DAILY DIGEST, 1/6: Drought and a big wind event spell fire trouble for SoCal; Newsom, Biden unveil new water plan amid drought, fish protection debate; CSPA sues over SWP operations; The LA River kayaker on a “re-naturalization” mission; and more …


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On the calendar today …

  • DISCUSSION SESSION: Draft Delta Adapts Adaptation Plan from 4pm to 6pm.   Join Delta Stewardship Council staff for a hybrid, drop-in discussion on the Delta Adapts Draft Adaptation Plan.  For planning purposes, we encourage all attendees (in-person and virtual) to register here for the event and answer the optional questions. If you register to attend in-person but can’t make it, please feel free to join virtually with the Zoom link that will be emailed to the address listed with your registration.  In-person at 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA, room 221C; or participate virtually on Zoom.  For more information, click here.

In California water news today …

As extreme California precipitation dipole persists, a high-end offshore wind/fire weather event may unfold in SoCal this week

“Heading into the new year, from mid-December, it appeared likely that the already extreme precipitation disparity between very wet northern California and bone dry southern California would continue. And…it certainly did, with rather frequent soakings continuing north of the Interstate 80 corridor (which has remained an almost bizarrely sharp dividing line!), occasional rains as far south as the northern Central Coast, and near zero precipitation south of that point. These have been relatively warm storms, too, maintaining overall warmer than average temperatures across nearly all of California in recent weeks (except the far northern mountains and, interestingly, a narrow swath of highly-populated coastal SoCal, which has actually been relatively cool and foggy with poor air quality under a stagnant and subsident airmass).  The remarkable “precipitation dipole” across California has, at this point in early January, now reached essentially historic proportions. … ”  Read more from Weather West.

Why drought and a big wind event spell fire trouble for Southern California

“Drought is back in Southern California — a region that has not seen significant rain for nearly nine months — and the remarkable dryness has made the landscape vulnerable to winter wildfires. Santa Ana winds could bring a serious fire weather threat this week.  While Santa Ana winds tend to strengthen in winter as cold weather systems dive into the interior West and drive dry winds into Southern California, conditions are typically much wetter here in January.Pacific storms that typically arrive by November or December to end the fire season have instead targeted Northern California and the Pacific Northwest over the past two months, leaving the southern part of the state at real risk. And impending offshore winds could end up being the strongest wind event of the fire season. … ”  Read more from the Washington Post.

SEE ALSO:

Newsom, Biden unveil new water plan amid drought, fish protection debate

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration reached a long-awaited agreement on the updated rules for the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP), which transfer water from Northern California to other parts of the state, supplying water to millions of Californians.  “The completion of new operating rules for the Central Valley Project is the cornerstone of our efforts to address record drought and changing climate conditions in California,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “The plan helps build the state’s resilience to drought, both for water users and the environment. It also dovetails with the significant ecosystem investments and infrastructure projects that Reclamation has funded, including new water storage, capacity improvements, groundwater banking, and the development of a drought plan for the south-of-Delta.” … ”  Read more from The Center Square.

California Sportfishing Protection Alliance sues California over operations of the State Water Project

On November 26, 2024, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance sued the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) over the “Incidental Take Permit” (ITP) for the operation of the State Water Project.  CSPA’s Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate and Complaint for Declarative and Injunctive Relief alleges violations of the law under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), Public Resources Code (“PRC’) section 21000 et seq.; the Delta Reform Act (“DRA”), Water Code section 85000, et seq.; the California Endangered Species Act (“CESA”), Fish and Game Code (“F&GC”) section 2050, et al.; and the Public Trust Doctrine.  In simple terms, CSPA sued DWR over the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for its inadequate analysis in support of the ITP.  CSPA sued DFW over the failure of the ITP itself to protect threatened and endangered fish, as well as for other failures of law.  An ITP is the state equivalent under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and has a function similar to a “biological opinion” under the federal Endangered Species Act. … ”  Read more from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.

POLICY ANALYSIS: Assessing regional strategies to cope with drought, climate, and environmental flow policy impacts for a sustainable water supply: A case study of the Bay Area

“California’s Bay-Delta watershed encompasses 40% of the state’s runoff and serves water supply and irrigation needs throughout the state. A recently amended policy attempts to rebalance water supply and ecological outcomes by requiring 40% of the flow to remain in-stream in the Tuolumne River and other tributaries between February 1 and June 30 each year. This policy impacts water supply diversions serving millions of customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. This work analyzes possible regional coping responses in the context of climate and policy uncertainty, exploring the effectiveness of various strategies to mitigate climate and policy impacts and improve future water supply outcomes.  We find that climate uncertainty has a dominant impact on three measures of water supply performance: the frequency of full storage reserves, minimum storage level, and uncaptured flow remaining. … ”  Continue reading this journal article.

