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In California water news this weekend …
‘Impressive’ atmospheric river, first of the season, takes aim at California
“A “rather impressive system” is setting the stage for what could be California’s first atmospheric river storm of the season, the National Weather Service said Sunday. An atmospheric river carries water vapor from the tropics and, when it makes landfall, can bring a vast amount of rain and snow; in Oct. 2021, for instance, San Francisco got 750% more rainfall than an average year after a powerful atmospheric river passed through the region. Because the movements of atmospheric river storms are difficult to predict, meteorologists are still refining the forecast. As of Sunday morning, “confidence is high” that northern parts of the North Bay “will be impacted by the strong atmospheric river beginning Wednesday, but these impacts could shift slightly southward closer to the SF Bay,” the weather service said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Atmospheric river may bring significant rainfall and wind risks to Northern California, West Coast
“A potent atmospheric river event is set to impact the West Coast next week, with the potential for significant rainfall and damaging winds across parts of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. While the details remain uncertain, this storm could mark one of the most impactful weather events of autumn. On Tuesday, a strengthening low-pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska will begin to push eastward, driving a surge of moisture-laden air from the Pacific toward British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. This system is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds from Vancouver southward to the Washington and Oregon coasts. By Wednesday, a secondary low-pressure system is forecast to develop in the Gulf of Alaska, shifting the focus of the atmospheric river south. This system is projected to tap into a deep plume of tropical moisture, potentially directing it toward Southern Oregon and Northern California. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
After a week with rain and snow, here’s a look at the numbers
“Several days last week saw showers in the valley and snow in the mountains. That’s good news after an October that was largely dry across Northern California. With that being said, we’re not quite where we’d want to be, but we aren’t that far behind either. Downtown Sacramento has picked up 0.75″ of rain this month, which is +0.04″ above normal as of Friday, November 15. … The San Joaquin Valley has not been quite as fortunate when it comes to rain, as Stockton and Modesto have respectively only recorded 0.27″ and 0.32″ of rain since October 1. … ” Read the full story from Channel 10.
Salmon return to lay eggs in historic habitat after largest dam removal project in US history
“A giant female Chinook salmon flips on her side in the shallow water and wriggles wildly, using her tail to carve out a nest in the riverbed as her body glistens in the sunlight. In another moment, males butt into each other as they jockey for a good position to fertilize eggs. These are scenes local tribes have dreamed of seeing for decades as they fought to bring down four hydroelectric dams blocking passage for struggling salmon along more than 400 miles (644 kilometers) of the Klamath River and its tributaries along the Oregon-California border. Now, less than a month after those dams came down in the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, salmon are once more returning to spawn in cool creeks that have been cut off to them for generations. … ” Read more from ABC News.
Record numbers of salmon return to Mokelumne River, while low numbers show on upper Sacramento
“The Mokelumne River is hosting a record number of fall-run Chinook salmon this year, while the Upper Sacramento River is seeing a shockingly low return of fish. A total of 29,912 fall-run Chinook salmon have moved past the Woodbridge Diversion Dam on the Mokelumne River as of November 13, 2024, according to Michelle Workman, the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Fisheries and Wildlife Manager. This will be an all-time record for fall Chinook spawning escapement on the river, a tributary of the San Joaquin River. … On the other hand, the salmon run on the Upper Sacramento River is alarmingly low this year. The Coleman National Fish Hatchery, located on Battle Creek, a Sacramento tributary, supplies the majority of fish for the upper section of river below Redding. “As a result of our low run of fall Chinook salmon this year, we have partnered with California Department of Fish and Wildlife to transfer eggs to Coleman from state hatcheries in the Central Valley,” the Coleman National Fish Hatchery reported on their Facebook Page. … ” Read more from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
