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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Conservancy Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program Update; Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program Agreement for Wetland Mosaic Landscape on Webb Tract Project; Request for approval to enter into contract to conduct a subsequent analysis for potential restoration of Franks Tract; Overview of the Clean Vessel Act Program; California Department of Water Resources Multibenefit Restoration Program Update; and updates on the Delta Stewardship Council, Delta Protection Commission, and Delta Conveyance Project. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
Watershed restoration in the Sierra aims to protect California’s water supply
Kelly M. Grow / DWR
“California legislative staffers and environmental advocates took flight Tuesday to get a rare aerial view of watershed restoration in the Sierra Nevada, a project they say is critical to protecting the state’s water supply. Much of California’s drinking water begins in places like the Yuba River Watershed, where decades of fire damage and climate change have left ecosystems fragile. From above, the contrast between green recovery zones and fire-scarred forest land was stark. “Eighty percent of Californians drink Yuba water every day,” said Aaron Zettler-Mann, Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). “What happens in these forests affects every tap downstream.” … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
‘This is the best we can get’: Humboldt County supes OK Potter Valley water diversion deal
“On Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously signed onto a water diversion agreement that goes hand in hand with the undamming of the Eel River. Tangled in the removal of two aging dams owned by PG&E in the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project has been the question of how water users in Mendocino, Marin and Sonoma counties could continue to take water from the Eel River. In February, the board signed onto an understanding with a rough outline of what the historic deal will look like, and Tuesday heard more particulars. The agreement spells out how much water would be taken during high-flow seasons — with diversion contingent on salmon and steelhead runs on the river. Hank Seemann, deputy director of Humboldt County’s Environmental Services, said the final agreement has been in development for months, and the parties are considering approval this month. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
SEE ALSO: Humboldt Supervisors OK Potter Valley Water Diversion Plan, Paving the Way for Eel River Dam Removal, from the Lost Coast Outpost.
Video: In Focus SoCal: Delta Conveyance Project
“On this week’s “In Focus SoCal,” Spectrum News’ Renee Eng sits down with California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones to discuss his bill to protect mobile homeowners from insurance gaps. … Eng also sits down with Assemblymember Lori Wilson to discuss the Delta Conveyance Project, which was not included in the final state budget. Wilson, along with other Delta lawmakers, opposed the project that would create a massive underground tunnel to reroute a big chunk of the state’s water supply. “This was a policy proposal that would have Southern California foot the bill for a $20 billion-plus project,” said Wilson. “We saw the increase in this project over the last few decades, and you can imagine what it would be by the time this got done.” Wilson offered alternative solutions that the Delta Caucus would consider, strengthening the state water system without impact on the Delta. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1.
Coast Guard launches final cleanup operation in Delta’s ‘graveyard of ships’
“Nearly four years after a Cold War-era warship slipped beneath the surface of Little Potato Slough, federal crews are cutting it apart piece by piece, a complex demolition effort aimed at removing the last in a trio of sunken vessels contaminating one of California’s most fragile waterways. Divers worked below the surface this week, carving into the corroded hull of the HMCS Chaleur, a 152-foot decommissioned former WWII Canadian Navy patrol vessel and a later minesweeper following the war that has been partially submerged in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton since 2021. From shore, the vessel looked skeletal, its midsection collapsed, aluminum frame warped, and bow just cresting the tide. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
Microplastic Mayhem: How three researchers are analyzing particles in Lake Tahoe
“It’s a sunny day in the middle of Lake Tahoe when Katie Senft, Carina Seitz and Consuelo Del Rio are aboard the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s research vessel. The research team is testing the quality of water in Lake Tahoe by looking at microplastics, light and other biological parameters. Katie Senft, research faculty for the biology department and boat captain, drives Carina Seitz, a research assistant professor in the biology department at the University and the Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability, and Consuelo Del Rio, a biology student, a few miles out from the boat dock at Sand Harbor beach in Incline Village, Nevada. Repetition is key in this boat laboratory. The research team begins the day by running water from different lake depths (surface level, five and 15 meters deep) through a submersible pump, which is lowered to the specific meter level. The water is run through four sieves and into a five-gallon bucket. This filters out all microplastics, big and small. Then, the sieves are rinsed into a small mason jar, capturing enough water (and microplastics) to take back to the lab for testing. … ” Read more from Nevada Today.
