A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
‘No way, not possible’: California has a plan for new water rules. Will it save salmon from extinction?
“The Newsom administration is refining a contentious set of proposed rules, years in the making, that would reshape how farms and cities draw water from the Central Valley’s Delta and its rivers. Backed by more than $1 billion in state funds, the rules, if adopted, would require water users to help restore rivers and rebuild depleted Chinook salmon runs.
The administration touts its proposed rules as the starting point of a long-term effort to double Central Valley Chinook populations from historical levels, reaching numbers not seen in at least 75 years. But environmental groups have almost unanimously rejected it, saying it promises environmental gains that will never materialize and jeopardizes the existence of California’s iconic salmon and other fish.
“There is no way the assets they’ve put on the table, water and habitat combined, are going to achieve the doubling goal — no way, not possible,” said Jon Rosenfield, science director with San Francisco Baykeeper. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Save the peat, save the planet, save the Delta?
“In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an invisible fire is burning. Peat soils, laid down under water when the region was a vast wetland, are oxidizing, vanishing into the atmosphere at the rate of about 1.5 inches a year. 150 years after levee-building created the modern landscape of agricultural islands between hardened tidal channels, many of those islands have lost 20 feet or more of soil; standing in a sunken cornfield, you might tilt your head back to see a ship chug by on an adjoining river. The subsidence continues.
On some tracts, there are 30 or more additional feet of organic soil to go. Some of the consequences are known. Levees defending hollowed-out islands are under pressure and at risk of failure. Valued farmland is likely to flood. And island collapse could wreck the plumbing of California’s largest water systems, which use Delta channels to shunt Sacramento River water south to the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. (These flows will continue for decades regardless of the fate of the latest Delta tunnel plan.)
Lately attention has shifted to another penalty of peat soil loss: its sizable output of greenhouse gases. Like coal, peat is a store of carbon, and its oxidation releases carbon dioxide to the air. The Delta comprises about 1.4% of California farmland, but generates about 15% of the state’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. “This tiny little dot in the middle of California is a chimney pumping carbon into the atmosphere,” says Campbell Ingram, Executive Officer of the Delta Conservancy. … Click here to continue reading this article.
A major California river dried up below Yosemite. The reason was a mystery — until now
“Two years ago, California water regulators were stunned to learn that a major river in the San Joaquin Valley had stopped flowing. The waterway ran dry for 5 miles, leaving young fish stranded in muddy pools, birds fleeing to new homes, and paddlers, waterfront property owners and farmers gripped with frustration. In a state partly defined by its thirst for water, the emptying of the Merced River for four months in 2022 remained something of a mystery. Fed by the snowy peaks of the Sierra, the Merced has long been heavily pumped for agriculture, and its levels often dip considerably during droughts. Yet California generally restricts water draws to keep at least some flow moving downstream. An investigation that state water regulators are just finishing into why the river dried up offers some insight: While water users clearly drew out more water than was healthy for the Merced, the California State Water Resources Control Board found that the users were largely within their legal rights to do so, highlighting a fundamental problem with the state’s regulatory system. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Groundwater models through stakeholders’ eyes: Evaluating benefits, challenges, and lessons for SGMA implementation
“The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires stakeholder participation in developing groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) to ensure the reliability of groundwater resources. Groundwater models became widely used in GSP development (e.g., to evaluate management actions). This study explores stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using these models in GSP development and of models’ abilities to deal with uncertainties arising from existing data gaps. Qualitative interviews and minutes from groundwater advisory committee meetings from three groundwater basins reveal that groundwater models can improve stakeholders’ understanding of the groundwater system and help stakeholders identify management actions. … ” Read the full article at California Agriculture.
