A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Atmospheric rivers nearly wipe out severe drought in California
“Major storms that soaked much of California in recent weeks sharply diminished drought conditions in the state. The United States Drought Monitor map, a joint project between multiple government bodies and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, found just 0.7% of the state is in “severe drought” as of Nov. 18. That’s a startling decrease from just one week ago, when the Nov. 11 map showed that over 9% of California was in severe drought. Currently, most of the state (about 70% of California) has no drought conditions whatsoever; that number was about 50% earlier this month. That’s not to say that California is suddenly drought-free from corner to corner. According to the new Drought Monitor map, 14.2% of the state remains under moderate drought conditions, with an additional 15% under “abnormally dry” conditions. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
What California’s reservoirs look like after the latest atmospheric river
“After a winter storm pummeled California with rain, most of its reservoirs are recording above-average levels for this point in the season. Sitting at 58% of its total capacity as of Tuesday at midnight, the state’s largest reservoir, Shasta Lake, is at 108% of its historical average for this time of year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Shasta’s current surface elevation is 991 feet, according to Wednesday data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that oversees the lake. When the reservoir is full, the elevation is 1,067 feet above sea level. California’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, is 52% full or 100% of its historical average. It has a measured surface elevation of 769 feet as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the state’s water department. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
CW3E Seasonal Outlook: November 2025 – January 2026
“Experimental seasonal forecast products tilt the odds towards below-normal precipitation in Southern CA for the Nov 2025 – Jan 2026 period. CW3E’s CCA model predicts slightly below-normal precipitation in Southern CA with moderate confidence;CW3E’s Machine Learning (ML) and NOAA NMME models tilt the odds towards drier than normal conditions in Southern CA. … Experimental seasonal forecast products show greater uncertainty over Northern and Central CA; CW3E’s CCA model forecasts near-normal to slightly below-normal precipitation in Northern and Central CA with low confidence … ” Read the full article from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes (CW3E).
California’s rule book on El Niño and La Niña is broken
“La Niña is still firmly in place as winter approaches. NOAA data released on Thursday shows cooler than average sea surface temperatures continuing across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and most models keep the pattern around through winter, although it is expected to remain weak. That weak signal arrives at a time when many Californians still rely on an old rule of thumb: El Niño means wet and La Niña means dry. It is an idea that stuck easily. It’s tidy and rooted in real science. But as recent winters have shown, it’s also incomplete and sometimes misleading. “When El Niño entered public consciousness in the early ’80s, it was tied to one of the wettest winters on record,” said longtime Bay Area meteorologist Jan Null. “Then we hit 1997-98 — another huge El Niño, another flood season. So that idea got cemented. Once it’s in the public psyche, it’s hard to shake.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
A rare stratospheric warming event is about to occur. Here’s what it means for California
Something strange is taking shape high above the Arctic this month. The stratosphere, a cold, still layer of the atmosphere about 20 miles up, appears to be about to experience a dramatic warm up. It’s a rare change for November and one that could set the stage for sharp weather swings across the Northern Hemisphere in December. A sudden stratospheric warming is a sharp temperature spike, where the air high over the Arctic warms dramatically over just a few days. That part of the atmosphere is usually bitterly cold, with strong west-to-east winds whipping around the north pole like a racetrack. That spinning ring of winds is called the polar vortex. Those winds are driven by the temperature contrast between the pole and the mid-latitudes.When the stratosphere warms, that temperature gradient collapses and with it, the winds weaken. If the warming is strong enough, the winds can reverse entirely, destabilizing the polar vortex and making it easier to shove off the pole or even split into two pieces. … ” Continue reading at the San Francisco Chronicle.
DELTA STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL: Ten appeals filed for the Delta Conveyance Project consistency determination
“Ten appeals have been filed for California Department of Water Resources Certification of Consistency (C20257) for the Delta Conveyance Project, which was submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council on October 17, 2025.” … ” Read more from the Delta Stewardship Council.
