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The fight to advance Delta Conveyance Project …
Newsom in fight to advance plans for $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento Delta
“The battle over whether California should build a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is escalating, with Gov. Gavin Newsom pushing to lay the groundwork for the project before his term expires and state water regulators considering whether to grant a key authorization. The State Water Resources Control Board has begun holding a series of hearings on a petition by the Newsom administration to amend water rights permits so that flows could be diverted from new points on the Sacramento River where the intakes of the 45-mile tunnel would be built. The process has grown tense in recent weeks, as the Newsom administration and water agencies have pushed back against how the board’s officials are handling parts of the process, and as opponents have urged the board not to bend to political pressure. Speaking at a virtual hearing Thursday, state Department of Water Resources general counsel Ann Carroll presented the Newsom administration’s case for the tunnel, calling it one of California’s “most important climate adaptation projects.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Restore the Delta’s poll of CA voters reveals strong preference for investments in local water supplies over building the Delta tunnel; Californians for Water Security responds
“Today, Restore the Delta released new polling data on California voters’ attitudes on the Delta Conveyance Project — also known as the Delta Tunnel — a controversial and costly project with a price tag of $20 billion. The poll finds that California voters overwhelmingly favor investing in affordable and sustainable local water solutions over the Delta Tunnel. As a result of devastating climate change-fueled events over the past decade, Californians are particularly concerned about the risk of fires and droughts, and they see local water supplies as the best way to prepare for future disasters. “With fish populations declining and ceremonial practices being impacted by polluted waters, Tribes are already struggling to maintain their livelihoods and cultural identity,” said Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. “The Delta Tunnel Project would further devastate the environment and Tribal communities that have depended on the Delta since time immemorial.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
The Delta Tunnel will increase water deliveries by 22 percent, testimony by DWR engineer reveals
Dan Bacher writes, “Yesterday I received the latest Delta Conveyance Project update from the Department of Water Resources. The agency claimed that it is a “myth” that it intends to increase increase water exports from current levels to state water contractors if the Delta Tunnel is built: Myth: DWR intends to increase deliveries through the Delta from current levels, even during droughts. Fact: What this myth conveniently omits is that the State Water Project is facing a reduction in delivery capability and supply reliability by as much as 23% over the next 20 years. We will lose much more over the life of the system due to climate change, sea level rise, and wild swings in precipitation patterns. The purpose of the Delta Conveyance Project is to minimize these future losses and protect reliability for 27 million Californians. State Water Project deliveries have declined, and will continue to decline, yet with the DCP the declines will be lessened and all Delta water quality and fishery protections will continue to be sustained. To call this an “increase” is simply untrue and misleading. Additional Myths/Facts can be found here. However, written testimony from a Department of Water Resources engineer submitted to a State Water Resources Control Board hearing on the DCP tells a much different story. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Sacrificed for the benefit of the few? C-WIN releases video on the Delta’s forgotten voices
“The California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) has released a short video on the dire threat posed by Governor Newson’s proposed Delta Tunnel project to the largest estuary in the continental United States – and the people who live and work there. Tunnel Trouble: Voices of the Delta was created by Dan Blackburn, an author and journalist who is the co-founder of the news site CalCoastNews.com, and has contributed to a wide range of publications, including California Journal. Blackburn, an advisory board member of C-WIN, also served as the capitol bureau chief for the Orange County Register. He was a senior consultant to the California State Senate’s Rules Committee and spent four years as a media representative for the Metropolitan Water District, the world’s largest water wholesaler. … ” Read more from C-WIN.