Landmark government report calls for national mobilization to curb groundwater depletion
“Even as groundwater levels have rapidly declined in farming regions from California’s Central Valley to the High Plains, the federal government has mostly taken a hands-off approach to the chronic depletion of the nation’s aquifers. But in a new report for the White House, scientists say the country is facing serious and unprecedented groundwater challenges that call for the federal government to play a larger role. Members of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said the country needs better data to provide a comprehensive picture of how much groundwater there is and how fast it is being depleted. The scientists called for a national effort to advance strategies for safeguarding aquifers, including establishing a federal program that would provide incentives to encourage states and communities to manage underground water supplies sustainably. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Scientists are turning fog into water. Here’s what it could mean for California
“It comes in fingers, walls and waves. Along the San Francisco Bay, it often hangs, oppressive, eviscerating what could be a sunny day. Other times, it’s an apparition, within reach one moment and beyond grasp the next. Fog — a part of daily life for millions of Californians — is fundamentally fickle. Yet now researchers are trying to more consistently harvest it. The effort comes as global warming pushes California’s climate pendulum from brutal droughts to extreme deluges. As these swings intensify, water supplies are becoming increasingly precious. Fog, however, blankets parts of California through dry periods and heatwaves. Scientists, and investors, say this untapped water resource could make communities more resilient, while stirring an impulse to conserve. Peter Weiss, an environmental toxicologist at UC Santa Cruz, started collecting fog during the megadrought that plagued California from 2019 through 2021. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Warm and “wet north/dry south” pattern to continue in California
“When it comes to California precipitation so far this season, your mileage may vary. Specifically as a function of latitude! Since October 1, nearly all of NorCal north of the Golden Gate has seen much wetter than average conditions; south of Point Conception, conditions have been much drier than average (and even completely dry in some cases). In fact, there are pockets of Sonoma County that are still on track to experience their wettest start to the Water Year on record–and wider swaths of SoCal that are on track to meet or tie the records for their driest start to the Water Year on record. Even in a state where there are frequently striking north-south contrasts, the extremity of the current north-south precipitation dipole is genuinely remarkable–a north-south contrast that may itself be record-breaking in some respects. … ” Read more from Weather West.
California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state
“California has a vast network of local, state and federal reservoirs that store and supply water to cities and farms across the state. Water stored in the reservoirs typically makes up about 60% of the state’s total water supply. Rain and snowfall during the rainier months of the year between November and March are critical for the reservoirs and their ability to supply water during drier months. Following consecutive years of drought, many of the reservoirs remain thirsty. The Chronicle is tracking daily water storage levels at 48 of the state’s major water supply reservoirs compared with their historical averages (1991 to 2020). The storage level is shown as percentages of total storage capacity for each reservoir. The charts are updated daily at 8:00 a.m. to reflect the most recent data. … ” Check out the charts at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Once cold and lonely, ‘snow management’ at Tahoe resorts goes high-tech with lasers
“At midnight, a slender moon hangs above the snowy Sierra Nevada, casting only a faint glow on a sheer cliff and the dark canyon below. But snowcat operator “Bandit” Ferrante has laser-guided vision, measuring snow depth 150 feet ahead and to each side to sculpt the slopes with precision. By dawn, crowds will start arriving to ski and ride the weekend’s fresh powder. “These advancements are changing the way we do things,” said Ferrante, 37, who drives a new $400,000 German-made PistenBully rig with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to prepare the trails. “I see exactly where we’re going, and what’s going on.” After two winters of heavy snow, the snowfall so far this winter has been sporadic. While Mother Nature is always fickle, climate change could create less reliable snow, spelling hardship for the businesses and mountain communities that depend on storms for their economic survival. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Governor Newsom’s water projects face backlash over climate impact
“Governor Gavin Newsom’s promotion of two major water infrastructure projects, the Sites Reservoir and the Delta Tunnel, has sparked significant criticism from environmental groups. Newsom recently described the Delta Tunnel as the “single most important climate adaptation project in the U.S.” However, Friends of the River, an environmental advocacy group, argues that these projects could exacerbate California’s climate crisis. The group claims that the Sites Reservoir would significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. They estimate that the reservoir’s average annual emissions would surpass those of more than 80,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles, undermining California’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Sequencing the mysterious microbes of the San Francisco Estuary
“Life in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has continued to persist amidst almost constant human interference, from intensive manipulation of the area’s natural hydrology and salinity to the arrival of introduced species and high levels of agricultural runoff. But the changing climate presents a growing challenge for an already sensitive ecosystem. In 2022, higher temperatures and extended drought created the conditions for a record-breaking toxic algal bloom, which killed thousands of fish and turned the waters of the San Francisco Bay — from Emeryville to Albany — a deep reddish-brown. That’s why Lauren Lui, a research scientist with the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), is set on uncovering how the Delta’s microscopic life impacts the ecological health of this area and the quality of California’s drinking water. Using the latest sequencing technology, Lui, who conducts research in Berkeley Lab’s Biosciences Area, plans to assemble a database with the complete genomes of the estuary’s microorganisms. The database will help scientists develop a predictive understanding of how microbes may respond to environmental changes. … ” Read more from Berkeley Lab.