Modeling the key role of irrigation for farming in a hotter world
“For over a century, agricultural scientists have sought to unravel the complex relationship between temperature and crop yields. Previous studies have found that yields for staple crops like maize and soybeans tend to increase as the temperature rises—that is, until the temperature passes 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point crop yields come crashing down. A new study led by Assistant Professor Lucas Vargas Zeppetello suggests that the amount of water in soil has the strongest influence on crop yields, and can actually explain the high-temperature growing conditions that scientists have observed in agricultural areas. The findings, which are freely available online and will be published in the August issue of AGU Advances, may help farmers better manage agricultural production in a hotter world. “We’ve known for a long time that high temperatures are associated with low yields, but we didn’t know why,” said Vargas Zeppetello, a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. “The goal of this work was to understand why crop yields decrease dramatically at high temperatures, and what this means for global climate change and the future of agriculture.” … ” Read more from UC Berkeley.
Press release: Strategic proposal addresses AI-driven data center water demands through agricultural innovation, aligned with Inflation Reduction Act funds
“Recent flooding across the U.S. may suggest water supply concerns have diminished, but long-term drought conditions persist across the West. While the East receives substantial rainfall, Southwestern states remain dry. Despite a few years of above-average precipitation, Lake Mead remains at approximately 31% capacity—174.4 feet below full pool level (drought.gov). In some states reliant on aquifers, 40% to 80% of pivot irrigation systems are inactive due to depleted groundwater. In this drought-affected region, where AI data centers are increasing demand on water supplies, Sprouting Gear Inc. (SGI) founder Paul Pluss has presented a proposal designed to address both agricultural and technological water use. The company’s hydroponic fodder system is estimated to reduce water consumption for cattle feed by up to 99.5%, potentially saving over 200 billion gallons of water annually while supporting 100,000 cows. SGI is evaluating access to Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding allocated for water efficiency and is exploring potential partnerships with technology sector stakeholders. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
What’s up with the unusually cool start to NorCal coastal summer vs anomalous inland heat? Plus: cool everywhere this week, but heat rebuilds into August
“It has been a very cool start to the summer (from May through mid-July) across the entire coastline of northern and central California, as well as much of the San Francisco/Monterey Bay Areas in general as well as the southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin Valleys exposed to cooler marine air via the Carquinez Strait. In fact, in some specific locations, the May-mid July 2025 period has been among the coldest in the past 30-40 years (meaning, for some younger folks in the Bay Area, this might be the coolest start to any summer in their living memory). It has been chilly, unusually windy, and often cloudy under a very persistent marine layer in these regions.However, well inland and at upper elevations, conditions could not have been more different: days and nights have both been much warmer than average in these areas since May, and a few spots have even approached or tied all-time record high temperatures for this very same period during which the coast has been so chilly that it’s been (literally) newsworthy. … ” Read more from Weather West.
The world is sweltering. So why is California so much cooler than normal?
“Something strange is happening with California’s summer. While much of the world swelters or floods, California has been caught in a quieter kind of extreme, especially in places like the Bay Area. Here, stable conditions have dominated for weeks, with relentless cloud cover, cool temperatures and a stubborn marine layer. It’s not just a coastal phenomenon. Inland spots that are running cooler than normal too, creating a rare kind of regional uniformity for July. Tuesday was the second consecutive day where not a single spot in the Bay cracked 80 degrees and every location was running below normal temperatures. This cool, muted July follows an equally subdued June, driven by a combination of local ocean conditions and large-scale atmospheric patterns. Along the coast, colder-than-normal sea surface temperatures sharpen the marine layer, leading to thicker cloud cover, slower clearing and dampened daytime highs, even across the typically hot inland locations. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CEQA Reform … A Primer
“On June 30, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that have substantially modified the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to, in large part, increase housing development in a state with a “serious housing shortage” that has resulted in especially low rates of home ownership in young adults. In a somewhat controversial move, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Senate Bill 131 (SB 131) were advanced as trailer bills to the state’s 2025 budget—maintaining some, but not all, of the CEQA reforms included in SB 607 introduced by Senator Scott Wiener early this year, as we previously reported. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
Federal Court upholds Bureau of Reclamation’s conversion of water service contracts in Central Valley
“Last week, a judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California confirmed the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation to convert water service contracts to long term repayment contracts pursuant to the Water Infrastructure and Improvements for the Nation Act. The converted contracts eliminate the need for future renewals and associated costs and allow contractors to lower their overall costs by prepaying their share of project construction costs. The converted contracts also benefit the government by facilitating faster repayment of construction costs which can provide funding for future water storage projects. … ” Continue reading from the US Department of Justice.
