On the calendar today …
- FREE WEBINAR: The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System from 6pm to 7pm. The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) – part of the national U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) – works to collect, integrate and deliver coastal and ocean observations in order to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. Join SCCOOS Executive Director Clarissa Anderson as she describes how SCCOOS technology and observational programs provide information critical to decision-making related to climate change, coastal hazards, marine ecosystems, fisheries, water quality, and marine operations. The virtual lecture will be live-streamed via Zoom. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
U.S. water and power are shockingly vulnerable to cyberhacks
“When the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was hacked in 2018, it took a mere six hours. Early this year, an intruder lurked in hundreds of computers related to water systems across the U.S. In Portland, Oregon, burglars installed malicious computers onto a grid providing power to a chunk of the Northwest. Two of those cases — L.A. and Portland — were tests. The water threat was real, discovered by cybersecurity firm Dragos. All three drive home a point long known but, until recently, little appreciated: the digital security of U.S. computer networks controlling the machines that produce and distribute water and power is woefully inadequate, a low priority for operators and regulators, posing a terrifying national threat. ... ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: U.S. water and power are shockingly vulnerable to cyberhacks
Western wildfires spread through California and Arizona as drought furthers extreme fire conditions
“Multiple wildfires prompted evacuations in California and Arizona over the weekend after quickly charring more than 1,500 acres of land. The region has already seen hundreds of thousands of acres burned as a drought continues to grip the region amid rising temperatures and a strengthening heat wave that is only expected to worsen in the coming days. Over 48 million across the West are under a heat advisory watch or warning. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 833,479 acres have burned across the US in 26,833 fires from January 1 until June 11, compared to the same time period last year when 658,069 acres were scorched in 20,731 fires. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Western wildfires spread through California and Arizona as drought furthers extreme fire conditions
‘Rare, dangerous and deadly’ heat wave tightens grip on western US
“The magnitude of the heat across the western United States through the coming week will be one for the record books, according to forecasters. And it’s not just how hot it will get that will set this particular heat wave apart from others the region has frequently endured in the past — it’s how long it will last. The hot pattern could set dozens of new daily record highs through the middle of June, in addition to potentially setting new all-time high marks for the month as a whole in some locations. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: ‘Rare, dangerous and deadly’ heat wave tightens grip on western US
Scientists are trying to make California forests more fire resilient
“To the untrained eye, the scrubby slope off Wentworth Springs Road in the Eldorado National Forest looks like any other patch of Sierra Nevada ridgetop. Tufted in native shrubs and flecked by darkened pine stumps, it’s part of a 30,000-acre swath of land that was deforested in 2014, when the King Fire tore through 17 miles of canyon in less than six hours. But Dana Walsh can see what’s unique. On a recent Sunday morning, the USDA Forest Service forester bent over a white flag pinned into the ground to mark a barely-visible seedling. As she points to other seemingly camouflaged baby conifers nearby, what starts to emerge is a subtle pattern she calls cluster planting. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Green here: Scientists are trying to make California forests more fire resilient
Will history repeat in a dry Klamath Basin this summer?
“In mid-May, Klamath Tribal members and supporters stood at Sugarman’s Corner in downtown Klamath Falls, Oregon, holding signs like “Ecocide is Cultural Genocide,” “Save the Klamath” and “Honor the Treaty” as part of a caravan rally. The goal was to highlight Indigenous voices and priorities for the Klamath River basin, like protecting culturally important c’wam (Lost River suckers) and koptu (shortnose suckers) endemic to shallow Upper Klamath Lake. Tensions were high in the basin, which spans the Oregon-California border. Just a day before the rally, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation had announced that it wouldn’t release water in the basin to irrigators or national wildlife refuges because of dire drought forecasts. Joey Gentry, a member of the Klamath Tribes who helped organize the event, nervously braced herself for an armed counter protest, like the ones that happened in Klamath Falls during Black Lives Matter marches last year. To Gentry’s relief, however, no counter protestors materialized. … ” Continue reading at High Country News here: Will history repeat in a dry Klamath Basin this summer?
