On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife will meet upon adjournment of Transportation Committee. Bills to be heard include a bill to extend the deadlines for GSP submittals, a bill to lower indoor residential water use standards, a bill to exclude some dams from the definition, a bill to require Delta projects to include sea level rise analysis, and others. Click here for the complete agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
Wells dry up, crops imperiled, workers in limbo as California drought grips San Joaquin Valley
“As yet another season of drought returns to California, the mood has grown increasingly grim across the vast and fertile San Joaquin Valley. Renowned for its bounty of dairies, row crops, grapes, almonds, pistachios and fruit trees, this agricultural heartland is still reeling from the effects of the last punishing drought, which left the region geologically depressed and mentally traumatized. Now, as the valley braces for another dry spell of undetermined duration, some are openly questioning the future of farming here, even as legislative representatives call on Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a drought emergency. Many small, predominantly Latino communities also face the risk of having their wells run dry. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Wells dry up, crops imperiled, workers in limbo as California drought grips San Joaquin Valley
How dry is California? What should we prepare for?
“California is in the second year of a drought. Governor Newsom this week made his first drought declaration. Just how dry is this drought, so far? What are some likely implications? And what might State and local governments do about it? Northern California has received about 48% of average historical precipitation for this time of year. This is the 3rd driest water year on record, so far. Only 1924 and 1977 were drier in precipitation over the last 101 years. At this time of year, there will probably be little more precipitation until fall. … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog here: How dry is California? What should we prepare for?
Federal, state money aims to mitigate drought harms
“As drought realities set in, money is flowing to water authorities to fix wells and watersheds. Fresno and Madera water sources will get their piece of $26 million in grants from the State of California’s Department of Water Resources, according to a press release from the agency. The money is intended to go toward overdrafted groundwater basins that communities rely on during times of drought. ... ” Read more from the Business Journal here: Federal, state money aims to mitigate drought harms
Market Alert: NQH2O outperforming water ETFs by an average of 60.97%
“In 2020 the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index (NQH2O) was one of the top performing indexes globally and top performing asset class, finishing up the year at +116%. The Index tracks the spot price of water in California’s most actively traded water markets. A range of hydrological factors influenced the drastic increase. From poor precipitation levels, declining reservoir levels and increased drought conditions. … ”
Southwest rainfall a ‘bandaid fix’ to extreme drought
“Rain and snow sweeping across the West will be a “bandaid fix” for the ravaging drought situation in the region, particularly in the Southwest. About 62% of the West has been suffering under severe drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. After last year’s weak monsoon season failed to bring the Southwest much rain, a particularly dry winter left residents wanting for more precipitation. Several cities in the region have recorded under 70% of the normal rainfall. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Southwest rainfall a ‘bandaid fix’ to extreme drought
Revitalizing California’s floodplains benefits people and wildlife
“Throughout California’s history, rivers have been diverted, rerouted and contained by concrete. While these actions have brought agriculture and communities to arid land, and reduced large-scale flooding, it has also eliminated some of the natural benefits provided by untamed rivers. Today, efforts are underway to restore some of the natural riparian areas to the benefit of both humans and wildlife. “Over the past few decades, the Sacramento Valley has seen a lot of riparian restoration projects,” said Jennifer Hobbs, a senior wildlife biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento office who oversees consultations on federal water projects. “These projects are targeting areas where the agricultural and development value is low due to flood risk, but connectivity between wildlife areas is high.” ... ” Read more from the US FWS here: Revitalizing California’s floodplains benefits people and wildlife
Satellites detect groundwater recharge for San Joaquin Valley
