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In California water news today …
Another storm is set to hit California — in time for New Year’s Eve. Here’s the timeline
“Yet another storm is headed to California, and every corner of the state is forecast to be wet on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. The storm isn’t shaping up to be as extreme as last week’s, but the wet weather could still impact New Year’s festivities one way or another. Tahoe’s fresh snow will get soaked by rain, Pasadena’s oft-sunny Rose Parade could be exchanged for rumbles of thunder and San Francisco may wind up wet as the clock strikes midnight on 2025. Here’s the New Year’s forecast across California … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
SEE ALSO:
- Forecast from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes
- New Year’s Forecast: Travel trouble brewing in Midwest, Northeast and California, from AccuWeather
Here are five climate issues facing California in the new year
“As climate change continues to threaten California in 2025 — from devastating wildfires, declining kelp forests and struggling salmon runs to shrinking snowpack in the Sierra Nevada — the state has rolled out a range of measures to confront the crisis. These efforts come at a time when the federal government has prioritized fossil fuels and questioned the scientific consensus on climate change. At the same time, California itself has faced growing scrutiny over policies critics say fall short on climate considerations, particularly those aimed at boosting the tech sector and accelerating development at the expense of environmental protections. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
Klamath Indigenous Land Trust purchases 10,000 acres on Klamath River from PacifiCorp
“As salmon return to the headwaters of the Klamath River for the first time in over a century, the newly formed Klamath Indigenous Land Trust (KILT) and PacifiCorp announced the landmark purchase of 10,000 acres in and around the former reservoir reach of the river, according to a press statement. Representatives of the trust say the transaction represents “one of the largest private land purchases by an Indigenous-led land trust in U.S. history.” “Dam removal allowed the salmon to return home. Returning these lands to Indigenous care ensures that home will be a place where they can flourish and recover,” said Molli Myers (Karuk), President of the Klamath Indigenous Land Trust Board of Directors. “Our communities spent generations fighting for this moment and we honor our ancestors who carried this vision forward. The healing that’s underway is real, and this acquisition reflects the future we’re building together as people of the Klamath Basin.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
SEE ALSO: Klamath Indigenous Land Trust announces 10,000-acre purchase from PacifiCorp, from the Times-Standard
Eel River sonar system reveals salmon and steelhead status to scientists, anglers and agencies
“The South Fork Eel River is a salmon and steelhead stronghold and represents the best opportunity to restore wild fish abundance. This stretch of river has been impacted by excessive water diversions in many of its tributaries. Improving stream flows is critical to protecting key life-stages for coho salmon and steelhead survival. To inform our conservation work on the Eel, CalTrout has teamed up with partners on this new project – The Adult Salmonid Sonar Monitoring Program – to tally the annual spawning run of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead on the South Fork Eel River with a Sound Metrics Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) camera. These fish often spawn in muddy and turbid reaches which make it impossible to count fish using traditional spawner surveys. SONAR technology allows us to more accurately monitor salmon which under past survey techniques might be un-detectable. Project partners include CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, CA State Parks, and the California Conservation Corps and is funded by the CDFW Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Program. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
Tahoe ski resorts are busy. Here’s when the next storm is coming.
“After a slushy, delayed start, ski season in and around Lake Tahoe is finally underway. The heavy Christmas snowstorm that dropped up to 5 feet of snow in 72 hours, and led to gridlock on Interstate 80 last week, has turned to crisp snow and sunshine, as resorts opened up their lifts to eager skiers and snowboarders. To the north of the Lake, Palisades Tahoe is reporting 26 lifts running on Monday morning, including Summit and Granite Chief at the 9,000-foot peak looking over Olympic Valley. At Diamond Peak in Incline Village on Sunday, latecomers were forced to park at the University of Nevada overflow parking lot and take the shuttle, where a line for lift passes more than an hour long awaited them. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
American River update: Lack of access to Folsom’s deep water pool delays salmon spawning
Dan Bacher writes, “As an angler and journalist who has spent thousands of hours fishing on the American River, writing about its fisheries and fighting for the restoration of its once abundant fish populations, I would like to share an American River update from biologist Tom Cannon on the salmon fishery on this unique urban river that flows through the Sacramento Metropolitan area. … Biologist Tom Cannon is also another avid American River angler who has been fighting for the recovery of the American River and other California fisheries for decades — and I find him an invaluable source for information about the American River and other California fisheries. … In a 10/19/2023 post and a 11/21/2024 post on his California Fisheries Blog on the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance website, Cannon discussed how the lack of access to Folsom Reservoir’s deep cold-water pool results in delayed natural and hatchery spawning of American River fall-run salmon. … ” Read the full story at the Daily Kos.
Rains raise reservoir lake levels including at Berryessa
“Rain and rising reservoir levels are routine this time of year, but the impact from recent storms is clear, state and local water agencies agree. A powerful series of atmospheric rivers has delivered a major boost to Northern California’s reservoirs, with several lakes rising rapidly over just a few days as heavy rain and runoff poured into watersheds across the region. State water officials are watching closely, a massive jump at Lake Shasta, where water levels climbed 16 feet in six days, rising from just over 994 feet on Dec. 19 to 1,010 feet by Dec. 25, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The reservoir is now above the historical average for late December. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Native by nature: Volunteers unite to replant and restore Contra Costa’s creek ecosystems
“Waterways across Contra Costa County are increasingly threatened by invasive plant species that engulf canals and drains, decreasing biodiversity and reducing safe habitats for wildlife. In an effort to address and restore the environment, the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is working to reverse that trend. The district hosted its 12th annual Giving Natives a Chance event on Dec. 6 at the Clayton Valley Drain near Hillcrest Community Park in Concord, inviting volunteers from across the county to plant native species around waterways and drains. So far, efforts have been placed on Clayton Valley Drain, which connects drains to the Walnut Creek Watershed, Carquinez Strait and eventually, the Pacific Ocean. Each type of native plant species provides different environmental benefits. For example, native grass species can provide erosion control and fire prevention while working well with the flood control management goals. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
Mountain View and school district aim to fix crumbling creek banks
“The city of Mountain View is partnering with the Mountain View Whisman School District to fix a treacherous stretch of Stevens Creek, where extensive erosion of the creek bank has threatened to encroach upon both the Stevens Creek Trail and a nearby school campus. Mountain View Whisman’s board voted unanimously on Thursday, Dec. 18, to commit $990,000 to the project, assisting the city in funding the repairs to the creek bank where it extends onto school district property. In total, the project is expected to cost $3.6 million. The school district had previously earmarked between $600,000 and $800,000 for its share of the repairs, but costs have increased since then. … ” Read more from the San Jose Spotlight.
