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In California water news this weekend …
Storm-weary West on track to be doused with new round of rain
“The storm-weary West will not catch a break from the rounds of travel-disrupting rain, wind and snow, AccuWeather forecasters say. Yet another stretch of busy weather is set to impact the region from late this weekend into early this week ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, this time reaching as far south as Los Angeles. The ongoing pattern across the Northwest and Northern California has produced rounds of drenching rainfall, mountain snow and intense coastal winds over the last week. … Later this weekend, the next series of storms will begin to impact the California coast once again, eventually making its way inland and pushing snow across Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado into the start of this week. However, forecasters say that there will be a notable difference with this next round — apart from the location along the West Coast being impacted. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
SEE ALSO:
- Weather reprieve on Sunday, after record-breaking storm, from the San Jose Mercury News
- California storm: How the atmospheric river has impacted Northern California in photos and video, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week, from the Associated Press
Atmospheric rivers aren’t new. Why does it feel like we’re hearing about them more?
“California is in the midst of a strong atmospheric river that’s caused flooding, evacuations, road closures, and mention of it is all over the news and social media. And this comes on the heel of two previous winters where the Golden State saw damaging storms of the same kind. If you have the feeling that in the past few years, you’ve started hearing the term a lot more, you are not alone. You’re not even wrong. In recent years, “atmospheric river” has become used much more frequently in scientific papers and in media coverage. According to experts who study climate and weather, a couple reasons may explain why. Technical weather terms in general are now more used in the news. Atmospheric rivers are a thriving area of research, more of which may be filtering into media coverage. And these storms are also expected to intensify and become more damaging as the climate warms – which means there’s more attention on them. … ” Read more from WFDD.
Wildlife Conservation Board awards $52.3 million in grants to 24 habitat conservation and restoration projects
“The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved 24 habitat protection and restoration projects spanning 25 counties across more than 21,600 acres at its Nov. 21 quarterly meeting. One of the grants restores 67 acres of wetland, riparian, and upland habitat at Carr Lake in the heart of the city of Salinas, providing much needed open space to a community area with limited access to parks and nature. The WCB’s $4 million grant to the Big Sur Land Trust—in a cooperative project with the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Department of Water Resources, and the State Coastal Conservancy—increases biodiversity, decreases and treats stormwater flows and improves public access to nature. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
U.S. Forest Service looks back on successful fire year
“With the end of 2024 fiscal year, the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service is reflecting on our accomplishments — including a record-setting number of prescribed fire and other landscape treatment acres as well as an excellent record for fire suppression. “I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished,” said Fire Director Jaime Gamboa. “The end-of-year numbers clearly demonstrate our commitment to community and resource protection.” As of Nov.19, 2024, over 325,000 acres were reported as successfully treated for hazardous fuels abatement. This included a record over 72,000 acres in prescribed burning alone. And despite numerous challenges — record-setting high temperatures and a heavy early season grass crop — Forest Service firefighters and partners maintained a largely successful year with fire suppression too. Final calculations show 96% of fires stopped within the first operational period. … ” Read more from USFS.
In commentary this weekend …
Diversion tactics: How Voluntary Agreements fail the Bay-Delta
The Tuolumne River Trust writes, “Late last month, the State Water Board released a new document for Phase 2 of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The sprawling Bay-Delta watershed includes all tributaries of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, including the Tuolumne. Phase 2 focuses on the Sacramento tributaries and the Delta and will set precedent for how flow rates are determined in this system. Phase 2 planning continues a years-long process that examines new approaches, including Voluntary Agreements that prioritize feel-good restoration projects over much-needed flow increases. It’s not an either/or: both restoration and sufficient flows are needed to support salmon. Adequate flows are the missing link to reducing water temperatures, inundating floodplain habitat, helping baby salmon out-migrate and flushing toxic algae blooms out of the Delta. Voluntary Agreements are a half measure that won’t get our rivers flowing. … ” Read more from the Tuolumne River Trust.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Longtime EMWD Director Randy Record honored with water champion award for decades of local and statewide leadership
“Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) today presented its Water Champion Award to longtime Board Member Randy Record in honor of his nearly quarter-century of leadership on local, state, and Western United States water issues. The Water Champion Award is presented to an organization or individual who demonstrates exemplary service and dedication in assisting EMWD achieve its mission of delivering value to the diverse customers and communities it serves by providing safe, reliable, economical, and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water service. Record received the honor during his final EMWD Board Meeting and is the first EMWD Board Member to receive this recognition. “One of the greatest professional honors of my life has been representing the residents of the San Jacinto Valley on EMWD’s Board of Directors,” Record said. “The industry-leading work we have accomplished during my time at EMWD will benefit our customers for generations. “I look forward to watching EMWD’s future successes in serving the community that has meant so much to me throughout my life and career.” … ” Read more from EMWD.