Delta Protection Commission appeals Delta Conveyance Project
“The Delta Protection Commission voted today to appeal the Department of Water Resources’ certification that the Delta Conveyance Project is consistent with the Delta Plan. The Project would create a 45-mile tunnel starting on the Sacramento River at the town of Hood and ending at the Bethany Reservoir west of Tracy, near the community of Mountain House in the South Delta. The Commission’s appeal contends that the Project would do lasting harm to the Delta, irrevocably altering “the rural character of the Delta, its economic pillars (agriculture and recreation), and its cultural heritage.” It also contends that other options that don’t harm the Delta have not been adequately considered. … ” Continue reading from the Delta Protection Commission.
Tribal and environmental advocates challenge certification of consistency of the Delta Conveyance Project
“A coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates have filed a formal appeal challenging the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), arguing the project violates state law and poses an imminent threat to Delta communities, its ecosystem and cultural heritage. The coalition, consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Baykeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Little Manila Rising, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta, are urging the Delta Stewardship Council to overturn the certification citing inconsistencies with the Delta Reform Act and Delta Plan. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
How California’s state and federal water projects can better protect fish
“At least two thirds of California’s population and more than 4 million acres of California farmland rely on water delivered by the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, two of the largest multipurpose water management projects in the world. A report released this week by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reviews these projects’ monitoring, modeling, and other scientific activities — specifically actions designed to help protect endangered fish. UC Davis Professor Jay Lund, a founding director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, and Associate Professor Steven Sadro were part of the 18-member committee authoring the report. The committee, chaired by Peter Goodwin of the University of Maryland, was established at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a biennial review of the scientific activities of the CVP and SWP. … ” Continue reading from UC Davis.
How California water can navigate a changing federal partnership
“Feelings were running high—and interest was evident—as hundreds of people turned out for our fall conference last week in Sacramento. The lunchtime program featured a panel of five experts representing water interests from across the state. The day opened with a short video celebrating the PPIC Water Policy Center’s first 10 years, followed by a welcome by center director Letitia Grenier, who thanked the audience for braving the rain to attend. “An atmospheric river decided to come to our water conference this year, which is very on-brand,” she said with a smile. Associate center director Caity Peterson set the stage for the day’s conversation by describing the symbiotic relationship between California and the federal government when it comes to managing the state’s water. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Fall Run Chinook salmon runs looking much better this year on the Sacramento and Klamath
“Fall-run Chinook salmon returns to the Sacramento River and Klamath River systems are looking much better this year, the third year of a total closure of commercial ocean salmon fishing in California coast, than they did last year, according to preliminary data. An estimated 40,000+ king salmon have returned to Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek, the hatchery that provides the salmon for the main stem Sacramento, according to James Stone, President of the Nor Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association. Hatchery staff took in 28-30 million total eggs for Fall Run Chinook this year to date, a big improvement from last year when the facility had to obtain eggs from the Feather, Nimbus, and Mokelumne hatcheries to meet its production goal. Due to the low numbers of fish that returned to Coleman the last 3 years, recreational salmon fishing on the Sacramento River was closed for the third year in a row, although a limited salmon season was allowed on the Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers this year. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Climate change and the future of the Delta
“California is on the front lines of climate change, whether that’s accelerating impacts on wildfires, drought, flooding, extreme heat, or sea level rise. No geography is more important or more impacted by climate change than the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. It’s one of the largest estuaries in the Americas. This meeting place of freshwater and saltwater is one of the most biodiverse places in the United States, boasting one of the richest varieties of plant and animal life. It’s incredibly important to the people who live there and make their livelihoods there, both in small towns and larger cities, and it is also important to the state’s water supply. Given the Delta’s critical role in California’s water supply and its vulnerability to climate change, a recent webinar hosted by Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of Natural Resources, brought together experts to discuss innovative strategies for protecting the Delta’s communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. The event highlighted the latest scientific advancements, collaborative efforts, and actionable solutions aimed at addressing the region’s unique challenges, from rising sea levels and extreme weather to biodiversity loss and water quality concerns. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
The promise and growing pains of managed aquifer recharge
Around the world, groundwater mismanagement is a major driver of water crises. An emerging method for addressing such mismanagement, called managed aquifer recharge, has generated excitement among scholars and water managers. In a newly published article (Owen et al. 2025), we argue that this excitement, while often justified, should also be tempered by acknowledgment of MAR’s limitations. We also identify policy changes that can help MAR succeed. MAR’s potential has multiple dimensions. Where climate change is making water availability more erratic and where years of groundwater pumping have emptied out huge volumes of subsurface space—a description that applies, unfortunately, to many places around the world—MAR can be a valuable water-storage technique. The environmental consequences of MAR will typically be lower than the consequences of building new dams. And, done well, MAR can provide multiple benefits, including slowing subsidence and seawater intrusion and enhancing environmental flows. That’s the exciting part of the story. But reasons for concern exist and have not received the attention they deserve. … ” Read more from the Legal Planet.
