DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Thunderstorms could bring flash floods to CA as cyclone nears; Return of The Blob: Heat wave spans Pacific Ocean; Parched soils can spark hot drought a nation away; Residents want a natural LA River. Officials say it’s risky; and more …

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On the calendar today …

• PUBLIC HEARING: Delta Conveyance Project water right hearing beginning at 9am.  The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending Petitions for Change of Water Right Permits for the Delta Conveyance Project. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing without participating may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: bit.ly/aho-youtube.  Click here for the meeting notice.
• MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am at Redding City Hall.  Agenda items include informational presentations on Enforcement Process Presentation – Office of Enforcement, State Water Resources Control Board; Compliance & Enforcement Program Update – Region 5 Fresno office; and Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Update – Acceptable A/R Ranges.  Click here for the full agenda.
• WEBINAR: Tribal Stewardship Policy Toolkit Case Study: Ancestral Land Return of School Lands to Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe from 1pm to 2pm.  Join us for an in-depth discussion on the innovative process between the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, State Lands Commission, and CalTrans that lead to the return of nearly 40 acres of land back to the Tribe for permanent protection and stewardship. This webinar will provide a case study of how state school lands can be a place for meaningful tribal stewardship and – at times – an opportunity for ancestral land return. Tribal and state leaders will share their experiences in ancestral land return, provide additional resources, and be available to answer questions. Click here to register.

In California water news this weekend …

Thunderstorms could bring flash floods to CA as cyclone nears. When to expect rain

“As moisture from Tropical Cyclone Priscilla moves northward, thunderstorms could sweep across California. Although the storm is weakening west of the Baja Peninsula, its moisture will spread across the state — including Sacramento, Modesto, Merced, Fresno and San Luis Obispo — bringing showers and thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. “The greater flash flood threat will begin today across southeastern California, southwestern Arizona, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah, shifting eastward on Friday,” the weather agency said in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 9. Flood risks will continue through Sunday, Oct. 12, according to the release. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee.

It’s officially La Niña. Here’s what California can expect.

“Forecasters now have a big clue to what weather will look like in California this winter.  After much anticipation, La Niña conditions have emerged, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center declared on Thursday. The seasonal climate pattern signals a drier-than-average winter in Southern California — but gives equal chances of a rainy, normal or parched season for much of the northern part of the state, including the Bay Area.“For the Bay Area residents, I would just tell people to be prepared for anything,” Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told SFGATE. “The variability here for La Niña is so high.”  La Niña is the cool phase of a pattern that brews across the tropical Pacific Ocean, called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or “ENSO.” During La Niña events, strong trade winds result in below-average surface temperatures in those waters, while during the other phase — El Niño — weaker winds lead to warmer ocean conditions. The pattern alternates irregularly every two to seven years, bringing a cascade of global weather impacts. … ”  Read more from SF Gate.

SEE ALSO:  La Niña is here: Is California heading for a dry winter?, from the San Jose Mercury

Return of The Blob: Heat wave spans Pacific Ocean

“A massive heat wave is hitting the Pacific Ocean from Kamchatka to California.  Water temperatures several degrees above normal span thousands of miles, though they have mostly stopped short of the Pacific Northwest coast. Cool water welling up from the depths is thought to be keeping surface temperatures near the Oregon and Washington coasts closer to normal.  Beyond disrupting the ocean’s food web and fisheries, the underwater heat wave, known as “The Blob,” can alter weather on land thousands of miles away.  Since May, an ever-shifting mass of overheated water has occupied much of the northern half of the Pacific Ocean.  In early September, it covered 3 million square miles — about the size of the contiguous United States — according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s “Blobtracker” program. … ”  Read more from KUOW.

State law protecting migratory birds made permanent

“The lovable stooge character on FX’s sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” once famously declared himself an expert in “bird law,” without offering specifics.  But bird law is real and has been the subject of a years-long dispute between California and the federal government that started during Donald Trump’s first presidency, when his administration removed protections in 2017 for migratory birds that are killed or impacted for non-hunting reasons, like construction.  The move left non-native migratory birds covered in the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act unprotected from such projects.  In 2019, state lawmakers, led by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, responded by writing the protection of the species listed in the treaty into state law, but the legislation sunset in early 2025.  A new version of the law, Assembly Bill 454, the California Migratory Birds Act, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday, this time without an end date. It was reintroduced this year after the second Trump Administration revived its opinion that the activity was allowed under federal law. … ”  Read more from SF Gate.

