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In California water news today …
Valley Water Board of Directors to consider additional funding for Delta Conveyance Project
“Santa Clara County relies on water delivered through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for approximately 40% of its water supply. However, the Delta water system is aging and becoming less reliable due to climate change and stricter regulations aimed at protecting fish species such as the Delta Smelt, Chinook Salmon and Steelhead. The Delta Conveyance Project aims to modernize California’s water delivery system. The project will protect against future water supply losses caused by climate-driven weather extremes, sea level rise, levee failures and earthquakes. It will modernize the water distribution system to capture and move water from big but infrequent storms so we can save more water to use during extended dry periods. The project could start providing water supply benefits as early as 2045. Valley Water is one of 18 agencies participating in the proposed Delta Conveyance Project. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
SEE ALSO: Valley Water District will vote on additional $9.69 million for Delta Tunnel project on Jan. 14, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
Restoring the Sierra headwaters: From forests to meadows to Lahontan cutthroat trout
“The Sierra Nevada is known for its incomparable natural beauty, a paradise for hikers, skiers, and anglers alike. However, decades of human intervention have degraded meadows, disrupted hydrological systems, and threatened critical habitats. Our team has been working tirelessly to address these challenges through innovative, integrated conservation projects to ensure the Sierra’s unparalleled landscape remains healthy for future generations to enjoy. This year, we have successfully completed two projects on By-Day Creek and June Mountain and have six more active projects in the region. Join us as we dive into a few key projects that are restoring the health and resiliency of some of our most challenging and important ecosystems. … ” Continue reading at Cal Trout.
As Southern California readies for drought, the Bay Area breaks rain records
“California’s complex but fragile climate is being split in two this year. In Northern California, record-setting rainfall and massive ocean swells are wreaking havoc on the state’s iconic piers and aging infrastructure, causing floods and, in a rare moment, a tornado alert. Just hours away down Interstate 5, Southern California is baking away, spiraling toward a deep drought with no immediate end in sight. At the end of the year, the contrast between the state’s two halves couldn’t be more stark.San Diego, the state’s second-most-populous county (and fifth largest in the United States), has not seen meaningful rainfall in months. The area is hurtling toward one of its driest starts to what has historically been the region’s rainy season, matching dryness levels not seen in more than 150 years. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Five new ‘Welcome to the Delta NHA’ signs go up
“Caltrans District 10 has installed five more “Welcome to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area” signs at key entrances to the Delta. “We’re grateful to Caltrans for this effort, and pleased to help expand motorists’ awareness of the Delta’s importance and national significance,” said Bruce Blodgett, executive director of the Delta Protection Commission. The Commission coordinates the National Heritage Area, California’s first and only NHA. … ” Read more from the Delta Protection Commission.
Valley fever cases surge in California, already way up from recent years
“Valley fever cases are skyrocketing in California, with this year’s tally already far exceeding the number recorded in all of 2023 and set to climb even higher once figures from the typically active month of December are reported. As of the end of November, 11,076 valley fever cases had been confirmed statewide, a 20% increase compared to last year’s total and a nearly 47% jump from 2022, according to state health data. Valley fever is caused by inhaling spores of coccidioides, a fungal pathogen that thrives in the drier and dustier regions of the state. The fungus is released when the dry soil where it grows is disturbed. Kern County has long been a hot spot for the disease and fungus, and this year is no different. The county accounts for 3,768, or just over one-third, of reported cases. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California’s piers may not be able to withstand climate change
“As a series of winter storms slammed California’s coast with powerful rip currents and towering waves, part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed on Monday, plunging two contractors and a city employee into the water. The pier was one of several public wharves and piers in the state actively undergoing structural integrity upgrades. While the coastal structures have occasionally succumbed to the ocean’s power throughout the years (including the Santa Monica Pier, once while the mayor was standing on it), the aging structures now face increasingly dynamic and unpredictable storms and often expensive and delayed upgrade projects. “We have exposed infrastructure across the entire California coast, and it’s going to be … stressed by the impacts of climate change, whether it’s changes in storm patterns, frequency and magnitude or sea level,” said Patrick Barnard, research director for the Climate Impacts and Coastal Processes Team at the U.S. Geological Survey. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Carpenter Valley headwaters protected
“The Truckee Donner Land Trust has announced the 691-acre acquisition at the headwaters of Carpenter Valley outside Truckee, according to an email from the Trust. Surrounded on three sides by peaks rising to nearly 9,000 feet, the property is remarkably pristine, remaining intact for a variety of wildlife that rely on the connected habitat between the Sierra Crest and the meadows in Carpenter Valley. It was under private ownership for more than a century by a family that prioritized stewardship of the natural landscape, according to the Land Trust website. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Guide.
