Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Environmental Flows Workgroup from 10am to 12pm. Main agenda item is Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency: Overview of the Water Resilience Initiative and Status Update on the Application of the California Environmental Flows Framework to the Upper Santa Clara River. Click here for the full agenda.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Potential readoption of the emergency regulation establishing minimum instream flow requirements for the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds and proposals for viable alternatives to the emergency regulation from 1pm to 3pm. The State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights is soliciting input on the potential readoption of the emergency regulation establishing minimum instream flow requirements for the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds and proposals for viable alternatives to the emergency regulation. Click here for the full notice.
In California water news today …
Deal reached to expand massive reservoir near Bay Area to increase water supplies
“In a significant boost for increasing Northern California’s water supplies, eight water agencies have reached an agreement with the federal government to spend nearly $1 billion to raise the height of the dam at one of California’s largest reservoirs, San Luis Reservoir between Gilroy and Los Banos. Already the fifth largest reservoir in the state, San Luis would expand by 130,000 acre feet — enough water for 650,000 people a year — under the deal, which calls for raising its 382-foot dam by 10 feet to store more water during wet years to use during droughts. The agreement is set to be commemorated Wednesday at an event at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. Santa Clara County residents would be the main beneficiaries of project, which requires rerouting more than 1 mile of Highway 152. … ” Read more from the Mercury News (gift article).
SEE ALSO: Deal to expand reservoir should boost California’s water supply, by KTVU
The other side of the world’s largest dam removal: Removing dams from the Klamath River in Northern California seems like a clear win for fish and rivers. Why do some locals hate it?
“It’s a blustery day in the autumn of 2023, and I’m standing in a roadside pullout in Northern California, looking at the past and future of the Klamath River. Immediately upstream I see Iron Gate Dam—17 stories tall, nearly four times as wide— completely blocking its red-rock canyon. There are four such dams, with Iron Gate as the first and largest, in 60 kilometers of river rising to the northeast. It’s a stretch sometimes called Reservoir Reach, and it has shut salmon out of hundreds of kilometers of potential habitat in the Upper Klamath Basin for more than a century. The dams are the river’s past. … ” Read more from Hakai Magazine.
PPIC: Priorities for California’s water: Are we ready for climate change?
“Back in 2021, when California was in the grips of one of the driest periods on record, we held an event to discuss how to make needed changes. During the event, research fellow Alvar Escriva-Bou addressed the elephant in the room: “Is climate change outpacing us?” Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, reframed the question slightly. “Are we ready?” she asked. “The answer to that is: not yet.” Three years later, Director Nemeth’s words still ring true. California faces many immediate challenges around water management, but as the record-breaking heat of 2024 makes clear, temperatures are rising—and Californians are contending with the consequences. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Numerous appeals filed for DWR’s consistency determination for the Delta Conveyance Project geotechnical activities
“Last Friday, the Delta Stewardship Council reported that four appeals had been filed for the Department of Water Resources (DWR) certification of consistency with the Delta Plan for the geotechnical activities associated with the Delta Conveyance Project. The draft certification only concerns certain geotechnical activities related to data collection (cone penetration tests, soil borings, and water quality sampling within soil borings), and not for the project in its entirety. Four appeals by about eighteen local agencies, conservation groups and Tribes were filed before the deadline. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
October is over – What it means for this water year and some other musings
Dr. Jay Lund writes, “October 2024, the first month of the 2025 Water Year, has been dry, the 16th driest October in 103 years of Northern California precipitation records. And the forecast for the next 10 days shows little for most of California. Does this dry October mean 2025 will be a drought year? No. In California, unlike humid eastern US, a single dry month does not make a drought; several dry months in the wet season are required. October is the driest month in California’s nominal wet season, so a dry October is less meaningful for the water year than having dry months in December through March, which are usually our wettest months. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
For California perennial crops facing climate change, water use stays stable while planting density increases
“With climate change, there has been increasing concern over allocations of scarce water supplies in California during times of drought. This study looks at how practices in perennial crops have changed over time, specifically related to application of irrigation water and to planting densities. We use University of California Sample Costs of Production Budgets from 1980 to 2021 for all major perennial crops in California to compile information on the commonly implemented irrigation and planting practices across various crops and regions. After controlling for regional variation in water applied due to agroclimatic factors, irrigation water use per acre has remained largely stable for most crops, while planting densities have increased for many crops, including olives, grapes, avocados, plums, and almonds. A notable exception is pistachios in the South San Joaquin Valley, which experienced an increase in water applied, with stable yields and planting densities. Our methods of calculating significant trends in water use, including yields and density of orchards, give further insight into the use of water in California agriculture. … ” Read more from California Agriculture.