Probation hearing for Tulare County groundwater region canceled
“The State Water Resources Control Board on Friday canceled a Jan. 7, 2025 probation hearing for the Kaweah subbasin in order for staff to more thoroughly study a groundwater plan submitted in June that may prove to be protective of the aquifer and domestic wells. No one was more elated than the managers of the three Kaweah groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs). “We all got on a conference call, and the staff could see the smiles on our faces,” said Mark Larsen, general manager of Greater Kaweah GSA. “That was really good news to hear. The basin has worked extremely hard to get to this point and we were hoping our efforts were not in vain.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Water management tech dazzles at Irrigation Show
“A handful of new or retooled irrigation technologies were on display recently at the 2024 Irrigation Show in Long Beach, Calif. These products were designed to help farmers fine-tune, automate and use water more efficiently to increase sustainability and save money: HotSpot Ag. About a decade ago, James Nichols returned from college to his family’s fourth-generation farm in Hanford, Calif., and uncovered an inefficiency. Nichols Farm, a 4,000-acre organic almond and pistachio operation, spanned three counties. Because of that, it had trouble following an irrigation schedule to meet each field’s unique watering needs. “We knew what the crop needed, but we had a hard time executing,” he said. Armed with a degree in agronomy from University of California, Davis, he went to work revamping the farm’s irrigation system by integrating technological solutions. His automation-driven overhaul was so successful that his family encouraged him to start an irrigation business. So, he did. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Is fire season over? Depends where you live, experts say
“Winter rains have started. Temperatures are dropping. Is California’s fire season over? It depends where you live, experts say. Much of the northern part of the state, generally from Interstate 80 to Oregon, has seen multiple storms in recent weeks that have soaked dry landscapes and brought snow to the Sierra Nevada. But farther south, little rain has fallen. “Right now, the risk is really low for Northern California,” said Craig Clements, director of San Jose State University’s Fire Weather Research Laboratory. “We are getting cold fronts coming through and bringing rain. There’s some snow, which is really helping. We are coming out of fire season. If it stops suddenly and we get warm weather, things could change. But right now it’s looking good.” Farther south, the threat is far worse, he added. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Wildfire retardant is laden with toxic metals, USC study finds
“It’s a scene that’s become routine with big blazes in the West. A plane dips low over a smoldering ridgetop and unleashes a ribbon of fire retardant, coating the hillside a bright pink. Onlookers cheer the display of firefighting prowess. The U.S. Forest Service and other agencies each year drop tens of millions of gallons of fire retardant, mostly an ammonium phosphate-based slurry called Phos-Chek, around wildfires to coat vegetation and slow the spread of flames. But a new study by researchers at USC has found that a popular variety is laden with toxic metals, and estimates retardant use has released 850,000 pounds of these chemicals into the environment since 2009. The results suggest the ecological consequences of retardant use merit further study, and that finding a cleaner product is probably worthwhile, said Daniel McCurry, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC and one of the study’s authors. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Artificial intelligence detects fires early, protecting people and infrastructure
“Climate scientists and fire agencies looking to get ahead of evolving fire behavior have begun to leverage artificial intelligence in wildfire detection. In addition to speeding up response times, these systems feed back into fire-propagation models that may help engineers as they plan along the growing wildland-urban interface. These advances could prove critical to keeping people and infrastructure safer from wildfires. Detection time remains one of the major levers to improve wildfire outcomes. “Unless we know about it, there’s nothing we can do,” said Falko Kuester, Ph.D., an engineering professor at the University of California San Diego. He cited the Apple Fire, which burned 33,000 acres in Southern California in 2020, to illustrate how time is of the essence with wildland fires. A retrospective of camera feeds at the time showed the fire progressing from onset to full-on “apocalyptic fire” inside 40 minutes, he continues. … ” Read more from The Source.