Lawmakers prod the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on environmental thresholds
“Nevada and California lawmakers are pushing the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to update and improve key environmental thresholds. Those thresholds include air and water quality, soil conservation, vegetation, noise, recreation, scenic resources, and fish and wildlife. Nevada Senator Skip Daly, a Democrat from Washoe, serves as the chairperson of the Nevada Legislative Committee for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). He recently sent a letter to the TRPA requesting an environmental update. Senator Daly has asked for the updated environmental impact statement to be completed before the upcoming 2025 Nevada Legislative Session, which begins on the first Monday of February. … ” Read more from KTVN.
North Lake Tahoe does not need to be saved by the League to Save Lake Tahoe
Alex Mourelatos, one of the family owners and General Manager of the Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, writes, “We, the North Lake Tahoe community, are fully capable of looking out for ourselves and our beloved lake. The League’s decision to file a lawsuit challenging Placer County’s approval of the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan is misguided and should be reversed. Our community is filled with dedicated citizens committed to improving our environment and quality of life. Hundreds of volunteers invest their time and expertise to make North Lake Tahoe a better place for themselves, their families, and future generations. We engage in open, transparent meetings where all voices are heard, consensus is built, and decisions reflect the community’s collective interests. This process works, and I trust it. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
BAY AREA
Bolinas Beach reopens after contamination probe
“Sections of Bolinas Beach have reopened following a three-month closure because of contaminants. The county discovered the pollution in the Mesa area in September, when inspectors visited a site for a permit application. They saw potential effluent coming out of a cliff above the beach and discolored, odorous and crystallized liquid in soil surrounding the bluffs. “In some areas the water was seeping and in others it was flowing,” Sarah Jones, director of the Marin County Community Development Agency, said in September. Tests revealed that the soil contained ammonia, E. coli and coliform bacteria, raising concerns about the possibility of sewage leaking from private septic systems. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Construction at Anderson Dam to be delayed less than one year
“Since construction on the Anderson Dam Tunnel Project started in June 2022, Valley Water has achieved several key goals for this important public safety and water supply project. In September 2023, Valley Water released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, which is necessary to obtain the required permits. In June 2024, Valley Water released a Partially Recirculated Draft EIR with updated information. And in September 2024, our crews finished excavating a 1,736-foot-long tunnel next to Anderson Dam. The new, larger tunnel will help Valley Water release more water from the reservoir during an emergency. Valley Water has also made significant progress in designing the retrofit project, securing environmental permitting and selecting a contractor. These steps are essential and must be finalized before construction begins. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
At San Francisco refuge, new trail connects community
“There’s something new drawing visitors — cyclists, runners and pedestrians — to the Ravenswood unit of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge: The Flyway Trail and Viewing Area, which opened in October 2024. As trails go, it might not seem like much: just a half-mile strip of pavement between the refuge and Bedwell Bayfront Park, the only city-owned open space within the city of Menlo Park. But as a connector, the new trail is a game changer. The trail links to a footbridge that Meta (formerly Facebook) built two years ago across Interstate 84. The result is the first-ever walking path from congested East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park to the park and the refuge. “We’re literally bringing the bay to people’s footsteps,” says Miguel Marquez, park ranger at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The trail also showcases a major effort to restore the bay and reduce area storm flooding. Trail users can see three different types of wetlands managed by the refuge, as it returns former industrial salt ponds to tidal flow. … ” Read more from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Are salmon native to San Jose? South Bay volunteers are hopeful for an answer