Newsom signs bill allowing hunting of invasive mute swans

“A new California law will allow hunters to kill nonnative swans. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, Assembly Bill 764, into law on Tuesday.  The bill adds mute swans — the iconic white swan brought to the United States to decorate parks and estates — to the list of invasive birds that can be hunted with few restrictions, joining the English sparrow and starling.  The population of mute swans in California has grown dramatically over the last few years.  “It’s pretty alarming what we’re seeing,” Andrew Engilis, curator of the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology at the University of California, Davis, told State Affairs. “The spread is uncontrolled.” … ”  Read more from State Affairs.

Parched soils can spark hot drought a nation away

“Dry soils in northern Mexico may trigger episodes of simultaneous drought and heatwave hundreds of miles away in the southwestern United States, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, according to a new study. These “hot droughts” in the region increasingly persist through consecutive days and nights rather than easing up after sundown, the research also found, leaving no window for afflicted areas to recover.  Hot drought can kill crops, worsen wildfire risk, and shock workers and outdoor enthusiasts with unexpectedly high temperatures, all more than either drought or heat alone can do. … “Hot droughts will propagate to other parts of the country and have detrimental effects on health, on infrastructure, on daily life,” said Enrique Vivoni, a hydrologist at Arizona State University and senior author on the study. As climate change continues, the authors said, more places will likely experience the dry soil conditions that spur and spread hot drought. “We need systems to alert us to hot drought just like we have systems that alert us to hurricanes.” … ”  Read more from AGU.

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In commentary this weekend …

Importance of State Water Project to Tri-Valley cannot be understated

Zone 7 Water Agency General Manager Valerie Pryor writes, “As best practice, public water agencies prudently plan for regional water supply needs and carefully piece together resilient portfolios of various water supply sources. Zone 7 is no different.  Our agency plans for and delivers safe and reliable water to over a quarter of a million residents in eastern Alameda County. We do this primarily by importing surface water through the State Water Project, a vast system that captures and moves water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to communities across the state. … A significant 70% of our Tri-Valley water comes from the State Water Project. This imported water is delivered to our neighbors in the Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and Dougherty Valley communities. We have studied other alternatives to augment State Water Project supplies, but the state’s system remains the backbone of the Tri-Valley’s water supply and is a lifeline for the local economy. … ”  Read more from Danville San Ramon.

Data centers must disclose how much water they’re consuming

Irina Raicu, director of the Internet Ethics program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, writes, “The heat is starting to break, but plants are still wilted, and we are still conscious that water is precious — especially in California and other states in the West. Meanwhile, data centers here are sprouting like mushrooms after the rain.  And data centers require a lot of water.  In Silicon Valley, more than 55 data centers operate in the city of Santa Clara alone, and more have already been approved, according to the city. As generative AI floods into multiple aspects of our lives (work, health care, education, entertainment, access to information, companionship, national security, etc.), the need for powerful data centers grows.  Some are cooled with air; some use recycled water; many, however, require drinking-quality water for cooling. (And cooling is only part of the demand; ultra-pure water, for example, is needed for the manufacturing of the chips used in the servers running in data centers, and, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, “[c]reating ultrapure water is a highly water-intensive process” itself.) … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.

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In regional water news this weekend …

NORTH COAST

Klamath Tribes walk out of summit over lack of response from Oregon

“The Klamath Tribes walked out of an intergovernmental summit this week over what they say are issues that the state of Oregon has failed to address.  The Klamath Tribes and Oregon’s eight other federally recognized tribes gathered in North Bend this week for an annual summit with state leaders. But the Klamath Tribes’ leadership walked out after delivering a statement to state officials and the governor.  Klamath Tribes Chair William Ray Jr. said the state has not responded to concerns the Tribes have raised, such as outfitters and guides infringing on tribal members’ fishing.  “I don’t have any ill will to the state,” he said. “It’s just that I want them to live up to their end of the bargain for us — to honor our treaty and our treaty rights.” … ”  Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.