In other California water news this weekend …
Reclamation announces additional funding for Sites Reservoir
“The Bureau of Reclamation today announced a $134 million award for the proposed Sites Reservoir Project. This new water storage project would be the second largest off-stream reservoir in the nation and would increase Northern California’s water storage capacity by up to 15 percent. The award, funded by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, previously received $389.65 million and was also authorized $256.5 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, for a total of $780.15 million in federal contributions to date. Located 81 miles northwest of Sacramento, Sites Reservoir would store water diverted from the Sacramento River via the existing Red Bluff Pumping Plant and Hamilton City Pump Station after all other water rights and regulatory requirements are met. Water would be released to beneficiaries throughout the state primarily during drier periods when it is needed. The majority of precipitation in California falls north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, making this project location strategic for capturing and storing stormwater. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Salmon, steelhead still recovering from state’s 5-year drought (2012-16)
“The salmon populations in the Northern California waterways did not fair well because of the dry conditions during the five-year drought. At study out of UC Berkeley showed that some species of salmon and steelhead trout, in the 2013-14 winter, were prevented from accessing their breeding grounds, “wiping out the populations of individual tributaries and even entire watersheds.” “California is at the southern end of the range for several species of salmon and trout, and because of a whole host of impacts, from colonization and engineered control of western rivers to climate change, these populations have been decimated,” said Stephanie Carlson, the A.S. Leopold Chair in Wildlife Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, said for an article written by Kara Manke for UC Berkeley News. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Legal analysis: Court of Appeal confirms the requirement of Fish and Game Code Section 5937 to keep fish below a dam in good condition is subject to the reasonableness requirement of Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution
“In 1928 California voters approved what is now Article X, section 2 of the California Constitution and established the bedrock principle of California water law that “the general welfare requires that the water resources of the State be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable, and that the waste or unreasonable use or unreasonable method of use of water be prevented, and that the conservation of such waters is to be exercised with a view to the reasonable and beneficial use thereof in the interest of the people and for the public welfare.” In California Fish and Game Code section 5937, the Legislature has directed that the owner of a dam “shall allow sufficient water at all times to pass through a fishway, or in the absence of a fishway, allow sufficient water to pass over, around or through the dam, to keep in good condition any fish that may be planted or exist below the dam.” In some circumstances the flows needed to keep fish below a dam in “good condition” may significantly diminish water supplies available for other beneficial uses such as irrigation. This poses the question of whether a court asked to enforce the mandate of section 5937 in a particular circumstance must consider whether such a use of water is reasonable. … ” Read more from the Kronick Law Firm.
Trump is gutting the nation’s environmental programs. Here’s what it will cost Americans
“The Trump administration’s slash-and-burn approach to federal programs has delivered a considerable hit to the nation’s environment, but experts say its plans to repeal hard-won protections for clean air and water will also directly jeopardize Americans’ health — and their wallets. Two new reports from environmental watchdog groups outline how the administration’s recent regulatory rollbacks, cuts to climate programs and promotion of fossil fuel production will significantly increase the cost of living for millions of people and bring about hundreds of thousands of premature deaths. That’s in contradiction to the claims made by Trump and his allies — including Elon Musk and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin — that they are gutting the nation’s climate programs in an effort to ease regulatory costs, lower taxes and “power the great American comeback.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Trump administration issues emergency order to increase logging in California forests
“In a move that could substantially reshape California’s natural landscape, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued an emergency order Friday to accelerate timber harvesting across nearly 113 million acres of national forests. The directive, announced by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, mandates a 25% increase in timber quotas nationwide, with particular focus on areas of California, including the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres and Cleveland national forests. The order is part of a broader initiative to address what the Trump administration has called a “forest health crisis.” “National Forests are in crisis due to uncharacteristically severe wildfires, insect and disease outbreaks, invasive species and other stressors,” Rollins said in her directive. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: The Trump Administration Issues Its Next Assault on the Nation’s Public Forests, from Inside Climate News
In commentary this weekend …
Eat nutria & place bounty on bass to save the Delta, protect levees, & free up water
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “Congressman Josh Harder might want to take his reputation of being the nutria’s No. 1 enemy in California to the next level. All he needs to do is take advice from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service and launch a grass roots campaign to eat nutria meat. He could even offer bumper stickers reading, “Eat nutria & save the Delta.” Nutria are the Joey Chestnuts of the rodent world. Instead of eating 70 or so hot dogs in one setting, they consume 25 percent of their body weight daily by munching through vegetation critical to Delta ecosystems. In doing so, they damage the integrity of flood control levees and river embankments. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
California has a golden opportunity to fund climate smart agriculture
Liz Carlisle, a public voices fellow of the OpEd Project and an associate professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara, writes, “In the wake of January’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and as federal action on climate change has slowed to a standstill, Californians recognize that our state must lead on climate solutions. Indeed, one of the bright spots in the November 2024 election — which was otherwise not great for climate action — was California’s approval of a $10 billion climate bond. But we’re still missing important opportunities to simultaneously reduce emissions and improve climate resilience by investing more robustly in climate-smart agriculture practices on our state’s farms and ranches. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Remembering Richard Chamberlain: A voice for the Tuolumne River
“The Tuolumne River Trust joins the conservation community in mourning the loss of Richard Chamberlain—not only a celebrated Hollywood actor, but a powerful, heartfelt advocate for the Tuolumne River. At the height of his career, Richard chose to lend his voice, visibility, and sincerity to protect something timeless and wild: a free-flowing river that would one day be protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In the early 1980s, the Tuolumne faced a dire threat. Following the devastating loss of the Stanislaus River to dam development, advocates from across the state mobilized to prevent a similar fate for the Tuolumne. From commercial rafting guides and local anglers to family campers and concerned citizens, a growing coalition began to take shape. What was needed was someone to carry this message beyond the banks of the river and into the halls of power. Richard Chamberlain answered that call. “Richard was indeed a difference maker,” recalls John Amodio, Tuolumne River Trust’s founding executive director. “Not just because he publicly advocated for the river’s preservation at the height of his fame, but because he was a sincere, articulate, and genuine human being.” … ” Read more from the Tuolumne River Trust.
