On the calendar today …
- FREE WEBINAR: Climate Adaptation and Interdependencies from 9am to 10:30am. Climate change poses a series of challenges for communities across the United States and beyond. Using an interactive format, panelists will discuss the interdependencies of adaptability and explore the challenges that our communities are facing. Adaptation to climate change at the local, regional, and national level is a multi-layered, complex problem that the panel will discuss through a deep dive into governance and policy; legal issues and liability concerns; insurability and capital acquisition; and social equity and justice. Presented by Geosyntec. Click here to register.
- MEETING: The State Water Board meets at 9am. Agenda items include cooling water intake structures, drought update, Los Angeles River flows project, and underground storage tank cleanup program update. The agenda item on drought will start at 2:00pm or later. Click here for the full agenda and remote access information.
- EVENT: Meet the General Managers – A Virtual Tour With Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District from 10am to 11am. Learn about the successful partnership between the two agencies and how together they built the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). GWRS takes treated wastewater and purifies it to drinking water standards. This Virtual Tour will be hosted by the two agencies’ general managers Mike Markus and Jim Herberg. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: Quantifying Drinking Water Quality Risk and Solutions in California: A Statewide Assessment from 12pm to 1pm. Join Water UCI for a discussion with Greg Pierce, Associate Director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, faculty member in the Department of Urban Planning and the co-director of the UCLA Water Resources Faculty group as he discusses the methodology and results of California’s inaugural statewide needs assessment for drinking water quality and affordability. Click here to register.
In California drought news today …
California farmers facing drought are choosing empty fields
“In some areas of California it’s so dry that farmers aren’t even bothering to plant crops this season. Growers north of San Francisco have begun pulling out of local farmers markets and produce-box programs. County Line Harvest, which farms more than 30 acres in Petaluma, California, doesn’t have enough water to grow all the peppers, lettuces and other produce that normally go into its subscription boxes, according to a video posted to its Instagram page. Nearby farms are saying the same, underscoring the impact of the extended dry spell. The announcements are concerning because California grows a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Green here: California farmers facing drought are choosing empty fields
Running out of water and time: How unprepared is California for 2021’s drought?
“When James Brumder and his wife Louise Gonzalez moved into their home tucked up against the mountains northeast of Los Angeles, he applied all his know-how to the task of undoing the thirsty garden they inherited. Brumder, who worked for a commercial landscaping company, pulled up their weedy, unkempt lawn in Altadena and replaced it with native grasses, filled in garden beds with species that could make a living off the region’s fickle rainfall, installed drip irrigation, set up rain barrels and banked soil to collect any errant drops of water. Whenever the backyard duck pond – a blue plastic kiddie pool – was cleaned, the water was fed to drought-adapted fruit trees. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Running out of water and time: How unprepared is California for 2021’s drought?
Watch how California’s drought took over this winter
“With very few big storms this winter across the state, extreme drought now grips much of California, including the entire Bay Area. Water restrictions are in effect in 41 counties, and thousands of people are under evacuation orders in Southern California as a brush fire in the Palisades continues to burn. California’s parched condition is the result of multiple dry years and a lack of big storms, called atmospheric rivers, that douse the state with rain and snow. With summer fast approaching, Jeff Nothwehr, GIS and web specialist for the National Drought Mitigation Center, created an animated gif for KQED showing the progression of California’s drought conditions since last September. … ” Read more from KQED here: Watch how California’s drought took over this winter
Costa letter says all needs must be considered in response to drought
“Congressman Jim Costa sent a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board about the need for a balanced approach towards municipal, agricultural, and environmental water use in any response to California’s worsening drought crisis. The letter reads in part: “Reliable water supplies are essential to the public health, ecosystems, and regional economic viability of the Central Valley. We are at a critical moment in California’s history. Actions taken now can build resilience for future droughts and provide benefits to California’s people and its environment.” The letter commended the Governor’s recent drought emergency declaration but highlights the need to consider the effects decisions made towards regional water operations will have towards all state operations due to California’s interconnected water systems: “The operations of water projects during critically dry years like this one requires striking a reasonable balance between competing beneficial uses of water and weighing the impacts to all downstream water users, human and environmental,” read the letter. The letter was co-signed by valley Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10).”