Startup develops incredible tech to pull water from unexpected source: ‘This is just the beginning of what’s possible’
“Could the water inside crops help save resources during droughts? It may sound like wishful thinking, but not to agricultural start-up Botanical Water Technologies. The company has partnered with Ingomar Packing Company, a California-based industrial tomato processor, to help the state’s San Joaquin Valley survive drought conditions, according to EIN Presswire. Most fruits and vegetables are made up of high percentages of water. That includes tomatoes, which are 95% H2O. Yet when they are turned into paste or diced up in a can, a significant amount of that water is lost. That’s where BWT saw an opportunity and developed what it calls Water Harvest Units. This technology can collect excess steam and wastewater during crop processing, which can then be purified and safely added back to the water supply. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Costa introduces bipartisan legislation to modernize water systems and fund local water infrastructure projects
“Today, U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), John Garamendi (CA-03), Vince Fong (CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), and Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Amendments of 2025, a bipartisan bill to update and improve a loan program that funds critical water and wastewater infrastructure projects through modernized water systems in the San Joaquin Valley and California. “Water is the lifeblood of our valley; therefore, we must continue to invest in our water infrastructure. We know that where water flows, food grows, and nowhere is that more evident than in the agricultural heartland of the San Joaquin Valley. Over 10-year periods, we have either too much water and flood conditions or too little water and drought conditions,”said Congressman Costa. “That is why I am proud to lead a bipartisan piece of legislation that includes my bill, the “Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act.” This effort will help strengthen the tools needed to modernize our water systems and protect every drop of water possible.” … ” Read more from Congressman Jim Costa.
Trump administration plans to open Pacific Coast to oil drilling for first time in more than 4 decades
“The Trump administration on Thursday announced plans to open the Pacific Ocean to new oil and gas leases for the first time in more than four decades. The draft plan released by the U.S. Department of the Interior confirms rumors that have been swirling for weeks. The proposal would see as many as 34 offshore lease sales across 1.27 billion acres of federal waters in the Outer Continental Shelf through 2031, including six areas along the Pacific Coast, 21 off the coast of Alaska and seven in the Gulf of Mexico. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the plan with an order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” which directs the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to terminate former President Biden’s much more limited plan, which called for only three new oil and gas leases through 2029, the lowest number ever and only in the Gulf of Mexico. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via MSN News.
Forever California: A city is broke. Can billionaires’ urbanist dream offer it a last chance?
“Suisun City is a town of 30,000 in a neglected corner of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its two most prominent features are its marshy waterfront and its lack of money. The local government has spent the past several decades ping-ponging between the threat of insolvency and revitalization plans that work for a time and then fizzle out. Walking through the 19th-century downtown, past historic brick buildings with boarded-up windows and a redeveloped park where homeless people sleep, you see a city with good bones that wishes to be more, but can’t seem to figure out what. Enter Suisun City’s latest bid for renewal: a proposal to annex 22,873 acres of agricultural land owned by a company called California Forever, a development play backed by a group of Silicon Valley billionaires. California Forever’s hope is to build a new, up-from-the-ground city on yellow hills dotted with sheep and wind turbines. The point of the Suisun annexation is for each side to help the other solve a problem. California Forever’s problem is that it wants to build on unincorporated land in Solano County, which has a law forbidding the building of much of anything outside established cities. Suisun’s problem is that it is broke. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
In commentary this week …
Farm operations and industry challenges
Jason Gianelli, R&G Fanucci, Inc./Old River Farming Co. in Bakersfield, writes, “As we prepare for another growing season, our farm is actively engaged in tilling the land for planting wheat silage. We are also preparing other ranches for new projects aimed at improving irrigation efficiency. We continually strive to optimize our water usage, recognizing its importance in both our daily operations and long-term sustainability. The upcoming 2026 season is expected to be difficult for many growers and landowners. The year is starting off with unfavorable conditions, as most crop prices remain low. For example, many commodity crops are currently priced the same as they were in 1972, which is clearly not sustainable for farming. Meanwhile, input costs, regulatory burdens, and our water expenses continue to rise, placing additional strain on growers. As a fourth-generation farmer, I have witnessed periods of uncertainty, but the current environment is unique. Regulations, particularly those related to water, are now the primary stressors threatening growers’ livelihoods. Increasingly, government intervention is influencing outcomes, picking winners and losers rather than allowing market forces to operate. Even when consumers see rising prices in stores, it rarely, if ever, means those prices benefit the growers directly. … ” Read more from the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley.
