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In California water news today …
The impacts of non-native fish on salmon populations in the San Joaquin River
“At last week’s ACWA Fall Conference, one of the sessions highlighted studies on predation and fish populations in the lower San Joaquin River and south Delta that the fisheries and environmental consulting firm FishBio has been conducting with funding and support from several San Joaquin Valley water districts. “The reason we’re bringing this to you is even though this study is in a smaller geographic area, the results that you will hear about today infer that this is an issue of non-native species populations being so large that they’re impacting the native species and an issue greater than our focus area,” said David Weisenberger, General Manager of the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District. The way we manage fisheries, particularly salmon, mainly revolves around providing additional flows for fish. “That means that the burden for this management is largely placed on water users,” said Dana Lee, a fisheries biologist with FishBio. “But we haven’t seen the benefits of that approach. In fact, most of the salmon species are in decline. This is the second year in a row, the second time in history, that we’ve had a multi-year closure of the salmon season. So I think the mechanisms behind providing that flow are not particularly well understood.” … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Winter forecast update: Weather tug-of-war to unfold over US
“Winter weather has arrived in the United States with teeth-chattering chill and even some snow descending across the Central and Eastern states while the West has been dry and mild. However, this is just the start of the long season, leaving many to wonder if the first week of December was a preview of what’s to come. The weather pattern across the country will flip around the middle of December, opening the door for milder air to thaw areas of the central and eastern U.S. that had early-season snow. Meanwhile, rain and mountain snow will return to the West as storms from the Pacific roll through the region. “We are favoring heavier rain and snow in the Pacific Northwest and occasionally Northern California,” AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
SEE ALSO: It’s almost winter, but much of the U.S. is still unusually dry, from the Washington Post
Windy start, wet finish: Bay Area faces a rapid weather turnaround this week
“It’s been nearly two weeks since San Francisco saw measurable rainfall, but that’s set to change by the end of this week. A persistent ridge of high pressure, which has lingered stubbornly and contributed to prolonged unhealthy air quality, is finally moving out. As this system breaks down and the weather pattern turns more active, the Bay Area will experience rapid changes. Gusty offshore winds are expected early in the week, followed by a potent storm system that will deliver widespread rain by week’s end. On Monday, a low-pressure system will quickly slide from the Pacific Northwest into the interior western U.S. In its wake, a new area of high pressure will build by Tuesday. This swift transition from low to high pressure will create a decent pressure gradient, setting the stage for offshore winds to develop across the state. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Not all floodmaps are created equal
“For assessing flood risk in California, not all flood maps are created equal. We compared FEMA’s flood maps to independent modeling, including climate-informed flood risk. This comparison illustrates very different pictures of flood risk, depending on the map used and how those maps were created, with implications for how California manages infrastructure and prepares for future flooding. Since the 1960s, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been charged with mapping and managing flood risk in the US. FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) defines the 100-year floodplain (or 1% annual chance of flood) and is the regulatory basis for floodplain management nationwide, including whether or not flood insurance is required for many US homeowners. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
A trade war under Trump would bring major losses for California agriculture, experts warn
“As President-elect Donald Trump vows to impose tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada, economists are warning that a retaliatory trade war could cause major financial damage for California’s agriculture industry. In an analysis published before the presidential election, researchers examined potential scenarios of tariffs and retaliatory measures, and estimated that if a significant trade war occurs, California could see the value of its agricultural exports reduced by up to one-fourth, bringing as much as $6 billion in losses annually. The experts at UC Davis and North Dakota State University said some of the most vulnerable commodities include pistachios, dairy products, wine and almonds, all of which are exported in large quantities to China. “The worst-case scenario is pretty bleak,” said Sandro Steinbach, director of North Dakota State University’s Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies. “Basically, tariffs are harmful to U.S. agriculture, and to California agriculture in particular, because they will invite tariff retaliation.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