In commentary this weekend …
Editorial: How California leaders can protect the environment from another Trump administration
The LA Times editorial board writes, “Of the many ways Donald Trump’s return to the White House promises to upend federal policy, few are more predictable or damaging than the U-turn he and his allies threaten to take on climate change and environmental protection. Fortunately, California has considerable power to counter the onslaught. Trump’s first administration rolled back more than 100 regulations on clean air and water, toxic chemicals and wildlife conservation. He called global warming a hoax, pulled out of the Paris climate agreement, shrank national monuments and appointed Environmental Protection Agency administrators who helped polluters at the expense of public health. Many experts believe Trump’s election is a last “nail in the coffin” for efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. He did, after all, urge oil executives to underwrite his latest campaign in exchange for undoing environmental rules. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Pathways to research: An interview with Jon Walter
This blog is the first in a series featuring interviews with scientists from the Center for Watershed Sciences to learn what sparked their passion to pursue a scientific research career. Kicking off the series we interview Jonathan Walter, a Senior Researcher and quantitative ecologist at CWS, who works on issues relating to the stability and resilience of aquatic ecosystems and organisms.Q: Hi Jon. You have been working remotely for the Center for Watershed Sciences for over two years, but you are now here on campus at UC Davis. Let’s start by introducing you to the California Water Blog audience. Tell us about yourself and your research. A: The main threads that tie my research together are an interest in the stability and resilience of natural systems, so questions about their ability to persist in the face of environmental change and to maintain function. And I do that in a range of species, types of natural systems, and organizational scales, sometimes as fine-grained as the physiology of organisms, and other times as zoomed-out as the dynamics of ecosystems over large areas. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
APPOINTMENTS
Monica Hunter, of Los Osos, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where she has served since 2005. Hunter has been Chief Researcher at YTK since 2018. She was a Director of Research at PAST Foundation from 2007 to 2018. Hunter was Central Coast Watershed Program Manager at the Planning and Conservation League Foundation from 2004 to 2012. She was an Instructor in the Social Sciences Department at Napa Valley College in 2003. Hunter was a Research Assistant at the California SeaGrant Marine Advisory Program from 2000 to 2003. She was a Researcher at University of California, Santa Cruz in 2001. Hunter was a Consultant at Morro Bay Estuary Program in 2000. She is a Board Trustee at the Planning and Conservation League Foundation. Hunter earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Anthropology from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Television, and Film from California State University, Long Beach. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Hunter is a Democrat.
Jayne Battey, of Half Moon Bay, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where she has served since 2016. Battey has been Owner of Miramar Farms since 2012. She was a facilitator for the Women in Business Program at Stanford Graduate Business School from 2013 to 2017. Battey was Director of Land and Environmental Management at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 2009 to 2012. She was Executive Director at the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council from 2005 to 2009. Battey was President at Essex Environmental from 1988 to 2005. She was a Land Planner at Pacific Gas and Electric from 1983 to 1988. Battey earned a Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from Boston College. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Battey is a Democrat.
Hamid “David” Nahai, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where he has served since 2021 and from 1997 to 2007. Nahai has been President of David Nahai Consulting Services, Inc. and David Nahai Associates, Inc since 2010. He held multiple roles at the City of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2009, including General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Commission President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Nahai is Chair of the Los Angeles Business Council. He earned a Master of Laws degree from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Nahai is a Democrat.
Letitia Clark, of Tustin, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where she has served since 2020. Clark has been Chief Communications Officer and District Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations at the South Orange County Community College District since 2018 and a Member of the Tustin City Council since 2016. She was Mayor of the City of Tustin from 2020 to 2021. Clark was District Director of Public Affairs, Marketing and Government Relations at the Coast Community College District from 2015 to 2018. She was Executive Director and Community Relations Director at the American Academy of Pediatrics, Orange County from 2013 to 2015. Clark earned a Master of Public Policy degree in Emergency Management from New England College and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Clark is a Democrat.
Celeste Cantú, of Temecula, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where she has served since 2018. Cantú has been a University of California Master Gardener for Riverside County since 2017. She was a Founder and Facilitator with the Water Solutions Network from 2017 to 2022. She was General Manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority from 2006 to 2017. Cantú was Executive Director of the California State Water Resources Control Board from 2001 to 2006. She was State Director at the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development from 1998 to 2001. Cantú was Executive Director at the Imperial Valley Housing Authority from 1978 to 1998. She was Planning Director for the City of Calexico from 1977 to 1978. Cantú is Chair of the Water Foundation Board of Directors and Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center Advisory Council, on the Board of Advisors for the University of California President’s Advisory Council on Agriculture and Natural Resources, and a member of Fellowship of Latinos of Water. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and Policy from Yale University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Cantú is a Democrat.
Vivian Perez, of Holtville, has been reappointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board
… where she has served since 2021. Perez has been Project Director at Equus Workforce Solutions since 2023, Executive Director at Raizes since 2022, and Professor at University of Phoenix since 2011. She was Health Services Manager at Planned Parenthood from 2016 to 2022. Perez was a Provider Network Consultant at Fresenius Health Partners from 2016 to 2017. She was Consulting Director at Communicate Care Alliance, Inc. from 2002 to 2015. Perez earned a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University (SDSU) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from SDSU. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Perez is a Democrat.