A river reborn: One year after Klamath river dam removal

“This October marks the first anniversary since the removal of the four lower Klamath dams, and scientists, advocates and Tribes are celebrating dramatic ecological improvements for the Klamath River. Ongoing scientific monitoring, which started years prior to dam removal, has enabled the documentation of significant advances in water quality, water temperatures, and the rapid return of native salmon populations to previously blocked habitats.  “The Klamath is showing us the way. The speed and scale of the river’s recovery has exceeded our expectations and even the most optimistic scientific modeling, proving that when the barriers fall, nature has an incredible power to heal itself,” said Barry McCovey Jr., Director of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department.  News of fish passing the former dam sites came the same week as the project’s completion in early October 2024. While scientists were actively monitoring fish movements and spawning activity in the weeks and months following the restoration of natural flows to the river, it took several months of analysis to finalize specific data related to fish activity above the former dam sites. We now know that more than 7,700 Chinook Salmon swam upriver of the former Iron Gate dam site (the lowermost dam in the system) last fall to access habitat previously blocked by the dams. … ”  Read more from Cal Trout.

SEE ALSO:

• One Year After Klamath Dam Removal, ‘There’s Just Fish Jumping All Over the Place’: Scientists Describe Improvements to Water Quality and Wildlife, from the Lost Coast Outpost
• Klamath River flows with salmon a year after the last dam was removed, from Arizona Central

Town hall dives into pesticides in Smith River plain

“Wednesday, a packed town hall in Crescent City dove deep into pesticide use in the Smith River plain at lily bulb farms — with scientists presenting on pesticides measured in water and the impacts of those pesticides on fish. Nearly two hours of public comment urged the board to address the issue, while even more community members waiting on Zoom.  A report on the watershed was released last month, which detailed levels of copper exceeding regulatory limits on the plain, below lily fields. California’s North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board sought public comment on the issue ahead of a new regulatory document that’s in the works.  “Members of the community have made it clear to us, they are eager to speak directly to this board and to engage in a discussion about its plans for protecting water quality in the Smith River plain,” said David Kuszmar, an engineer for the NCRWQCB, at the meeting. … ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.

Fish kill at Clear Lake reveals a seven-foot sturgeon surprise

“As Luis Santana motored out onto Clear Lake this August, it seemed at first like a normal summer day out on the water: warm air, cloudy skies, and the wide lake waters full of what seemed like bubbles from the waves.  “Then I stopped, and I was like, Oh my god,” Santana, a fisheries biologist with the Robinson Rancheria tribe, recalls. Those weren’t bubbles; they were millions of dead threadfin shad, and others. “I saw literally every species of fish found in the lake,” except for the Clear Lake tule perch, Santana says. The measurements he took that day revealed what likely killed them: a near-total lack of oxygen in the lake. The fish had, essentially, suffocated.  Amid the silver-lined shores, one fish washed up that no one had known to be a resident: a dead seven-foot-long white sturgeon. It was Clear Lake’s first on record. No one knows for sure how it got into the waters, but Santana thinks it died with the shad. … ”  Read more from Bay Nature.

MOUNTAIN COUNTIES

Johnson Meadow restoration public site walks scheduled

“The public is invited to take a tour of Johnson Meadow and learn about restoration plans in store for the area. There are two tours: October 18 at 10 a.m. and October 20 at 5 p.m.  The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TahoeRCD) knows people have been wondering about the project’s status. The District has taken previous public comment and created a design for a “great project” that they are ready to share.  The tours start at the corner of Lodi and Barbara Ave. South Lake Tahoe. There will be a short walk to the project site. … ”  Read more from South Tahoe Now.