Discovery increases likelihood of growing food despite drought
“University of California scientists have discovered genetic data that will help food crops like tomatoes and rice survive longer, more intense periods of drought on our warming planet. Over the course of the last decade, the research team sought to create a molecular atlas of crop roots, where plants first detect the effects of drought and other environmental threats. In so doing, they uncovered genes that scientists can use to protect the plants from these stresses. Their work, published today in the journal Cell, achieved a high degree of understanding of the root functions because it combined genetic data from different cells of tomato roots grown both indoors and outside. … ” Read more from the University of California Riverside here: Discovery increases likelihood of growing food despite drought
Landscape water conservation
“As California enters another dry summer, the supply and use of water are once again becoming topics of immediate concern. Statewide, agriculture dominates use of developed water — meaning water which is moved through pipes at some point. In urban areas, about half of developed water is used outdoors, and of that fraction about half is used for landscape irrigation. That half is an important fraction in Los Angeles and other urban areas. Across the state, homeowners may be interested in saving money on water bills, improving plant health, limiting weeds, and being ecologically responsible while still having an attractive, low-maintenance landscape. There are several approaches to landscape management that can save water. Some are relatively simple, such as adjusting irrigation schedules. Others require more cost and time, such as replacing some plant materials with others or modifying an irrigation system. … ” Continue reading at The Confluence here: Landscape water conservation
In other California water news today …
Floodplain restoration helps both fish and people where Tuolumne and San Joaquin meet
“Out where the Tuolumne River joins the San Joaquin, an intriguing way of managing water is taking hold. Dos Rios Ranch is nine years into its restoration, a $45 million-plus effort across nearly 2,400 acres. It seeks to enhance flood protection, wildlife habitat and water supplies in one grand vision. Crews have reshaped former farm fields to mimic the floodplains that spread across much of the Central Valley in the time before dams and levees. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Floodplain restoration helps both fish and people where Tuolumne and San Joaquin meet
As the West faces a drought emergency, some ranchers are restoring grasslands to build water reserves
“It’s calving season and all across the West ranchers are watching the sizes of their herds grow. It’s also the beginning of a new season on most ranches, but in the midst of a historic, persistent drought, a growing herd brings difficult questions. As average temperatures climb and the water that flows through many of the major rivers and creeks across the west is slowing, the availability of forage—grass, legumes, and other edible pasture plants—has become less predictable. As a result, many ranchers face complex calculations: Do they sell off some of their cattle and cut a profit, but risk flooding the market and getting a low price? Or do they hold onto their herd and buy extra hay and forage, rent additional pasture, or risk overgrazing—and further drying out—the land? There aren’t easy answers to this question, especially as climate change accelerates and the western United States enters its 22nd year of drought, long enough to be categorized as a mega-drought. ... ” Continue reading at Civil Eats here: As the West faces a drought emergency, some ranchers are restoring grasslands to build water reserves
Targeted wintertime flooding on ag fields could improve the water supply for rural Californians
“When droughts strike California, people who rely on shallow domestic wells for their drinking, cooking and washing water are among the first to feel the pain. Aquifers have become depleted from decades of overuse. Drilling deeper is an option for farmers, but prohibitively expensive for low-income residents in disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley. A UC scientist believes managed aquifer recharge on agricultural lands close to populations with parched wells is a hopeful solution. Helen Dahlke, professor in integrated hydrologic sciences at UC Davis, has been evaluating scenarios for flooding agricultural land when excess water is available during the winter in order to recharge groundwater. If relatively clean mountain runoff is used, the water filtering down to the aquifer will address another major groundwater concern: nitrogen and pesticide contamination. “The recharge has the potential to clean up groundwater,” she said. ... ” Read more from the UC California Green blog here: Targeted wintertime flooding on ag fields could improve the water supply for rural Californians
Human wastewater is feeding harmful algae blooms off of Southern California’s coast