California hatcheries lend a helping hand to Battle Creek fall run Chinook salmon
“For hundreds of years fall Chinook salmon in the Central Valley of California have been abundant and thrived in the rivers and tributaries flowing through the great valley. Little by little as rivers and streams were modified by dams and channels beginning in the early 1900s, salmon populations began declining. In 1942, Congress recognized that hatcheries were needed to help support these fish and established Coleman National Fish Hatchery to mitigate the loss of salmon naturally returning to historic spawning areas. Each year, Coleman needs to collect 3,500 pairs of fall Chinook salmon during the months of October and November to meet its annual production goal of 12 million juvenile fall Chinook salmon. Typically, plenty of salmon return to the hatchery via Battle Creek, however, 2024 was different story, with 1,100 females returning in the fall. As a result, the hatchery collected roughly only 5.5 million eggs. … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Update: A record 34,740 salmon return to Mokelumne River, Upper Sacramento run is dismal
“A record high number of fall-run Chinook salmon have returned to the California’s Mokelumne River to date, while an alarmingly low number of Chinooks have come back to the Upper Sacramento River’s Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek. A total of 34,740 fish have gone over the Woodbridge Diversion Dam on the Mokelumne near Lodi through Dec. 13, according to Michelle Workman, Fisheries and Wildlife Manager for the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). 25,429 of those fish were adults, while 9,303 were grilse (male/female 2 year olds). Those numbers don’t add up to the total because a handful of early fish could not be sorted by male/female. The previous salmon record was set last year when the total run size was 28,865, said Workman. … ” Continue reading from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
Out-of-control invasive species has met its match: Cute and hungry otters
“A California ecosystem has gotten a big boost from an adorable, fluffy and hungry friend. At Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a newly-reinvigorated population of native southern sea otters has eaten so many invasive European green crabs that researchers say the otters have locally solved a problem that has plagued the West Coast for years. States are spending millions to protect their inland waterways from the tiny crabs. Though small – they reach only four inches in width – the invaders harm native wildlife and shoreline ecosystems. At stake are multi-million dollar shellfish industries for Dungeness, king crab and other species. But at the reserve, otters have almost wiped the crabs out, helping the estuary’s ecosystem come back into balance. … ” Read more from USA Today.
Court rules California Coastal Commission can limit construction of seawalls for thousands of property owners
“The California Coastal Commission, a powerful state agency that regulates development along the state’s 1,100-mile coastline, can deny property owners permits to build seawalls if their homes or businesses were constructed after 1977, a state appeals court has ruled. The closely watched case, centered on 10 townhouses near Half Moon Bay, could affect thousands of property owners and beaches visited by millions of people, particularly as the Pacific Ocean continues to rise due to climate change. In a published opinion released Thursday, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco sided with the Coastal Commission and environmental groups, who have increasingly argued that sea walls cause public beaches to erode and eventually disappear. “We’re very pleased that the court upheld a commonsense reading of the Coastal Act,” said Kate Huckelbridge, executive director of the Coastal Commission. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times.