Rare seabird lands in Tahoe, draws birders from near and far

“What started as an inquiring Facebook post to identify a bird turned into a birder’s dream discovery. The mystery bird was identified as a Cocos booby, which are rarely seen outside of the ocean.  First spotted on Aug. 1, a Tahoe resident posted to the Tahoe Birding Facebook Page, asking “Saw him flying at Keys Beach today, any idea what kind he is?”  Sarah Hockensmith, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) Outreach Director, immediately recognized the bird as a booby.  “It is a bit insane for a booby to show up at Lake Tahoe,” Will Richardson said, TINS Executive Director. “It’s a tropical seabird that lives on the ocean, and this species, up until 25-30 years ago, was still pretty rare to see anywhere in the state of California.” … ”  Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

Sacramento Valley StoryMap is the result of the first phase of the Sacramento Valley Historical Ecology Study

“The Resilient Landscapes Program at SFEI has recently completed the first phase of the Sacramento Valley Historical Ecology Study. The goal of the study is to synthesize diverse historical data to enhance understanding of the ecological, hydrological, and geomorphic conditions of the Sacramento Valley prior to major Euro-American modification. Ultimately, the study hopes to inform a pathway for creating more functional floodplains in the Sacramento Valley.  Over the past century and a half, efforts to control flooding in the valley resulted in the construction of an extensive system of levees, weirs, flood bypasses, and dams. These changes have reduced or eliminated natural flooding. The floodplains were once vast wetlands that filled seasonally with overflow from the Sacramento River and water from streams. Now they are largely disconnected from river channels and  dominated by agricultural and urban development. An understanding of historical ecology and physical processes in the Sacramento Valley is necessary to guide reestablishment (or approximation) of the natural physical and biological processes that create and sustain healthy ecosystems for salmonids and many other native plant and wildlife species.  As part of this effort, we have developed an interactive, online StoryMap detailing the historical habitat patterns and channels of the Sacramento Valley. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Estuary Institute.

NAPA/SONOMA

La Niña winter is ahead for West Coast. What does that mean for North Bay?

“Scientists at the nation’s top weather forecasting agency have predicted another La Niña pattern to take hold this winter along the West Coast.  For Southern California, predictive models and past experience show that means cooler temperatures and drier conditions. In Northern California, the outlook is more mixed, the forecast less certain.  It could still mean substantial rain, like the strong storm slated for the region this coming week, which National Weather Service Meteorologist Dial Hoang said could “be a very significant rain maker for Sonoma County.”  Or, the long-term weather pattern could mean milder, drier days through spring, raising some concern about what’s ahead for the period that typically delivers the bulk of the region’s yearly rainfall and runoff. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

BAY AREA

‘Pretty notable early season storm’ on track to hit Bay Area next week

“A day after scientists announced that La Niña will be a reality this year — a claim that often brings the assumption a dry winter is ahead — a storm that the National Weather Service said will be a significant one continued to brew off the Pacific Coast and remained on track to reach the Bay Area early next week.  First, however, is expected to a mild, pleasant weekend with temperatures staying in the low 70s and high 60s in the hottest spots and sun peering in through scattered clouds.  If that sounds like ideal fall weather, winter nastiness isn’t trailing by much.  “This looks to be pretty heavy,” NWS meteorologist Dial Hoang said of the looming storm. “It’s a big system. Looking at the total rain forecast, we anticipate that there will be at least an inch across the Bay Area and there could be up to 2-3 inches in the mountains and higher elevations. . . . This is probably going to be a pretty notable early season storm.” … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.

All aboard for water quality sampling

“Every two years, the Regional Monitoring Program embarks on a mission to sample water from the surface of the Bay for water quality measurements and pollutants, both known and yet to be identified. This year, we visited 21 sites across every part of the Bay, plus one site a few miles outside the Golden Gate.  Each day begins just after dawn with a half dozen scientists loading up the RV Questuary with coolers, dry ice and regular ice, sampling gear, and more than a hundred labeled sampling bottles. The entire boat could fit inside a big rig, and closed coolers often double as seats on the tightly-packed deck. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Estuary Institute.

A new longterm water source: Antioch to get desalination plant

“After seven years of planning, permits and construction, Antioch’s new water desalination plant will provide East County’s largest city with enough drinking water for generations to come.  It is the first desalination plant for the Delta and only the second desalination plant in the Bay Area, along with a plant located in Newark.  “This plant will generate over 40 percent of Antioch’s water during certain months of the year, reducing vulnerability during dry years,” said Contra Costa County Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Toler. “It’s a real, local solution to a changing climate.”  The facility will produce up to six million gallons per day of treated drinking water — an important boost to regional supply reliability amid rising salinity in the San Joaquin River, the state said in a press release. … ”  Read more from The Press.