Podcasts …
RIPPLE EFFECT: Excellent discussion on conjunctive management
TJ Budge of Racine & Olson joins us to give a fantastic update on the 2015 Idaho Groundwater Pumpers Association (IGWA) Settlement Agreement. The 2015 Settlement Agreement adopted an innovative conjunctive management program of balancing senior surface water rights and junior groundwater use with conservation measures, aquifer recovery and recharge, and collaborative modeling efforts. The provisions of the 2015 Settlement Agreement were tested in the drought years of 2021 and 2022, resulting in tensions amongst users and new litigation. The Parties have now revised and entered a new Settlement Agreement keeping key elements of the 2015 Settlement Agreement and revising more problematic provisions. Great discussion about “living law.”
WATER TALK: The Colorado River Compact
A conversation with John Fleck (author, journalist, University of New Mexico) and Kathryn Sorenson (Senior Global Futures Scientist, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Arizona State University) about the Colorado River Compact. Released November 8, 2024.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Water Through the Eye of a Painter
Water presence in our landscape is a subject that fine artists enjoy when they send messages through their art. As water flows, a painter will take snap shots in their mind at different moments and assemble these moments as an abstract of colors and shapes. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Ukiah Water Valley Authority absorbs four water districts, expanding service area
“The Ukiah Water Valley Authority (UVWA) announced Thursday that it will expand to include the Willow County Water District (WCWD). This brings four different water districts that fall under the WCWD umbrella under the UVWA, consolidating resources, staffing and water management services. The UVWA was formed earlier this year to oversee water districts throughout Ukiah Valley. It is the regional entity responsible for providing safe and clean water services to the region. In addition to the city of Ukiah, UVWA will now oversee four additional districts that fall under WCWD’s purview in the areas of Calpella, Hopland, Willow, River Estates, Millview and Redwood Valley. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Invasive species interceptions up 28 percent
“As the Lake Tahoe boating and paddling season wraps up, agencies leading the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species program are tallying up the 2024 watercraft inspection season and taking stock of the growing threat of invasive species in the Tahoe Region. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, which manage the watercraft inspection program, reported Friday that staff inspected over 5,600 vessels since January and intercepted 59 vessels with invasive species on board. Though this is an increase from the 46 vessels found with AIS in 2023, it is nowhere near the record of 129 vessels in 2021. Boaters, paddlers, anglers, and beachgoers all help lower the risk of invasive species by following the Clean, Drain, and Dry protocol. Since the program’s inception in 2008, trained watercraft inspectors have cleared 118,000 boats to launch, safeguarding native species and habitat, as well as Lake Tahoe’s famous clarity. … ” Read more from the Record-Courier.
D.L. Bliss State Park in Tahoe to remain mostly closed for maintenance into summer
“D.L. Bliss State Park, a once-popular camping and hiking destination on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, is slated to remain mostly closed into summer 2025 amid ongoing maintenance work, officials announced. This will mark the third summer in a row that the park has been completely or partially closed. The closure’s extension, which affects the park’s campground and some of its day-use areas, is required in order to complete the replacement of the park’s waterline infrastructure, the California State Parks system announced in a news release Friday. While the park’s campground remains closed, some of its day-use areas are scheduled to be open during the summer, including Lester Beach and Calawee Cove, along with the park’s backcountry areas, available in winter, and rock-climbing sites, which are expected to reopen in 2025. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Tuolumne Utilties District touts $45.6M state grant-loan for new water treatment plant in Twain Harte
“Tuolumne Utilities District, the agency that provides water and wastewater services to more than 40,000 people in Tuolumne County, has received a grant-loan award of $45.6 million from the state to build a new 3 million gallons-per-day water treatment plant at the former Sierra Pines golf course in Twain Harte. The grant-loan award is the largest TUD has received since its establishment in 1992. It exceeds the total cost of the recently completed $42.2 million Sonora Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility on Southgate Drive, and it’s more than double the agency’s current total annual operating expense budget of $22.7 million, TUD General Manager Don Perkins said Thursday. … ” Read more from the Union-Democrat.