As the federal Safe Drinking Water Act turns 50, California is poised to address new challenges
“The State Water Resources Control Board today joins many nationwide in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act and recognizing the lasting impact of a federal law that ushered in the modern era of drinking-water regulation throughout the U.S. In California, the act inspired numerous pioneering achievements by the State Water Board to safeguard the drinking water supply in the state. Signed into law by President Gerald Ford on this day in 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act continues to play a pivotal role in protecting human health by safeguarding the safety and quality of drinking water in all 50 states. In many ways, California leads the way in identifying contaminants and establishing health safety standards – known as maximum contaminant levels, or MCLs – that protect the quality of drinking water for 7,400 public water systems throughout the state. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
SEE ALSO: Safe Drinking Water Act Turns 50, from Circle of Blue
Weather whiplash in the Sierra-Cascade and the need to accelerate resilience
“Winter began in earnest when an atmospheric river drenched Northern California with record breaking rainfall totals and dropped a thick blanket of snow on the Sierra-Cascade at the end of November 2024. This historic storm followed another record-breaking weather event in 2024—California’s hottest summer ever recorded. Although it’s too early to know if this year’s winter will bring more record-breaking storms, the fast transition from one extreme weather event to another, known as weather whiplash, is an increasing pattern seen throughout the state. The burst in vegetation growth from a wet 2024 spring quickly dried out during the heatwaves that followed in June and July. Once the Park Fire ignited, it was able to spread rapidly through the fuel load, making it the fourth largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history. For the Sierra-Cascade Region, the record-breaking heat is one of many extreme weather events that have defined the past decade. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
In commentary this week …
Delaying the Delta Conveyance Project puts California’s water security at risk
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, writes, “The State Water Project, a cornerstone of California’s water delivery system, runs on 1960s-era infrastructure. This aging system is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, seismic risks and environmental challenges. Modernizing it with the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) is essential to ensure sustainable and reliable access to the water that powers our state’s communities, farms and industries. That’s why recent attempts to delay progress on the DCP before the Delta Stewardship Council are not just frustrating — they’re harmful. DCP opponents argue that conducting geotechnical investigations necessary to inform the engineering and design of the DCP is currently inconsistent with the Delta Plan — the long-term plan that guides the management of the Delta’s water supply and environmental resources. This claim simply doesn’t hold water and fundamentally misrepresents the nature and purpose of geotechnical work. … ” Read more from the State Water Contractors.
Turning climate change on its head: What Governor Newsom doesn’t understand about his own water agenda
Friends of the River writes, “Earlier this week, Governor Newsom was all over the state pushing his two favorite water infrastructure projects, Sites Reservoir and the Delta Tunnel. He called the tunnel the “single most important climate adaptation project in the U.S.” Apparently, the Governor doesn’t know that Sites Reservoir and the Delta Tunnel will actually make the climate change crisis in California worse in major ways. First, Sites Reservoir would be a major new contributor of greenhouse gas emissions – mostly in the form of methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses. In fact, average annual emissions from the proposed reservoir are expected to exceed that of more than 80,000 gas-powered passenger vehicles. This directly undermines recent state law mandating carbon neutrality by 2045, and the Governor’s own efforts to achieve this goal. … ” Continue reading this press release.