California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China
“In a sprawling plant in the heart of California’s farmland, millions of shells rush down a metallic chute and onto a conveyor belt where they are inspected, roasted, packaged and shipped off to groceries around the world. Pistachios are growing fast in California, where farmers have been devoting more land to a crop seen as hardier and more drought-tolerant in a state prone to dramatic swings in precipitation. The crop generated nearly $3 billion last year in California and in the past decade the United States has surpassed Iran to become the world’s top exporter of the nut. “There has been an explosion over the last 10 or 15 years of plantings, and those trees are coming online,” said Zachary Fraser, president and chief executive of American Pistachio Growers, which represents more than 800 farmers in the southwestern U.S. “You are starting to see the fruit of people’s vision from 40 years ago.” … ” Read more from the US News & World Report.
Regenerating soil health through organic agriculture
“In 1985, a decade or so after he started farming, Scott Park realized something had to change. “We started realizing that our ground was kind of just getting dead on us,” Park said, “and we started putting biomass into the ground, trying to change the soil structure.” That strategy, it turns out, was the start of his pursuit into regenerative organic agriculture. Today, Park, his wife, Ulla, their son, Brian, and his wife, Jamie, operate one of the first farms in California to be certified as regenerative organic, rotating a variety of crops on 1,700 acres in the Sacramento Valley with minimal tillage and no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
You might beat back phragmites, the scourge of wetlands, but then what?
“Keith Hambrecht vividly recalls his first experience with the bane of American wetlands, a tall, dense reed called phragmites. “I didn’t know what it was at the time,” he says, remembering working on a small conservation crew in Utah about a decade ago. They were instructed to go to a pond and pull this invasive weed out by hand, a plan that he now calls “comical.” “We spent maybe five minutes trying to pull a few stems of phragmites out of the ground,” says Hambrecht. “It’s basically impossible.” Now he has a much better idea of the extreme measures it takes to battle this plant. The trouble is, once the reed is poisoned and mowed down, what’s left is a blank slate of mud—the perfect environment for phragmites to come right back. … ” Read more from KALW.
Rain, snow and spinouts: Is fire season over for Northern California?
“Wildfire season appears to be closing fast in Northern California, where rain drenched the San Francisco Bay Area, snow sent cars spinning across slippery Sierra mountain roads and foothill communities braced for flooding. The risk of fire has dramatically dropped for much of the state north of Monterey, following the hottest summer on record and a destructive wildfire season. Yet the threat of fire remains high in Southern California. Dozens of homes still smoldered in Ventura County after Santa Ana winds drove the Mountain Fire through Camarillo. And there’s no rain in the near-term forecast for the southern third of the state, said climate scientist Daniel Swain. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
New research finds rising heat driving Western droughts
“Higher temperatures caused by anthropogenic climate change made an ordinary drought into an exceptional drought that parched the American West from 2020-2022, according to a new study by scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. The scientists found that evaporative demand, or the thirst of the atmosphere, has played a bigger role than reduced precipitation in droughts since 2000. During the 2020–2022 drought, evaporation accounted for 61% of the drought’s severity, while reduced precipitation only accounted for only 39%. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
California’s warning labels about chemicals have actually cut the toxins in our bodies, study says
“It’s hard to miss the warning signs posted at businesses and placed on consumer products in California — something like: This product can expose you to chemicals including arsenic, which is known to the state of California to cause cancer. Californians see those signs posted in parking garages and theme parks, or affixed to products like vinyl-covered Bibles or cat litter. We see those warnings because of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, passed as Proposition 65, to alert the public to some 900 chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm.In the decades that followed, business groups and policymakers debated the efficacy of Proposition 65. Does it actually protect Californians from the chemicals it sought to — or is it just an easy paycheck for plaintiffs’ attorneys? … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Trump blasts Newsom’s plan to shield California from the next White House
“President-elect Trump is not thrilled with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s aggressive, highly visible campaign to shield California from the Trump White House. “Governor Gavin Newscum is trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Friday, with his oft-used nickname for the state’s Democratic governor. Trump’s post came one day after the governor convened a special session of the state Legislature to prepare for potential Republican-led attacks on abortion rights, environmental protections and disaster funding in the liberal state. Trump wrote that Newsom “is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: ‘Drill, baby, drill!’ and climate change denial: California braces for a Trump environment, from the LA Times