“At a glance, the sparkling waters of the Southern California coast appear healthy. But a deeper dive into the water’s chemical composition reveals high levels of algae and low levels of oxygen. The estimated 23 million people who live along the coast from Tijuana, Mexico, to Santa Barbara, California, produce tons of sewage each day. That sewage is treated by water treatment facilities to remove some of the potentially harmful chemicals and then discharged deep below the surface of the ocean. But even after it’s treated, the sewage still contains nitrogen. And experts had supposed that, because the sewage is injected so deep below the surface — about 50 meters, or 164 feet — by the time it reached the water’s surface, the remaining nitrogen would be diluted enough not to cause any serious negative consequences. But in a new study, UCLA researchers found that nitrogen in treated sewage is driving a massive growth of oceanic algae and loss of oxygen, which will likely have lasting effects on the region’s ecosystem. … ” Read more from the UCLA Newsroom here: Human wastewater is feeding harmful algae blooms off of Southern California’s coast
State makes progress on wildfire and forest health policy
“Californians are gearing up for what could be another dangerous wildfire season, particularly in light of significant drought conditions. Grasses, shrubs, and forests are drying out early due to a lack of precipitation, providing potential fuel for wildfires. Red flag warnings—when high winds and low humidity increase fire risk—have already been issued this year across broad swaths of the state. Small spring wildfires have put firefighters and communities on edge. Is the state prepared for another bad wildfire season? And how much progress has been made to improve the resilience of vulnerable communities and headwater forests? … ” Read more from the PPIC here: State makes progress on wildfire and forest health policy
California braces for intense wildfire season with new prevention efforts
“As firefighters across California brace for what they say will be another challenging season, community organizations are partnering with the state to provide new tools to help prevent wildfires. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved an $80 million investment to hire 1,400 new firefighters and increase wildfire mitigation efforts. Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant says he’s grateful for the extra resources available this year, especially as the fight against fires is intensifying with each passing season. “We are ready for fires here in California. We’re fortunate to have the most dedicated wildland firefighters in the entire world. We have the largest air fleet, we have the most firefighters, but we’re always going to rely on our local partners to help us respond,” he said. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: California braces for intense wildfire season with new prevention efforts
Climate change impact increasingly felt in California
“More wildfires. Hotter days. Drought. Sea-level rise. Those conditions are an increasing reality in California, which is steadily becoming an altered state. But if the grimmest predictions of experts about our state and climate change become true, the conditions will become far worse. “Average summer temperatures in California have risen by approximately 3 degrees F (1.8℃) since 1896, with more than half of that increase occurring since the early 1970s,” reported the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. “If global greenhouse gas emissions continue at current rates, the state is likely to experience further warming by more than 2 degrees F more by 2040, more than 4 degrees F by 2070, and by more than 6 degrees F by 2100,” Scripps said. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Climate change impact increasingly felt in California
In regional water news and commentary today …
Silent no more: Klamath Tribes gather to protect their homelands
“A group of about 10 protesters gathered at Sugarman’s Corner in downtown Klamath Falls on Saturday, preparing to welcome a 25-car caravan of mostly Klamath Tribal members calling for solutions to the Klamath Basin’s water crisis. A man walked by the demonstrators, eyeing their signs with statements like “Peace and Healing in the Klamath Basin,” “Water Justice is Social Justice” and “Undam the Klamath.” “What are you holding those signs for?” he asked. No one responded — it’s hard to answer any question about water in the Klamath Basin in a five-second sidewalk exchange. Especially in recent years, as extended droughts have heated up local conflicts over water — both figuratively and literally — Klamath Tribal members have tried to stay out of the debate as much as they could. ... ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Silent no more: Klamath Tribes gather to protect their homelands
Drought brings “hardship” to Klamath Basin ranchers
“Federal regulators shut off irrigation water to farmers along the California-Oregon border last week from a critical reservoir and said they would not send extra water to dying salmon downstream or to wildlife refuges that harbor millions of migrating birds each year. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it will not release water this season into the main canal that feeds the bulk of the massive Klamath Reclamation Project, marking a first for the 114-year-old irrigation system, The Associated Press reports. … ” Continue reading at Drovers here: Drought brings “hardship” to Klamath Basin ranchers