Podcasts …
H2 KNOW IT ALL’S: Mauricio Guardardo
Mauricio Guardardo joins hosts Brittnie Gildea and Joe Yersky to discuss United Conservation Water District’s service to its community, the Extraction Barrier Brackish Water Treatment (EBB Water) Project, and the District’s Grant Task Force.
H2 KNOW IT ALL’S: Joe Byrne
Joe Byrne, an attorney at Best, Best & Krieger, joins hosts Brittnie Gildea and Joe Yersky for an insightful perspective on the water industry. The conversation tackles complex topics such as the State Water Project, California water rates, imported water, water rights, and the legal intricacies shaping the water landscape.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Lending a Helping Hand
This could be any particular morning. You wake up with a typical dryness in your mouth that follows a good night’s sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, you decide to grab a glass of water to quench that thirst and start your new day. Sitting up you suddenly realize that your village was built in a place that had water at one time but drought had degraded its quality and nearly erased its presence. The only available supply is two miles away and that’s a long way to travel for a cup of water. This is starting to feel like a bad dream. 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 530-205-6388In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Threatened coho salmon return to upper Klamath River basin for first time in more than 60 years
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has seen the first returns of threatened coho salmon to the upper Klamath River Basin in more than 60 years following historic dam removal completed last month. Not since the construction of the former Iron Gate Dam in the early 1960s has CDFW documented coho salmon occupying their historic habitat in the upper watershed. On Nov. 13, seven coho salmon entered CDFW’s new Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County, which is located on Fall Creek, a formerly inaccessible Klamath River tributary about 7.5 miles upstream of the former Iron Gate Dam location. “To see coho successfully returning this quickly to this new habitat post-dam removal is exciting,” said Eric Jones, a Senior Environmental Scientist who oversees CDFW’s north state hatchery operations. “We’ve already seen the Chinook make it back and now we’re seeing the coho make it back.” … ” Read more from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
SEE ALSO: Breaking: Coho Salmon Return to Upper Klamath River Basin After 60 Year Absence!, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
Mendocino City Community Services District to host public event on draft source water study
“The Mendocino City Community Services District (MCCSD) is hosting a community information event on December 3, marking the first of two public forums to address Mendocino’s persistent water scarcity challenges. This initial event will present the draft findings of the Source Water Study, conducted by GHD, with a focus on existing and potential water sources for the study area in the Mendocino community. The study, funded by the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Program through the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), examines both current and potential water resources within a mile of MCCSD’s service boundary. Within this area, 28 public water systems, and approximately 400 wells supply water to Mendocino’s residents and businesses. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lead-sheathed telecommunication cables successfully removed from Lake Tahoe
“In a major milestone for efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue, the League to Save Lake Tahoe announced that the removal of lead-sheathed telecommunication cables from below Lake Tahoe’s waters is complete. This accomplishment for the Lake’s preservation is the culmination of a multi-year effort. The League is proud to have served as both environmental watchdog and partner to AT&T in the removal process. “This is a major milestone for Lake Tahoe,” said the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s Chief Strategy Officer Jesse Patterson. “We are grateful that AT&T did the right thing for the Lake Tahoe environment and honored that the League could play an instrumental role to Keep Tahoe Blue for all.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Lawsuits, revenue loss, water rights, and restoration projects keep NID general manager on her toes
““We love rain. We do love snow over the rain… but my main goal for right now is to start seeing Rollins spilling,” Jennifer Hanson, General Manager for Nevada Irrigation District said to approximately 60 attendees at the Nevada County Community Forum at Sierra College Friday morning. Rollins was measuring at about 50,000 acre feet as of yesterday, and has about 68,000 acre feet of storage, according to Hanson. NID shares storage with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) who has contractual rights to a certain amount of storage in Rollins Reservoir, but when it starts spilling over, NID “gets a bunch of free water,” Hanson said. Hanson was asked by Terry McAteer moderator for the Forum to describe her experiences with PG&E over the past year in a few words, and she replied, “Frustrating. A colossal debacle.” … ” Read more from The Union.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Atmospheric river rainfall totals for Redding, Shasta Dam. Hint: It’s a record.
“The mid-November atmospheric river that has soaked California has jump-started the area’s water season. Redding’s official rain gauge at the airport had received 6.76 inches since the storm hit Tuesday, Nov. 19, National Weather Service meteorologist Dakari Anderson said Friday afternoon. That’s well above the historical average of 4.63 inches in Redding for the water season, which starts Oct. 1. The 3.21 inches of rain that fell on Thursday, Nov. 21, in Redding was a record for the day, the National Weather Service said. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight. | Read via Yahoo News.