Podcasts …
WHAT MATTERS WATER TV: How wildfires could rewrite water infrastructure
Wildfires are changing. Is our water infrastructure ready? California wildfires aren’t just getting more frequent—they’re getting bigger, faster, and more destructive. When the flames rise, water is our most powerful firefighting tool. But can our water systems handle the demand? In this episode of What Matters Water TV & Podcast, we dive into the critical connection between wildfires and water. How do massive fires impact water quality? Are our water systems built to withstand both drought and high fire demand? And what lessons can we learn from past disasters? Join us as we hear from experts who have been on the front lines of fire response and water resilience.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Delta Public Safety
When thinking about the California Delta, we think about water supply, flood control, economic sustainability of agriculture and public safety. But with each of these needs, it’s important to arrive at a balanced approach when managing California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
FUTURE OF AG: Keeping an avocado farm competitive and sustainable in Southern California with Chris Sayer of Petty Ranch
Today’s episode features 5th generation farmer Chris Sayer of Petty Ranch. Chris grows avocados in Ventura County, which is just northwest of the Los Angeles area. And there are several unique aspects to Chris’ story. First, he grows avocados, which is awesome, and I wanted to find out how he stays competitive with so many avocados coming from Mexico these days. Also he grows them in a very populated area, so there are a ton of considerations there from urban sprawl to water management to theft. I also wanted to ask Chris about soil health. I knew from talking to him previously that he grows cover crops and really thinks deeply about soil and water conservation, so we dive deeper into that as well.
SAN DIEGO NEWS NOW: Why wet winters don’t mean cheaper water rates
A wet year doesn’t make water rates any cheaper — in fact, it could mean higher rates. Then, last week’s ICE raid in El Cajon led to criticism and protest. Another strike hits the UC system and an inewsource report on police guarding National City libraries. And, a conversation with Hidden San Diego creator Jessica Johnson.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Hoopa Valley, Yurok Tribes sign agreement over use of Trinity water
“Leadership of the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes on Wednesday signed an agreement to share 50,000 acre-feet of water from the Trinity Reservoir. It’s the latest move over water rights specified in 1950s-era federal policy but has yet to materialize on the ground, despite a supportive 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior legal opinion. “We have fought for many years to have our rights to this water honored and today marks the beginning of that long-overdue process. This is a significant step forward, but it’s only the beginning,” said Ryan Jackson, acting chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, in a statement in a joint press release. A provision of federal legislation in 1955 required 50,000 acre-feet of water from a federal dam project to be allocated to Humboldt County and downstream users. This was specified during the process of building a dam and reservoir on the river, which now sends the river’s water to the San Joaquin Valley as part of the federal Central Valley Project. The rights also involve a 1959 contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and Humboldt County. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe Basin snowpack above average, drought-free outlook for region
“The Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) shared promising news during its annual water supply outlook on Thursday, highlighting a favorable snow water equivalent for the Tahoe Basin in 2025. Kara Steeland, a senior hydrologist and watershed coordinator with TMWA, emphasized the positive impact of recent winter snowpacks on water supplies. “We’ve been really fortunate in the last three years to have really good snow packs that have increased or resulted in great water supplies,” said Steeland. … ” Read more from My News 4.