Commentary: It’s time for a solution to Klamath’s recurring water crises
Felice Pace writes, “Once again the Klamath River Basin is in a “water crisis.” With not enough water to fulfill all needs and demands, irrigators, federal tribes and fishermen are all clamoring for more water and for “emergency disaster assistance” from the federal government. In the middle are the federal and state agencies charged with meeting competing needs of threatened and endangered fish, water rights law and irrigator demands. Meanwhile the organization People’s Rights has called for irrigators to “STAND UP AND PROTECT YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY, YOUR WATER!” According to a report from The Counter, “People’s Rights is the far-right militia group founded by Ammon Bundy, known for leading a takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in 2016.” While the “crisis” is likely to be intense this year, the lack of sufficient Klamath River water to satisfy all fish, wildlife and irrigation needs has been a recurrent problem ever since the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Irrigation Project completed its final expansion into the bed of the former Tule Lake in the 1960s. … ” Continue reading at the Del Norte Triplicate here: Commentary: It’s time for a solution to Klamath’s recurring water crises
Ducks Unlimited announces NRCS funding for Klamath Basin
“Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Intermountain West Joint Venture announced new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The Klamath Basin Farming and Wetland Collaborative RCPP, located in the Southern Oregon, Northeastern California (SONEC) region, will receive $3,800,000 to implement conservation projects that provide temporary habitat for migrating waterfowl on working agricultural land. Of wetlands located in the SONEC region, 74 percent are on privately-owned working agricultural lands. More than 6 million migratory birds rely on these working wet meadows for successful migration and reproduction each year, making flood irrigation practices on working wetlands in SONEC and the Klamath Basin especially important for sustaining waterfowl populations in North America. ... ” Read more from Klamath Falls News here: Ducks Unlimited announces NRCS funding for Klamath Basin
Crystal Geyser pulls out of Mount Shasta water bottling plant
“After seven years of controversy, Crystal Geyser Water Company announced last week that it has given up on opening its Mount Shasta facility. A representative for the company said Crystal Geyser was “challenged every step of the way” since it purchased the nearly 145,000 square foot facility in 2013. “This is really good news … that we’ve been able to successfully defend our neighborhood from inappropriate development,” said Bruce Hillman, a spokesperson for “We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review.” Activists formed the group to oppose Crystal Geyser in Mount Shasta and have since become more vocal about getting businesses to increase sustainability and on water rights issues. ... ” Read more from the Mount Shasta News here: Crystal Geyser pulls out of Mount Shasta water bottling plant
Photos: Lake Berryessa shows effects of ongoing drought
View photos from The Reporter here: Photos: Lake Berryessa shows effects of ongoing drought
Sonoma to cut Marin water imports this summer
“Already bracing for its worst drought on record, Marin County will have even less water this summer after a major supplier announced plans to cut back on water imports by 20% beginning in July. Sonoma Water, which provides about 25% of central and southern Marin’s water supply and 75% of Novato’s, will be reducing its Russian River diversions from July 1 through Oct. 31 in response to record-low supplies in its two main reservoirs: Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. “That is an unprecedented action and one that we don’t take lightly but we’re going to need to do it this time,” Grant Davis, general manager of Sonoma Water, told the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors earlier this month. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Sonoma to cut Marin water imports this summer
East Bay water officials have eyes on the future
“East Bay Municipal Utility District officials have seen droughts come and go. But they seem to be coming more frequently this century. Climate change is stoking devastating wildfire seasons year after year, drying the state out and just making it more flammable the following year. State water officials say that means less water in the Mokelumne River Watershed, the main source for EBMUD and its 1.4 million customers. Last winter was the state’s driest since 1977, prompting the district to officially declare a stage one drought on April 27 and ask customers to cut ten percent of their water use. What can the East Bay expect moving forward? … ” Read more from SF Gate here: East Bay water officials have eyes on the future
Construction of 8 miles of Pure Water Soquel pipeline to start
