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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Stewardship Council beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include the Delta Lead Scientist’s report, a presentation on the Delta Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (CHABs) Monitoring Strategy, Proposed 2025 Delta Science Plan Update, Delta Adapts draf Adaptation Plan update, and an updatge from the Delta Independent Science Board. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: Delta Protection Commission beginning at 5pm in West Sacramento. Agenda items include report on Delta Stewardship Council activities, Election of chair and vice-chair; Consider Proposed Appointments to the National Heritage Area Advisory Committee; Socioeconomic indicators update; and Delta as Place Presentation, Invasive Species update. Click here for the full agenda.
Bomb cyclone blasts Northern California …
2nd bomb cyclone, atmospheric river in three days to blast US West Coast
“Two bomb cyclones and atmospheric rivers in one week? It may seem hard to believe, but Mother Nature has the gloves off and will continue to hurl potent storms with gusty winds, big rain and high country snow toward the Pacific Coast states through this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. The next bomb cyclone from later Thursday to Friday will not be as intense as Tuesday’s powerhouse storm. The powerful storm will make more of a glancing blow from south to north just off the coasts of Northern California, Oregon and Washington, but it will still be close enough and strong enough to bring impacts from wind, rain and snow. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Atmospheric river fueling California storm is taking an unusual turn. Here are the impacts
“The low-pressure system that underwent explosive intensification, becoming one of the strongest ever recorded in the northeast Pacific, is now moving out to sea. In its wake, a new low-pressure system is set to develop, this time forming several hundred miles closer to California. The interaction between these two storm systems — a delicate dance known as the Fujiwhara effect — will play a crucial role in reloading the atmospheric river and steering it back toward Northern California and the North Bay on Thursday. This will bring several more inches of rain to an already saturated landscape. The Fujiwhara Effect is an interesting atmospheric phenomenon that can develop when two strong low-pressure systems exist in close proximity to each other. The two storm systems, neither one wanting to give up its dominance, rotate around an invisible point between them and their interplay alters the atmospheric flow. That last part is key for Thursday’s forecast. … ” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Atmospheric river meets bomb cyclone: The result is like a fire hose flailing out of control
“The West Coast’s rainy season has arrived in force, as an atmospheric river carrying moisture from the tropics joins a bomb cyclone off the Pacific Northwest coast. Heavy, wet snow began falling in the mountains on Nov. 19, 2024, and bursts of rain have been blasting the Oregon and Northern California coasts. These storms are forecast to last for days, hitting up and down the West Coast. Parts of Washington have seen more than 70 mph winds from the bomb cyclone. When these two phenomena get together, the weather gets hard to predict, as meteorologist Chad Hecht of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the University of California, San Diego explains. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
California’s rainy season begins with a bomb cyclone bang. Are we in for a third record wet winter?
“… It remains unclear what, if anything, this monster storm could indicate about the rest of California’s rainy season, though it could be the start of a brief stretch of slightly wetter weather. Through at least the end of the month, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center forecast an increased chance for above-average rainfall across much of California, but predictions stretching into mid-December become less clear. The latest three-month outlook through January shows equal chances for above or below normal precipitation. “It could still be a dry season relative to normal, it’s just too early to tell,” said Roger Gass, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Monterey. “It really doesn’t have a long-term indication.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO:
- See the bomb cyclone approaching California from space, from the LA Times | Read via Yahoo News.