“Groundwater recharge information is critical to groundwater modeling and management but is hard to observe and evaluate over large areas. Neely et al. [2021] explore the possibility to assess aquifer flow dynamics (recharge and discharge) by evaluating spatial patterns of the amplitude and phase of seasonal deformation across the San Joaquin Valley in California for consecutive dry (2016) and wet (2017) water years. … ” Read more from EOS here: Satellites detect groundwater recharge for San Joaquin Valley
Solving the nitrogen puzzle: Measuring groundwater pollution from agriculture
” … Harter, a member of the Soil Science Society of America, is trying to solve one of the most complex puzzles in farming: how to track nitrate as it moves through farm fields. His research was recently published in Vadose Zone Journal, a publication of the Soil Science Society of America. Scientists have tried for years to predict how nitrate will flow from the surface into groundwater. That information can help farmers balance fertilizing their crops with protecting the water they and others rely on. But there are many challenges. The types of soil, crops and fertilizers can all affect this slow process. So Harter and his team designed one of the most detailed studies yet. Across a single 140-acre California almond orchard, they gathered 20 deep soil samples and installed wells to measure groundwater. Few studies have been so detailed across such a small plot of land. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Solving the nitrogen puzzle: Measuring groundwater pollution from agriculture
Researchers show how soil is unsuspecting weapon in fighting climate change
“California has long been seeing the effects of climate change with raging wildfires and grueling drought seasons, but researchers say the soil is the secret weapon in the fight. Longtime Delta Farmer Eddie Zuckerman knows the land at the corner of Correia Road and Highway 12 from every side. The farmland has been in his family for more than 100 years. “As a farmer, soil health to us is very important,” said Zuckerman. “We are good stewards of the environment because if you don’t have a healthy soil profile you’re not going to be a successful farmer.” … ” Read more from CBS 13 here: Researchers show how soil is unsuspecting weapon in fighting climate change
In regional water news and commentary today …
‘Everyone Loses’: The Government Is Rationing Water at the California-Oregon Border
Video: Dams built in Oregon and California may be taken down due to impact on wildlife
“For over a century, one of the most important salmon runs in the U.S. has had to contend with historic dams in Oregon and California. These dams have been responsible for the death of dozens of the thousands of salmon due to poorer water quality. Anna Werner takes a look for the CBS News series Eye on Earth: Our Planet in Peril.” Watch video from CBS News here: Video: Dams built in Oregon and California may be taken down due to impact on wildlife
Humboldt County receives grant to develop water management plan for Trinity River contract water
“The Wildlife Conservation Board today approved a grant award of $574,980 to Humboldt County to develop a water management plan for Humboldt County’s 1959 contract for water releases from Trinity Reservoir. Completion of the water management plan is necessary to make Humboldt County’s contract water available to support fishery resources and other beneficial uses in the Trinity River and lower Klamath River. “Commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries are a vital part of Humboldt County’s economy and cultural identity,” said Steve Madrone, Humboldt County Fifth District Supervisor. “Humboldt County is committed to protecting and restoring our natural and cultural resources. For far too long, Humboldt County’s contract right for releases of additional water into the Trinity River has been denied. This grant from the Water Conservation Board is a major breakthrough toward performing the required studies and addressing unresolved legal questions that will enable putting more water into the Trinity River at optimal times for the benefit of Humboldt County residents.” … ” Continue reading at the Redheaded Blackbelt here: Humboldt County receives grant to develop water management plan for Trinity River contract water
Historically low water at Lake Sonoma points to potentially devastating drought
“Sonoma County is facing a historic drought after two dry winters and, on Tuesday, county supervisors are expected to proclaim a drought emergency. “We’re looking, today, at the lowest level our reservoirs have ever been since they were built,” said Brad Sherwood, the spokesman at Sonoma Water. Lake Sonoma is the primary water source for about 600,000 customers in Sonoma and northern Marin Counties. … ” Read more from KPIX here: Historically low water at Lake Sonoma points to potentially devastating drought
EBMUD expected to officially declare stage 1 drought on Tuesday
“The East Bay Municipal Utility Board of Directors will consider officially declaring a stage 1 drought at its meeting Tuesday. Staff members from the utility provider will present its 2021 Water Supply Availability and Deficiency Report and recommend the board establish a district-wide voluntary water use reduction of 10 percent. Under that scenario, the district would also purchase supplemental water from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project. Most of EBMUD’s water comes from Sierra snowmelt above the Mokelumne River. … ” Read more from KTVU here: EBMUD expected to officially declare stage 1 drought on Tuesday