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Fire, water theft accusation bumps cannabis permit
“Approval of a Dinsmore area cannabis cultivation permit is in suspense due to concerns about a fire at the farm site and a water theft allegation. A conditional use permit for the existing 11,700 square-foot farm had been recommended for county Planning Commission approval but that changed when a site fire broke out on Oct. 2, one day before the permit was up for a consent agenda vote. The fire spread and ultimately burned 18 acres before CalFire and U.S. Forest Service firefighters squelched it with help from local fire departments. … The neighbor’s email described a troubling discovery — there’s a well and a generator on another parcel off Ridge Road and “the commenter followed a pipe to the project and to some of the tanks on the subject parcel, indicating the well was being used to fill the tanks,” Whitney said. ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
A Band of Pomo takes on the task of restoring Ukiah Valley creek
“During the Ukiah Valley Russian River Cleanup on September 28, we met a crew from the Pinoleville Pomo Nation at Ackerman Creek. Ackerman Creek, (Ya-Mo-Bida in Northern Pomo) runs through Pinoleville lands, and the Nation is working to restore the riparian habitat. Terri McCartney, Pinoleville Environmental Director, invited MendoFever to come check out the work being done at Pinoleville to preserve and protect Pinoleville natural resources. Pinoleville is prioritizing the cleanup of Ackerman Creek because it is imperative to remove the toxic waste and plastics before Ackerman Creek restoration begins a cultural burn can be done, which will eliminate invasive species, improve soil quality, and reduce fuel load. … ” Read more from Mendo Fever.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Protecting our watersheds: How Placer County Water Agency and Yuba Water Agency are reducing wildfire risk to protect water supplies
“Though summer is behind us, the risk of wildfires persists in our region’s forests. According to Cal Fire, eight of California’s 10 most destructive wildfires started in either September, October, or November. Regional Water Authority (RWA) member agencies are hard at work on projects to reduce wildfire risk and protect our precious water supplies. In the bustle of daily life, it’s not unusual to lose sight of where our water comes from. But it’s worth remembering that our water flows from the Sierra Nevada forests, where water falls as snow and rain, then flows downhill into our reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. A century of well-intentioned but overzealous firefighting has left our watershed forests too dense with trees. Throw in the growing influence of climate change — hotter summers and more intense storms — and the threat to our water supply is immense. … ” Continue reading this article.
Agencies ‘excitingly’ remove Taylor Tallac creek bottom barriers, still more work to do
“Under the gaze of the freshly powdered Mt. Tallac, workers wade through Taylor Creek and Tallac Creek to pull up rebar, sand bags and what appear to be large black tarps. “We’re excitingly removing the bottom barriers,” aquatic biologist Sarah Muskopf with the USDA Forest Service explains. The cause for excitement is the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Forest Service’s three year long treatment with these barriers has proved to be successful against the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil and curly-leaf pondweed, starving them of critical sunlight. A root check this summer revealed the barriers had killed the weeds, but the work doesn’t stop with the celebration. There’s still more work to do in the 2,600 acre site where managers are focused on the wetland portion found near Baldwin Beach. They’re placing attention there for a very important reason. “These are really the last naturally functioning wetlands that we have in the basin,” Muskopf says, “although more are going to be restored.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Eco-minded businesses partner with Keep Tahoe Blue
“It takes a lot of work to keep Tahoe beachable, bikeable, hikeable, boatable, skiable, and enjoyable for all. In fact, it takes the whole community to Keep Tahoe Blue. That’s why the League to Save Lake Tahoe partners with businesses throughout the Tahoe Basin and beyond as part of its Tahoe Blue Business program. “The goal of the Blue Business program is to help businesses, help the lake, and uplift them as leaders in our community at the same time,” said the League’s Strategic Partnerships Manager, Hailey Hawkins. “Reciprocity is something that’s really important to us. We want every business, no matter where they are in their journey, to be able to benefit from working with us and protect the lake at the same time. We see that as the key to long-lasting relationships that Keep Tahoe Blue for generations to come,” said Hawkins. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Sáttítla: Northern California haven for water & wildlife
“Sáttítla, commonly known as Medicine Lake Highlands, is a 200,000-acre area in Northern California near Mount Shasta. Overlapping the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests, Sáttítla encompasses lava flows, lakes, ice caves and sugar pine forests. A wide range of critters like blue ribbon trout, black bears, Sierra martens, bald eagles and northern spotted owls live in the area. “Sáttítla is also known for its aquifer that collects snow. … ” Read more from Environment America.