- Northern California faces possible record-breaking rainfall from atmospheric river and another storm is coming, from CNN
- Atmospheric river, ‘bomb cyclone’ combine to batter Northern California, from the Courthouse News
- Growers scramble as storm slams West Coast, from the Western Farm Press
In other California water news …
Metropolitan considers spending $141 million on Delta tunnel project
“The powerful board of Southern California’s largest urban water supplier will soon vote on whether to continue funding a large share of preliminary planning work for the state’s proposed water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The 38-member board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is set to consider approving $141.6 million for planning and preconstruction costs at its Dec. 10 meeting. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration have requested additional financial support from suppliers that would eventually receive water from the project, and the MWD is being asked to cover its share of nearly half the initial costs. The district, which provides drinking water for about 19 million people in Southern California, has spent $160.8 million supporting the project since 2020, and is expected to help foot the bill as requested by the state. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: Desert Water Agency Continues Commitment to the Delta Conveyance Project, press release from Desert Water Agency
California on track to meet short-term goal for recycled water; longer-term goals more elusive
“Wastewater agencies are playing a crucial role in shaping a sustainable water future by increasingly reusing highly treated water. Since the 1980s, the use of recycled water in California has nearly tripled, highlighting its growing importance in addressing the water needs of an expanding population. Governor Newsom’s August 2022 Water Supply Strategy sets ambitious targets for the recycling of water, aiming to recycle at least 800,000 acre-feet per year by 2030 and 1.8 million acre-feet by 2040. This vision primarily involves redirecting wastewater that would otherwise be discharged into oceans. The November 6 State Water Resources Control Board meeting included a presentation of the numbers for recycled water production and use for 2023 and the progress the state has made towards achieving the ambitous goals. Rebecca Greenwood, an engineering geologist with the Recycled Water unit in the Division of Water Quality, provided the update. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Go, fish: Chinook Salmon population rebounding in Mokelumne River
“For the second year in a row, a record-breaking number of Chinook Salmon have returned to the Mokelumne River — the 95-mile waterway that runs through Northern California — to spawn, signaling hope for the species’ restoration and the return of salmon fishing season in 2025. The East Bay Municipal Utility District announced more than 30,000 fish had been recorded since September due to conservation efforts to limit commercial and recreational fishing, boost hatchery production and restore habitat along the river. “Those fish are coming back to our river and supporting the Mokelumne,” said Michelle Workman, the East Bay MUD manager of fisheries and wildlife. “When we can use good management techniques on our river… that’s a huge win.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
State celebrates 10-year anniversary of SGMA, California’s first-ever groundwater law
“Current and former political leaders, water managers and environmental advocates descended on Sacramento Monday to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), its first ever attempt to regulate groundwater use. The law was passed by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2014 during a multi-year punishing drought to protect California’s overpumped aquifers. The Department of Water Resources (DWR,) which is the agency that oversees the law’s implementation, organized Monday’s event. What they said … ” Read more from SJV Water.
California’s Central Valley is sinking at a record-breaking pace, new study shows
“Parts of California’s Central Valley have been sinking for years, but a new Stanford study quantifies just how much the ground has given way in the past two decades. In the San Joaquin Valley, the vast swath of land responsible for much of the state’s agricultural production, the study showed that the ground receded nearly 1 inch per year from 2006 to 2022. The new investigation fills in a gap in the data, allowing researchers to look at the full extent of the “subsidence” — the technical term for the ground sinking — in the area and study how to potentially solve the problem in the future. “I am optimistic that we can do something about subsidence,” Rosemary Knight, study author and professor of geophysics at Stanford, told the Stanford Report. “My group and others have been studying this problem for some time, and this study is a key piece in figuring out how to sustainably address it.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: Groundwater Pumping Drives Rapid Sinking in California, from Morning Ag Clips
Video: Is California ready for climate change?
“The climate is changing, and Californians are feeling the effects. In our recent Priorities for California’s Water report, we outline what’s been happening and forecast the changes that lie ahead. But walking through the effects of a changing climate on California’s water can quickly become a slog—a litany of depressing facts with no end in sight. That’s why we blew up our usual format at last week’s fall conference. We asked four water experts to conduct a thought experiment: we offered them a series of positive water headlines from the year 2050 and asked them to tell us how we got there. And our distinguished panelists—Phoenix Armenta (San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission), Alvar Escriva-Bou (UC Davis, PPIC Water Policy Center adjunct fellow), Karla Nemeth (Department of Water Resources), and Willie Whittlesey (Yuba Water Agency)—obliged. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Padilla, Murkowski introduce bipartisan bill to establish atmospheric river forecasting program
“Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation that will reduce flood risks and bolster emergency preparedness by improving atmospheric river forecasting to more precisely predict the timing and location of these storms. The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a forecast improvement program within the National Weather Service. The legislation was introduced as the first significant atmospheric rivers of the season make landfall in the Pacific Northwest and along the Gulf Coast. “For the past several years, California communities have witnessed firsthand the ongoing threat of destructive flooding caused by intense and frequent atmospheric river storms,” said Senator Padilla. “California scientists have led the way in improving our understanding of these storms, and this bipartisan bill will strengthen forecasts to both reduce flood risks and bolster our water supply and drought resilience.” … ” Read more from Senator Padilla’s website.