“Construction on 8 miles of water pipeline that will be serve as life-blood for the Pure Water Soquel Project, is set to begin on May 24 in Santa Cruz. Three distinct components of building are set to take place during the next several months. From late May until June 15 crews will work around California Street, from the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility to Laurel Street. After that, and until around July 6, construction will take place on Laurel Street to Chestnut Street. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Construction of 8 miles of Pure Water Soquel pipeline to start
A closer look: Why Liberty Utilities’ arguments were favored in Apple Valley’s eminent domain lawsuit
“In a tentative decision issued May 7, Alvarez ruled against Apple Valley in its attempt to take the water system from Liberty — the largest supplier in the town — by eminent domain. He found that the utility company had successfully disproved the town’s arguments that acquisition was in the public’s interest and a necessity, rejecting contentions like the water system was unsafe. Liberty also disproved that the “Town’s project is planned in the manner that will be most compatible with the greatest public good … (and) the use for which the Town seeks to take Liberty’s property is a more necessary public use than the use to which Liberty’s property is presently devoted,” Alvarez wrote. … ” Read more from the Victorville Daily Press here: A closer look: Why Liberty Utilities’ arguments were favored in Apple Valley’s eminent domain lawsuit
Along the Colorado River …
Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy releases comprehensive Colorado River basin map
“The Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, has released a comprehensive, peer-reviewed map of the Colorado River Basin that showcases the area’s geography and hydrography while addressing inconsistencies found among current maps of the region. The map also includes a narrative history of the basin, and it highlights crucial concerns facing the region. It will provide an updated resource to stakeholders in the Colorado River Basin as they chart a sustainable path forward for the Colorado River, which supports over 40 million people across the United States and Mexico and irrigates 4.5 million acres of agriculture. “This remarkable map reads like a three-act play,” said Bruce Babbitt, former Arizona governor, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, and namesake of the Babbitt Center. “Climate sets the stage. The Colorado River flows through time, shaping the land and our lives. We are now entering the third act, using historical information to move toward a sustainable future.” … ” Continue reading at Cision here: Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy releases comprehensive Colorado River basin map
Arizona lawmakers float idea of piping water from the Mississippi River
“The drought has some members of the Arizona Legislature wondering if the state should look for a new source of water: the Mississippi River. Conservationists wonder if lawmakers should try a different approach. As Arizona braces for a drought contingency plan to kick in, the Legislature has floated the idea of damming the Mississippi and piping the water here. The idea received overwhelming support among lawmakers, though it is unclear if the project is viable. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Arizona lawmakers float idea of piping water from the Mississippi River
Arizona’s continuing population growth puts pressure on water supply
“Millions of people are betting on Arizona. They’re buying homes, starting businesses, and families. The future of how we use our water resources may dictate the future of their success. “We don’t want to put consumers and businesses at risk when they built and there was a hundred years of water but what happens 80 years from now, is there still 100 years of water left,” said Haley Paul, a regional director for the Audubon Society. That question was addressed four decades earlier with the Groundwater Management act of 1980. … ” Continue reading at Channel 15 here: Arizona’s continuing population growth puts pressure on water supply
In national water news today …
One planet radio show: Catherine Coleman Flowers on her fight against wastewater infrastructure injustice
“On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we rebroadcast our conversation with environmental activist Catherine Coleman Flowers, author of the new book, Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret. She says systemic class, racial disparities, and geographic prejudice has left rural communities without access to clean water and basic sanitation. She writes, “Sanitation is becoming too big a problem to ignore as climate change brings sewage to more backyards, and not only those of poor minorities.“” Listen to the radio show from KALW here: One Planet radio show: Catherine Coleman Flowers on her fight against wastewater infrastructure injustice
Today’s featured articles …
NOTICE: Water Quality Certification Application Filed for the 2021 Emergency Drought Salinity Barrier Project
BLOG ROUND-UP: Captive breeding of Delta smelt: Worthy experiment or well-intended folly?; Delta Council guts independent peer review in the Delta Science Program; Mojave Pistachios on SGMA issues; and more …
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