The battle for Battle Creek
Ken Robison writes, “Salmon are in trouble and PG&E is contributing to their demise. Battle Creek is a clear-water stream emerging from the west slope of Mount Lassen and rushing through timbered mountains, lava-studded foothills, and across the valley to the Sacramento River. The upper two-thirds of the creek are divided into the North and South Forks, both of which originate at high elevations near Mount Lassen. The North Fork has unique geology, hydrology and habitat suitable for Chinook salmon, particularly winter-run and spring-run. It is characterized as a basalt and porous gravel substrate. That type of geology provides a lot of cold, clean spring water, essential for winter- and spring-run salmon. … ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News.
Lower water leads to boating speed limit on Folsom Lake
“For the first time since Sept. 19, 2022, low water levels in Folsom Lake have led to the enactment of a 5 mph speed limit for boaters. Since Oct. 1, the lake’s elevation level has fallen over 12 feet. As of Monday morning, the lake’s elevation stood at 398 feet and falling, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources. California State Parks is urging boaters to exercise “extreme caution” on the lake due to hazards, like rocks, being much closer to the surface level of the lake. … ” Read more from KCRA.
Solano County Water Agency to make detention basin, culvert expense decisions
“The Solano County Water Agency board on Thursday will consider giving Vacaville $1 million toward the $8 million Lagunitas Detention Basin project. The project calls for expansion of the basin from 36 acre feet to 256 acre feet in an effort to prevent the kind of flood disasters that have caused more than $23 million in private property and $2 million in public property damage since 1963. The SCWA funding is allowed under its Flood Management Policy, which was created to assist local government entities fund large flood management projects. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
BAY AREA
Rain batters San Francisco to kick off wettest days since March
“Rain chances are in the Bay Area forecast three times in the next five days, which would be the most rainy days in a week since March. The first shot of rain will come Monday as a cold front passes over Northern California midmorning before quickly exiting by midafternoon. About a quarter-inch of rain is expected throughout the Bay Area, with less in the rain-shadowed South Bay and East Bay valleys and higher totals in the hills. Monday will probably be the coldest day since late April or early May for the inland North Bay and East Bay. For instance, Livermore has not had a high temperature below 60 degrees since April 5, when the high was 56. Monday’s forecast high is 61. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bay Area sea-level study urges defenses for Canal renters
“Renter protections should be in place in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood before improvements are made to shore up the vulnerable community against sea-level rise, a new study recommends. The report, which analyzes the role property rights play in adaptation planning, focused on six Bay Area neighborhoods. For the Canal area, the report recommended that rent control and eviction protections in the Canal area precede physical adaptation measures such as elevating streets, building floating paths and restoring the marsh. This is to prevent displacing residents and potential “climate gentrification,” the authors said. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Soquel Creek Water District proactive on managing groundwater resources in a changing climate
“As California faces the realities of climate change, its precious water resources are under increasing stress. With shifting precipitation patterns, the challenges for water agencies like Soquel Creek Water District are becoming ever more complex — particularly when it comes to recharging our groundwater supplies in the region, which we depend on for drinking water. Today’s climate models forecast more winter precipitation over the coming decades, but it will occur over shorter periods through intense storms, driven by increasingly frequent and powerful atmospheric rivers. Current model projections suggest that while the overall intensity of atmospheric rivers will increase, their landfall is expected to shift further north of the central coast. Instead of four to six major winter storms, the region is projected to experience fewer storms and also less consistent rain. The decrease in frequency, combined with the increased intensity, poses significant challenges for aquifer recharge. … ” Read more from The Publishing Group.