“A South Bay organization is cleaning up creeks and rivers and recording the return of the king – salmon, that is. The East Bay Municipal Utility District recorded over 30,000 salmon returning to the Mokelumne River since September due to conservation efforts, but sights of jumping salmon in San Jose and Campbell are also capturing attention. The South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition, a volunteer group that aims to clean up waterways so native wildlife can survive and grow, has been recording increasing salmon populations in the South Bay over the last eight or nine years. They primarily focus on the Guadalupe River, Los Gatos Creek and Coyote Creek. They are working with the California Fish and Game Commission and UC Davis scientists to record salmon populations spawning in South Bay waterways. After a few years of recording the salmon that have spawned and died in San Jose and Campbell creeks and rivers, they discovered that some of these fish may be wild and not just hatchery strays. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
Conservationists torch trees to save coastal prairies
“Next to Empire Grade Road near UC Santa Cruz, firefighters touch their torches to the dried grass, causing flames to fan out across the field. The burn engulfs shrubs and saplings that grow amongst the grass, while the fast-moving fire leaves taller trees unscathed. This prescribed burn was one of many lit near the California coast this fall. It aims to keep the grassland free of trees and shrubs, maintaining the coastal prairie, one of California’s most overlooked ecosystems. Rolling hills of grass and wildflowers once blanketed swaths of the state’s western edge. Periodic fires set by Native Americans maintained these open fields, since grasses spring back faster from fire than trees and shrubs. But when European colonization extinguished these blazes, the balance shifted, and dense forests began overtaking the grasslands. Today, only about 10% of native coastal prairies remain. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Shandon water district seeks 4.56 billion gallons from Nacimiento Reservoir
“The Shandon San-Juan Water District has requested 4.56 billion gallons of water from the Nacimiento Reservoir and Santa Margarita Lake from the state water board for an underground storage project. The Monterey County Water Resources Agency has opposed any action by Shandon to remove water from these two sources.The Groundwater Sustainability Agency of the Shandon San-Juan Water District initially filed two water rights applications with the state water board in 2021 to request 14,000 acre-feet, or 4.56 billion gallons, of water to their district for use and storage. They filed updated applications on July 2, 2024 to divert the water for an underground storage project; this was prompted by the state water board informing the Shandon district that “they do not demonstrate that Shandon has access to the land and physical facilities needed to implement the projects contemplated in the applications,” as seen in the Monterey County Oct. 8 board report. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News.
Santa Barbara airport attempts to avoid drowning
“This past February, the Santa Barbara Airport closed twice due to flooding from incessant rainstorms. The year before it closed in January when powerful storms driven by atmospheric rivers of rain dropped more than 10 inches along the coast and 33 inches in the mountains. Barely 15 feet above sea level — the Pacific Ocean is just a few hundred yards away — the airport is bordered by the Goleta Slough and three creek systems. Given its vulnerability to sea level rise, the airport is currently planning for the effects an increase of up to 6.6 feet, and the public is invited to take part. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Beavers in Modesto? Sightings aren’t unusual, but you have to know where, when to look
“Residents may not be used to seeing beavers in Modesto, but it turns out there is a long history of them in and around the area’s rivers and creeks. Jim Inman, wildlife biologist for FishBio based in Oakdale, said he sees beavers in Modesto fairly regularly, even in Dry Creek. “I’ve seen them downstream in the Grayson and Shiloh area and as upstream as La Grange,” he said. On Modesto’s SubReddit, a user posted a month ago about seeing a beaver in Dry Creek on the east side of El Vista Avenue near the trail loop. The person wondered if that was unusual. Molly Alves, Beaver Restoration Program supervisor for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said this definitely is a part of the state where beavers are historically native. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Commentary: Increasing recycled water supplies ensures water for future generations
Jim Barrett, general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District, writes, “As an agency that has proudly served our community for over a century, our responsibility is to address the critical importance of sustainable water management and its role in ensuring our region’s prosperity and health. CVWD is set to receive a $39 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to expand our wastewater treatment plant in Thermal. The grant pays for phase one of the project, which will provide a blend of canal and recycled water to irrigate crops and other landscapes as development advances in the eastern Coachella Valley. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun.