Big Basin State Park: Battered, burned but alive: Time will heal park’s wounds, but it needs big money, too
“In the annals of California history, no one has ever had to put a broken state park back together. There’s no guidebook, no rules. So now state officials and conservationists are attempting a complex and extraordinary Humpty Dumpty project: The reawakening of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The state’s oldest park, Big Basin was nearly erased in last summer’s lightning-caused wildfires. In one day, 97% of it burned, destroying buildings that had been standing for 120 years. The fire destroyed roads, bridges, campsites, trails, the visitor center, restrooms, electrical and water systems — everything that makes a park accessible to the public. Forests of giant redwoods were charred by flames that soared more than 100 feet high. Trees that didn’t fall in the fire were knocked down by howling winds in January, delivering the fatal coup de grace. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Big Basin State Park: Battered, burned but alive: Time will heal park’s wounds, but it needs big money, too
Big Sur: Highway 1 at Rat Creek reopens after nearly three months of construction
“With a backdrop of gray skies and a surly ocean, Gov. Gavin Newsom and a host of federal, state and local officials stood in the middle of Highway 1 Friday to reopen the scenic highway after it was closed for 86 days from a debris flow that washed out the ground underneath the road into the Pacific Ocean. Newsom, along with U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, state Assemblyman Robert Rivas, Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams and top brass from Caltrans, spoke of the one-two punch of a devastating fire that charred 156,000 acres, leaving vulnerable land exposed to a storm that dumped more than 15 inches of rain in a span of 48 hours in late January. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Big Sur: Highway 1 at Rat Creek reopens after nearly three months of construction
The countdown to proposed LADWP pumping begins
“With a snowpack at 20-percent of normal, as of April 1, Inyo County and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power begin a month of discussion over the proposed pumping plan for the 2021-22 run-off year. LADWP intends to pump from 64,600 to 78,980 acre-feet of water from well fields in the Owens Valley. Inyo’s Water Commission will meet this evening at 6 p.m. for its initial discussion of the plan, laid out with proposed volumes from Laws to Lone Pine. Those comments will be brought to Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting as an 11 a.m. timed item. … ” Read more from Sierra Wave here: The countdown to proposed LADWP pumping begins
Pasadena: State sending 5% less water to Southern California, city committee will hear
“The California Department of Water Resources has reduced its State Water Project (SWP) allocation to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) by five percent for the coming year, Cynthia J. Kurtz, MWD Vice Chairman, said in a report addressed to the Pasadena City Council’s Municipal Services Committee. Kurtz, who represents Pasadena in the MWD board, had reported in February that the allocation would be 10 percent, based on an earlier State Department of Water Resources projection. … ” Read more from Pasadena Now here: Pasadena: State sending 5% less water to Southern California, city committee will hear
Calif. water regulators crack down on Nestlé water bottling
“The California Water Resources Control Board drafted a cease and desist order against Nestlé of Friday, asking the Swiss company to stop removing millions of gallons of water a year out of the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. For several decades, Nestlé’s water operation there, primarily for it’s Arrowhead brand of bottled water, has been called out by many groups for contributing to the California water crisis, causing harm to the area, and not being charged enough for the operation. ... ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Calif. water regulators crack down on Nestlé water bottling
Seismic Evaluation: Orange County Sanitation District’s resiliency planning includes earthquakes
“Resiliency is a major concern for the stewards of wastewater infrastructure, and this is particularly true for Southern California’s Orange County Sanitation District (OC San). Located 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles in a seismically active region, OC San provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services for approximately 2.6 million people. Because OC San’s facilities are exposed to seismic hazards, the potential for earthquake damage and associated service disruptions is a significant threat to their $11 billion infrastructure. … ” Read more from Water World here: Seismic Evaluation: Orange County Sanitation District’s resiliency planning includes preparing for earthquakes