Dangerous dams: Where are the six most at risk of failing in the U.S.?
“The number of dams in the United States at risk of overtopping is increasing, “threatening their structural integrity and downstream communities,” according to a new study from Florida. About 250,000 people in three states live downstream of those dams, the researchers found. Published July 21, the study analyzed five decades of water-level data across 33 strategically selected dam sites to quantify how overtopping probability has evolved since 1973. “We identified six dams having the greatest overtopping probability, with several being located near large population centers, posing potential risks to the downstream communities,” warned the study, published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Communications. “All six dams are classified as large and high-hazard potential.” The six dams with the highest probability of overtopping and the closest downstream cities were in Texas, Kansas and California …Whiskeytown Dam: Anderson, California (pop. 11,390) … ” Read the full story at USA Today.
Burn scars can exacerbate flooding, posing compounding climate hazards
“Southern New Mexico was already parched by drought when the South Fork fire ignited on June 17, 2024. The blaze burned roughly 17,000 acres near the town of Ruidoso in the Lincoln National Forest and the Mescalero Apache reservation, killing two people and destroying 1,400 structures. Since then, several disasters have hit in the scars left by the flames. Most recently, on July 8, torrential rain triggered flash flooding that inundated the village of Ruidoso, killing three people, including two children. In just 30 minutes of downpour, the Rio Ruidoso river swelled to around 20 feet high, a record. While this level of rain can be dangerous on its own, the burn scars exacerbated the deluge. Research shows that intense fires can burn through vegetation and alter soil in a way that repels off water, increasing the risk of debris flows or mudslides for years, particularly in mountainous areas. As these compounding threats become more common with climate change, communities are struggling to secure long-term support. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In commentary today …
The flash-flood era is here, and we’re not ready
Columnist Mark Gongloff writes, “New York City’s subway system is mainly known for moving millions of riders every day and scaring the U.S. transportation secretary. But every so often it also becomes the world’s least-popular water park. Instagram was rife last week with unnerving videos of subway riders watching high waters churn outside their train cars after a brief but biblical downpour dumped more than 2 inches of rain in less than an hour on Monday, overwhelming the city’s drains and turning subway stations into raging rivers. What might have been a mundane summer rainstorm at one time led to flooding that killed at least two people, destroyed property and snarled travel across three states. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Our legislators have a chance to help Central Valley farmers
Michael Ming, owner and operator of Alliance Ag Services, writes, “Agriculture in California is at an inflection point. With the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, up to a million acres of farmland in our state will go unused because of groundwater use restrictions. This is not just a water issue. It’s an economic emergency for California’s rural communities, especially in Kern County. Farming has been a way of life for generations, but many agricultural families now face the grim reality that some of our most productive farmland will sit idle for lack of water. We need a lifeline. And Assembly Bill 1156, which is currently being considered at the state Capitol, is just that. AB 1156 offers a commonsense solution: allow farmers to temporarily lease their otherwise unusable land for clean energy development, like solar projects, that will deliver reliable revenue to farmers, new jobs for local residents, and affordable energy for millions of Californians. “If there’s opportunity to generate revenue with solar, that seems like the next best thing to farming,” says my friend Mike Frey, a farmer in Kern County. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian.
