In California water news today …
Approaching storm front to bring much needed rain Christmas afternoon
“Mother Nature was poised to deliver a much needed gift for the drought stricken San Francisco Bay Area Christmas afternoon — rain showers totaling as much a 2 inches in the North Bay. Forecasters said the showers should hold off until about mid-afternoon when rain will begin falling in Sonoma and Marin counties and moving southward as the day evolves. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Approaching storm front to bring much needed rain Christmas afternoon
SEE ALSO: AR Forecast: Multiple storms forecast to bring precipitation to the Western U.S. over the next 7 days, from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes
California water “stockings” stuffed with federal money
“Christmas came early for California water interests with more than $1 billion in federal funding for a variety of projects packed into the recent federal funding bill that included COVID-19 relief. At the top of the list for the San Joaquin Valley is $206 million to aid in repairing the Friant-Kern Canal. The funding bill also includes $28 million for San Joaquin River Restoration. It has another $8 to “repair Bureau of Reclamation canals” specifically to help recharge aquifers to comply with the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, according to a press release from Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office. ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: California water “stockings” stuffed with federal money
Money to fix sinking canal approved in federal budget. Will California pay for the rest?
“Congress approved $206 million to fix the sinking Friant-Kern Canal as part of the final appropriations and COVID-19 relief package awaiting President Trump’s signature. That’s less than half of what engineers say is needed to restore the canal, which is the main artery conveying water from the San Joaquin River, from Millerton Lake to farms and communities on the eastern side of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Money to fix sinking canal approved in federal budget. Will California pay for the rest?
SEE ALSO: Congress Appropriations Bill includes $206 million for Friant-Kern Canal, from the Porterville Recorder
New spending bill has provisions for Western water projects
“Congress this week passed a $1.4 trillion spending package to fund the government through next September and $900 billion in COVID-19 relief. As part of the package, Congress also passed a multi-billion-dollar bill funding Western U.S. water projects called the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, or WRDA. “Hats off to Senate and House leaders, water committees and committee staff to put this bipartisan water package together. Overall — this is a very nice, early Christmas present to Western water users,” Dan Keppen, executive director of Family Farm Alliance, a group that advocates for irrigation and water supplies for Western farmers, said in a statement. … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: New spending bill has provisions for Western water projects
Reclamation releases final feasibility report for Sites Reservoir
“The Bureau of Reclamation today released the final feasibility report for the North-of-the-Delta Off-stream Storage Investigation. The report documents the potential costs and benefits of the Sites Reservoir Project. As part of a continuing effort to increase storage capability throughout California, Reclamation and the Sites Project Authority worked together to evaluate new off-stream surface water storage north of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Final Feasibility Report was transmitted to Congress on December 22. Located 81 miles northwest of Sacramento, Sites Reservoir would store water diverted from the Sacramento River for future releases to beneficiaries throughout the state. The proposed project includes an off-stream reservoir located north-of-the Delta where the majority of California’s rainfall occurs. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Trump Administration advances plan to create new water storage in Northern California
Sites water storage project benefit report identifies Delta ecosystem
“The final feasibility report for the long-awaited Sites Reservoir water storage project was sent Tuesday to Congress by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The Sites Reservoir Project is a joint investigation between the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority, authorized by Congress in 2003. The $3.5 billion, 1.5 million-acre-foot reservoir and infrastructure, if completed, would provide water to agriculture, municipal and industrial uses, as well as to the Central Valley Project and environmental interests such as fish and refuges, according to information provided by the bureau. ... ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Sites water storage project benefit report identifies Delta ecosystem
Small California farmers are often overlooked in water policy. Here’s a look at their unique challenges.
“Ruth Dahlquist-Willard is a small farms adviser with the University of California Cooperative Extension, focusing on immigrant, refugee and other farmers with limited resources in the San Joaquin Valley. Many of the Southeast Asian farmers she supports are first-generation immigrants who came to California starting in the late 1970s after the Secret War in Laos, or who came as recently as 2004. Some of the Latino farmers are first-generation immigrants who were previously farm laborers and are now moving into operating their own farms. … ” Read more from the Environmental Defense Fund here: Small California farmers are often overlooked in water policy. Here’s a look at their unique challenges.