Nevada Irrigation District behind the Scenes: Hydrographers head up into the wilds to conduct snow surveys
““When I am taking a survey high up in the Sierra, I use snowshoes to get to the places where we measure the snowpack. During my wintry walk, I think about all the snow underneath me. This snowpack will melt and flow downstream so NID can provide water to our fields and towns. This snow is our water source,” says Hydrographer Ashley Vander Meer. “Each drive of the snow tube tells the story of the snowpack – the weight of winter storms, subtle shifts in temperature, the promise of future runoff. This data shapes forecasts and operational decisions to provide a reliable water supply to NID customers and ensure we are good stewards of this precious resource,” she adds. Since the 1920s, hydrographers have set out to the upper Sierra to measure the snowpack. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
‘Winter isn’t over yet’: Fresh snow extends ski season at Tahoe resorts
“As fresh snowfall blankets the Tahoe Basin, two major ski resorts have extended their seasons. Northstar California and Kirkwood Mountain Resort will now close on April 20, instead of April 13, as previously scheduled. The extension follows a series of storms that dropped over 2.5 feet of snow in the region, providing prime spring conditions for skiers and snowboarders. “Winter isn’t over yet,” Vail Resorts, the parent company of Northstar and Kirkwood, said in a statement released Thursday. Heavenly Mountain Resort will close as scheduled on April 20. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
New Tahoe boating restrictions enacted to fight off aquatic invasive species
“Boaters planning to take a trip out to Lake Tahoe this summer will have to go through some extra steps before they launch into the water. “So what we’ve done this year is we are trying to strengthen the mandatory watercraft inspections to include a mandatory decontamination as well for any vessels coming from outside the area,” said Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. There is an inspection fee along with a $30 decontamination fee. Once you go through that process, you’ll get what’s called a Tahoe Only wired seal. As long as your boat just goes to Tahoe, you won’t have to go through the process again. However, you will if your boat dips into other waters. … ” Read more from Channel 2.
NAPA/SONOMA
Monte Rio park expansion gets key funding boost
“The long-anticipated expansion of Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park took a major step forward this week. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved Regional Parks’ application for an $8 million state grant—key funding toward the $24 million needed to acquire 1,517 acres of forestland near Monte Rio. Save the Redwoods League plans to purchase the property, currently owned by Mendocino Redwood Co., and transfer it to Sonoma County Regional Parks by summer 2025. The acquisition will expand the current 515-acre park to more than 2,000 acres, connecting protected land from the Russian River to the Pacific Ocean. “This project is an exciting piece of a much larger puzzle,” said Misti Arias, general manager of Sonoma County Ag + Open Space. “It connects protected lands, ensuring they remain open for future generations.” … ” Read more from the Sonoma Gazette.
BAY AREA
Assembly bill aims to expedite Highway 37 project
“A $500 million project on flood-prone Highway 37 could get a boost clearing some environmental hurdles under a new Assembly bill. The project, which aims to ease traffic and fortify wetlands between Sears Point and Mare Island, is constrained by short construction windows to accommodate protected species such as the salt-marsh harvest mouse and the California clapper rail, among others. Assembly Bill 697 would enable planners to seek an “incidental take permit” from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to relieve some of those environmental restrictions to avoid delays, as long as adverse impacts to protected species are fully mitigated. “Incidental take” means wound, kill or otherwise harm a fully protected species listed by the California Endangered Species Act during construction activity. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat from Suisun City in Solano County. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Boxes of mud could tell a hopeful sediment story
“Early results from 15 months of surveys in an experiment which placed sediment in the shallows to sustain nearby marshes in Eden Landing. This March, six boxes of mud shipped to a company in England for analysis. Scraped off the marsh surface, stripped from field magnets, and scooped off silicon disks, science teams collected these 430 samples in recent months from the tidal channels and marsh flats around Eden Landing in South San Francisco Bay. The samples may contain tiny specks of neo-green, magnetized silt called “tracers.” While invisible to the naked eye in a lump of bay muck, these fluorescent tracers promise to reveal their travels under the microscope. It’s all part of an elaborate experiment in which scientists are feeding sediment to needy marshes threatened by sea level rise. “I was really excited to see so many people invest so much time and energy in testing whether this new nature-based approach could work. It’s very forward-thinking,” says USGS research ecologist Karen Thorne. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
CENTRAL COAST
Latest in Paso Robles Groundwater Basin war: Drop tax on small users
“As part of a more than decade-long war over control of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, one of the partners in a newly formed joint powers authority now says it no longer wants to charge small residential water users. A group of people has fought for years to require landowners over the Paso Robles water basin to pay a fee for water usage. Officials from San Luis Obispo County, the City of Paso Robles, the Shandon-San Juan Water District and the Estrella-El Pomar-Creston Water District recently voted to create a joint powers authority to provide the power to levy taxes on those above the basin. The basin was previously managed under a memorandum of agreement. One of the members, San Miguel Community Services District, voted not to participate in the new agency, meaning the property owners it serves will not be taxed or regulated by the new joint powers authority. Its board members were concerned with the unspecified costs tied to the new agency. … ” Read more from Cal Coast News.