Desalination may be solution to rising sea levels and drought
W. “Michael” Waterman, author and retired attorney in San Diego County, writes, “Elon Musk: lend me your ear. Now that you’ve tackled free speech, the national debt and are on your way to Mars, how about taking on two pressing problems on planet earth: rising sea levels and chronic droughts. I’m not a scientist or engineer, but I’ve run an idea on solving these problems by a few experts — with interesting reactions. The plan is straightforward: vast expansion of ocean desalination plants globally to offset annual sea level rise, utilizing the increased desalinated water produced while storing the rest in lakes, reservoirs and aquifers. The magnitude of water processed to achieve this, and the location of new, massive plants in several continents could eliminate water shortages worldwide. … ” Read more from the Times of San Diego.
U.S. rejection of climate science is a call to action for the rest of the world
Eugene Linden, author of “Fire & Flood: A People’s History of Climate Change From 1979 to the Present,” writes, “If there was any doubt that the current U.S. administration is the world’s greatest threat to action on climate change, President Trump removed it on Sept. 23 when he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and a threat promoted by “stupid people.” He went on to ridicule Europe for reducing its carbon footprint by 37% and to extol the virtues of “clean, beautiful coal.” That’s pretty clear cut, as is the threat of climate change. So, the question looms: What are the vast majority of nations that recognize the threat of climate change going to do? Unfortunately, so far the answer turns out to be “very little,” but the international community could do something, and soon. Those same nations that assembled at the U.N. have a weapon at their disposal that could bring the U.S. back into the fold, a weapon that has been enthusiastically endorsed by Trump, one that could be deployed rapidly and would be simple to administer. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news this week …
‘Salmon everywhere’ one year after Klamath Dam removal
“A little more than a year after the historic removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) scientists are seeing salmon reoccupying just about every corner of their historic habitat. “The speed at which salmon are repopulating every nook and cranny of suitable habitat upstream of the dams in the Klamath Basin is both remarkable and thrilling,” said Michael Harris, Environmental Program Manager of CDFW’s Klamath Watershed Program. “There are salmon everywhere on the landscape right now, and it’s invigorating our work.” While adult returns of salmon are ongoing and final estimates won’t be available until January, initial reports indicate a stronger fall-run Chinook salmon return than last year with widespread dispersal of the fish. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
State officials explain delays in providing fish screens
“Demands for fish screens by Klamath Basin groups impacted by the return of salmon on the Klamath River are being acknowledged by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but it appears unlikely the devices will be installed quickly. Installing fish screens individually designed to prevent fish mortality and injuries at water diversions while allowing water to be delivered for irrigation and other uses is a complicated, expensive process, according to Philip Milburn, district manager for the Klamath and Malheur watersheds. “The irrigators rightfully so are pressuring for immediate action,” Milburn said of demands by officials with the Klamath Drainage District, Klamath Water Users Association, and the Klamath Tribes for fish screens to protect salmon and other fish returning to the Upper Klamath Basin following the removal of four Klamath River dams. … ” Read more from Herald & News.