Water shorts:  Fallowing in the Imperial Valley, New water district proposed for Kaweah Subbasin

On the Colorado River, the Imperial Irrigation District conducted a large temporary land fallowing program this past fall. To qualify for a payment, a farmer had to not irrigate their fields for 49 days from August 11 until September 30.In the Kaweah Subbasin, a new public water district is being proposed. The Consolidated Water District would comprise some 80,000 acres of currently undistricted land contained within the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). … ”  Read the full story from the Milk Producers Council.

Delta ecosystem threatened by another nonnative mollusk

Limnoperna fortunei colony on a tree trunk recovered from the bottom of Salto Grande reservoir , Argentina-Uruguay. By BoltovskoyOwn work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

“One of the world’s most invasive freshwater mussels has arrived in North America. The Golden Mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), discovered in the California Delta in October, is a voracious plankton feeder and may further reduce the food supply for Delta Smelt and other plankton-feeding fishes in low salinity environments. It will also foul pipes, canals, fish screens, gates and other components of California’s water supply systems. Its effect on fishes will be similar to that of the Overbite Clam (Potamocorbula amurensis), which has been a cause — arguably a major cause — of pelagic fish declines in the Delta since the early 1980s. Golden Mussels will likely colonize the fresher parts of the Delta and spread upstream as far as boats travel, thereby occupying a part of the watershed where nonnative Overbite Clams, limited by salinity, drop out. … ”  Read more from the California Water Blog.

Delta Stewardship Council seeks public comment on adaptation plan for Delta

“The Delta Stewardship Council, a state-appointed agency that works to protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while preserving it as a major water source, recently released a draft adaptation plan called Delta Adapts: Creating a Climate Resilient Future.  It is a framework for assessing the vulnerabilities of the Delta due to climate change and industrial use and deciding on adaptation strategies. The plan has been under development since 2021.   All stakeholders are invited for public comment through Jan. 17 by emailing climatechange@deltacouncil.ca.gov. The plan and additional information can be found on the council’s website. … ”  Read more from Local News Matters.

California’s largest reservoir sees major jump in water level after winter storms

“A period of atmospheric river-fueled winter storms has been a boon to Shasta Lake, raising the water level at California’s largest reservoir. As of midnight on Thursday, the lake is 77% full with a surface elevation of 1,028.99 feet, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that oversees the lake. The storms that brought heavy rain to Northern California over the holiday period also put the reservoir at 130% of its historical average for this time of year.  The water level at the reservoir, located north of Redding, has fluctuated over the past few years as California has endured periods of wet and dry weather. … ”  Read more from SF Gate.

A novel approach to sampling microplastics

“Microplastics are turning up everywhere we look for them. Microplastics (plastic particles < 5mm) have been found in various parts of the environment, including the oceans, the atmosphere, soil, and sea ice. They’re also making their way into our food and water, appearing in seafood, fruits, vegetables, beer, soda, tea, sea salt, honey, and both tap and bottled water. Alarmingly, microplastics are also being found within the human body – detected in our blood, lungs, and stool – and even in the placenta and breastmilk, revealing that exposure begins at the earliest stages of development. While research on the effects of microplastics on human health is still relatively preliminary, the harmful impacts of chemicals associated with plastics are well-documented.  California is the first governmental body in the world to mandate testing for microplastics in drinking water.2 Over the next two years, the state will conduct quarterly monitoring at 30 water treatment plants, refining the process before extending the program for another two years. But traditional methods to monitor microplastics in drinking water, like Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy or Raman spectroscopy, are incredibly time and labor intensive. … ”  Continue reading from Open Access Government.

EPA issues first ever underground injection permits for carbon sequestration in California

“On December 30, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued four Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI well permits to Carbon TerraVault JV Storage Company Sub 1, LLC (CTV), a subsidiary of California Resources Corporation (CRC). Class VI UIC wells are used to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations for permanent underground storage. This technology, called carbon capture and underground storage or geologic sequestration, can be used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. The four Class VI UIC permits are for the first permitted Class VI injection wells in California and represent the first such permits issued by EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region.  EPA has determined that the activities authorized under the Class VI UIC permits are protective of underground sources of drinking water and public health as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). … ”  Read more from the US EPA.