New report: Farmers, communities still pumping too much water from Paso basin
“Pumping from the Paso Robles groundwater sub-basin continued at unsustainable levels last year — with agriculture extracting more water than domestic well owners and municipal water systems combined, according to a new report. The sub-basin, which pools underground from the area east of Highway 101 to north of Highway 58, was designated as “critically overdrafted” by the California Department of Water Resources. Basin users pumped 75,100 acre-feet of water in 2024, up from 63,600 acre-feet in 2023 — an 18% increase, according to the latest annual report for the basin. An acre-foot of water is roughly enough to cover a football field in a foot of water. That’s far from the estimated sustainable yield of 61,100 acre-feet per year. In fact, people pumped 25,500 acre-feet more than was returned to the basin in 2024, the report said. This is the eighth year in a row that pumping exceeded the sustainable yield. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via Yahoo News.
City of Santa Barbara ramps up outreach in face of mounting opposition to proposed creek buffer ordinance
“Clean water and scenic beauty for Santa Barbara’s creeks may come at a cost to the city’s homeowners. At least, that’s how creekside residents see it. Many are not happy about the city’s proposed creek buffer ordinance, which would require any and all new developments to stay away from a creek’s edge. The city has 16 creeks. They zigzag through neighborhoods, showing off bare bottoms that host only a trickle of water for most of the year. Right now, the city is working on a draft ordinance that prohibits new development within 50 feet of any of these creeks. That includes buildings, patios, and non-native gardens (yes, even tomato plants would be prohibited). The only development that would be allowed in buffer zones without city approval would be the planting of native vegetation and debris removal for flood control purposes. Existing development would be allowed to stay where it is, as well as be repaired and remodeled without city approval. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Kings Water Alliance announces first residential well nitrate test in Kings County
“Starting February 26, the Kings Water Alliance (KWA) is offering free residential well nitrate testing in Kings County. A rural household in Armona is the first to request testing as KWA expands services into Kings County. Nitrate is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, and cannot be boiled out of water. Testing is the only way to detect its presence. Most communities in the Central San Joaquin Valley rely on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. For those on private wells, there is no State-required water quality monitoring that regulated public water systems must abide by. Without testing, high levels of nitrate go undetected. Nitrate is a nitrogen/oxygen compound that is naturally occurring in soil and plants. Other sources of nitrate in groundwater are septic tanks, animal feeding operations, and fertilizer. Nitrate concentrations above 10 milligrams per liter in groundwater are unsafe for drinking. Nitrate can convert to nitrite which can interfere with the ability of red blood cells’ ability to carry oxygen to the tissues of the body. It is of greatest concern in infants, pregnant and nursing women, and elderly people. … ” Read more from Valley Voice.
SAN DIEGO
Sen. Padilla’s Tijuana River bill clears committees
“Recently, two critical policy committees passed Senate Bills 10 and 594, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). SB 10 would expressly authorize funds from the new toll road to be used for water treatment, environmental mitigation, and restoration of the Tijuana River Valley, and SB 594 would give communities across the state with existing environmental pollution burdens the opportunity to voice their concerns in a publicly noticed hearing when a new landfill development is proposed, as is the case in the River Valley. In 2024, the Tijuana River was named one of the 10 most endangered rivers in America, a list managed by the environmental organization American Rivers. The designation comes from an analysis of the hazardous industrial waste and raw sewage present in the river. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
In national water news this weekend …
Study shows oxygen levels dropping in rivers, lakes and streams
“Inland waters like rivers, lakes, streams and reservoirs need oxygen to survive, just like we do, but oxygen levels have dropped dramatically since 1900, researchers warn. The reason? Human behavior. That’s according to researchers of the Netherlands’ Utrecht University in their study, published Friday in the journal Science Advances. “More farming, more wastewater, more dams, and a warmer climate — they all change how our freshwater ecosystems function,” said one of the paper’s lead authors, Junjie Wang, in a written statement. Co-author Jack Middelburg, added, “We found that the main causes lay in these direct human activities. First, it turns out that nutrient input through, for example, over-fertilization, is a major driver of this acceleration. Secondly, the longer travel time of freshwater to the sea through the construction of dams and reservoirs has proven to be just as important.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