CENTRAL COAST

Sable considers restarting Santa Ynez Unit via offshore tankers if onshore pipeline ‘delays’ continue

“Like oil and water, Sable Offshore and local jurisdictions’ visions for the future of three rigs off the Gaviota coastline are fundamentally incompatible—prompting recent pivots from both sides of the fence.  The California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a civil lawsuit and criminal charges, respectively, against the Texas-based oil company for allegedly breaking several environmental protocols during its work toward restarting offshore platforms Hondo, Harmony, and Heritage, and the onshore Las Flores pipeline.  Known collectively as the Santa Ynez Unit, the pipeline system has been inactive since 2015, when one of its lines caused the Refugio oil spill.  Nearly two weeks after the DA’s Office filed 21 criminal charges against Sable this September, the company announced a back-up plan to resume oil production at the Santa Ynez Unit regardless of whether it gets state approval to reboot the Las Flores pipeline or not. … ”  Read more from the Santa Maria Sun.

Toro Canyon Oil Water Separator Project completed

“Santa Barbara County Public Works has wrapped up the Toro Canyon Oil Water Separator Project, a multimillion-dollar effort designed to stop crude oil from seeping into Toro Canyon Creek and protect the surrounding environment. On October 7, the Board of Supervisors approved the final accounting for the $2.5 million project, completed by Innovative Construction Services, Inc. … Construction began in 2023, and the notice of completion was recorded by the county clerk on March 28, 2025.  The project includes a new concrete oil-water separator, a concrete diversion weir, a new double walled oil pipeline, and a 5,000-gallon double wall aboveground storage tank. The equipment replaces the outdated, fire-and-flood-damaged system and is designed to make long-term maintenance easier. … ”  Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.

Ventura County groundwater case heads to court. Here’s what to know

“Initial arguments have wrapped up in a Ventura County groundwater rights case – litigation that Camarillo officials have argued could undermine the city’s water supply.  A group of agricultural property owners called the OPV Coalition filed the lawsuit in 2021. Pending in Santa Barbara Superior Court, it seeks to determine groundwater rights in two basins that include areas in Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Ventura and nearby unincorporated communities.  The goal was to resolve all competing demands for groundwater in the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley basins, according to O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, the law firm representing the coalition.  The case was divided into three phases, with the first to consider the amount of groundwater available to pump. Other phases involve other issues, such as groundwater rights. … ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Residents want a natural LA River. Officials say it’s risky

“The deluge of rain over the weekend flooded streets and damaged infrastructure across California. One place that didn’t flood? The Los Angeles River.  That, of course, is by design. It’s exactly why local officials starting excavating the river and lining it with concrete 85 years ago, and ever since, most of the LA River’s 51 miles from the Santa Susana Mountains to the San Pedro Bay have served primarily as a flood management system.  But a changing climate and changing ideas about how Angelenos want to live with nature are now sparking a debate about LA’s relationship with its straight-jacketed river. Is it too late for a better way?  A nonprofit called The River Project says no, and is advocating for restoring the original river ecosystem Angelenos enjoyed 100 years ago. … ”  Read more from KCRW.

For a Good Cause: Friends of the LA River to host 35th annual cleanup in Long Beach

“Long Beach residents can join their fellow Angelenos this weekend in helping clean up along the Los Angeles River.  The Friends of the Los Angeles River is hosting its 35th annual Great LA River Cleanup on Saturday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 18. Registration is open for all ages, and shifts start at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on both weekends. Community members have an opportunity to engage hands-on with a living part of the river’s ecosystem, organizers said.  The nonprofit’s mission is to build capacity for communities, students and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate and equity along the LA River, according to a press release. The Friends of the LA River also serves as a leading force in educating youth, guiding policy, and connecting communities to the river. … ”  Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram.