Snowpack grew nearly sixfold in watersheds for Stanislaus, neighboring counties
“The snowpack for the central Sierra Nevada stood at just 14% of average on Dec. 22. A series of storms put it at 77% a week later. Those figures came from the California Department of Water Resources. They include the main watersheds for farms and cities in Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties. The storm season is still below average, but it has three months to go. This includes more rain and snow forecast for New Year’s Eve through at least Saturday, roughly similar to the Christmas week pattern. DWR measures storms from October through September of the next calendar year. This accounts for most of the runoff into the reservoirs that get the Central Valley through the dry summer. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Hanford-area farmers will face new groundwater recharge rules in the new year
“An agricultural water district that serves mostly Hanford-area farmers is looking for ways to preserve its surface supplies for use on crops first by limiting how much can be recharged into the aquifer. The Kings County Water District at its Dec. 18 meeting approved an amendment to its 2026 Kings River water purchase contract to limit recharge except under certain conditions. “I think rolling something out like this is one of those things where I would hope that people have internal ethics to try and address this issue and not overuse or misuse or be good stewards,” Board Member Chip Mello said. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Southern California braces for more heavy rain — here’s the timeline
“Enjoy the sunshine early this week — it won’t last. With the ground still saturated from the last week’s atmospheric river, another Pacific storm is headed for Southern California, promising significant rainfall. Rain will begin Tuesday evening along the Central Coast and gradually shift eastward, according to the National Weather Service. The heaviest precipitation is expected to hit metro Los Angeles Wednesday night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Peak rainfall rates will range from 0.25 to 0.50 inches per hour, with heavier isolated downpours, the Weather Service said. “This will be the period of heaviest rainfall with this storm, but likely still at least 50% lighter than the last event,” meteorologists said. … ” Read more from KTLA.
More rain is on the way to SoCal, potentially drenching the Rose Parade
“If you’re planning to camp out along Colorado Boulevard to grab a prime viewing spot for the Rose Parade, you’ll want to pack a good poncho. For the first time in two decades, the annual parade might get rained on, as more wet weather is expected in Southern California this week. The holiday rain totals, on top of strong storms in November, have made for one of the wettest rainy seasons in SoCal. Downtown Los Angeles has received 11.13 inches so far this season. … But it could put a damper on the parade, which last experienced wet weather in 2006. Before that, rain hadn’t fallen on the parade since 1955, my colleagues reported — and only eight other times since the floats began rolling in 1890. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
What’s at stake for Arizona as Colorado River water negotiations drag on
“Water is vital for just about everything in Arizona, for drinking, farming, and even building. One of the biggest sources of the state’s fresh water is the Colorado River. Just how much of that resource Arizona gets could change in the coming months. “The hard thing right now is the great uncertainty,” said Sarah Porter, the ASU Kyl Center for Water Policy director. Seven states rely on the Colorado River, which is broken up into two groups: the upper basin and the lower basin (which includes Arizona). Over the past year, negotiators from these states have been meeting to develop new regulations and water allotments, but so far they have failed to reach an agreement on a new plan. “This uncertainty that we have right now creates a great deal of hardship for cities, for tribes, for all the water users,” said Porter. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Colorado River states likely only have one last chance to cut a deal. Here’s why.
“A new February deadline for a Colorado River deal is likely the last chance for the seven states involved to decide how to share water from the diminished river. The current agreement expires in one year, but talks have stalled over disagreements over how to reduce the use of the river’s water. Negotiators for the seven states have blown through deadline after deadline – including the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference earlier this month. The U.S. Department of Interior set another deadline of Feb. 14, saying progress had been made. Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke told ABC15 the states are unlikely to get further extensions. “I do expect this time, the federal government to make a choice and impose something upon us,” he said. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
Shoshone water rights acquisition effort advances
“A Western Slope effort to acquire major and important Colorado River water rights has experienced some major ups and downs this year, but continues to move ever closer to possible success. The Colorado River District, based in Glenwood Springs, is working to acquire the historic Shoshone hydroelectric power plant water rights in Glenwood Canyon for $99 million from Xcel Energy. The rights include an early 1900s right to flows of 1,250 cubic feet per second. Because of their seniority, the rights help assure that, in times of lower river flows, water continues to flow downstream through and past the plant to not just provide power but benefit the environment and recreation and be available for other uses. Otherwise, the water could be diverted from the river upstream of the plant by junior water rights holders like Front Range utilities. After the parties agreed to a purchase contract in late 2023, the river district spent the next year garnering tens of millions of dollars in support for it, including from the state and numerous Western Slope governments and other entities. Then came news early this year, in the final days of the Biden administration, that the federal Bureau of Reclamation would kick in $40 million toward the acquisition. … ” Read more from the Grand Junction Sentinel.