Forever chemicals detected in Live Oak well
“A well in the city of Live Oak tested positive for PFAS at concentration of 3.3 nanograms/liter, above the recently established Notification Level set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The detection was as Well 2A. It’s below the response level which is 20 nanograms per liter. PFAS are the dangerous “forever chemicals”, that get into the water through things like non-stick cookware and fire retardant, and are linked to a host of different health problems, including cancer. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
BAY AREA
Weather reprieve on Sunday, after record-breaking storm
“The Bay Area will be draining, recovering and drying out on Sunday, following a powerful atmospheric river that pummeled the region with rain and wind, killing a man in Sonoma County floodwaters. A drier low-pressure system arrived on the heels of Friday’s storm, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Crystal Oudit. Sunday and Monday may deliver an inch of rain along the coast, but little rain inland. On Saturday, cottony clouds drifted slowly across a cerulean sky, with intermittent sunshine. A narrow band of showers caused some minor flooding in the East Bay and North Bay, but the dramatic atmospheric river is gone. … ” Read more from the Mercury News.
SEE ALSO: Historic storm breaks 1,000-year rainfall record in parts of Bay Area, from SF Gate
S.F. awarded $1 million to fund future Great Highway park, approved by voters
“The plan to transform a 2-mile stretch of the Great Highway into a permanent park has reached a first funding milestone in making the vision a reality. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has announced that the city has secured a $1 million grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy Board to fund the transformation of a portion of the city’s westernmost coastal boulevard — known as Upper Great Highway — into a permanent park. The grant, intended to address sea level rise, will go toward funding, among other things, environmental restoration efforts to protect the natural dunes, beach access and recreation options, including adding new paths and safer transportation. … ” Read more from the SF Chronicle.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Public invited to explore the Kaweah River watershed with local expert
“Members of the public are invited to join a local expert on a half-day tour exploring Terminus Dam and two nature preserves that are part of the Kaweah River watershed will be held Wednesday, Dec. 4. Sponsored by the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, the annual tour is open to the public and provides an opportunity to learn more about a watershed that is directly connected to Tulare County’s agricultural and economic strength. It is also vital to the area’s native plant and animal species. Retired College of the Sequoias biology professor John Greening has been volunteering with the trust since 2007. He said the tour originally began several years ago as a way to acquaint trust employees with the history and natural history of two Lemon Cove preserves, Dry Creek and Homer Ranch, and how they fit into the Kaweah River watershed. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Citizen Suit Action/Clean Water Act: Los Angeles Waterkeeper files judicial action addressing California Railroad Maintenance/Service Facilities
“Los Angeles Waterkeeper (“Waterkeeper”) filed a November 18th Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief and Civil Penalties (“Compliant”) against Union Pacific Railroad Company (“Union Pacific”) in the United States District Court (Central District of California). The Complaint was filed pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act as a citizen suit action alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. … ” Read more from JD Supra.
OCWD highlights benefits of OC LAFCO consolidation study
“The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) announces the release of an Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (OC LAFCO) study evaluating the benefits and feasibility of consolidating OCWD and the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC). This effort aims to improve government efficiency, reduce redundancies, and better serve ratepayers. OCWD requested this study following a June 2022 Orange County Grand Jury report recommending the consolidation of the two agencies. OC LAFCO’s unbiased analysis examines whether consolidating MWDOC, a smaller agency, with OCWD’s larger operation could yield benefits. With both agencies already sharing a headquarters in Fountain Valley, the potential for integration may be simplified. … ” Read more from the Orange County Water District.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Holtville cuts ribbon to long-awaited wetlands
“City of Holtville officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning to celebrate the opening of the city’s decades-long Wetlands project, conceived by Elwood “Pete” Mellinger. The $4.6 million, 31-acre project made several residents joyous at the event, especially Holtville resident Mary Martinez, whose backyard scene has completely changed with the project. Years back, the property used to be so filled with trees that nobody could walk through. “We still have coyotes… and rattlesnakes, a lot of rattlesnakes,” Martinez said of the animals around the area, admitting that she has not seen them lately. Speaking about the wetlands – that once complete will serve residents and visitors for recreational and sports purposes including fishing – Martinez said her backyard’s sight has completely changed for good. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
Along the Colorado River …
New rules go into effect to allow development in groundwater depleted metro areas
“A proposal to allow development in metro Phoenix despite low groundwater supplies was voted into effect Friday by a state rulemaking agency. Groundwater is protected in urban areas which are part of “active management areas.” Last year, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs limited certain kinds of development in areas like Buckeye and Queen Creek because models show basin levels are low and certificates that prove 100 years of assured water supply would fall short based on new data. The new rules approved by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council on Friday allow building if developers use new water sources and offset groundwater pumping. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
SEE ALSO: Audio: The Buzz: Arizona’s 100-year water supply rule, from Arizona Public Media
Arizona farmers oppose water regulations as land sinks beneath them
“As the land beneath them sinks and cracks due to excessive groundwater pumping, ranchers in southern Arizona still overwhelmingly oppose state-mandated water use restrictions. In a public meeting Friday, ranchers from Willcox, Pearce and other communities in the Willcox Basin, which spans nearly 2,000 square miles in Cochise and Graham Counties, fervently rejected state efforts to regulate pumping by designating the basin as an active water management area, or an AMA. “The AMA will not change groundwater overdraft,” resident and wine grower Chad Preston told six members of the Arizona Department of Water Resources facilitating the meeting. “It will only stifle growth.” The overdraft and reduced water levels have resulted in sinking land and large cracks in the earth known as fissures. Wells have gone dry across the area, forcing homeowners and ranchers to spend tens of thousands digging new wells or deepening the ones they have. … ” Read more from Courthouse News Service.