In commentary today …
It’s time to address the urgent need for water equity with the Delta Conveyance Project
Rev. Jonathan Moseley writes, “In California, access to clean water is not only a growing concern—it is a crisis, especially for communities of color. This lack of access to safe, reliable drinking water is more than a matter of infrastructure; it’s a profound environmental injustice that continues to erode the health and livelihoods of millions of residents and California families. With our changing climate and extreme weather patterns growing worse by the year, we must take decisive action to protect water security for all Californians. One solution to shore up California’s water supply and address inequitable access to clean water is the Delta Conveyance Project, which would secure water for millions across the state. … ” Read more from the LA Sentinel.
The numbers driving California vs. Washington on energy, water & forestry
Edward Ring, co-founder of the California Policy Center, writes, “With national election results that have delivered a surprisingly unequivocal result, California’s business interests now find themselves on a political tightrope. On one side, the incoming Trump administration will pursue deregulation that may help businesses remain in California, and on the other side, the Newsom administration is going to do everything in its power to stop them. For many businesses in California, successfully balancing these powerful competing forces is a matter of survival. Rather than offer a rhetoric-heavy dive into the politics of Trump vs. Newsom, we shall present some numbers-based arguments in an attempt to explain how California’s current regulatory environment puts unrealistic expectations on industry, and sets unrealistic environmental goals that in many cases are unhelpful or even counterproductive. Whether or not the Trump cure is worse than the Newsom disease is for others to ponder. … ” Read more from the California Globe.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Winter storms could trigger avalanches in south Siskiyou, Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center said
“Strong winter storms bringing rain and snow this week could trigger avalanches on Mt. Shasta and in south and central Siskiyou County. Mount Shasta and other mountain communities were getting snow and rain from heavy winter storms rolling through the area on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service: 4 to 8 inches above 3,000 feet, 8 to 18 inches above 4,500 feet. Those storms could produce “large and destructive avalanches” that might reach valley floors, according to the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for South Central Siskiyou County through noon Thursday. “Prolonged periods of heavy snowfall, along with rain-on-snow will create high avalanche danger,” the National Weather Service’s Medford office cautioned this week. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
Newly detected invasive golden mussels pose potential threat to Clear Lake, Lake County waterways and infrastructure
“A newly detected invasive mussel is posing a potential threat to Lake County’s water bodies. The Lake County Water Resources Department, and Watershed Protection District urge residents and visitors to Clear Lake, and other Lake County water bodies, to be aware and on the lookout for invasive golden mussels (Limnoperna fortunei). The newly detected invasive mussel (freshwater bivalve) found in several locations in the Port of Stockton and in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. On Oct. 17, the California Department of Water Resources reported finding attached, adult mussels at a sample site location in the Port of Stockton. Mussel specimens were sent to UC Davis Genomic Variation Laboratory and confirmed to be golden mussels, originally from China and Southeast Asia; the species had not previously been detected in North America. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Community engagement in Big Valley Basin’s groundwater future
“Groundwater sustainability efforts in the Big Valley Basin are advancing, and a public meeting on December 2, 2024, in Bieber, offers an opportunity to learn about key updates and future plans. The Big Valley Groundwater Basin Advisory Committee (BVAC) will discuss the water budget tool, basin boundary modifications, and progress on implementing the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP). Since its revision in April 2024, the Lassen and Modoc Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) have been using grant funding to execute key recommendations from the plan. … ” Read more from Sierra Daily News.
Lake Tahoe: Aquatic invasive species program confronts new threats
“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 AIS in the Tahoe Region. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, which manage the watercraft inspection program, recently reported that staff inspected more than 5,600 vessels since January and intercepted 59 vessels with AIS 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 AIS 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 Mountain Democrat.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Bomb cyclones? Atmospheric rivers? Both mean days of wet weather for Sacramento region
“The bomb cyclone churning off California’s far north coast is ushering in a powerful atmospheric river storm poised to drench Northern California and the Sacramento region into Saturday. The cyclone directed much of its power at Washington state and British Columbia, where hurricane-force winds killed a Washington woman and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands more people on both sides of the border, CNN reported. The topline in the Sacramento region, said forecasters Wednesday at the National Weather Service in Sacramento: Look for a prolonged soaking from the strong atmospheric river storm in the valley and Sierra Nevada foothills — 48 to 72 hours’ worth — with mountain snows in the Sierra; rising snow levels and gusty southerly winds. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Fall-Run Chinook Salmon now running in the American River
