, which would include a little more than 200,000 acres of lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service in Siskiyou and Modoc Counties in California. Not only would the national monument safeguard irreplaceable lands and waters, it would also push President Joe Biden over the threshold of protecting more public land than any other recent president in their first term. It would also contribute to the national goal of protecting 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030. … ” Read the full story at Medium.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tuolumne Utilities District showcases innovative reclamation system
“Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) is proud to showcase its advanced wastewater reclamation system which treats and recycles 100% of its wastewater. Recycled water, also referred to as treated wastewater or reclaimed water, is water that has been previously used and has undergone a stringent level of purification or treatment. TUD’s wastewater is recycled using several treatment processes; each step further improves the quality of the water. … At the heart of this innovative system is the state-of-the-art Sonora Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (SRWWTF), which was recently upgraded to a tertiary treatment plant in May 2024, and now has the capacity to treat over 2 million gallons of incoming wastewater daily. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Sutter NWR water availability improvements
“This year (2024), thanks to an unusually wet winter and spring, Sutter National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) near Yuba City will be flooded in time for the Oct. 21 waterfowl-hunting season opener. As California’s hunters can attest, that doesn’t always happen. It’s often uncertain when the refuge will open to hunting due to limited water. But in the years to come, the wetlands on the 2,591-acre refuge will have a more reliable water supply, thanks to an ongoing project Ducks Unlimited is overseeing in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency. … ” Continue reading at the Gridley Herald.
NAPA/SONOMA
Napa Valley landfill dumped toxic waste into waterways for decades, workers allege in federal lawsuit
“A California landfill has been illegally dumping toxic waste into the Napa River for years, polluting waters that feed a valley known around the world for the quality of its vineyards, according to a federal lawsuit filed by landfill employees. Fifteen workers from Clover Flat Landfill and Upper Valley Disposal Service (UVDS) in Napa County, California, allege that operators of the landfill intentionally diverted what is called “leachate” – untreated liquid wastewater often containing heavy metals, nitrates, bacteria and pathogens – into the Napa River and other area waterways for decades. The actions were done to “avoid the costs of properly trucking out the toxic leachate” to facilities designated for safe disposal, the lawsuit alleges. “Defendants’ deliberate pollution of the Napa River watershed with toxic wastewater is particularly disturbing because Napa Valley contains some of the most valuable agricultural land in the country, and water from the Napa River is used by local wineries to irrigate Napa’s famous vineyards, and is a significant community water resource,” the complaint said. … ” Read more from the New Lede.
CENTRAL COAST
On California’s Central Coast, efforts to protect a globally unique marine sanctuary stand the test of time.
“From its headwaters in the hills of the Los Padres National Forest, the Salinas River heads northwest through central California, carving a narrow green ribbon on its way to meet the sea at Monterey Bay. Beyond the river’s end, hidden beneath the waves, a vast submarine chasm cleaves the seafloor in two, rivaling the Grand Canyon in size and splendor. These unique geographical features knit together land and sea to create a dazzling ecosystem unlike any other. Cold water wells up from the undersea canyon, cooling the air above to shroud the coast in fog. That misty microclimate has helped the Salinas Valley establish itself as the “salad bowl of the world,” producing berries, broccoli and nearly half the nation’s lettuce. The upwelling of canyon waters also ferries a steady stream of nutrients into the water column, feeding a stunning diversity of marine life. … ” Continue reading from The Nature Conservancy.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Pico Rivera dedicates $15 million water treatment plant, to put ‘well-being first and foremost’
“Mayor Andrew Lara joined other city leaders in dedicating a new water treatment facility in Pico Rivera on Monday, calling the $15 million Groundwater Treatment Project a milestone decades in the making. “This sends a message to our residents that we will put their health and well-being first and foremost,” Lara said. “This underscores Pico Rivera’s obligation to safeguard water quality for future generations and prioritize our community’s well-being through strategic investment and inter-agency collaboration.” The new treatment plant is part of the city’s 2020 Water Master Plan, launched in response to state mandates on drinking water. City staff and the City Council spent years working to safeguard the health of the community after industrial pollution contaminated many of the region’s groundwater aquifers, Lara said. … ” Read more from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
IID’s System Conservation Implementation Agreement raises concerns at county level
“The Imperial County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to approve a letter to express its concerns about the Imperial Irrigation District’s 2024-2026 System Conservation Implementation Agreement. County Executive Officer Miguel Figueroa is expected to introduce the proposal during the November 5 meeting. The county’s top appointed official wrote in a proposal that on August 12 the IID Board of Directors approved a significant conservation agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead, by conserving up to 300,000 acre-feet of water a year through 2026. In exchange for the conservation agreement, the IID will receive millions in federal funding for the implementation of conservation programs, such as the IID’s On-Farm Efficiency Conservation Program, Deficit Irrigation Program, and Farm Unit Fallowing Program. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