Goleta Water District gets greener
“The Goleta Water District took another step toward its Net Zero goals when it installed new battery storage units at the Corona Del Mar water treatment plant up Glen Annie Road. These not only help produce drinking water with fewer greenhouse gases, but could contribute to saving more than 25 percent in electricity costs. These savings would be passed to ratepayers, said David Matson, general manager of the Goleta Water District. As Matson spoke, a hawk wheeled overhead, soaring over the rolling canyons and foothills that flank Corona Del Mar and the electrical transmission towers that marched down the ridges. Roughly two dozen employees, board members, and elected officials gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 7 that also celebrated Goleta Water District’s 80th anniversary. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
Montecito: No lead is good news: Customer pipe inventory complete
“The District treats and tests water to make sure that it is lead-free when it leaves the treatment facility to travel through water mains. All pipelines that carry water play an important role in the quality of the water that arrives at the tap. A comprehensive survey of the District’s pipes completed in 2018 detected no lead. However, older homes may have lead in customer service lines, household plumbing materials, and faucets. For this reason, the Environmental Protection Agency required all public water systems, including Montecito Water District, to conduct a Lead Service Line Inventory by October 16, 2024, with the goal of identifying any potential sources of lead in tap water associated with water service lines. Between March and September 2024, the District’s qualified staff conducted an inventory using a State approved sampling process with an emphasis on properties built before 1986, the year the lead ban was enacted. No lead was apparent in any of the customer service lines examined. Results from more than 1,700 service lines indicate that copper is the most common pipe material, followed by plastic, and galvanized steel. … ” Read more from the Montecito Journal.
Mountain Fire takes toll on Ventura County’s agriculture industry. Here’s what to know
“As the Mountain Fire continued to burn in the heart of Ventura County, officials started to assess its toll on agriculture, damage estimates that quickly reached $2.4 million and are expected to climb. County Agricultural Commissioner Korinne Bell said her office had covered less than 2%, around 225, of the roughly 12,000 acres of farmland in the burn scar. The work so far showed avocado, citrus and berry crops as the hardest hit. “We’ve just begun our surveys,” Bell said Friday. “We have a lot more work to do.” The losses can include those directly to crops and trees, but also infrastructure from fences and irrigation lines to outbuildings, she said. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
At least $6 million in agriculture destroyed or damaged by Mountain Fire as officials focus on recovery
“Firefighters continue to gain control over the Mountain Fire, increasing containment to more than 40% on Monday, aided by weaker winds over the weekend. Some evacuation orders and warnings have been downgraded or lifted, but several areas are still affected. Since breaking out last Wednesday in Ventura County, the fire has destroyed and damaged more than 250 structures and forced thousands to flee. Of the more than 20,000 acres that’ve been affected by the fire, over half are in agriculture. Winds are expected to return Tuesday and Wednesday, but officials said the conditions won’t be nearly as extreme as when the fire started. … ” Read more from the LAist.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Manteca: Growth is creating need for more surface water
“The first treated surface water started flowing through Manteca’s faucets in July of 2005. It was from a South San Joaquin Irrigation District treatment facility developed in a partnership with Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy to harness surface water rights from the Stanislaus River watershed the district secured 115 years ago. It was believed back in 2005 growing water demand would require expansion of the original 40 million gallon treatment plant capacity to start in 2012. But a series of severe droughts that accelerated water conservation practices by district growers and also prompted cities to impose passive measures to reduce per capita water consumption by as much as 50 percent, reduced demand. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Madera County project aims to curb groundwater pull by paying farmers to find new uses for land
“Residents and advocates in the small community of Fairmead have been working for years to find ways to relieve pressure on the area’s aquifer to protect domestic wells. With the latest election, they hope all that planning can finally come to fruition. On Tuesday, Californians voted to approve Proposition 4, $10 billion in bonds for environmental projects. That includes $200 million for the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) which pays farmers and local agencies to put farmland to less water intensive uses such as, solar, wildlife habitat, recreation and groundwater recharge basins. The program was created through a 2021 bill authored by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and then-assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) with the expectation that some farmland will need to be taken out of production in the coming years as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA.) To meet SGMA goals in the Central Valley, it is estimated that up to one million acres may have to be taken out of production. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Fresno symposium to focus on water’s impact on farmland values
“Access to a reliable water supply can make or break an agricultural investment, especially in the San Joaquin Valley where aquifers are coming under intense scrutiny from state and local agencies. Without at least two sources of water, farms and ranches throughout the San Joaquin Valley are quickly losing their value — some by more than half. This stark reality will be the topic of a free panel presentation Friday, Dec. 6 at Fresno State University. The “Agricultural Land and Water Valuation Symposium” is sponsored by the Gazarian Real Estate Center on campus, and will feature speakers who track how water availability impacts land values, cropping decisions, lending and investment trends as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is implemented throughout the region. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Hanford confirms no PFAS chemicals in drinking water