“Fall-run chinook salmon are currently making their way through the American River, which flows through El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties. California Fish and Wildlife highlights the importance of maintaining the river’s ecology to support the salmon’s lifecycle and ensure their survival. One group playing a key role in preserving the river’s ecosystem is Friends of Sutter’s Landing, a Sacramento-based organization. They actively work to protect the river by organizing cleanups, educational talks, and a variety of public activities aimed at preserving this vital habitat. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
BAY AREA
Atmospheric river storm brings first waves of rain to Bay Area
“The first atmospheric river storm of the winter rainy season slammed into California on Wednesday. Driven by a powerful “bomb cyclone” off British Columbia, it brought heavy rains to Sonoma and Marin counties, dumping more than 6 inches in the hills above Guerneville by mid-afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch through 4 a.m. Saturday for Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, and a high surf advisory from Big Sur to the Sonoma Coast from with large breaking waves 14 to 22 feet high expected. But areas south of the Golden Gate Bridge saw little rain in the first wave, with San Francisco, Oakland and the Peninsula receiving only light sprinkles, and San Jose staying largely dry. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Marin Municipal Water District reservoir expansion plan deserves a thoughtful look
The Marin Independent Journal editorial board writes, “Marin Municipal Water District directors are making diligent progress toward increasing the district’s water-storage capacity. This strategy is in response to the crisis the district faced several years ago when back-to-back years of drought reduced the district’s supply to levels where MMWD officials warned of possibly running out of water – even with customers following strict conservation measures. The crisis fueled voter frustration that led to a turnover of a majority of the district’s board. Since then, the new majority has been making slow, steady progress toward increasing the district’s storage. The process takes time and money. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Court rules case for public ownership of Cal Am can proceed
“A Monterey County judge has shot down an attempt by California American Water Co. to derail Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s effort to acquire the local assets of the investor-owned water utility. While there are legal issues remaining to be litigated, the recent ruling is allowing the district’s eminent domain case to move forward. Eminent domain, sometimes called condemnation, is an action of a government agency to seize private property for the public good. Voters in the district approved the eminent domain effort in 2018 when they passed Measure J. Judge Vanessa Vallarta in her Nov. 14 decision overruled a filed objection by Cal Am, called a demurrer, that argued the water district’s complaint to seize the company’s assets and take over retail distribution doesn’t meet the legal requirements to win. Since the water district is attempting to seize Cal Am property, it is the plaintiff in the case. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
A marsh restoration project that aims to help mitigate sea level rise reaches a milestone.
“After 13 years of planning and building, the Hester Marsh Restoration Project had its unofficial “ribbon-cutting” moment over the weekend of Nov. 15-17. Project researchers, managers and volunteers gathered at the marsh on the edge of Elkhorn Slough to observe how the newly completed marsh interacted with water seeping in with the King Tides. The key question: Were the final plans for the marsh designed at the correct elevation? If the marsh was built to plan, observers should see the water at high tide cover the marsh’s surface – only slightly. And at 9:35am on Friday, Nov. 15, that is exactly what they observe. “We are building this marsh for the future,” says Monique Fountain, director of Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve’s Tidal Wetland Program. “If you want to have a beautiful, healthy, lush, green marsh right now, you build it lower. If you want a marsh for the future, you build it a little bit higher. And that’s what we did.” … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project awarded more than $27 million in grant funding
“The Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP), a partnership between the Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) and the Carpinteria Sanitary District, was awarded its fourth grant to replenish the local groundwater basin with purified recycled water. CAPP was awarded $8,711,622 from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program, which provides funding to reuse wastewater. In 2022, CAPP was awarded $9,659,990 from the same funding program – bringing the total grants awarded from the US Bureau of Reclamation to $18,371,612. The grant reimburses CVWD for 25% for all eligible CAPP costs. In a letter of support for the grant, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal said, “Since most of CVWD’s water is imported, the Carpinteria area is reliant on a water supply that is vulnerable to natural disasters and drought.” … ” Read more from the Coastal View.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Turlock Irrigation District talking about rate increase
“Claiming increased operating costs, aging infrastructure and increased customer demand, Turlock Irrigation District took steps at its Nov. 5 meeting to move forward with increases in their volumetric water rates — the first rate increase since 2015. According to a rate study prepared by NewGen Strategies and Solutions, a consulting firm headquartered in Texas, TID would restructure its water-rate design by consolidating tiers 1, 2, 3 into a single rate, while Tier 4 would have a cost-justified rate. Also, garden heads — typically five-acre parcels that are provided water on rotations about every two weeks — would move from a fixed fee to the irrigation rate structure. Finally, TID would establish a minimum fee of $200 per year, per irrigator. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier.