NAPA/SONOMA
Coastal Commission approves overhaul of Sonoma County’s coast land use plan
“The California Coastal Commission approved a long-planned update to Sonoma County’s coastal land use and zoning regulations on Thursday at the commission’s meeting in San Francisco. The unanimous vote from the commission’s 12 members approved an update to Sonoma County’s zoning regulations along its 55-mile coastline that are outlined in a Local Coastal Program, or LCP, also known as a Local Coastal Plan. It covers land use regulations in areas related to housing and commercial development, agriculture, public access to the coast, open space and conservation. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
BAY AREA
Ross Common field considered for restoration project
“Ross officials are looking to restore damaged grass at Ross Commons. The Town Council directed staff on Thursday to research partnerships with community stakeholders following a presentation from public works staff on the drainage damage at the park, said Town Manager Christa Johnson. Staff will contact the Ross School District and the Ross Property Owners’ Association to gauge their interest in contributing to the project. The town could contribute from its drainage fund, Johnson said. The fund has approximately $1.2 million, according to the 2024-25 budget. “They asked to consider this during the annual budget process that begins in late winter 2025,” Johnson said. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Flood advisory issued for parts of the SF Bay Area amid king tides, rain
“Some of the highest tides of the year are expected to impact the Bay Area this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood advisory for the region’s coastal areas. The high end of this week’s king tides is expected to peak shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday, though the advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. Monday. Flood advisories were issued for coastal areas from Big Sur to Point Reyes, including interior valleys in the North Bay and shorelines along the San Francisco Bay. Northwest-facing beaches and shorelines are most at risk of flooding, according to the weather service. “The main impacts we’re really worried about are what happens at the high tide, when the water gets into places like roads or sidewalks or parking lots that might impact people trying to get to and from the coastal regions,” weather service meteorologist Dial Hoang said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Keep fluoride in Bay Area water? What RFK Jr. means for our dental health
“California is one of the few states in the nation that requires fluoridation in tap water in an effort to reduce tooth decay. But many communities in the Bay Area and elsewhere are exempt – and if Donald Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes aim at fluoride in the water as promised, others could feel pressure to opt out. That, dental experts warn, could make for more cavities. “The federal government does not have control over state or local decisions on community water fluoridation,” said Howard Pollick, UC San Francisco dentistry professor and fluoridation consultant for the California Department of Public Health. “However, the general public and decision makers at the state or local level may be influenced by the administration’s stance.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
New Salinas firefighter equipment will save millions of gallons of water
“Salinas firefighters are using a new piece of equipment called the “DRAFTS Unit” to conserve water during training exercises. The unit redirects water used in training, reducing the total amount consumed. Mayor Kimbley Craig stated that the unit will save an estimated 5.8 million gallons of water each year. … ” Read more from MSN News.
Firefighters faced low water pressure when battling Mountain fire. Here’s what happened
“In a matter of hours, the Mountain fire charged rapidly across the Santa Susana Mountains and into nearby foothill neighborhoods, forcing widespread evacuations and demanding intense firefights from crews showered in red-hot embers. Even as hundreds of firefighters around the region immediately kicked into action, the wind-driven blaze grew in unpredictable and dangerous ways, razing homes, tearing through orchards and threatening thousands living in and around Camarillo, Moorpark and Santa Paula. But officials made an early decision that would pay off: by prioritizing life-saving missions over property protection, no one died in the otherwise devastating wildfire. Only a few minor injuries were reported. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: ‘Truly random’ or sealed fate? Why some homes survived the Mountain fire while others burned, from the LA Times
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Ripon may spend $15.5M to access SSJID surface water
“There’s plenty of local interest in the South San Joaquin Irrigation District Surface Water Connection Project. Constructing of a 4.5-mie pipeline from the existing SSJID surface water transmission pipeline at the five-corner intersection of Jack Tone Road and French Camp Road would greatly benefit the City of Ripon’s water distribution system. The estimated cost for the project is $15.5 million, which consists of pipeline and pump station construction coupled with the design and necessary permits and documentations. … ” Read more from the Ripon Advance.