“Chemicals that can cause infertility and increase cancer risks are not in Hanford’s drinking water, the city announced on Friday. The Utilities and Engineering Department tested 11 city drinking water wells and found no Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). According to the State Water Resources Control Board, PFAS are a large group of potentially harmful substances that have historically been used in industry and consumer products, such as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics and carpets. The substances can contaminate drinking water when they are used or spilled onto the ground or into lakes and rivers. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
Tulare County groundwater agency board member tips his hat – literally – on his way out
“The evolution of the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency continued Thursday, as outgoing – and outspoken – board member Matt Leider attended his final meeting sporting a new hat emblazoned with the words “Tea Pot Dome GSA.” For those who follow the ebb and flow of groundwater agencies in the Tule subbasin, Leider’s hat was a not-so-subtle parting shot that marked an ending and a beginning: his final stint on the dais for Eastern Tule and the launch of the Tea Pot Dome Water District GSA. Leider was often at odds with his fellow Eastern Tule board members and did not keep his concerns a secret. “I don’t know why we’re sitting here massaging this thing knowing damn well the state told us to do this,” a clearly exasperated Leider said during a meeting last June. “We’ve literally been told a gazillion times now to meter everything in the subsidence zone.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County: Landfill faces closure, down to 2 months of capacity
“Ahead of Tuesday’s Chiquita Canyon Landfill Community Advisory Committee, L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger sent an update that the landfill could reach its capacity and be forced to shut down by February, potentially a little longer if it continues to limit intake. According to Barger’s letter Friday, the move comes due to state water officials, namely the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, denying permission back in June for the facility to expand into Cell B. “The decision by the Los Angeles Water Board effectively requires that they continue to place waste only in the existing cell within the landfill where they have authorization,” Barger wrote, adding the landfill is reporting a daily-intake reduction from 6,000 tons of trash to 2,000 tons. County officials said their independent calculation leaves the landfill with approximately “two months of remaining capacity” to take in new waste for disposal. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal.
$740 million is approved for new facilities
“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners late last month gave the green light to provide up to $740 million for new water recycling facilities in the San Fernando Valley. The funds will go toward the Groundwater Replenishment Program jointly run by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation and Environment. The program, one of the largest potable water reuse projects in the state, centers around the city’s Donald C. Tilman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys. The goal of the program is to boost the availability of recycled water within the city of Los Angeles, reducing the need for the city to rely on water imported from the State Water Project and the Colorado River. … ” Read more from the LA Business Journal.
SEE ALSO: Jacobs to Continue Supporting One of California’s Largest Water Reuse Projects, press release from Jacobs
Glendale asks state to help meet water plan
“The Glendale City Council on Tuesday vetoed a $156,710 contract extension for consulting services related to compliance with two state water conservation bills. Mayor Elen Asatryan was the deciding vote on a motion, in lieu of approving the extension, to send a letter to the state requesting grant opportunities to help Glendale cover the cost of the contract. She said the council has consistently faced consulting contract fees — to oblige with state demands — which require them to allocate money from the city’s budget that could be invested in other areas of the community. “It breaks my heart at a time where our residents can’t pay their rent and their utility bills that we as a city have to cough up … close to $157,000 for a consulting service,” said Asatryan, who made the motion. “I’m not expecting us as a city to have the ability to do this on our own.” … ” Read more from the Glendale News-Press.
County looks to buy land for L.A. River park space in Long Beach
“Seven year after rolling out plans for new park space and public amenities along the Lower L.A. River, the County is preparing to invest in land acquisition along the river channel. On November 6, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor voted to adopt a motion from Supervisor Janice Hahn which directs the Department of Parks and Recreation to conduct due diligence for the acquisition of a 1.16-acre parcel along the east bank of the river, adjacent to 72nd Street Equestrian Park. The purchase would be made using grant funding from the San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, and would be used to improve access to a planned 1.3-mile linear park envisioned as part of the Lower L.A. River Revitalization Plan. The property is described as a potential “anchor park facility.” … ” Read more from Urbanize LA.
Repairs after ‘random’ water main break cost Long Beach $1 million and counting
“The cause of a ruptured water main last month that spurred subsequent leaks, flooding, at least $1 million in damage, and left 125,000 people under a boil-water notice, remains unknown, officials said Thursday. In a presentation before the city’s Utilities Commission, Assistant General Manager Tai Tseng with the Long Beach Utilities Department said the main, installed in 1947 and refurbished in 1975, ruptured randomly and without outstanding reason. “Unfortunately, in these cases, (the) majority of time, there is no definitive cause for these types of random breaks,” he said. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Post.