Fort Bragg to test the state’s first wave-powered desalination system
“Ocean waves could soon help solve Fort Bragg’s drought worries. On Friday, the city and Quebec, Canada-based Oneka Technologies displayed California’s first wave-powered desalination pilot buoy. The Noyo Harbor-based buoy, part of the ResilenSea Project, is a partnership with the city and supported by a $1.5 million grant from the state of California. The community is already benefiting from the project, with local labor, fishing boats and divers involved in support operations. Oneka staff gave a walk-through tour of the “Iceberg-class buoy,” explaining how it converts seawater into freshwater. The unit to be deployed off Noyo Harbor is the ninth generation of wave-powered desalination systems developed over seven years of ocean testing by Oneka. Its half-mile offshore site was carefully chosen to balance pumping efficiency, available wave energy, water depth for brine dispersion and visual impacts. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice.
Landmark Battle Creek revitalization launches with acquisition of historic Tehama County Ranch
“Today, a major milestone in the revitalization of Battle Creek was achieved through River Partners’ acquisition of the historic 1,721-acre Battle Creek Ranch in Tehama County. The acquisition was made possible through a $15.05 million grant approved by the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), which also awarded nearly $600,000 to retire a water-right diversion associated with the property. These awards mark a concrete step toward restoring one of California’s most important salmon-bearing waterways—an effort three decades in the making thanks to a coalition of California natural-resource agencies, conservation nonprofits, and local leaders. The acquisition will conserve the last unprotected lands along lower Battle Creek, completing a decades-long effort to conserve all properties along the waterway’s entire 7.5-mile lower reach. The ranch spans nearly two miles along the west bank of Battle Creek, from its confluence with the Sacramento River upstream to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Battle Creek Wildlife Area. The ranch has historically diverted over 20,000 acre-feet of water annually from Battle Creek (roughly 6.5 million gallons). River Partners plans to return this water to the creek to improve flows, water temperature, and habitat essential for endangered salmon and other native wildlife. … ” Read more from River Partners.
From mountains to meadows: Building a watershed-scale monitoring network in the Sierra Nevada
“A snowflake swirls high in the atmosphere, whisked across the winter sky before landing on Crystal Peak in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. It sits on this peak until the spring, when temperatures warm and the snowmelt starts to flow into the nearby Dog Valley. Surging down the slope, the water molecule now drains into Dog Creek and its watershed, which careens down past the California-Nevada border. Snaking through mountains and meadows full of wildflowers, the creek joins the Truckee River just over the border into Nevada. Here, the river widens and slows, meandering east through Reno, trading alpine scenery for vast, arid desert. After slicing through the city, it bends north and empties into Pyramid Lake. It’s here, on the edge of the Great Basin, that its journey ends for now. Along the way, the former snowflake changes, transforming matter state and dropping over 3,000 feet in elevation. Yet, the creek and river through which it flows also initiate changes in the surrounding ecosystem: expanding, contracting, and instigating chemical and biological fluxes that scientists are only beginning to uncover. … ” Read more from the Environmental Monitor.
The future of Lake Tahoe’s famous clear, clean waters depends on the fate of a roadside motel
“The waters of Lake Tahoe were once so clear that you could see as deep into the water as the height of a 10-story building — averaging a visibility, or Secchi depth, of 100 feet, per the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. From its charming lakeside communities to the spectacular sunsets watched from Tahoe’s best beaches, the lake’s famed clarity has been appreciated by countless generations. Starting around the mid-1900s, though, the lake’s watershed began developing rapidly, with vacation homes and hotels popping up around its shores. Runoff from these developments took its toll on the lake’s clarity (as well as its surrounding landscape), and in response to these ecological threats, nonprofits like the League to Save Lake Tahoe were founded, which gave rise to the popular local slogan: “Keep Tahoe Blue.” … ” Read more from Yahoo News.
Sacramento County development threatens a giant, shy snake. Why does that matter?