Column: LADWP is facing an investigation by the U.S. Senate

Columnist Susan Shelley writes, “The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is no stranger to federal investigations.  In July 2019, FBI agents raided LADWP headquarters along with the offices of the city attorney. By the time the investigation concluded in 2023, two top LADWP officials, former general manager David Wright and former chief information security officer David Alexander, had felony convictions on their records. … But now LADWP is facing an investigation by the U.S. Senate. The city-owned utility has until October 17 to produce records and correspondence for “a review of Los Angeles’s wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts, including the response to the Palisades fire.” L.A. is under the microscope of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. … ”  Read more from the LA Daily News.

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Along the Colorado River …

Parts of the Southwest may get more than a month’s rain this weekend

“Moisture from what remains of a hurricane will hang over the Southwest United States like a wet sponge this weekend, bringing a chance of significant heavy rainfall and flash flooding to some places.  There’s a chance for heavy rain across the Southwest through the weekend and into early next week, with the most severe conditions likely to come on Friday into Saturday.  Flood watches have already been issued for parts of southeast California and eastern Nevada, much of Arizona, the southern half of Utah and the southwest corner of Colorado. Watches, which mean that hazardous conditions are possible, are often followed by warnings as the forecast becomes clearer.  Rainfall totals in the wettest areas are likely to range from one to four inches, but up to a half foot is possible. … ”  Read more from the New York Times.

Quannah ChasingHorse says the Colorado River’s survival is about more than water

“The Colorado River’s uncertain future is the focus of the new nature documentary “The American Southwest.”  Stunningly captured by director Ben Masters with narration from model and climate justice advocate Quannah ChasingHorse, the film debuted in theaters on Sept. 5 and hits major streaming platforms Friday.  “The American Southwest” highlights the abundance of life in the 1,450-mile-long waterway — including elk, trout, salmon, condors, Mojave rattlesnakes and jaguars — while revealing what stands to be lost if the river isn’t protected.  The Colorado River, which serves as a lifeline for over 40 million people, has lost trillions of gallons over the past two decades from drought, climate change and overuse. Human attempts to control the river with reservoirs and dams allowed cities to blossom, but also erased ecosystems and hastened the river’s long-term decline.  For ChasingHorse, the urgency of the crisis is undeniable. … ”  Read more from the Huffington Post.

Study reveals cheapest way to save Lake Mead

“In an era when the federal government is tightening its purse strings and Lake Mead is still declining, a new study is highlighting where federal dollars go the furthest in saving water in the waning Colorado River system.  The study, released last month in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, analyzed 462 projects from 2004 to 2024 in which the federal government invested a total of $1.08 billion in conservation.  “We want the dollars to deliver us the maximum water savings,” said Mehdi Nemati, a study author and assistant professor of environmental economics and policy at the University of California, Riverside. “This should be a little bit of a guide as to where we can save water with the lowest amount of money.” … ”  Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Addressing water insecurity and building trust in rural Arizona

“In rural Arizona, access to safe and affordable drinking water is not guaranteed. Households in rural communities often rely on private wells, small treatment systems or hauled water, all of which can be unreliable and expensive.  Arizona Water for All, or AW4A, a pillar of Arizona State University’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, is addressing water insecurity through a new project that identifies unsafe water sources and engages rural communities in sustainable water practices.  The project is being done in collaboration with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and Rural Community Assistance Corporation.  The first phase of the work focuses on engaging water-insecure households with different distribution types, including private wells, shared wells and small treatment systems. With a mix of household interviews and water testing, the team aims to provide an array of possible interventions to residents. … ”  Read more from Arizona State University.

Utah now runs the world’s largest remote-controlled cloud seeding program

“Utah’s expansion of cloud seeding is starting to provide a return on investment, water policymakers were told Thursday.  “Statewide average is 10.4% increase in snowpack,” said Jake Serago, an engineer with the Utah Division of Water Resources, during a presentation to the state’s water resources board on Thursday. … The Utah State Legislature pumped a massive amount of cash into cloud seeding earlier this year in an effort to help mitigate impacts from drought. The state’s cloud seeding budget went from roughly $200,000 in 2022 to nearly $16 million this year.  With that money, Utah’s Department of Natural Resources purchased 190 remotely-operated generators.  It eliminates the need for people to go out and turn them on, sometimes trekking up mountains in a storm. As a result, the state now operates the world’s largest remote-controlled cloud seeding program, Serago said. … ”  Read more from Fox 13.