A drought-resilient Central Valley Project is critical for our shared future
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland writes, “Over the past three and a half years, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has directed historic investments to California to address the climate crisis, build drought resilience, and strengthen the Golden State’s aging infrastructure. The resilience of the Central Valley Project, with its importance to California’s agricultural industry and drinking water deliveries to major urban centers in the Greater Sacramento and San Francisco Bay areas, has been a central focus of our mission since day one. … Protecting the functionality and resilience of this critical resource has never been more important for the Californians and wildlife alike who depend on it every single day. Now, with funds committed to the Central Valley Project from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are ensuring the future of critical water supplies for wildlife refuges and Northern California cities, saving crops from being fallowed in drought years, and keeping water in the San Joaquin River – California’s second largest. … ” Read the full commentary at the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
First, do no harm
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs at the Milk Producers Council, writes, “I had the privilege of being a panel member at the 10-year anniversary event of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which was sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources last month. The moderator of my panel asked this question: “In the next 10 years, what is it that the State needs to focus on to support the implementation of SGMA? What do we need to get right?” In my opinion, the first answer to that question needs to be do no harm. And yet, doing more harm is exactly on the agenda of the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) as they consider updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (“Bay-Delta Plan”). … ” Continue reading at the Milk Producers Council.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Community forum on Mendocino water scarcity brings out a crowd
“Presenting to a packed house on Tuesday night, consultants hired by the Mendocino City Community Services District, overseers of the coastal community’s water, said that the town is facing a water deficit that cannot be met by existing water sources. Adam Rausch, a senior resource engineer with the consulting firm GHD, said that less than half of Mendocino’s “Maximum Day Demand” of 534,000 gallons – meaning 85 gallons per day per person – could be met by current supplies. In fact, supplies would not even meet an “Average Day Demand” of 356,000 gallons per day, the study found. The purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to solicit community input on the findings in GHD’s draft Source Water Study and to discuss what to do about them. And the community showed up. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Change ahead for Meyers with new aquatic invasive species station and TED plan
“Meyers Advisory Council had their last meeting of the year on Tuesday, discussing the new aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspection station and rolling the Meyers Area Plan into the larger Tahoe El Dorado (TED) Area Plan. Both topics are deeply tied with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) changes in policies over the last few years. As the number of visitors to Tahoe grows every year, it’s clear that the current AIS station, located on the U.S. 50 roundabout, is undersized. Combatting the threat of invasive species entering the lake is a major priority for TRPA, among other lake concerned groups, especially with the advent of the New Zealand mud snail and the golden mussel—both mollusks that could proliferate almost as fast as the visitor growth, to a disastrous degree. … ” Continue reading at the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Tree mortality surveys are out: What they mean for Lake Tahoe
“Each year aerial observers for the USDA Forest Service ride in small fixed-wing aircraft 1,000 feet above California forests. Their focus isn’t on the views or the horizon, but rather downward. Their trained eyes are looking for the yellow or red-brown of dried or discolored foliage. It’s their job to observe, survey and report conifer and hardwood mortality, defoliation, and other damage. In addition to noting the mortality and forest damage locations, they also note several other factors, including the damage type, affected forest area percentage and severity, impacted tree species, as well as the probable damage-causing agent. “The idea is to map all dead trees once and once only,” Jeffrey Moore, the Forest Service’s aerial survey program manager says. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun.
BAY AREA
Ranchers sue NPS for decision to free tule elk
” In a pivotal week for environmental conservation, the National Park Service (NPS) announced its final decision to dismantle the 8-foot-tall boundary fence confining the largest Tule elk herd at Point Reyes National Seashore. The decision, announced in an NPS press release on December 2, marks the culmination of a hard-fought campaign by animal protection organizations, including In Defense of Animals. However, the California Cattlemen’s Association filed a lawsuit just two days later attempting to halt this progress. … ” Read more from In Defense of Animals.