Dead in the Water: As abandoned and derelict boats multiply from Alaska to California, officials scramble for solutions
“The Lumberman, a 33-meter Second World War–era steel-hull tugboat, has been floating at the quiet cruise ship dock in Juneau, Alaska, for months, awaiting a watery grave. Abandoned for nearly a decade, the Lumberman was moored in Juneau’s Gastineau Channel in the early 2000s by its last owner, Brenden Mattson. Two years ago, the tugboat’s anchor line broke, stranding it on state tidelands and creating a jurisdictional hot potato for city, state, and coast guard officials as they debated how to dispose of the vessel. … ” Read more from Hakai Magazine here: Dead in the Water: As abandoned and derelict boats multiply from Alaska to California, officials scramble for solutions
California wildfires …
Billions of dollars spent on fighting California wildfires, but little on prevention
“When COVID-19 blew a hole in California’s spending plans last spring, one of the things state budget-cutters took an axe to was wildfire prevention. A $100-million pilot project to outfit older homes with fire-resistant materials was dropped. Another $165 million earmarked for community protection and wildland fuel-reduction fell to less than $10 million. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Billions of dollars spent on fighting California wildfires, but little on prevention
Wildfires fueled by climate change threaten toxic Superfund sites
“For Jake Jeresek, a leader of the U.S. Forest Service’s firefighting operation in the Kootenai National Forest of northwest Montana, blazes in the woods 4 miles east of the town of Libby demand the most urgent response. But, before his crew can snuff any flames in those woods, they must recite a poem. “When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a tiny prism and form a rainbow,” crew members intone in turn. … ” Read more from NBC News here: Wildfires fueled by climate change threaten toxic Superfund sites
How to rebuild California forests, with climate in mind
“California’s 2020 fires were unprecedented — and not just because they covered more than 4 million acres. The Creek Fire, which burned east of Fresno in the western Sierra Nevada, flamed with such frenzy that it produced a cloud resembling an atomic bomb blast, with smoke reaching the stratosphere. That fire and others, like the huge, lightning-sparked North Complex fires in the Sierras north of Sacramento, didn’t burn in the usual patchy fashion of wildfires, leaving lightly singed spots mixed with more intensely burned islands. They torched much of the acreage within their boundaries, killing even large trees that would have withstood smaller blazes. … ” Read more from Knowable Magazine here: How to rebuild California forests, with climate in mind
2020 sets new U.S. wildfire record
“Wildfires burned more acres this year in the U.S. than ever before in modern records, E&E reports based on data published by the National Interagency Fire Center. Extreme heat, fueled by climate change caused by extracting and burning fossil fuels, dries vegetation and turns vast swaths of forest into a tinderbox. “In 2020 we saw some of the hottest months on record, and large portions of the western U.S. were in severe drought,” University of Colorado fire scientist Jennifer Balch told E&E. … ” Read more from EcoWatch here: 2020 sets new U.S. wildfire record
In regional water news and commentary today …
Restoration brings salmon, people back to Clear Creek
“Clear Creek has been transformed multiple times in the past two centuries, but the transformation of the past few decades was designed to last. Ravaged first by gold-seekers and then by gravel-miners, the Sacramento River tributary is today a haven for fish and people alike. “You get to see big male salmon chasing each other away from females and see females digging redds, or nests. It’s exciting,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Charlie Chamberlain. “It’s something a lot of people would not expect to see in California except on National Geographic.” … ” Read more from the Tehama Daily News here: Restoration brings salmon, people back to Clear Creek
Yuba Water receives more than $2.8 million for Yuba River habitat restoration
“Yuba Water Agency’s board of directors passed a resolution today to receive a grant worth more than $2.8 million from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for habitat restoration and flood risk reduction work on the lower Yuba River. The grant is part of the state’s Proposition 68 funding for science-based, multi-benefit projects that help Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. … ” Read more from YubaNet here: Yuba Water receives more than $2.8 million for Yuba River habitat restoration
San Joaquin County residents encouraged to take part in water planning
“The Greater San Joaquin County Regional Water Coordinating Committee (GSJCRWCC), a diverse group of regional water management stakeholders, recently announced that it completed a significant update to the 2014 Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP Addendum) and will consider adopting the updated Plan on Jan. 20, 2021. The goal of the IRWMP is to encourage regional cooperation and collaborative projects to provide water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, water quality improvement, stormwater capture and management, flood management and environmental and habitat protection/improvements. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: San Joaquin County residents encouraged to take part in water planning
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approves metering ordinance