SAN DIEGO
Rose Creek not included in zone qualifying it for wetlands restoration funding
“Back in 2008, San Diego voters approved Prop. C creating the Mission Bay Park Improvement Fund, which initially included Rose Creek in Pacific Beach up to or just below Mission Bay Drive, in the newly created Improvement Fund Zone. “Why, of all the areas outside of Mission Bay Park, was Rose Creek in Pacific Beach excluded from the Improvement Fund Zone?” asked Karin Zirk, a PB resident, environmentalist, and community activist leading Friends of Rose Creek, a nonprofit whose vision is for lower Rose Creek to be an open space park. “After years of promising to include Rose Creek in PB, the City has removed the creek as well as the upper salt marsh from planning efforts.” … ” Read more from San Diego News.
Just one homeless encampment created 155,000 pounds of debris by the San Diego River
“San Diego has finished pulling more than 155,000 pounds of debris out of just one prominent riverbed encampment, illustrating how complex and expensive responding to homelessness can be when it’s allowed to last for years. The operation required a multimillion-dollar state grant and some of that money will now be spent helping former residents get, and keep, housing. Around 100 people had lived at the site by the San Diego River. “The intended goal is saving lives,” Ketra Carter, a leader of the city’s homelessness strategies and solutions department, said in a phone interview. Officials are now pivoting to other parts of the river ahead of a rainy season that threatens to wash trash, and people, out to the ocean. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Along the Colorado River …
A century-old practice allows people to use more than their legal share of Colorado River water. Researchers say it should stop.
“For a few weeks each spring, Kathleen Curry, a rancher and former state lawmaker, gets to use more than her legal share of Colorado’s water. The extra water is vital for ranchers in her area, she said. “Everybody puts on as much water as they can because they know, after the runoff is over, there won’t be enough,” said Curry, who raises cattle and hay in Gunnison County. But new research suggests taking that extra water away to help stabilize the overstressed Colorado River Basin. When there’s an abundance of water, people can use more than their legal share thanks to a quirk of water law called the free river condition. The researchers, primarily from the University of Virginia, call the practice an archaic “loophole” that should be closed to properly manage the state’s water resources. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
High heat driving Colorado droughts even when it rains and snows, study finds
“Climate change has made Western air so hot that drought will threaten the region even in years of decent snow and rainfall, according to a new study by UCLA and NOAA scientists detailing the scary new normal of warmer global temperatures. From 2020 to 2022, a searing drought in Colorado and Western states was caused more by hot air robbing water from the landscape through evaporation than by the lack of precipitation, the study concludes. As average summer temperatures climb higher, that means the West will suffer even when the water falling from the sky approaches historic averages. “It is becoming the reality of the world that we’re living in,” said Joel Lisonbee, regional drought information coordinator with NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System and coauthor of the study published in “Science Advances.” … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Snowpack off to strong start in Colorado Rockies, the source of Lake Mead’s water
“Denver’s first major snowstorm of the year brought nearly three times the average for all of November, dropping 20 inches by Saturday morning. Now, temperatures are already warming and melting what’s on the ground. The Rocky Mountains west of Denver were on the edge of the storm’s crosshairs, and snowfall totals in the Upper Colorado River Basin are above average as winter approaches. Snowpack — or snow water equivalent (SWE) — in the region that feeds the Colorado River is currently at 147% of normal for this time of year. The highest levels are in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico as of Nov. 11 … ” Read more from KLAS.
Commentary: How Trump and a new GOP-led Congress could change Arizona water
“Most voters weren’t thinking about Arizona’s water supply when they voted for president or Congress. But the election results could impact pending tribal water settlements and the new rules that will govern how we allocate water from the Colorado River. Both of which could have major impacts on our state. Earlier this year, key parties approved two major settlements — one involving the Navajo and Hopi tribes, and the other involving the Yavapai Apache. Both would resolve longstanding, disputed water claims in northern Arizona, ending lengthy court cases and giving communities far more certainty about their supplies, which should help them better plan for the long term. Yet, both deals still need congressional approval. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
What will it take to end 3 decades of drought in Arizona?