CENTRAL COAST
Trout once filled SLO creek. Now researchers are working to understand dwindling population
“Zachary Crum looked like a member of the Ghostbusters as he sloshed through San Luis Obispo Creek wearing an electrofisher backpack — an instrument that safely stuns fish so he can study them. The backpack contained a battery, a control board and a 6-foot fiberglass pole topped with a metal ring. When the biologist dipped the pole in the water, an electrical current briefly stunned the nearby fish. A handful of silver, speckled steelhead trout floated to the surface of the creek for a moment — just enough time for Crum to net them and drop them into a bucket of water. Crum is the lead on a California Department of Fish and Wildlife pilot project to track steelhead trout in San Luis Obispo Creek. Steelhead trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, according to a 2023 NOAA Fisheries report, and researchers have been working to understand the fish locally. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via the Gazette Extra.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Tehachapi water district GM comments on imported water allocation and stalled city industrial subdivision
“Tom Neisler, general manager of Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, was out of town for a conference of the Association of California Water Agencies when the initial allocation for the State Water Project was announced on Dec. 2.The Department of Water Resources announced an initial SWP allocation forecast of 5% of requested supplies for 2025. The SWP provides water to 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians. Since the early 1970s, the local water district has imported water to supplement groundwater in the Cummings, Brite and Tehachapi basins. In recent years, the supply has become less reliable. In an email on Dec. 6, Neisler said TCCWD is disappointed in DWR’s initial allocation. “This allocation equates to 965 acre-feet of imported water for our district, which comes nowhere close to meeting our customers’ demand exceeding 9,000 acre-feet,” Neisler said. He added that 2022 was very wet, and 2023 was an average precipitation year. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Red flag warnings set to take effect throughout Southern California, beginning Monday
“Red flag warnings will go into effect early Monday for large swaths of Southern California, from Los Angeles to San Diego, due to strong Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service. The strong dry winds combined with warm temperatures and low humidity will bring fire weather to the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains as well as parts of the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County, according to the weather service. Inland areas of Orange County and all of the valley and mountain areas in San Bernardino and Riverside counties also will be affected. “This is pretty typical for this time of year,” said Sebastian Westerink, a weather service meteorologist in San Diego. “This is peak Santa Ana wind season and I would say that this is at least a moderate event.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Santa Ana to bring travel problems, wildfire risk to Southern California, from AccuWeather
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Farm runoff may be tied to respiratory illness near the Salton Sea
“At the Salton Sea State Recreation Area in Southern California, the smell of rotten eggs permeates the air. The odor is hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced by microbes in water depleted of oxygen. As the Salton Sea shrinks, the stench, which used to occur periodically, now happens regularly year-round. The impact goes beyond just a noxious smell. Community members living around the Salton Sea have reported headaches, nausea, and other issues tied to the smelly gas, according to Aydee Palomino, the environmental justice project manager at Alianza Coachella Valley, a nonprofit organization supporting communities on the sea’s northwest shore. The 35,000 community members who live closest to the sea are largely farmworkers and migrants who work in the booming farming regions to the north and south. Palomino and others at Alianza CV are also convinced that the sea’s poor water quality is linked to the region’s air pollution, long ranked as among the worst in the nation. But studies of air quality have long focused on the dust rising from the edges of the lake rather than the water itself. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
SEE ALSO: Fertilized soil may be a major source of smog near Salton Sea, researchers say, from the LA Times
SAN DIEGO
Environmental groups file intent to sue SeaWorld for alleged fireworks show pollution
“There are new documented claims that the popular fireworks shows over SeaWorld are polluting Mission Bay and the surrounding beaches. San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation have sent a letter of notice of intent to sue SeaWorld. The environmental advocates say the company routinely discharges plastic caps, wires, trash and other chemical covered debris into Mission Bay in violation of its fireworks permit. “Our view is they are not allowed to use this bay as a dumping ground for their fireworks shows, and as basically a garbage dump for their poorly treated wastewater, which they’re suppose to treat,” said Phillip Musegaas, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
San Diego County residents sue over raw sewage, pollution discharges from treatment plant
“South Bay residents in San Diego County are suing the operators of an international water treatment plant in San Ysidro, alleging that raw sewage and other pollutants including hydrogen sulfide and DDT have been regularly discharged from the plant. The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 15 in San Diego County Superior Court by plaintiffs who say they are at risk of headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal upset and other problems as a result of noxious, unsafe water discharges flowing from the South Bay International Water Treatment Plant. The defendants in the lawsuit, including Veolia Water West Operating Services Inc. and Veolia Water North America-West LLC, have allegedly put the health of thousands of residents in Coronado, National City and elsewhere at risk as a result of unsafe water discharges flowing from the plant into coastal waters, according to the lawsuit. … ” Read more from the Southern California Record.