New law could finally address thousands of abandoned mines leaking pollution into the Colorado River’s headwaters

“A new law decades in the making could finally lead to the cleanup of some of the thousands of abandoned mines in Colorado that leak toxic metals and acid into the headwaters of the rivers that sustain life across the West. The Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 19, is the first step in removing burdensome legal liabilities for groups and state governments that volunteer to clean up abandoned mines and improve water quality. “It’s a huge milestone and arguably one of the most important environmental laws to pass in decades,” said Ty Churchwell, mining coordinator with Trout Unlimited, who has worked for more than two decades to create better policy for abandoned mine cleanup. … ”  Continue reading from Havasu News.

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In regional water news and commentary today …

NORTH COAST

California tribes celebrate historic dam removal: ‘More successful than we ever imagined’

“Explosions roared through the canyons lining the Klamath River earlier this year, signaling a new chapter for the region that hugs the Oregon-California border.  In October, the removal of four hydroelectric dams built on the river was completed – the largest project of its kind in US history.  The blast of the final dam was just the beginning. The work to restore the river, which winds 263 miles (423km) from the volcanic Cascade mountain range in Oregon to the Pacific coast in northern California, is now under way.  Already it’s been among the most hopeful environmental stories of past years. “It has been more successful than we ever imagined,” said Ren Brownell, the spokesperson for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, a non-profit created to oversee and implement the removal, adding: “There’s an incredible amount of joy.” … ”  Read more from The Guardian.

MOUNTAIN COUNTIES

Advancing landscape-scale resilience in the Upper Mokelumne River watershed

Fuel-reduction work taking place across the upper Mokelumne River watershed will help protect communities, forests, and water supplies from destructive wildfires, including water flowing from the Lower Bear River Reservoir. Credit: Vlad Karpinsky.

“A recent grant of nearly $4 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board to the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority (UMRWA) will complement earlier funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) and CAL FIRE to allow the organization to complete fuel-reduction efforts on more than 25,000 acres within the Mokelumne River watershed.  As only phase one of a much larger effort to improve forest health across 250,000 acres within the watershed, strategic funding from state agencies to well-established partners like UMRWA is helping to dramatically increase the pace and scale of forest restoration in the Sierra-Cascade.  This increase is in direct response to the escalation of climate and wildfire risks.  “It was about seven or so years ago when we really started getting into forest health,” said Richard Sykes, executive officer with UMRWA, a joint-powers authority focused on stewarding the natural resources in the Upper Mokelumne River watershed. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Dams in quake-prone Nevada are vulnerable. Near Tahoe, the state is shoring one up.

“Dwarfed by drought, the warming climate and other, more immediate environmental threats, earthquakes aren’t at the forefront of most Nevadans’ minds.   But through the mid-20th century, Nevada was known as an earthquake state. While the state has experienced few sizable quakes since then, recent temblors have caught the attention of those who monitor earthquakes. … Neither of the earthquakes resulted in any substantial damage — the California earthquake was too far offshore, while the Nevada quake had its epicenter in a remote area — but they are reminders that seismic activity could result in significant damage to the state’s aging infrastructure. It’s why state officials are proactively shoring up some of Nevada’s oldest earthen dams that, if shaken to the point of breaking, could cause water supply contamination for tens of thousands of people and deadly floods. … ”  Read more from the Nevada Independent.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

From the mountains to the valley, how the snowpack could affect Butte County water supplies

“Once again, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is well above the average — and this time, much like in 2023, it showed up early in the season.  The California Department of Water Resources sent a crew up to Philips Station to measure the snowpack and found it to be 91% above average for the first survey of the season. That translates to 24 inches in the depth of the snow and a snow-water equivalent of nine inches.  Here’s what that could mean for Butte County.  Though the direct, and indirect, impacts of the snow usually aren’t seen until much later in the spring, early density is often considered a positive sign for the water year to come. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.

State, Solano water supplies off to strong start

“That “atmospheric river” that rushed through California in November, coupled with some heavy storms in December, have put state and federal water sources, including those in Solano County, in a good position at the start of a new year, state officials said this week.  While Lake Berryessa and the State Water Project are different sources of water in the Solano region, both are apparently benefiting – so far – from heavy rains.  The Solano Project is a federal project with the Bureau of Reclamation that stores water in Lake Berryessa for delivery to users throughout the region. … ”  Read more from the Daily Reporter.