LA rolls out the Trojan horse named ‘Climate Change’ to shred the Delta
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “The Los Angeles water overlords want to tempt Californians with their latest Trojan Horse. And the horse’s name is “Climate Change.” Do not misunderstand. Climate change per se exists. And it has many possible scenarios that should be dealt with. But destroying the Delta’s ecological system and creating a ripple effect that would imperil water supplies in the Northern San Joaquin Valley to “protect” a large chunk of Southern California’s water supply is not one of them. Addressing the consequences of climate change was referenced as the main reason that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California this past week in allocated $142 million for pre-construction and planning costs for the Delta tunnel. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Standing by Words
Trudy Wischemann writes, “Wendell Berry, the American agrarian author who has been speaking for integrity between land and people for half a century, wrote a book called “Standing by Words” (1984). I admire his writings, but this book’s title itself speaks volumes. Standing by our words may be what Americans both red and blue crave most. Last week I attended more public meetings than I have all year. Sitting there, I remembered why I resist going: it’s a language problem. Between unexplained acronyms for ongoing programs and the pauses in sentences while officials decide what can be said in public, it’s hard not to feel left out. Our government officials wonder why the public doesn’t attend, while speaking in tongues and keeping their cards close to their chests. One of last week’s meetings was different, though language still played a confounding role. The State Water Resources Control Board (now shortened to “Waterboards”) held a special session to hear the concerns of Punjabi farmers and present information with translators. Unfortunately, there was more presenting than listening. … ” Read more at the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
California’s next water war won’t concern agriculture. It will be about AI
Dean Florez, a past senator from Central Valley and a member of the California Air Resources Board, writes, “For decades, California’s water debates have centered on a familiar tension: agriculture versus urban consumption. Agriculture, which consumes 80% of the state’s developed water supply, has long dominated discussions about conservation and efficiency. Yet, a new contender is emerging, one poised to dwarf agriculture in water demand and reshape the state’s water future: artificial intelligence (AI). California’s agricultural sector is the backbone of the nation’s food supply, using approximately 34 million acre-feet of water annually — over 11 trillion gallons. This water sustains crops like almonds, grapes and rice, many of which are highly water-intensive and vital to the state’s economy. For decades, agriculture has been framed as the primary focus of water conservation efforts, with farmers frequently cast as both stewards and villains of California’s strained water resources. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news this week …
U.S. House passes legislation benefiting Klamath Project irrigators
“The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 7938, authored by Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), which fulfills financial and regulatory commitments made years ago to Klamath Project irrigators. In his floor statement, Bentz called the legislation “long overdue” and crucial to mitigate negative impacts on agricultural communities resulting from the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River that took place this year. Under the legislation, federal agencies would not be allowed to pass on the costs of operating or maintaining Keno and Link River Dams, infrastructure built and formerly operated by PacifiCorp, which are not being removed. “This is a very important achievement, and great news for Klamath Project irrigators,” said Klamath Water Users Association president Tracey Liskey, who previously testified in a Congressional committee in support of the bill. “We have been promised for years that we would not be stuck with these costs but need this legislation to make that promise real.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Seizing a rare chance to keep tidal marsh ahead of sea level rise in the San Francisco Bay
“The San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which hugs the northern arc of the San Francisco Bay, was established half a century ago to conserve water birds. Now the refuge has an additional vital role: bolstering the region against climate change. The San Francisco Bay is the most urbanized estuary nationwide with 7.5 million people, and rising seas threaten to inundate much of the tidal marsh that absorbs floodwaters and buffers the shoreline from storm surges. The refuge is a rarity in that it lies along a stretch of shore not hemmed in by dense development. New efforts to expand the refuge are underway, which would give its marshes room to migrate inland as the tides slowly but surely lap higher. “The North Bay has the greatest potential to adapt to climate change,” says refuge manager Melisa Amato. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
Sonoma County must suspend non-emergency well drilling under court order
“Sonoma County has once again suspended permitting for non-emergency well drilling, this time under the order of a Sonoma County judge. The order follows an August ruling in which Superior Court Judge Bradford DeMeo determined the county violated state environmental law in its attempt to draft a controversial ordinance governing wells and groundwater use. In light of that finding, the county must halt non-emergency well-permitting until it can complete an environmental review of the ordinance in alignment with state law, the court ordered. The county received the directive Wednesday afternoon and “immediately stopped” issuing permits for non-emergency wells, said Tennis Wick, director of Permit Sonoma, the county’s planning and permitting department.But the county has not yet begun the environmental review process because it plans to appeal the decision, Wick said. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