First-of-its kind partnership brings running water back to Tulare home
“About 50 people gathered at a house on the outskirts of Tulare Thursday to celebrate a monumental shift in accountability to provide what most people take for granted – reliable water. Having running taps was exhilarating and relieving for the homeowner, but how it happened was even more significant. So much so that the vice chair of the state Water Resources Control Board made the trek to the San Joaquin Valley to commemorate the event. “This is really significant because it is an on-the-ground example of what the state intends, which is sustainable management of groundwater resources at the local level,” Water Board Vice Chair Dorene D’Adamo said. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Battle over clean water in Southern California pits inland against the coast
“The number was, and is, eye-opening: $10.8 billion. That’s an estimate issued by city leaders in San Bernardino County for how much their taxpayers might have to pay, over the next two decades, to meet possible new standards for cleaning the water that flows out of their streets and yards and farms and into the culverts, creeks and tributaries connected to the Santa Ana River Watershed, a stretch that includes much of San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties. Leaders from 17 cities and agencies in San Bernardino County made that $10.8 billion claim during a public hearing in September, in Cypress, that involved representatives from all three counties. Their estimate was part of a broader negotiation over the details of the region’s next MS4 permit, a federally mandated document that will set limits on how much pollution can legally flow into local waters and, by extension, the ocean. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
Agency’s debatable weather modification project on hold
“A weather modification program that utilizes “cloud seeding” to, ideally, increase precipitation and generate more water for the Santa Ana River Watershed will not be restarted until a year from Friday, though the debate over whether the program has value, or potentially negative impacts, will likely continue. The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, a multi-agency cooperative that focuses on groundwater management in the Inland Empire and elsewhere, initiated its “Cloud Seeding Pilot Project” last November, deploying dispersal units in select locations to pump out streams of silver iodide when storms arrive, with the goal of producing up to 15% more precipitation than might otherwise fall in the region. … ” Read more from My News LA.
Santa Monica water recycling facility captures 50 million gallons of water for reuse
“In Santa Monica, California, a state-of-the-art water recycling facility, the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP), marks two years in operation producing purified water from municipal wastewater. The project has captured over 50 million gallons of stormwater and urban runoff for reuse. The SWIP was recognized nationally and internationally earlier in 2024 as the National Water Environment Federation’s Project Excellence Award winner and the Global Water Award’s 2024 Distinction Award for water reuse project of the year. … ” Read more from Water World.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego leaders ask for public input on coastal resilience projects
“San Diego leaders Thursday asked for public input on several coastal resilience projects as the threat of rising seas could shape the future of the city’s coast. San Diego recently released a draft Coastal Resilience Master Plan with multiple projects for public review. “Our shorelines are increasingly vulnerable, and the Coastal Resilience Master Plan will implement the most cost-efficient, natural solutions for long-term viability,” said Council President Pro Tem and Environment Committee Chair Joe LaCava. “Backed by science and community input, these projects are designed to adapt our shoreline from the effects of sea level rise while protecting our coastal neighborhoods.” … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Here’s what to do if you smell those Tijuana River odors
“Similar to alerts issued when wildfire smoke degrades air quality, the public now has guidelines for what to do if Tijuana River sewer gases surpass certain levels. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on Wednesday unveiled a color-coded air quality index specific to hydrogen sulfide, a gas detected in various parts of South County due to untreated wastewater in the cross-border region. Communities such as Nestor, Otay Mesa West, Egger Highlands, San Ysidro, Imperial Beach and as far north as Chula Vista have been reporting to the district and government agencies that the rotten egg-like odors are more than just a nuisance. They are experiencing symptoms such as nausea, headaches, dizziness and chronic coughs. How will the public know when and what actions to take? … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Tools for better environmental adaptation as we manage the Colorado River
Jon Fleck writes, “I put up a slide for my University of New Mexico water resources graduate students during class yesterday afternoon with two pictures – the emerging canyons at the upper end of Lake Powell, and a smallmouth bass. When Lake Powell gets low, we get a) the remarkable emergence of Cataract Canyon, and b) warm water invasive smallmouth bass sneaking through Glen Canyon Dam’s outlets, headed downstream to dine on the endangered humpback chub. My University of New Mexico colleagues and collaborators Benjamin Jones and Bob Berrens famously dubbed these “green-vs-green” tradeoffs: … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
A weaker La Niña is expected this winter. What does that mean for Arizona?