Along the Colorado River …
New dust-on-snow monitoring technology coming to Steamboat lab, expanding a growing snowpack data network
“The first automated dust-on-snow monitoring technology in the mountains of Northwest Colorado is expected to be installed this fall to study the impact of dust from arid landscapes on downwind mountain ecosystems in the state and in Utah. McKenzie Skiles, who is a hydrologist and a University of Utah assistant professor, will use close to $10,000 from a National Science Foundation grant to purchase four pyranometers, which measure solar radiation landing on, and reflected by, snow. These instruments will be placed on a data tower at Storm Peak Lab, a research station above Steamboat Springs that studies the properties of clouds, as well as natural and pollution-sourced particles in the atmosphere. The lab sits at 10,500 feet near the peak of Mount Werner at the top of Steamboat Resort in the Yampa River basin. Starting next winter, live information will be transmitted to MesoWest, a data platform at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism here: New dust-on-snow monitoring technology coming to Steamboat lab, expanding a growing snowpack data network
In national water news today …
The world needs water. These materials take it from the air
“Every evening during the summer of 2020, Xingyi Zhou went up to the roof of her lab building at the University of Texas at Austin to check on two plastic boxes containing radish plants. Plants in one of the boxes languished, while those in the other flourished, even though both grew in sand that Zhou and her colleague Fei Zhao collected from an Austin park. The key difference was a ground-up slab of a hydrogel mixed in the sand of one of the boxes. The tiny grains of hydrogel absorbed moisture from the cool, humid night air. In the mornings, the hydrogel gradually warmed up under the heat of the sun and released the water it had absorbed overnight, generating a humid, healthy environment for the plants. Materials like this UT Austin hydrogel could someday help mitigate the world’s water woes. ... ” Read more from Chemical & Engineering News here: The world needs water. These materials take it from the air
Lawyers look to courts to resolve environment standards ‘chaos’
“An order signed this month by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will conflict with a Trump-era rule which the White House plans to temporarily keep in place, attorneys say. Haaland’s order rolled back former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s 2017 directive for how the department will comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when considering infrastructure proposals such as wind farms and pipelines. The Biden administration wants a related Trump White House NEPA rule to remain on the books for now, possibly conflicting with Haaland’s order. It’s now unclear with which set of rules Interior agencies will comply. “You can’t ‘build back better’ with NEPA chaos. And right now, we have NEPA chaos,” said Susan Jane Brown, staff attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, referring to the Biden administration’s infrastructure slogan. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: Lawyers look to courts to resolve environment standards ‘chaos’
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
Newsom takes action to ban fracking by Jan. 2024, phase out oil extraction by 2045- Valley dems, business leader blast Newsom’s fracking ban
- Regulators wrestle with terms for Huntington Beach desalination plant
- Poseidon water plant permit discussion continued to next week
- Can managed aquifer recharge mitigate drought impacts on California’s irrigated agriculture? The role for institutions and policies
- Some modest April showers this weekend, but overall trajectory toward worsening drought continues
- San Diego County Water Authority offers help to regions in need during drought
- DWR awards $26 million in grants to support critically overdrafted groundwater basins
- Dan Walters: As drought hits California, long-term issues loom
- As drought threatens Klamath’s future, scholars tout tribes’ TEK strategies
- Humboldt County receives grant to develop water management plan to finally deliver the Trinity River flow we’re due
- Rising sea level threatens Stinson Beach neighborhoods
- With drought looming, Santa Barbara County strikes compromise on state water
- Nestle told to cease unauthorized diversions in San Bernardino National Forest
- And lastly … Barrelhouse Brewing and Genesis Systems team up to make ‘beer from air’
- And more …
Click here to read the weekend Daily Digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
ESTUARY PEARLS: Thiamine deficiency in salmon; Restoration tradeoffs; Salmon life histories and strategies; Mudflats and shorebirds; Bird biodiversity
Click here to read this article.
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