SEE ALSO: Amid Lawsuit, Court Orders Sonoma County To Stop Issuing Well Permits, from The Patch
Hearing on battle over fees to fund groundwater measures in Madera County postponed
“A hearing in the lawsuit over groundwater agency fees in Madera County has been postponed until Feb. 27, 2025. It had been scheduled to start Tuesday, Dec. 17. The lawsuit was filed two years ago by a group of farmers over land assessment fees – some as high as $246 per acre – meant to fund measures to address the region’s groundwater overdraft. The fees were assessed by the Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) to implement land fallowing, recharge and other programs to bring the aquifer into balance as mandated by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Farmers felt the fees were unfair and won an injunction that stymied the fees until the lawsuit is decided. The county believes fees should be paid regardless. The county’s attorney Kyle Brochard called the farmer’s suit “flawed from the start,” in an email. “Those flaws were pointed out in the beginning and were not fixed, and now cannot be fixed.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Farmers may be charged for water use in overdrafted Paso Robles basin. ‘We’re using too much’
“People pumping from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin may soon need to pay for their water. The Paso Basin Cooperative Committee and the five Groundwater Sustainability Agencies held a town hall on Monday to discuss the potential water use rates with the community. The town hall was well attended — with both farmers and residential well users there to learn about the potential fees and ways to improve the health of the basin. The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is considered “critically overdrafted,” which means that continuing the existing water management practices would have negative environmental, economic or social impacts on the basin and its users, according to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. On average, people pump 13,700 acre-feet of water more than is returned to the basin — an amount that fluctuates yearly, county groundwater sustainability director Blaine Reely said. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Next phase of Friant-Kern Canal repairs begins with intense scrutiny of study contract
“Negotiations focusing on how Friant Water Authority will repay the Bureau of Reclamation for a $22.2 million study mapping out how to fix the northern and southern portions of the sinking Friant-Kern Canal began Wednesday in Fresno. “We anticipate these talks should go smoothly, and we look forward to the conversation,” Wilson Orvis, Friant’s chief financial officer, said at the beginning of the meeting, which went on for another three hours as both sides scoured the draft contract line by line. The details are vitally important, said one observer who is involved in multiple legal actions over how to pay for already completed repairs on one section of the canal. “Clarity would have and will avoid further disputes as has occurred with Phase 1 of the Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project,” said Sean Geivet, General Manager of the Terra Bella, Saucelito and Porterville irrigation districts. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Where you live in LA can mean more ‘forever chemicals’ in your blood
“There’s new evidence that your environment can play a significant role in how much you’re exposed to “forever chemicals,” a nickname for a group of harmful human-made substances that end up in your blood and are nearly impossible to get rid of. University of Southern California researchers found in a study that some Angelenos, who lived near or too far from certain neighborhood factors, had a higher presence of chemicals in their bloodstream. Talk of “forever chemicals,” officially known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is usually focused on our tap water supply. But these globally-used chemicals are in tons of consumer products, including grease-resistant food packaging, nonstick cookware, and waterproof clothing. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Restoring the Salton Sea: Enhancing habitats and safeguarding community health
“California state agencies are working on projects to improve air quality and create safe habitats for birds at the Salton Sea, a key stop along the Pacific Flyway. Over the years, less water has been flowing into the sea, causing it to shrink and become saltier. As the water recedes, exposed lakebed releases dust, which poses health concerns for nearby communities. The Salton Sea Management Program includes the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, working under the California Natural Resources Agency to advance projects at the Salton Sea to improve air quality and provide critical environmental habitat for birds along the Pacific Flyway. State legislation, State Water Resources Control Board orders, and formal agreements between federal, Tribal, and local entities guide the SSMP’s work. The November meeting of the California Water Commission included an update on the Salton Sea Management Program. Evon Willhoff, Acting Assistant Deputy Director for Salton Sea Restoration, and Melinda Dorrin, Acting Salton Sea Restoration Office Lead Manager, both with DWR, provided an overview of the Program’s restoration actions, including the recent implementation of large-scale aquatic habitat restoration and vegetation enhancement on exposed Salton Sea lakebed. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