Toxic algae bloom forecasts are a study in negligence
“Back in 2003, when researchers began predicting with excellent accuracy how much of western Lake Erie would be coated with the green slime of a toxic algae bloom, there were important points to be made. … The annual forecasts, largely funded with $20 million annually from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provided water quality regulators and public health authorities in the U.S. and Canada real-time assessments on where the poisonous algae, which is capable of killing dogs and sickening people, could wash up on public beaches. Forecasters got so good at predicting the expanse of the Lake Erie bloom that they decided earlier this decade to make a show of it and livestream the annual forecast, which is now held on South Bass Island, offshore of Toledo. Yes, the forecasting is an impressive display of computer modeling and scientific acumen. But here’s the rub for Lake Erie and for iconic water bodies around the country – Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Okeechobee, Saginaw Bay, and eight others – where NOAA and its state and university contractors are conducting similar annual measurements of harmful algal blooms: The forecasts have become irrefutable evidence of immense ecological negligence…. ” Read the full commentary at Circle of Blue.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Kayakers celebrate culmination of month-long journey down undammed Klamath River
“Several dozen Indigenous youth completed a 310-mile, month-long source-to-sea “first descent” of the undammed Klamath River on Friday. As the youths, between the ages 13 to 20, approached the sand spit adjacent to the Klamath’s mouth in their bright-colored kayaks, tribal elders, family members, friends and supporters waved and cheered them on. “I feel so proud to have completed this trip, and am feeling grateful for the support of my family and the fact that I got to honor my grandma’s legacy in her fight for dam removal,” Ke-Get Omar Dean V, 18, a member of the Yurok Tribe, said in a news release. “We got to complete this journey because of the people that came before us and ensured a free-flowing river.” … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Regulators set to vote on Peninsula water supply and demand
“State regulators Thursday will decide whether to accept much of the future water supply and demand estimates submitted to them by California American Water Co., a move that’s already rankling four local agencies and a nonprofit because the state Public Utilities Commission will likely not allow any debate on the issue. At issue is whether the Monterey Peninsula has enough water to satisfy demand by 2050. Cal Am, in documents filed with the CPUC, argues there won’t be enough water unless it can build its desalination plant. But others, including the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Marina Coast Water District, the city of Marina, Monterey One Water and the nonprofit Public Water Now, continue to argue that Pure Water Monterey, the recycled water plant, and its expansion project coming online this year will be more than enough to satisfy demand by 2050 when combined with other water sources. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Adult winter-run Chinook salmon seen in McCloud River for first time in almost 100 years
“For the first time in nearly 100 years, adult winter-run Chinook salmon have been confirmed in the McCloud River, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). On July 15, a female salmon was observed guarding her nest near Ash Camp, with several males nearby competing to spawn. The agency reported that the return of the salmon marks a significant milestone in a multi-agency effort to restore the endangered species to their native habitat above Shasta Dam. The observed salmon most likely came from a project started in 2022, CDFW officials said, with help from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Rep. Ami Bera secures $2.5 Million for Carmichael Water Project
“Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) announced on July 16 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $2.5-million federal grant to the Carmichael Water District to support the construction of the Ladera Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Well Project. The Ladera Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well is a new production and injection well that will allow the Carmichael Water District to capture and store excess surface water during wet years and recover it during dry periods. Once completed, the well will produce approximately 1,200 gallons per minute and have the capacity to inject about half that volume back into the aquifer for future use. … ” Read more from the Carmichael Times.
Solano Supes hear Yolo Bypass update
“The Solano County Board of Supervisors heard an update on the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Master Plan from the California Department of Water Resources and Central Valley Flood Protection Board on Tuesday. Steve Rothert of the DWR and Kristyne Van Skike of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board presented the item to the board and answered questions about the remaining steps in the process. Rothert said the Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Region covers a 40-mile-long bypass that extends through portions of Solano and Yolo counties. Built for flood control in the 1930s, he said, the waterway has shifted to support agriculture and provide habitat to more than 150 species. The masterplan, which is set for renewal in 2026 is meant to guide continued project planning and implementation consistent with the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and its Conservation Strategy, Rothert said. … ” Read more from the Daily Reporter.
NAPA/SONOMA
Fish counting a key part of the job for Sonoma Water biologists
“Every summer for the past 20 years, biologists with Sonoma Water don their waders and boots, not to catch fish but to count them. Seven days a week, at five different put-ins, Sonoma Water biologists Miguel O’Huerta and Sanoe Deaver wade into the cold Russian River to scoop small fish from traps laid in late spring. One-by-one they tally each salmonid — fish in the salmon family. “Coho smolt. Yeah, gorgeous. This is going to be at 95,” O’Huerta called out to Deaver who logged the data. She asked if he’d scanned the fish yet. “Yep, no snout. Yep, no scan,” O’Huerta responded. “And this is going to be at 9.7 and it’s going downstream. Beautiful.” … ” Read more from NorCal Public Media.