Determining cause of goose die-off at Truxtun Lakes will take several weeks
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is examining the carcasses of several Canada geese and one duck found dead around Truxtun Lakes to determine what killed them and about a dozen other geese earlier this month. But it will take several weeks to get the necropsy results back from the state’s Wildlife Health Laboratory, according to Abby Gwinn, a biologist with CDFW who bagged several dead birds from Truxtun Lakes on Nov. 7. She wrote in an email that another live, but sick, goose was found last week and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. It also died. “This one will be particularly valuable as we know it was sick prior to passing and we have a report of the symptoms,” Gwinn wrote in an email. “It is not uncommon to have an increase in bird diseases observed during migration when birds flock together, especially when habitat is limited like it is locally this year with the dry Kern River through town.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Searles Valley Minerals continues to demand transparency from IWVGA
“Over the past several years Searles Valley Minerals (SVM) has twice requested, through California Public Records Act requests to the IWVGA, the groundwater model upon which the IWVGA has based burdensome and costly proposals, impacting everyone in the Indian Wells Valley. Twice the IWVGA has declined to respond. Searles is now seeking this public data for a third time through the legal discovery process that is ongoing in Orange County Superior Court. In contrast to the IWVGA’s lack of transparency, a Technical Working Group (TWG) of groundwater experts recently completed and made public a comprehensive analysis of the Basin using the most current and reliable data. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Environmental watchdog sues Union Pacific for allegedly polluting LA County waterways
“Union Pacific Railroad allegedly failed to implement adequate pollution control at four industrial sites in Los Angeles County, resulting in the discharge of hazardous materials into creeks and rivers flowing into Long Beach Harbor and the San Pedro Bay, according to a lawsuit by Los Angeles Waterkeeper. The nonprofit water watchdog filed the suit Monday, Nov. 18, in U.S. District Court seeking an injunction and unspecified damages against Union Pacific for violating the Clean Water Act and provisions of its stormwater permit at two industrial facilities in Long Beach, and one each in the City of Industry and Santa Fe Springs since September 2019. Contacted Wednesday by the Southern California News Group, Waterkeeper Associate Director Kelly Shannon McNeil said the organization could not comment on active litigation. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
Along the Colorado River …
Biden-Harris Administration puts Colorado River on path to success
“Since Day One of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has led critical discussions over how to bring the Colorado River back from the brink of crisis in the face of a 24-year drought. Having achieved overwhelming success in 2023 on interim operation plans to guide operations through 2026 with a historic consensus agreement, and following more than a year of collaboration with the states and Tribes who call the Colorado River Basin home, the Biden-Harris administration today released the next step in a responsible path to guide post-2026 operations for the Colorado River. Today, the Department released five proposed alternatives that will be analyzed as part of the Post-2026 Operations for the Colorado River. These alternatives represent a wide range of actions that respond to a broad spectrum of hydrology for the Colorado River Basin and reflect elements from proposals submitted by Basin states, Tribes, cooperating agencies and non-governmental organizations, as well as ongoing conversations and collaborations with all Basin stakeholders. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Feds outline ‘necessary steps’ for Colorado River agreement by 2026 but no recommendation yet
“Federal water officials made public on Wednesday what they called “necessary steps” for seven states and multiple tribes that use Colorado River water and hydropower to meet an August 2026 deadline for deciding how to manage the waterway in the future. “Today we show our collective work,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said as she outlined four proposals for action and one “no action” alternative that she and Biden’s government will leave for the incoming Trump Administration — with formal environmental assessments still to come and just 20 months to act. The announcement offered no recommendation or decision about how to divvy up water from the river, which provides electricity to millions of homes and businesses, irrigates vast stretches of desert farmland and reaches kitchen faucets in cities including Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Colorado River management proposals receive mixed reactions, with hints of possible legal battle
“The U.S. Department of the Interior’s alternative proposals to guide the management of the Colorado River received mixed reactions from key negotiators and officials whose support is crucial in the river’s successful operation in the years to come. Several reiterated they don’t want litigation, which would tie up any plans in the court systems for years, but they also acknowledged — or at least hinted — that a legal battle is a plausible outcome. “We don’t want a legal fight,” said Tom Buschatzke, the Arizona Department of Water Resources director. “We want the process that we’re currently involved in to be concluded” by all seven states, the 30 tribes, the nongovernmental organizations, recreationists, and others, much like what happened in 2019 with the drought contingency plan, said Buschatzke, who is his state’s chief negotiator on matters related to the Colorado River. … ” Read more from Colorado Politics.