Even the elusive giant garter snake may have trouble hiding in the empty expanse of dirt and mud as it was earlier this month at a conservation property on the Sutter County end of the Natomas Basin. Any movement or sign of life stood out in the still, barren landscape where rice once grew, tucked away northeast of Sacramento International Airport. The stark contrast of dryness for what its planners intend as lush wetlands habitat was by design, temporary and soon to change, as water fills the earthen bowls and vegetation covers the land now brown. “You’re seeing things now that nobody in our lifetime will have the ability to see again,” said John Roberts, executive director of The Natomas Basin Conservancy. “In a matter of months this will be completely flooded. Completely. And you won’t get to see the contours of the channels, or the marsh complexes.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Some birds in the bay are doing OK
“Since 2000, Julian Wood has perfected the art of not falling into the hidden channels that weave through the Bay’s tidal marshes. Come early spring tides, the San Francisco Bay program leader at the nonprofit Point Blue Conservation Science has his routine down: downing cups of coffee, donning rubber boots, and wayfinding out to a specific point in the marsh. Then he sets a timer for five minutes, and counts every single bird he sees or hears, from a song sparrow’s cheep to the shadow of a disappearing black rail. After five minutes, he hustles to the next spot, and repeats. Multiply that by 12 counts a morning, several days a year, over more than two decades, and Wood has gathered a wealth of data on what birds are doing by the Bay. … Now they have put it all together into one report: the 2025 San Francisco Bay State of the Birds, published online last month by Point Blue Conservation Science and the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, a partnership that helps safeguard migratory birds. The research shows a mixed bag: some bird groups, like in tidal marshes, are doing well, while others, like shorebirds, are struggling. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
With dams removed, spawning salmon are heading up Alameda Creek
“Nearly a dozen chinook salmon have swum the 12 miles upstream from the San Francisco Bay through Alameda Creek into Niles Canyon—likely the first salmon to spawn there in 30 years, according to Jeff Miller, founder of the Alameda Creek Alliance. From its mouth in the East Bay, between the San Mateo and Dumbarton bridges, Alameda Creek leads forty miles east into the Sunol Wilderness through abundant potential spawning grounds. But dams, pipelines, bridges, and other human structures in the creek blocked fish from that potential paradise in 1967. Since 1998, the Alameda Creek Alliance, a grassroots advocacy group, has worked alongside agencies, nonprofits, and community members to take down these barriers one by one. Two multimillion-dollar fish ladders opened the route to Niles Canyon in 2022. This September, the mainstem creek’s last remaining barrier, a concrete mat over a PG&E gas pipeline, was removed. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
Santa Clara Valley Water District picks five projects totaling $3.9 billion to boost water supplies by 2050
“Three months ago, Santa Clara County’s largest water agency voted to kill a $3.2 billion plan to build a huge new reservoir in the southern part of the county near Pacheco Pass. … Now the Santa Clara Valley Water District is back with new plans to boost water storage. This week, the district, a government agency in San Jose that provides water to 2 million South Bay residents, approved a roadmap for the next 25 years that combines new reservoir projects, groundwater storage and recycled water. The price tag: $3.9 billion. “When I meet people in groups, I’ll say ‘raise your hand if you’ve ever worried that clean, safe water won’t come out when you turn on your tap,’” said Shiloh Ballard, a water district board member. “Almost no hands go up. Our job is to make sure you never have to worry.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Exploring solutions to mitigate flooding and high tides in urban estuaries
“Estuaries, where freshwater meets saltwater, are critical ecological and economic zones. Transportation, commerce, and industry have developed in such zones, but these low-lying areas are vulnerable to flooding due to high tides, storms, and river flow. Sea level rise and climate change are increasing the severity of these weather events, highlighting the need for intervention. Adaptation measures help protect critical estuarine regions and their economic assets, and strategies include structural measures such as levees, flood walls, and floodgates, as well as soft measures such as tidal wetland restoration and living shorelines. New research from Kees Nederhoff, Rohin Saleh, Patrick L. Barnard, and Mark Stacey focuses on the San Francisco Estuary, where historical landfilling and shoreline modifications have increased flood risks by reducing natural flood buffers. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
As seas rise, so do the risks from toxic sites
“On a sunny morning in May, Luna Angulo walked alongside a towering chain-link fence topped with razor wire on San Francisco Bay’s eastern shore. She lingered near locked gates posted with warnings to keep out of the “hazardous substance area,” where long-shuttered chemical plants had dumped toxic waste on marshlands, and recounted the refinery explosion that changed her life. Angulo was just 12 years old when a massive explosion rocked Chevron’s accident-prone Richmond refinery, four miles up the road. Towering clouds of black smoke darkened the skies for hours that summer day in 2012, forcing 15,000 residents to seek medical care for chest pain, headaches and asthma, among other ailments. The catastrophic fire haunts the collective memory of this working-class town, where industrial accidents regularly plague largely Black and Latino neighborhoods surrounded by polluting railroads, deepwater ports and freeways. It also turned a generation of young people into climate activists. “That fire was a big catalyst for a lot of us,” said Angulo, now 25, who co-founded the climate justice group led by gender-queer activists called Rich City Rays and organizes non-violent protests against Chevron, the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in California. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