BAY AREA
The Bay is rising, and Marin’s most traveled roads are in its way
“Highways. Trails. Roads. Ferry terminals. Bike paths. Train lines. Much of Marin County’s spiderweb of coastal and bayside transit options is at risk of inundation from rising sea levels in the coming decades, according to a recent study identifying the climate vulnerabilities of its built infrastructure. The county, surrounded by water on three sides, is already plagued by flooding during high tides several times a year. Now it has a greater understanding of its future sea level rise risk due to the effects of human-caused climate change, thanks to the study unveiled last week by the Transportation Authority of Marin, or TAM, in collaboration with environmental consulting firm Arup. Researchers identified 19 areas along the Marin County shoreline that are prone to flooding, sea level rise and groundwater rise, noting that “tipping points” at which flooding becomes permanent are just decades out in some locations. In others, temporary flooding could spike in the years to come. … ” Read more from KQED.
The Damned. What happens if Nicasio Reservoir expands?
“Nicasio is a pastoral, idyllic town tucked between West Marin’s iconic towering redwoods, sprawling valleys and rolling hillsides. But Nicasio’s charm holds a secret—one with deep roots, rising waters and a history that’s beginning to repeat itself. The Nicasio of today is perhaps best known for its vast reservoir, where wildlife, fishers and families flock together. Others may know this tiny town for its not-so-hidden gem of a venue, Rancho Nicasio, a local historic roadhouse known for its epic concerts and exceptional vibes and views. Otherwise, downtown Nicasio consists mostly of a post office, a druid hall, a bespoke lingerie shop, a historic church, a legacy cheese shop, a historical society and an elementary school. Plus lots and lots of rural residential areas filled with horses, cows, goats and no small number of chickens. … ” Read more from the Pacific Sun.
Permanente Creek restoration begins in Cupertino
“After more than a decade in planning, the multi-year Permanente Creek restoration project is underway in the western foothills of Cupertino, one of the first major milestones in the reclamation of the historic Permanente Quarry site. Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga joined executives from site owner Heidelberg Materials and representatives from the Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter Tuesday for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the launch of a six-year project to restore 1.7 miles of creek lands. The plan includes removing legacy mining infrastructure and invasive species, restoring the creek channel site, replanting native vegetation and creating additional pool habitat suitable for fish passage. “This day was a long time in coming. But I am glad it has finally arrived,” said Supervisor Abe-Koga. “When completed, the project will substantially improve the creek and riparian habitat for fish.” … ” Read more from the Cupertino Sun.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Water district says Kern agency can’t kill agreement to supply homes 200 miles away
“A water district 200 miles north of Kern County is fighting back against a local agency’s threat to terminate an agreement that has supplied a 600-home development for the past 24 years. Residents of the development, called Diablo Grande just west of Patterson, approved a 200% increase to their water rates, agreeing to pay $600 a month, in order to make payments on what the Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) has said is a $13 million debt. But that only bought them six months of supplies as KCWA vowed to end its agreement with Western Hills Water District, which exclusively serves Diablo Grande, on Dec. 31. An attorney for Western Hills, however, said killing the deal “…is improper and not authorized under the Agreement,” according to a July 14 letter to KCWA. The agreement allows KCWA to suspend water deliveries for lack of payment, but doesn’t allow for termination, the letter from Attorney Colin Pearce states. KCWA declined to comment, according to a spokesperson. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Spring-run salmon find new home on the lower Tuolumne River
“Nearly 1,200 adult spring-run Chinook salmon — originally released as part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program — made their way to the Tuolumne River, where they found abundant habitat and cold, clean water in which to spend the summer prior to spawning in the fall. This migration represents a milestone for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and highlights the impact of the Tuolumne River Partners’ (Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) management of the Tuolumne River. TID, MID, and SFPUC announced in 2023 their joint $80 million habitat restoration program along the lower Tuolumne River, aimed at improving the health and long-term recovery of the fishery and local communities it serves. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
Bill may extend lifeline to Tulare County farmers left behind after groundwater agency implosion
“Farmers in the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) can see a light at the end of the tunnel as county administrators begin to execute a rescue plan to help them comply with the state’s groundwater law. Assembly Bill 568 made it through the state Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee July 16. If approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the legislation will create the new Tule East GSA, a joint powers authority between Tulare County, Hope and Ducor Water Districts. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors will vote on the joint powers authority agreement today, July 22. The new entity will encompass about half the acreage of Eastern Tule, almost all groundwater-dependent lands that were left behind when irrigation districts abandoned the GSA in the wake of the state Water Resources Control Board’s decision to place the Tule subbasin on probation in September. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Tehachapi: Water district board will hold strategic plan workshop