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Tehachapi’s rainfall in October through December was third lowest since 2003

“Sunny days with little chance of precipitation are forecast for Tehachapi for the next week or more. And that’s not good news. Unless the next four or five months see a deluge, the area may end up in drought again. The first snow survey of the season earlier this month showed that California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack was near average. But Mother Nature hasn’t been kind to the Southern Sierra or Tehachapi Mountains so far this season, with very little snow and accumulation only at the highest elevations of the Sierra. Hydrologists tally precipitation by what they call a “water year,” meaning from October through September of each year.  Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District reports that in the first three months of the current water year, only 1.6 inches of rain was measured at Brite Lake. District records show that since 2003, only two years had so little rain from October through December. … ”  Read more from the Tehachapi News.

City expected to file response this month in lawsuit by water district

“Last October, the city of Tehachapi and Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District agreed to a stay and deadlines for moving forward with the last part of a 2021 lawsuit between the two local agencies. The stay was set to expire on Jan. 7 and the city has until Jan. 13 to file what the court called a “responsive pleading” — essentially answering allegations the water district made in September 2021 that the city has a “pattern and practice” of not complying with the California Environmental Quality Act. Another deadline is coming up on Jan. 29, when the court has ordered the city to provide supplemental/amended responses to the water district’s request for records.  The lawsuit — by the water district against the city — followed the Tehachapi City Council’s approval of the proposed Sage Ranch residential development in September 2021. The approval included certification of the environmental impact report prepared for the project. … ”  Read more from the Tehachapi News.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The LA River kayaker on a “re-naturalization” mission

“If the Los Angeles River were a living being, we’d call her a survivor.  From her headwaters in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, her 51 miles wind through one of the most densely populated regions of the country and then flow straight down into the Pacific Ocean near Long Beach. The City of Angels owes its existence to her; over 1,000 years ago, the Tongva established the first settlement on her banks near where Los Angeles City Hall stands today. However, she is now forced to swallow urban discharge and runoff from farms, factories and millions of residents. Ever since devastating floods in the 1930s, most of her body has been imprisoned in a straitjacket of concrete, often polluted by big-city trash such as rusty shopping carts and plastic bags. Yet there are still a few areas where the Los Angeles River is allowed to show her original beauty and meander more naturally. … Melanie Winter has been kayaking here for many years — even before it became legal in 2011 — to show reporters and citizens “what our river actually looks like and how she functions.” … ”  Read the full story at Reasons to be Cheerful.

More education, research opportunities allowed by wildlife commission in coastal protected areas

“Marine science researchers and educators in Southern California are celebrating a recent decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to allow more access to some coastal Marine Protected Areas following a review that indicated the extra protections over the last decade have helped the local ocean ecosystem rebound.  There are 124 Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, now designated statewide, with 50 of them off Southern California – they were created to help restore heavily fished and impacted sections of the California coastline.  The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported in 2023 that a review of the program’s progress in its first 10 years revealed many of the areas are now teaming again with life.  In the designated MPAs, the marine life, including plants, are protected from fishing or being removed, but that has also limited access for scientific study and several petitions have been made for exceptions for research. … ”  Read more from the LA Daily News.

SAN DIEGO

2 North County beaches added to county’s list of beach advisories due to high bacteria

“Two North San Diego County beaches were added to the county’s beach advisory list this weekend.  City officials say bacteria levels in the water at Carlsbad State Beach at Tamarack — and part of Buena Vista Lagoon at the Oceanside-Carlsbad border — exceed health safety levels.  People should avoid the water as they could get sick. The water will be tested in a few days. If water levels are safe, the advisory will be lifted. … ”  Read more from Channel 7.

San Ysidro pump station spills 30,000 gallons of sewage water

“Tens of thousands of gallons of sewage water spilled from a pump station in the South Bay earlier this week.  The United States International Water & Boundary Commission (USIBWC) said on Wednesday night a pressure valve malfunctioned at the Hollister Street Pumping Station, sending 30,000 gallons of water out on Hollister Street.  Crews were reported to have recovered 22,00 gallons from the spillage. … ”  Read more from Channel 10.