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approved on Thursday an ordinance requiring the installation, use and reporting of metering equipment for groundwater extraction facilities. The ordinance is set to take effect Jan. 17, 2021. De minimis extractors, defined by the board as a person who extracts less than two acre-feet per year, are exempt from the requirements listed in the ordinance as long as they have registered their extraction facility with the IWVGA. ... ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approves metering ordinance
Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District postpones 5% water rate increase
“Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District board of trustees on Dec. 15 voted to defer a 5% water rate increase that was scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. From March to October, the board also suspended late penalties on accounts that were unable to pay on time due to financial hardship. “One of our core responsibilities as a district and elected board of trustees is to ensure we have the financial means to carry out our mission of providing sufficient, reliable, high-quality water supplies to all of our customers,” said Jeff Clay, president of Improvement District No. 1. … ” Read more from the Santa Ynez Valley News here: Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District postpones 5% water rate increase
Santa Clarita: SCV Water’s first PFAS water treatment facility now serving residents
“Santa Clarita Valley residents are now receiving water from one of California’s first facilities that restore groundwater affected by a suspected manmade carcinogen, SCV Water Agency officials announced Monday. The move comes after the agency received the final permit to serve water from its first water treatment plant that combats per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from groundwater. … ” Read more from the Signal here: SCV Water’s first PFAS water treatment facility now serving residents
Santa Ana winds to increase fire danger in Southern California through Christmas Eve
“Recent dry conditions have allowed the fire season to linger across Southern California, and a Santa Ana wind event will create dangerous fire conditions into Christmas Eve. Red flag warnings have been issued from the Los Angeles Basin southward through the higher terrain east of San Diego. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Santa Ana winds to increase fire danger in Southern California through Christmas Eve
Doheny desalination plan met with caution, delays
“As it enters its 20th year of planning and preparation, a desalination plant proposed near Doheny State Beach continues to be met with delays and uncertainty. In mid-2018, officials were predicting that the operation could be turning ocean water into drinking water as soon as 2021. Now, the project will be doing well to simply win all required permits by the end of next year. Additionally, board members of the South Coast Water District have ordered new studies to get a firmer grip on eventual consumer costs and to explore cheaper energy for the power-hungry plant. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Doheny desalination plan met with caution, delays
Coachella Valley: Thermal Mutual project milestone celebrated
“Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) today celebrated the pending completion of the Thermal Mutual Water Consolidation project, which transitions 38 residential properties from a 50-year-old failing well to the CVWD system. In a brief ceremony in the neighborhood today (Dec. 22), Cástulo Estrada, Vice President of the Board of Directors at CVWD, was joined by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia for the milestone, turning a ceremonial wheel to mark the demolition of the old well and the transfer to the new system. … ” Read more from the Coachella Valley Water District here: Thermal Mutual project milestone celebrated
Along the Colorado River …
Here’s what it takes to keep Colorado River fish from going extinct
“The Colorado River is one of the most engineered river systems in the world. Over millions of years, the living creatures that call the river home have adapted to its natural variability, of seasonal highs and lows. But for the last century, they have struggled to keep up with rapid change in the river’s flows and ecology. Dams throughout the watershed create barriers and alter flows that make life hard for native fish. Toss in 70 non-native fish species, rapidly growing invasive riparian plants and a slurry of pollutants, and the problem of endangered fish recovery becomes even more complex. … ” Read more from KSUT here: Here’s what it takes to keep Colorado River fish from going extinct
Hydro-storage projects on indigenous land stir debate
“Throughout 2020, Pumped Hydro-Storage LLC has proposed three hydro-storage projects on Navajo Nation land near the Grand Canyon, the Salt Trail, Little Colorado River and Big Canyon. None of the three projects have been approved to start construction, but the potential for hydro-storage on Navajo Nation land has started a debate between those who are against the hydro-storage projects for environmental and land preservation reasons, and those who see it as a source of renewable energy and jobs. … ” Read more from Sierra Nevada Ally here: Hydro-storage projects on indigenous land stir debate
Colorado River tribes seek approval from Congress to put water on the market in Arizona
“On the Arizona-California border, where the Colorado River pushes against Headgate Rock Dam, churning water pours into a wide canal and runs across the desert, flowing toward the farmlands of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. This tribal nation is the largest single user of Colorado River water in Arizona, with rights to divert about 662,000 acre-feet per year, more than double the amount of water diverted for the state of Nevada. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Colorado River tribes seek approval from Congress to put water on the market in Arizona
In national water news today …