SEE ALSO: Thousands of US hazardous sites are at risk of flooding because of sea level rise, study finds, from the Associated Press
Cuyama Valley groundwater lawsuit marches on, dragging small farmers, residents in its wake
“About 30 ranchers and residents sat quietly in the Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center recently, hanging on every word from Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Highberger as he succinctly laid out the history, the status and the substantial stakes of an ongoing groundwater adjudication started by mega carrot farming companies Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms in 2022. The farming companies have since dropped out of the suit, but Bolthouse Land Co. remains as a plaintiff. This adjudication, or lawsuit, “will affect the rights of people who are not even aware of the case,” Highberger said during the Nov. 7 special status conference. “I wanted this chance to alert people in and around New Cuyama that this case is proceeding in downtown Los Angeles, far from your farms, ranches and homes.” Highberger has already determined the safe yield for the Cuyama basin, which is the amount that can be pumped without causing problems such as land sinking or groundwater levels continuing to drop. That amount is 20,370 acre feet per year, he said. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Lots of comments at Kings pumping policy events – just not about the pumping policies
“Two neighboring Kings County groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) released draft pumping allocation policies recently but had a hard time getting feedback from residents and growers at recent workshops. Not because growers and residents didn’t want to talk. They did. Just not about the pumping allocations. A combined 70 people attended the Mid-Kings River and South Fork GSA workshops Nov. 12 and 14, respectively. Attendees had plenty of questions and comments about government mandates, surface water supplies, fallowing programs, pumping fees, Corcoran clay compaction and more. But feedback on the draft pumping allocation policies was limited. “It’s a challenge to stay on topic,” Kevin Ruble said at the end of the South Fork workshop. Ruble sits on advisory committees for both GSAs. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority initiates funding process for 50-mile pipeline to import water
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approved a request for $5 million in federal funding to begin construction in fiscal year 2027 of a 50-mile pipeline to import water. The pipeline is part of the authority’s plan to bring the overdrafted Indian Wells valley groundwater basin into balance by 2040, as required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The authority’s groundwater plan, required under SGMA, was approved by the state in 2022. It includes a $2,130-per-acre-foot “replenishment fee” charged to the certain pumpers that is intended to raise $50 million to buy water on the open market. The pipeline is a separately funded project to bring that water from the Antelope Valley. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Even a full reservoir wouldn’t have ensured water in Palisades fire, California officials say
“In January, when crews fighting the fast-spreading Palisades fire were hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered an investigation. After a 10-month review, California officials concluded in a report that the water supply in Southern California was “robust” at the time of the fire and that the water system isn’t designed to handle such large, intense wildfires. The state’s findings, released Thursday, also address an issue that has been a point of frustration and anger among residents in Pacific Palisades: the fact that Santa Ynez Reservoir, which can hold 117 million gallons of drinking water, was empty for repairs at the time of the fire. “Draining the Santa Ynez reservoir was necessary to protect public health while repairing the tear in its cover and required by both federal and state regulations,” the report says. Even if the reservoir had been full, the flow rate in the system’s pipes “would have been a limiting factor in maintaining pressure and the system would have been quickly overwhelmed” and hydrants would have lost pressure. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Orange County Water District captures more than 5.6 billion gallons of stormwater from recent storms, strengthening local drinking water supplies
“The recent storms that brought approximately 3.5 inches of rain to the region allowed the Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) to capture more than 5.6 billion gallons of Santa Ana River stormwater that will be recharged into the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, provides approximately 85% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County. A large portion of these stormwater flows is currently held behind Prado Dam in Riverside County. This stormwater capture is possible because of OCWD’s long-standing partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). USACE operates Prado Dam and allows stormwater to be held longer and released at controlled rates so OCWD can safely move it down the Santa Ana River and store the water underground. … ” Read more from the Orange County Water District.
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