Border agency seeks solutions with Mexico on water, sewage problems

“From one end of the U.S.-Mexico border to the other, water and wastewater infrastructure are perennial problems.  In the Rio Grande Valley, farmers are running out of time to get more water from Mexico for their crops. In Imperial Beach, California, residents are fed up with raw sewage flowing over the border from Tijuana. The Colorado River states and Mexico are haggling over limited water. … All these problems require collaboration with Mexico, which recently inaugurated environmental scientist Claudia Sheinbaum as its first woman president. She has pledged to prioritize water policy. Donald Trump will shake up that diplomatic relationship when he returns to the White House in January. Trump has promised to slam Mexico, the U.S.’s top trade partner, with export tariffs.  There is no federal agency better acquainted with border environmental and infrastructure challenges than the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational entity with its U.S. section headquartered in El Paso. Biden appointed Maria-Elena Giner as the U.S. Commissioner of the IBWC in August 2021. She spoke with Inside Climate News about her first three years on the job, what lies ahead and her hopes to keep momentum going through the change in administration. … ”  Read more from Inside Climate News.

SEE ALSO:  Commentary: San Diego, don’t be fooled about Tijuana’s sewage problem, from the San Diego Union-Tribune

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Along the Colorado River …

The renewable energy transition has residents of a small Arizona town on edge

“Deep in the Patagonia Mountains, puffs of cool air from a cavernous natural spring interrupt the desert heat. The water bubbles up from an underground aquifer and trickles into Alum Gulch, orange from minerals such as magnesium and calcium, left over from mining in the area.  Bob Proctor, a local resident, and Kerry Schwartz, a retired hydrogeology faculty member and water resources educator at the University of Arizona, unpacked a water sampling probe and sat to test the water quality of the spring and the creek.  The pair are part of Friends of Sonoita Creek, a volunteer organization working to monitor the health of the Patagonia watershed. While the spring water usually tests clean, the slow-moving stream regularly shows metals from old mines that dot the landscape.  “We see really compromised water in Flux Canyon and Alum Gulch,” Schwartz said. “Usually, it’s more acidic than it should be because of the mining.” … ”  Read more from Inside Climate News.

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In national water news today …

Americans are obsessed with hydration. But most people have no idea what’s actually in our drinking water

“Water is having a moment. Hydration has crossed the line from helpful health practice to full-blown cultural obsession: We’re hanging charms off our 40-ounce Hydro Flask tumblers, clipping massive bottles on our kids’ backpacks, and lining up at airport water fountains to fill’er up so we don’t miss a sip on the plane.   Yet while we feel virtuous about swigging our daily jug, we’re starting to question the safety of what’s inside of it. Headlines abound about the dangers of so-called “forever” chemicals—those compounds that are used in everything from nonstick pans and microwave popcorn bags to waterproof jackets, and that have made their way into everyday H20. Experts say nearly every person on the planet has these chemicals in their bodies, and they’re linked to serious health problems such as liver disease, diabetes, compromised immunity, cancer, and preeclampsia, as well as difficulty getting pregnant.  Unfortunately, shelling out for bottled water isn’t really a better solution. … ”  Read more from Women’s Health.

Warming climate contributes to extreme weather disasters, report concludes

“Rising temperatures associated with climate change are wreaking havoc on the global water cycle and creating more favorable conditions for extreme natural disasters worldwide, according to a report released Monday by the Australian National University.  The 2024 Global Water Monitor Report was compiled using data from thousands of ground stations and satellites to gain insights into factors including rainfall, soil moisture, river flows and flooding.  Affirming that 2024 was Earth’s hottest year on record, researchers found that excess heat affected more than 4 billion people in 111 countries. Air temperatures over land have increased 1.2 degrees Celsius since 2000, and about 2.2 degrees Celsius since the start of the Industrial Revolution. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service.

Three-quarters of the world’s land is drying out, ‘redefining life on Earth’

“As Earth grows warmer, its ground is becoming drier and saltier, with profound consequences for the planet’s 8 billion inhabitants — nearly a third of whom already live in places where water is increasingly scarce and the ability to raise crops and livestock is increasingly difficult.  Climate change is accelerating this trend. New research has found global warming has made 77% of the Earth’s land drier over the past three decades while rapidly increasing the proportion of excessively salty soils.  Drylands, or arid areas where water is hard to come by, now make up more than 40% of the planet (excluding Antarctica), a likely permanent consequence of climate change, according to a landmark report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD. … ”  Continue reading from the LAist.

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

NOTICE: Opportunity to participate in working meetings on Draft Sacramento/Delta updates to the Bay-Delta Plan, from the State Water Board

NOTICE: Streamlined water transfer process available, from the State Water Board

NOTICE of opportunity to comment & public workshop: Nitrate Control Program, Priority 2 Preliminary Management Zone Proposals and Early Action Plans, from the Central Valley Water Board

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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.