Feds release highly anticipated options for managing overstressed Colorado River in coming years
“The federal government unveiled Wednesday the first glimpse of how the overstressed Colorado River could be managed for decades to come. Bureau of Reclamation officials shared five different management options: Some would keep more water in Lake Powell and impose large cuts on water use in Arizona, California and Nevada. Three options incorporate upstream reservoirs, like Blue Mesa in Colorado, and would require water cuts across the basin, including Colorado, in dry years — ideas that Colorado has staunchly opposed. The news is a big deal for the 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River across the West. The drafted options form the foundation for new water management rules, which will start in 2027 and operate for years to come during an unpredictable climate future. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
White House urges Colorado River states to pick up the pace of negotiations
“Federal water officials released a set of possible plans for managing the shrinking Colorado River in the future. They urged state negotiators to agree on a single plan, since the states are deeply divided about how to share the pain of cutbacks during dry times. “We can either remain stuck at an impasse, or secure a future for future generations that promises the stability and sustainability of one of our greatest natural resources,” said Ali Zaidi, White House climate advisor. The current rules for sharing Colorado River water expire in 2026, and the seven states that use it are on the hook to come up with a replacement before then. They’re split into two camps, and each submitted a separate proposal to the federal government in March. State negotiators say they want a collaborative solution, but they don’t appear any closer to agreement than they did in March and have publicly dug in their heels about their ideological differences. … ” Read more from the KUNC.
SEE ALSO:
- The Biden administration is trying to throw a Hail Mary to save the Colorado River before Trump takes over, from CNN
- Biden administration outlines options for addressing Colorado River water shortages, from the LA Times
- ‘Clear as mud’: Feds offer vague window into Colorado River negotiations, from the Las Vegas Review-Journal
- Biden White House likely won’t finish long-term Colorado River plan, unveils five options, from the Desert Sun
Arizona policy responses to water shortage: can they have an impact?
“As drought persists in the Colorado River Basin, demand continues to draw down reservoir levels. In 2019, seven Basin States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) signed Drought Contingency Plans (DCP) setting guidelines to spread shortfalls across Basin water users. Since that signing, Arizona has faced increasingly stringent cutbacks of Colorado River water, with deliveries falling by 0.7 million acre-feet (MAF) from 2019 to 2023 (USBR, 2019a, 2023a). In May 2023, the Lower Colorado River Basin States (Arizona, California, and Nevada) submitted a plan to the USBR to conserve 1.5 MAF of Colorado River water by the end of 2024 and 3 MAF cumulatively by the end of 2026 (CRBSR, 2023). USBR has accepted this plan as their preferred water management alternative for the basin (USBR, 2023b). The Boulder Canyon Project Act allocates 4.4 MAF to California, 2.8 MAF to Arizona, and 0.3 MAF to Nevada, for a total Lower Basin allocation of 7.5 MAF. … ” Continue reading from Choices.
Hobbs signs largest tribal water rights agreement in US history
“Governor Kate Hobbs has joined Arizona’s Northern tribes to sign the largest tribal water settlement in United States history. “This is a historic moment for the State of Arizona, Tribal nations, and all parties to these agreements,” Hobbs said. “They create a consequential and lasting impact by securing a sustainable water supply for tens of thousands of Arizonans and helping local economies thrive. I’m proud to be a part of this solution that many Arizona families have fought to get for generations.” The signing of two historic agreements–the Northeastern Arizona and Yavapai-Apache tribal settlements–will settle outstanding tribal water rights claims to Colorado River water as well as groundwater sources in Northeastern Arizona. Right now, nearly a third of the Navajo Nation does not have access to running water. The agreement would pave the way for funding to be used to divert Colorado River water to these areas. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
SEE ALSO: Arizona’s Tribal water rights settlements status, from the University of Arizona
In national water news today …
Trump team could bring both ax and scalpel to Interior
“The Interior Department presents many targets of opportunity for hard chargers in the second Trump administration. Oil and gas production could be fast-tracked in Alaska and the Lower 48 states. Budgets could be cut, science offices closed, and endangered species rules rewritten. In what amounts to a one-two punch, President-elect Donald Trump’s Interior appointees will be positioned in the short term to rescind and reverse many Biden administration policies. In the long term, Trump’s effort to reduce the size of government — the “Department of Government Efficiency” — could seek deeper cuts to the department of some 70,000 employees, including trying to shrink the size of the workforce. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOW AVAILABLE: Final Delta Grand Challenges Essay
NOW AVAILABLE: Decision-making under Deep Uncertainty summary and synthesis
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Delta Adapts Draft Adaptation Plan