Along the Colorado River …
The fight to save the Colorado River
Emma Pitts writes, “As I hopped onto a raft, surrounded by deep red, rugged river canyons, submitting myself to six days of rafting down a river with complete strangers and no service, panic that I would be able to give the Colorado River the justice and attention it deserved began to settle in. Considered the lifeline of the West, the river never crossed my mind until this assignment. An Oklahoma native, I didn’t reap the benefits of the Colorado River until moving to Utah five years ago. I didn’t fully grasp those benefits — and how much I took the water source for granted — until I was in a life jacket and helmet, riding its rapids with people who have devoted their careers to its survival. As a journalist, I get to be a fly on the wall in circumstances I would have never encountered otherwise. I recently found myself on assignment rafting 97 miles of the Colorado River for six days with journalists, scientists, philanthropists and river experts. Coming from different backgrounds and with different experience levels, my raftmates shared one thing in common — they care about what becomes of the Colorado River. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
‘A thirsty operation’: TSMC plant arrives amid water doubts, but Phoenix isn’t worried
“Greg Jackson doesn’t have a window in his office, but he says he doesn’t need one. As the facilities manager for the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s massive new factories in north Phoenix, Jackson spends a lot of time away from his desk, on his feet. Jackson’s responsibilities cover the mundane and the complex. One moment, he is overseeing the janitorial staff that keeps the office windows clean, and another he is managing the delicate etiquette of shipping and receiving sensitive chemicals. And he will continue to oversee the construction of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the U.S. on a plot of desert near Interstate 17, a vast project that, over the next six years, will rise literally from the dust. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Utah tries a new water strategy
“Before he was appointed head of Utah’s Department of Natural Resources, Joel Ferry was a full-time farmer—and a very good one. “I was the top ‘Young Farmer and Rancher’ in the state of Utah a few years ago,” he said on a recent phone call, as he drove across the state, minutes before heading into a meeting with the governor. … Ferry must now not only think of his ranch, but his neighbors, and their neighbors, and everyone else in the state, not to mention fish and wildlife that rely on rivers, lakes, and streams. Here, those resources are managed through a prioritization of water rights, where the oldest claims are first in line to receive an allocation of the water that flows through the basin. “The priority system has helped us manage a limited water resource in the West for over a century,” Ferry said. But amid climate change, drought, and increased demands for water, Utah is trying to change the system, bucking one of the oldest water rules in the western U.S. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
Lake Powell faces sediment crisis: ‘30,000 dump truck loads’ per day
“Lake Powell, an iconic centerpiece of the Colorado River Basin and the second-largest reservoir in the United States, is facing an escalating crisis as decades of sediment buildup threaten its future. Created in 1963 by constructing the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell was intended to be a critical water storage reservoir for the arid western United States. Sixty-one years later, sedimentation has reduced the lake’s storage capacity by nearly 7 percent, with an estimated “30,000 dump truck loads of sediment” settling daily, according to the Glen Canyon Institute (GCI). “In the long term, sedimentation is a very serious problem at Lake Powell,” Eric Balken, executive director of the GCI, told Newsweek. “When Glen Canyon Dam was built, the Bureau of Reclamation told the public it wouldn’t silt in for 700-1,000 years. Now we know that’s not true.” … ” Read more from Newsweek.
In national water news today …
USDA workshop sets research roadmap for tackling PFAS challenges in agriculture
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently outlined steps toward addressing Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in agricultural soils and waters. In collaboration with the University of Maine and the Center of Excellence for Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation, ARS hosted a three-day workshop with over 150 experts to develop a research roadmap for handling PFAS, a persistent environmental contaminant affecting agricultural operations. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
USGS releases new tools that map four decades of land cover change
“The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a newly updated and improved National land Cover Database (NLCD), known as Annual NLCD, which offers insights into the changing characteristics of landscapes across the U.S. from 1985 to 2023. The updated land cover database now offers data starting in 1985 and in one-year increments. This is an improvement over the previous NLCD, which only mapped land cover from 2001 to 2021 and in two- to three-year increments. The shift to Annual NLCD means scientists and resource managers will now have access to more timely and consistent land cover data, enabling them to track changes and trends at a finer time scale. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Revised Notice of Public Comment and Workshop on Draft Sacramento/Delta Updates to Bay-Delta Plan
FAQ: Update and Implementation of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Bay Delta Plan)
WATER CONSERVATION REGULATION: Upcoming Webinars for the Urban Water Use Objective Reporting Form
NOTICE: California Water Commission draft 2025 Strategic Plan available for review