Farmers, ranchers cut back Colorado River water use while enduring one of the driest seasons on record

“Farmers, ranchers and other water users in four Western states, including Colorado, are cutting back on water use because of low flows through the Colorado River Basin.  Less than half the normal amount of water flowed into Lake Powell from the Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — this summer. Farmers in the four-state region fallowed fields and changed their crop plans to adapt to a smaller water supply. The dry summer conditions coincided with high-stakes negotiations over how the water supply for 40 million people will be managed starting in August 2026.  In the Upper Basin, officials are trying to emphasize the existing shortages that happen each year as natural water supplies are strained by a changing climate. … ”  Read more from the Colorado Sun.

Colorado Water Trust helping Western Colorado waterways during drought

“The Colorado Water Trust is a nonprofit that has been around for 24 years, and their mission is to restore water to Colorado Rivers.  Blake Mamich, Program Director at the Colorado Water Trust, said, “What we do is work in a pretty specialized little niche in the Colorado water world.”  The niche he’s talking about is dealing in water rights transactions, routing water a certain way, that results in more water for rivers. This year, they have helped return the most water they ever have to Colorado waterways. “On the Yampa River, for example, we put about 7,000 acre feet of water back into the river in an acre foot. If you imagine a football field that is under 1 foot of water, that’s an acre foot. I believe we did about 5,000 acre feet on the Colorado River in the 15-Mile Reach there in Grand Junction,” said Mamich. … ”  Read more from KJCT.

Colorado River near Grand Junction infested with zebra mussels, state officials report

“Colorado now has five bodies of water, including a stretch of the Colorado River from east of Grand Junction to the Utah border, that are showing zebra mussel infestations.  The state has battled the invasive species successfully for years. In 2021, the state celebrated three years of negative testing for zebra and quagga mussels and was the only state in the nation that had de-listed mussel-positive waters.  Those days are over.  The Colorado River is now officially infested, according to state Parks and Wildlife officials.  CPW Director Jeff Davis told the Parks and Wildlife Commission Thursday that sampling in the Colorado River, as well as a nearby lake, showed adult zebra mussels in September.  That’s the first time zebra mussels have been found in the Colorado River, according to Davis. … ”  Read more from Colorado Politics.

This tech will make it rain, literally, above Colorado

“A technology to increase rainfall is coming to Colorado for the first time.  A Florida-based company is setting up cloud seeding equipment to add water to some fields in Weld County. The company behind the project — and the state agency that permits it — hope that this rollout of what’s known as warm-weather cloud seeding is the beginning of a larger trend.  Andrew Rickert, weather modification program manager with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, called this cloud seeding project a “trial run.”  “We’ll see how the locals like it,” he said. “If they’re getting more rainfall and getting more crops, I can see this definitely catching on and spreading around the state, especially in these times of drought.” … ”  Read more from KUNC.

Weekend storm could drench Western Colorado while doing little for snowpack

“Parts of Western Colorado could see as much as three inches of rain over the weekend with the potential to set records and unleash flooding in some areas.  The unusually wet and warm storm is set to move through the region beginning late Thursday and continuing through the weekend. Kris Sanders, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said the region’s cities could see anywhere from 0.5 inches to 1.5 inches, with more at higher elevations.  “Some of the mountains, that could be pockets of three inches, so that’s kind of why we’re concerned about flooding in burn scars, things like that,” Sanders said. … ”  Read more from Colorado Public Radio.

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In national water news this weekend …

Climate critics try to discredit IPCC author for linking disasters to global warming

“Critics of mainstream climate science and allies of the fossil fuel industry are taking aim at a prominent expert who’s helping coordinate the next United Nations review of global climate research, arguing that her work aims to bolster multibillion-dollar lawsuits against oil and gas companies.  In an August New York Post op-ed, Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, raised concerns about the appointment of Friederike Otto as a coordinating lead author for the seventh assessment report of the influential Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  The criticism is aimed at extreme weather attribution, a popular field of research that studies whether and to what degree human-caused global warming has made an extreme weather event, such as a heat wave or heavy rain, more severe or likely to occur. Otto co-founded World Weather Attribution, which develops analyses showing climate’s role in extreme weather events. … ”  Read more from E&E News.

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