Along the Colorado River …
Tribes help boost Lake Mead water supply, hope for lame duck passage of $5B federal water act
“Since 2021, a handful of Colorado River Basin tribes have significantly boosted water supply in Lake Mead through voluntary contributions, helping stabilize a crucial reservoir that 25 million people rely on. The consequences of a two-decade drought in the west and a shrinking river have given tribes leverage in negotiations over how the river’s water is managed, and persuaded the federal government to pay tribes to conserve water while funding millions in additional infrastructure. More conservation arrangements with tribes were reached last week, after tribes met with the Bureau of Reclamation during the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference to extend water-saving agreements that will conserve another 43,000 acre feet of water in Lake Mead, or enough water to serve about 14,000 households for a year. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
New water restrictions at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim pose uncertain future
“The Transcanyon Waterline, the only system providing water to residents and visitors of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, is facing more water restrictions. Officials on the ground are looking to prevent a public drinking water shortage. When crews noticed a loss of pressure in the waterline Wednesday, a helicopter team flew above to identify a potential break in the system. Joëlle Baird with the National Park Service said high temperatures in the canyon and the waterline’s age have caused water delivery disruptions. In almost the last 15 years, there have been 85 major breaks in the waterline, according to the service. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
In national water news today …
Congress reaches agreement on 2024 Water Resources Development Act
“Last week, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) reached a final agreement on the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA). The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works Program to carry out projects to improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other aspects of water resources infrastructure. These are locally-driven projects that also deliver regional and national benefits to strengthen global competitiveness and supply chain, grow the economy, move goods throughout the country, protect communities from flooding and more. … ” Read more Water Finance & Management.
Scientists urged to pull the plug on ‘bathtub modeling’ of flood risk
“Recent decades have seen a rapid surge in damages and disruptions caused by flooding. In a commentary article published in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth’s Future, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom – the latter also executives of U.K. flood risk intelligence firm Fathom – call on scientists to more accurately model these risks and caution against overly dramatized reporting of future risks in the news media. In the paper, the researchers urge the climate science community to turn away from an outdated approach to mapping flood hazards known as “bathtub modeling,” which is an assumption that floods spread out over areas as a level pool. The technique is often used as a straightforward way to visualize flood impact in coastal areas but, according to the authors, can lead to an oversimplified and less realistic picture of flood risk than more advanced methods. The alternative to bathtub modeling, they say, is dynamical modeling that solves physics-based equations. … ” Read more from Smart Water Magazine.
A Supreme Court case about a railway could have widespread impacts on U.S. environmental laws
“A legal fight over an 88-mile proposed railway in Utah has set the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide how federal agencies evaluate the environmental impacts of projects requiring their approval, a decision with the potential to drastically shift how projects are permitted across the nation. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, on Tuesday, Dec. 10. It’s the latest development following a U.S. Court of Appeals decision last year that overturned a federal agency’s approval of the railway after a lawsuit from environmental groups and a Colorado county along the project’s path. The appeals court found that the review failed to evaluate the downstream impacts of the project. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
75% of Earth is now drier than it was in 1990
“More than three-quarters of the Earth’s land has become permanently drier, United Nations scientists warned Monday. Climate change caused by humans, such as greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation and transportation, is blamed as the primary cause for this historic shift. Researchers launched the landmark report, consisting of a detailed investigation into global aridity trends, at the 16th United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the largest U.N. land conference to date. The conference was also the first of U.N. land conferences to be held in the Middle East, an area which already feels the effects of international desertification. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Fall 2024 was nation’s warmest on record
“The average November temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 45.3 degrees F (3.6 degrees above average), ranking as the nation’s sixth-warmest November on record. Alabama, Louisiana, Maine and Mississippi each saw their record-warmest November, with an additional 25 states experiencing a top-10 warmest November on record. The nation’s average precipitation across the contiguous U.S. was 2.98 inches (0.75 of an inch above average), ranking as the 17th-wettest November on record. Oklahoma had its wettest November on record and Kansas had its second-wettest, which helped improve the drought conditions across large portions of the central U.S. … ” Read more from NOAA.
How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets.
“To consider how climate change could cause some extinctions, imagine a tiny mountain bird that eats the berries of a particular mountain tree. That tree can only grow at a specific elevation around the mountain, where it’s evolved over millennia to thrive in that microclimate. As global temperatures rise, both the tree and the bird will be forced to rise too, tracking their microclimate as it moves uphill. But they can only go so far. “Eventually, they reach the peak, and then there’s nowhere else to go,” says Mark Urban, a biologist at the University of Connecticut. … ” Read more from the LAist.