“A workshop to review the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District’s strategic plan will be held beginning at noon on Wednesday, July 30, at the district office, 22901 Banducci Road. The district board set the time for review of the strategic plan during its regular monthly meeting on July 16. General Manager Tom Neisler told the board that the strategic plan was first adopted in 2019, and at that time, the board directed staff to schedule a review every two years. The most recent version of the plan was adopted in August 2023. It can be accessed online at bit.ly/4ly5cbY. According to that document, the board develops the plan to describe the path desired to achieve its vision and mission, guide priorities and use of resources and set standards of excellence. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Video: Heal the Bay looks to establish post-fire water quality testing standards
“Six months after the Palisades and Eaton fires, beachgoers are still asking: Is it safe to swim in the ocean? There are currently no established guidelines to determine the safety of swimming in the ocean after an urban fire, but Heal the Bay is working to change that. New data from Heal the Bay shows fire-related contaminants, including heavy metals, are below the EPA’s “calculated risk thresholds for human health.” The nonprofit group analyzed water and sand samples from various beaches, ranging from Malibu to Palos Verdes. Heal the Bay CEO Tracy Quinn joins Amrit Singh on “Your Afternoon” to discuss.” Watch at Spectrum 1.
Tetra Tech wins $10M contract to modernize west basin water control systems in California
“Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK), a top consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environmental, and sustainable infrastructure solutions, has been selected by California’s West Basin Municipal Water District or MWD to upgrade the district’s process control systems. These systems support water treatment operations for nearly one million residents across 17 cities in Los Angeles County. Under the $10 million contract, Tetra Tech will deliver digital systems engineering and technical services to replace West Basin’s aging distributed control system. The modernization will improve operational efficiency, bolster cybersecurity, and enhance system reliability for the district’s advanced water recycling facilities. Services will include platform assessment, system design, plan development, technical specifications, and automation programming. … ” Read more from NASDAQ.
SAN DIEGO
Scripps Oceanography researchers unveil user-friendly tool to alert beachgoers to contamination
“Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography present a new tool the public can use to understand sewage contamination levels at beaches from Coronado to Playas de Tijuana as well as potential risks of swimmer illness. The Pathogen Forecast Model hosted by the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) at Scripps shows the forecasted levels of sewage in the coastal ocean in the San Diego-Tijuana border region together with illness risk for ocean swimming. The Pathogen Forecast Model website provides detailed forecasts for Playas Tijuana, Imperial Beach, Silver Strand State Park, and Coronado of shoreline sewage concentrations as well as estimated risk of illness for ocean swimmers. The aim is to enable families to make informed decisions about whether to take their kids to the beach on the weekend. “The Pathogen Forecast Model has considerable skill in predicting five days into the future the beach water quality measurements made by San Diego County from Imperial Beach to Coronado,” said Scripps oceanographer Falk Feddersen, the project lead. “Of course, just like with weather forecasts, the model has error. It is still experimental.” … ” Read more from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Oceanographers create 5-day forecast for beach pollution
“Raw sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from the Tijuana River and a Mexican water treatment plant has made it unsafe to swim or surf on San Diego beaches countless times. So scientists have found a way to forecast how clean or dirty that water will be. The project is called the Pathogen Forecast Model. “The overall goal of the project can be stated this way: We want to be able to allow families to know whether they can take their kids to the beach on the weekend,” said Falk Feddersen, an oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at UC San Diego. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
Reclamation to fund innovative contest to help plug Colorado River leaks
“The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the 1,450-mile Colorado River in the West, is taking a unique approach to fix a nagging problem that threatens vital water supplies for seven states, tribes and Mexico. On Tuesday, it announced it is joining forces with the NASA Tournament Lab and HeroX, the leading platform and open market for crowd-sourced solutions. The challenge is designed to seek innovative designs for a rapid-deploying, high-pressure seal capable of controlling failed dam conduits — protecting critical water supplies and power generation infrastructure. With water scarcity a persistent and potentially life-changing problem for growth in the West, critical ecoystems and power generation, the bureau wants to save every drop of water it can. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Nevada: As wells dry up near Ash Meadows, another mine could be on its way