“The National Weather Service has extended its La Niña watch, now predicting a weak and short event that is expected to emerge in the next two months. La Niña conditions can spell warm, dry winters for the Southwest, and the weather service initially predicted such a cycle would emerge between September and November. It has now downgraded its estimate to a 57% chance by the end of the year. “A later start to a weaker La Niña is hard to say exactly what might happen, but statistically, we might expect an overall drier January to March,” said Erinanne Saffell, Arizona’s state climatologist. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Paradox salinity-control operations continue at scaled-back rate amid uncertainty over future
“Operations continue at a federal salinity-control project in the Paradox Valley at a scaled-back rate as efforts also go on to assess the level of earthquake activity associated with it. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Paradox Valley Unit, located along the Dolores River in Montrose County, is a key salinity-control facility on the Colorado River system. It keeps some of the valley’s salty groundwater from reaching the Dolores River, which feeds into the Colorado River. The Paradox Valley sits above a salt dome that creates groundwater eight times saltier than seawater. The plant extracts brine groundwater and disposes of it in a 16,000-foot deep injection well. For decades it has kept tens of thousands of tons of salt a year from entering the Dolores River. … ” Read more from The Daily Sentinel.
Water and rebirth in the West: Zak Podmore’s Life After Dead Pool
“Zak Podmore grew up hating Lake Powell. The son of a pair of raft guides, the Colorado native was raised on anti-dam books like Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang—which he calls “Abbey’s finest young adult novel”—and Eliot Porter and David Brower’s The Place No One Knew. These books mourned the death of Glen Canyon, the stunning, spiderwebby network of red rock flooded by the Glen Canyon Dam’s construction. In 2011, Podmore made it to Powell for the first time paddling the Colorado River. There, he was confronted by still waters and flats of unstable “Dominy Formation,” a paddler/environmentalist colloquialism for the piles of silt left by the dam. “Dominy” is named for Floyd Dominy, the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner who ordered the dam built. After stepping out of his kayak and sinking knee-deep in the muck, Podmore’s opinion on the dam was not changed.“I wan to bring environmental writing into the twenty-first century as much as possible.” … ” Read more from Slug Magazine.
In national water news this weekend …
Key takeaways from the U.S. EPA’s third annual PFAS roadmap
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 14, 2024, that they have released their third annual progress report on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). “EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap: Three Years of Progress” highlights the achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of the contaminants. In 2021, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan established the EPA Council on PFAS and charged the group to develop the agency’s strategic roadmap. The roadmap is EPA’s commitment to confront PFAS contamination head on – by following the science, leveraging all available tools and authorities, holding polluters accountable and investing resources to protect communities. … ” Read more from Water World.
Trump picks Burgum for Interior Secretary
“President-elect Donald J. Trump has tapped Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota to run the Interior Department, leading the new administration’s plans to open federal lands and waters to oil and gas drilling. Governor Burgum, 68, has longstanding ties to fossil fuel companies and acted as a liaison between the Trump campaign and the oil executives who have donated heavily to it. The governor is particularly close to Harold G. Hamm, the billionaire founder and chairman of Continental Resources, one of the country’s largest independent oil companies, who has donated nearly $5 million to Mr. Trump since 2023. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
READ MORE: Four things to know about Trump’s Interior secretary pick, from E&E News
NASA satellites reveal abrupt drop in global freshwater levels
“An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth’s total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since. Reporting in Surveys in Geophysics, the researchers suggested the shift could indicate Earth’s continents have entered a persistently drier phase. From 2015 through 2023, satellite measurements showed that the average amount of freshwater stored on land — that includes liquid surface water like lakes and rivers, plus water in aquifers underground — was 290 cubic miles (1,200 cubic km) lower than the average levels from 2002 through 2014, said Matthew Rodell, one of the study authors and a hydrologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “That’s two and a half times the volume of Lake Erie lost.” … ” Read more from NASA.
Facing an imminent deadline, nations struggle to agree on a global plastics treaty
“Two years in, delegates from more than 175 countries working to craft a global plastics pollution treaty remain widely divided. Whether an agreement emerges from a final scheduled round of negotiations this month is anyone’s guess. The current 70-page draft contains over 3,000 disputed words or sentences—an unworkable text with just a week of formal talks remaining. As a workaround, Ecuador Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who will chair the upcoming United Nations meeting to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, has developed a shorter, streamlined draft called a “non-paper” because of its unofficial status. It leaves key treaty provisions without suggested text. And there is no assurance that delegates will be able to reach the consensus needed to even agree to resume their talks in Busan based on that document instead of the more unwieldy one. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
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