“Winter 2022-2023 brought record snowfall to Arizona’s high country and above-average rainfall across much of the region. The drought-weary state may have breathed a sigh of relief as snowmelt refilled reservoirs and aquifers. But that was one wet year in a long string of dry ones, and one good year won’t end a three-decade drought. Arizona is dry, with or without drought. With just two rainy seasons — the summer monsoon and winter snowfall — the state has averaged about 12 inches of rain a year since measurements began in 1896. But since 1994, the Southwest has experienced drier than normal conditions. Wet winters are followed by dry years, putting pressure on water supplies across the region. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
EPA releases proposed plan to clean up contaminated groundwater in Phoenix
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a plan to clean up contaminates found in groundwater in an area that used to house facilities for electronics giant Motorola and conglomerate Honeywell. Federal officials are asking the public for feedback on the plan, which focuses on the cleanup in a section named “Operable Unit 3,” which encompasses McDowell Road to Buckeye Road north-to-south and west-to-east from 7th Avenue to 20th Street. “This is a big step forward to protect groundwater and ensure a future supply of safe drinking water for the Phoenix community,” said Michael Montgomery, the region’s superfund and emergency management division director. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Upper Basin MOU lays groundwork for saved-water accounting
“The Upper Basin continues to take baby steps toward a formal conserved consumptive program. On Oct. 28, the Upper Colorado River Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation establishing a provisional accounting for water saved through approved Upper Basin conservation projects. The Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — want to “get credit” for water they save through programs like System Conservation and potentially others, which they call “qualifying activities.” That water, thus accounted for, could be stored in Upper Basin reservoirs and tapped in the event of a future compact call or other circumstances where it would be needed. But the MOU is still a dry run until a formal program comes about either in whatever post-2026 reservoir operation framework is adopted or with the establishment of a demand management program. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
In national water news today …
Meet the ‘great deregulator’ Trump chose to lead EPA
“A Trump ally with a limited environmental record will have the task of undoing President Joe Biden’s climate legacy. Former President Donald Trump announced Monday that he had chosen former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to head EPA in his second term. In doing so, Trump opted for a personal ally, fierce defender and frequent visitor to Mar-a-Lago over a policy wonk with deep knowledge of regulatory policy. Industry advocates and conservatives applauded the choice, arguing that Zeldin — who ran a competitive race two years ago against New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul — is a seasoned political operator capable both of leading Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda and of selling it to the American public. “I think he has all the ability and political savvy to be a great deregulator,” said Myron Ebell, who led Trump’s EPA transition team eight years ago. “I think he’s capable of mastering the technical side of it, but he also will be a great advocate in public for what they’re trying to do.” … ” Read more from E&E News.
What the science says about fluoride in water
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’ll be serving in a major health care policy role in the upcoming Trump administration, where his to-do list includes telling local communities to stop adding fluoride to drinking water. “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy posted to the social media site X. There is no federal mandate requiring fluoride in water. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
With the 100-year flood model seemingly obsolete, what now?
“When Hurricane Helene barreled toward Florida earlier this year, residents of the state’s Big Bend region had been warned about the fast flooding that the Category 4 storm might bring. But those in Asheville, North Carolina, tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains nearly 500 miles away, weren’t as prepared. Though Helene had been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached the Tar Heel State, the region’s ground was already saturated from previous days’ rains – and the additional intense precipitation resulted in unprecedented flooding and mudslides in the region. “This was a worst-case scenario,” said Joseph Pica, director of the Office of Observations for the National Weather Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who lives in the Asheville area. “That combination of rainfall showing up ahead of Helene and then the storm itself was what made the flooding so bad. But those are the kinds of scenarios that we are seeing more and more often.” … ‘ Read more from The Source.
Green infrastructure solutions for urban stormwater management
“Urban stormwater management presents complex challenges, from increased runoff due to impervious surfaces to the heightened risk of flooding and water pollution. As metropolitan areas expand, traditional infrastructure often falls short of managing the rising volumes of stormwater, especially with the growing frequency of extreme weather events linked to climate change. This is where green infrastructure becomes essential. Integrating natural elements like permeable pavements, green roofs and bioretention systems helps reduce flooding risks and enhance water quality. They mimic natural processes and offer a more resilient and sustainable approach to help cities adapt to changing climate conditions while maintaining the health of urban ecosystems. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
October heat 2nd worst on record in US, more than 5,000 records broken
“The month of October was an unusually hot month by a wide margin in most of the United States, with impressive records set across the nation. With an average temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly 5 degrees above normal, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) says that October 2024 was the second-hottest year on record for the United States. Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas had never been warmer in October. A whopping 5,503 daily high temperature records were broken at all weather stations in October, and another 2,008 were tied records according to NCEI. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