Tom Buschatzke: Keeping Arizona’s faucets functioning
“For nearly 10 years, Tom Buschatzke has been the arbiter of Arizona’s water supply as director of the Department of Water Resources. In a career spanning decades and beginning with an internship at the very department he now heads, Buschatzke said there’s never been a dull day. The questions and answers have been edited lightly for style and clarity. What initially got you interested in water and water policy? When I was an undergraduate student, I decided to become a geology major because I liked the opportunity to potentially work outdoors, especially when you’re younger in that field. I went to undergraduate school in upstate New York, where there were lots of rivers, streams, etc. So the three pathways with that degree were probably mining, oil or water. And I just got more interested in water, but more from a technical standpoint. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
The Western Slope just asked for federal climate dollars to buy crucial water rights. Trump wants to roll back the funding
“A $99 million plan to buy and permanently preserve some of the oldest water rights in Colorado is inching closer to securing all of its funding. But President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to gut climate spending could throw a wrench in the deal, despite its bipartisan support. The Colorado River District, which advocates on behalf of Western Slope water users, submitted a funding application today to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation under a program for drought mitigation. The district is seeking $40 million from the federal agency to help purchase water rights from Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility. Xcel Energy owns and operates the aging Shoshone Hydroelectric Generating Plant, nestled on the Colorado River near Glenwood Canyon. The river water that cascades through the plant generates electricity and then continues downstream, where it’s been used for decades for agriculture, drinking water, recreation and a federal fish habitat restoration project. … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio.
In national water news this weekend …
What experts say about tap water amid new concerns
“Researchers have identified a by-product of a chemical used to disinfect the tap water of millions of Americans. But the discovery, reported Thursday in the journal Science, cannot yet say if the chemical — chloronitramide anion — is toxic to our health. Separately, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advocated the removal of fluoride from drinking water. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has claimed that fluoride consumption is associated with medical conditions such as bone fractures and neurodevelopmental disorders. The presence of these chemicals — chloronitramide anion and fluoride — has led to some concerns about the safety of tap water in the United States. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Record dryness in US Northeast should change water behavior, experts say
“It hasn’t been a typical fall for the northeastern United States. Fires have burned in parks and forests around New York City. Towns and cities in a stretch from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to south of Philadelphia had their driest three months on record, according to the Applied Climate Information System. Some reservoirs in the region are near historic lows. Major changes need to happen to avoid critical shortages of water in the future, even if that future isn’t immediate. As the climate warms, droughts will continue to intensify and communities should use this one as motivation to put in place long-term solutions, experts say. “This is the canary in the coal mine for the future,” said Tim Eustance, executive director of the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission. “People should stop watering their lawns yesterday.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Earth’s largest cities are sinking into the ocean. Here’s what that means
“In the cities of Navotas and Malabon in the densely populated area of northern Metropolitan Manila in the Philippines, flooding has become common. So much so, in fact, that the country’s distinctive jeepney vehicles (elaborately decorated buses) are now made from stainless steel to prevent corrosion by seawater. The streets have been repeatedly elevated too, to the point that some are now higher than people’s doors. “They keep on putting the roads higher and higher, but I don’t know how they can sustain that,” says Dr Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute. The struggle to keep above water isn’t just a result of the sea levels going up; if anything, it has more to do with the ground level going down. … ” Read more from BBC Science Focus.