SAN DIEGO
Fluorescent-colored sand could show effects of ocean currents on California’s eroding beaches
“Fluorescent-colored sand sprinkled on San Diego County beaches could help reveal the complicated patterns of erosion that plague the region’s coastline. A so-called “tracer study” would use environmentally benign grains of bright material to show the movement of sand carried by ocean currents. The technique is recommended in a report recently completed by a “sediment management task force” for the county’s regional planning agency. Recent studies by oceanographers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and elsewhere take issue with the long-held belief that sediment migrates steadily from north to south in the water along the Pacific C“The ‘river of sand’ concept is over-simplistic,” said Keith Greer, deputy director of regional planning for the San Diego Regional Association of Governments. … ” Read more from the Mercury News.
San Diego wastewater Treatment Plant fix gets $250M infusion from Congress
“The continuing resolution signed Dec. 21 by President Joe Biden to fund the federal government through March includes $250 million for the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission plan to repair and expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego County, Calif. The overall plant construction plan will cost $600 million, with $350 million already committed in previous funding rounds. The plant, owned by the U.S. section of the bi-national border agency, has fallen into disrepair over the last two decades while Tijuana, among other border cities, has seen growth in manufacturing. Water treatment infrastructure on the Mexican side of the border has failed to keep up with development, sending raw sewage through the Tijuana River and into San Diego County. … ” Read more from Engineering News-Record.
Along the Colorado River …
Shrinking Colorado River will take a toll on the nation’s food supply
“The shelves and prices at your local grocery store could look a little different soon. The Colorado River, which provides water for about 15% of our country’s agriculture, is shrinking, and the current agreement that divvies up the water usage ends in 2026. The Imperial Valley in Southern California relies 100% on the Colorado River for its water. This valley receives less than three inches of rain a year, yet still produces about two-thirds of the country’s winter produce. Farmers in the valley say the shrinking water levels and competing interests over river usage will badly impact the nation’s food supply. “A lot of people say that the Colorado River and the diminishing water supply is an issue that affects 40 million people, because that’s who rely on it. I think that number is too low. I think 100 million people rely on the water from the Colorado,” said fourth-generation farmer Andrew Leimgruber. … ” Read more from Fox Business.
Environmentalists hail bipartisan bill to protect native fish in Colorado River
“Legislation to protect endangered and threatened native fish in the Colorado River is heading to President Joe Biden’s desk. Environmentalists are hailing the bipartisan work that made it possible. Proponents of the bill say it does more than just protect fish. “It’s a win, win-win right now for fish, for river health, agriculture, recreation, birds and their Riverside habitat,” said Abby Burk with the National Audubon Society. She’s not surprised that the bill got bipartisan support. “I feel that the demonstrated success of bringing people together with water projects in support of our connection to the river stands on its own, that when we really get down to the core of it, we all depend upon river health,” Burk said. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Utah will pay millions for farmers to leave fields empty — and leave water for the Colorado River
“Coby Hunt’s farm field near the southeast Utah town of Green River would normally be filled with alfalfa growing up to his knees. This year, however, it was barren — pale gray dirt cracking under the late summer sun. The only green things were scraggly scraps of whatever accidental plants somehow survived without irrigation. It wasn’t a pretty sight for Hunt. “It hurts,” he said as he surveyed the desolate field. “But there’s also a benefit of it looking like this, right?” That benefit is taking the water he could have used to irrigate his land and leaving it in the nearby Green River, which flows to the increasingly strained Colorado River. “There’s only so many pieces of the pie you can pull out before there’s no pie,” he said. “Every little bit you can save adds more.” … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
In national water news today …
AWWA: LCRI in current form ‘not feasible’
“On Dec. 13, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) filed a Petition for Review of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. With the petition, AWWA looks to address the feasibility of replacing all lead pipe in water systems across the United States. The final LCRI rule was filed on Oct. 8, 2024, requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years, although the LCRI compliance deadline will not begin until 2027. The LCRI will also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. But AWWA has concerns about how it can be done effectively and affordably. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: San Joaquin River Restoration Program releases draft supplement environmental assessment for Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Passage Project