Building resilience & addressing inequities in small, underperforming drinking water systems
“Approximately 25 million people in the United States are served by water systems that regularly fail to meet federal safe drinking water standards. In addition, systems with poor water quality are more likely to serve low‐income and semi‐rural communities, as well as people of color. Internationally, other developed nations like Canada and Australia also struggle with delivering safe drinking water universally, particularly to rural, indigenous communities. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute here: Building resilience & addressing inequities in small, underperforming drinking water systems
EPA revises rules for lead in drinking water
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed its first major revisions in nearly three decades to federal rules for lead in drinking water, adding a raft of new intricacies to one of the country’s most complex drinking water regulations. Andrew Wheeler, the EPA administrator, called the revisions “the capstone” of the Trump administration’s efforts to address lead contamination, arguing that the goal is to protect children, reduce lead, and empower communities with more information about sources of lead in their water. Water policy experts offered a more muted appraisal of the rule, acknowledging progress in some areas but pointing out serious flaws in the overall approach. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: EPA revises rules for lead in drinking water
Smaller share of lead pipes must be replaced in EPA rule
“The EPA is cutting the percentage of a water system’s lead pipes that need to be replaced annually under a long-awaited revision to agency’s lead and copper rule announced Tuesday. The new rule (RIN 2040-AF15) garnered harsh criticism from environmental groups, which said it will expose more children to lead poisoning. It requires water systems to replace at least 3% of lead service lines annually—down from 7% under the old lead and copper rule, finalized in 1991. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: Smaller share of lead pipes must be replaced in EPA rule
Federal PFAS regulatory developments expected
“Federal regulations on two well-known PFAS substances – PFOS and PFOA – could soon change, possibly within the remaining two weeks of 2020. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released an updated Unified Agenda, a biannual document that outlines anticipated regulatory activity for the coming year. In it, the EPA states that it is preparing to finalize regulatory determinations for PFOS and PFOA, potentially as soon as January 2021. Such an action would initiate EPA’s rulemaking process aimed at setting enforceable drinking water standards. … ” Read more from ACWA Water News here: Federal PFAS Regulatory Developments Expected
Water strategist addresses questions on managing our precious water resources
“Many questions surround how to best solve the numerous problems involving efficient management of our precious water resources. We asked a few questions regarding water science and engineering of Junhong Chen, lead water strategist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and a professor of molecular engineering at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Prior to coming to Chicago, Chen served as a program director for the Engineering Research Centers program of the U.S. National Science Foundation. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Water strategist addresses questions on managing our precious water resources
One third of U.S. Rivers changed their color, three decades of satellite images show
“No man ever steps into the same river twice, according to an ancient Greek philosopher. Nearly 2,500 years later, satellites are showing how true Heraclitus’ statement was. Looking at 235,000 Landsat images taken from 1984 to 2018, researchers found that the dominant color in a third of American rivers changed significantly during the study period. Rivers can appear to be shades of blue, green and yellow. A river can change color based on the amount of sediment, algae or dissolved organic carbon in the water. … ” Read more from The Weather Channel here: One third of U.S. Rivers changed their color, three decades of satellite images show
Biden CEQ pick signals NEPA changes
“President-elect Joe Biden last week picked veteran environmental attorney Brenda Mallory to help guide federal environmental permitting as the incoming administration gears up to build massive infrastructure projects across the United States. Many observers see Biden’s Council on Environmental Quality nominee as a sign that he will prioritize redoing the National Environmental Policy Act rules — not only to undo President Trump’s recent changes but also to boost requirements on issues like climate change. “The selection of Brenda Mallory suggests they will be acting rapidly to strengthen NEPA,” Will Toor, executive director of the group Colorado Energy Office, said on a panel last week hosted by Politico. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Biden CEQ pick signals NEPA changes
Today’s featured articles …
CA WATER COMMISSION: Implementation of the State Water Project’s Incidental Take Permit
At the December meeting of the California Water Commission, the commissioners heard a briefing on the implementation of the Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for the State Water Project. Dr. Lenny Grimaldo, Assistant Environmental Director for the State Water Project, discussed what the Incidental Take Permit is, why the Department obtained the permit, and how the permit will affect State Water project initiatives now and in the future.
Click here to read this article.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
PUBLIC WORKSHOP to focus on water conveyance needs and funding options in Northern California