“A Nevada town concerned about water has sent a clear message that mining is not welcome near the biodiversity hub of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. But not long after federal land managers began considering whether to block new mining claims near the refuge, a mining company has again knocked on the community’s door. Just across the California border, this month the Trump administration greenlit exploration for clinoptilolite, a zeolite mineral used for wastewater treatment, odor control and more. St. Cloud Mining, which operates an existing mine nearby that was approved in 1987, can now move forward and drill 43 holes about 3 miles from the refuge line — something the Bureau of Land Management determined would have “no significant impact” on the environment. Most aren’t buying that. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Arizona: Its aqueduct brings water to 6 million Arizonans. But most don’t know why CAP is so important
“The Central Arizona Project. It sounds more like a band name than the name of a critical 336-mile-long aqueduct that shuttles Colorado River water through the state. While you may have heard of CAP, you may not be exactly sure how it all works. KJZZ recently took a behind-the-scenes tour of the system that keeps the flow going for millions of Arizonans. CAP crews were planning a “blow off.” That’s what engineers call it when millions of gallons of water is discharged from a 1-mile-long siphon in northwest Phoenix. It only happens about once per decade. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona: Tribal water settlement aims to repair generations of exclusion
“Guiding a Toyota pickup along a narrow dirt road south of Second Mesa, rancher Robinson Honani gestures toward a patchwork of farm plots tucked into the dusty terrain of the Hopi Reservation, perched on the Colorado Plateau in the Painted Desert of northeastern Arizona. “This is a Bear Clan area. It’s one of my aunties’,” says Honani, a Hopi Tribal Council member from Sipaulovi, pointing just beyond a small berm. The fields, bordered by dry washes and patches of grass, are part of a longstanding tradition: Clan by clan, Hopi families prepare the soil for planting each year. Honani slows the truck as the road winds past freshly turned earth. Soon, corn will take root here—just in time to ripen for Niman, the “Home Dance.” The ceremony marks the departure of the Katsinam, spirit beings believed to carry prayers of thanks to the creator and bring moisture and blessings to the land. … ” Read more from the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
Utah has water problems now. What if the megadrought lasts another 25 years?
“The megadrought that’s lasted 25 years so far could continue parching Utah and the Southwest until 2050. Or maybe even the end of the century. New research from the University of Texas indicates global warming may disrupt a key atmospheric pattern that brings winter precipitation to the West — and could do so for decades to come. “Instead of saying that we’ve just been really unlucky the past few decades,” said researcher Victoria Todd, “what we’re hypothesizing is that this could actually be a shift in the climate state. That this could be basically the new normal.” Utah is already strapped for water. Drought conditions cover all of Utah — the only Western state where that’s the case — which increases water demand. Statewide reservoir levels dropped 10% in June, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. The average decline during that month is just 2%. That prompted a plea from the governor to save water. … ” Read more from KUER.
In national water news today …
Plastics Pipe Institute joins support for FLOW Act
“The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) has announced its strong support of the Financing Lead Out of Water (FLOW) Act, H.R. 3892. The bipartisan legislation reintroduced in June is aimed at helping communities accelerate the removal of lead service lines, including those located on private property. PPI is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry. The organization’s member companies provide piping solutions that are widely used in water infrastructure projects across the country. “By enabling the use of tax-exempt private activity bonds for full lead service line replacement, the FLOW Act removes a key financial barrier that has slowed progress on these critical infrastructure upgrades,” said David M. Fink, PPI president. “This policy change will allow more communities — particularly low-income and historically underserved areas — to modernize their water systems and protect public health.” … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
E.P.A. is said to draft a plan to end its ability to fight climate change
“The Trump administration has drafted a plan to repeal a fundamental scientific finding that gives the United States government its authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions and fight climate change, according to two people familiar with the plan. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration known as the “endangerment finding,” which scientifically established that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane endanger human lives. That finding is the foundation of the federal government’s only tool to limit the climate pollution from vehicles, power plants and other industries that is dangerously heating the planet. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: EPA drafts rule to strike down landmark climate finding, from the Washington Post