‘It’s a climate catastrophe’: A Northern California river is full of dead salmon
“Hundreds of thousands of young salmon are dying in Northern California’s Klamath River as low water levels allow a parasite to thrive and kill off fish. Ceratonova shasta (C. shasta) is a tiny parasite native to the river. In a typical year marked by a wet winter, the water rushing down the river controls the parasite population. This year, the river is alarmingly low after two consecutive dry winters, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation isn’t releasing so-called “flushing flows” from the dam on the Upper Klamath Lake to boost water levels downstream in the lower Klamath River. These short-term increases in flow disrupt the disease cycle. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: ‘It’s a climate catastrophe’: A Northern California river is full of dead salmon
Folsom Lake: As drought shrinks Northern California lake, mystery from 1960s emerges
“On New Year’s Day 1965, two planes collided in the skies above Northern California. Fifty-six years later, one of them may have finally been found. The tragedy began on a pleasant January day near Sacramento, where pilot Curtis Metcalf took off with two passengers for a sightseeing flight over Folsom Lake. While cruising above its waters, Metcalf would later tell investigators his single-engine plane took a sudden hit, sending them plunging down. Remarkably, Metcalf’s “refusal to panic” and experience kicked in, and he was able to pull the plane up after a 1,500-foot fall. The plane limped back to Sacramento Municipal Airport, where he landed safely. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: As drought shrinks Northern California lake, mystery from 1960s emerges
Park service installs water troughs at Point Reyes to help tule elk survive drought
“Creeks and springs at Point Reyes National Seashore haven’t completely dried up but they’re looking parched enough that park staff set up three large troughs last week to ensure tule elk herds get enough water to make it through what could be an unprecedented drought. The 250-gallon troughs at the south end of the Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve will stay in place at least until rains return next winter, National Park Service officials said. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco here: Park service installs water troughs at Point Reyes to help tule elk survive drought
Park It: Oakley’s Big Break shows Delta’s rich natural, cultural history
“Among the East Bay Regional Park District visitor centers offering programs as pandemic-related restrictions ease is the one at Oakley’s Big Break Regional Shoreline. On Big Break Road off Main Street (Highway 4), Big Break is a window on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s rich cultural and natural history. Outside, there’s a kayak launch, a fishing pier, a small amphitheater, a scale model of the entire Delta and shoreline trails leading to Brentwood and the Marsh Creek Regional Trail, which is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. ... ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: Park It: Oakley’s Big Break shows Delta’s rich natural, cultural history
Oilfield disposal site in western Kern set to close
“A large oilfield wastewater disposal pond near Buttonwillow will likely close this summer, and its operator and last remaining customer will together pay $645,000 in penalties and fees, under a recent court settlement that further restricts a decades-old practice that has become a focus of regional water quality regulators. The accord concludes a 2019 lawsuit that accused facility owner Valley Water Management Co. and Colorado-based oil producer Sentinel Peak Resources of dumping fluid containing harmful chemicals above a reservoir that provides local drinking and irrigation water. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Oilfield disposal site in western Kern set to close
Along the Colorado River …
As the drought persists, here’s how Phoenix is prepared
“Water is a precious resource in a desert city like Phoenix. Community members understand the importance of water conservation to keep the city thriving. Unlike other areas in the southwest, Phoenix is not in a water shortage. While the drought is serious, Phoenix is prepared. Over 20 years into the current drought, Phoenix continues to have access to several water supplies, including Salt, Verde, and Colorado River, groundwater reserves, and reclaimed wastewater for crops and sustainable activities. Investments in infrastructure, strategic and innovative planning on behalf of city leaders, and long-standing water conservation programs are just some of the reasons why water supplies in Phoenix will remain in good shape. … ” Read more from AZ Big Media here: As the drought persists, here’s how Phoenix is prepared
Some Arizona golf courses are pushing back against the state’s plan to reduce water use
“Managers of some Arizona golf courses are fighting a plan that would cut water use at a time when the state is being forced to confront shrinking water supplies. A group representing golf courses has been pushing back against a proposal by state officials that would reduce overall water use on courses, instead offering a plan that would entail less conservation. Opposition to the state’s proposal for golf courses has emerged over the past several months, aired in sometimes-tense virtual meetings where representatives of courses have said they understand the need to conserve but are concerned the proposed reductions in water allotments would damage their businesses. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Some Arizona golf courses are pushing back against the state’s plan to reduce water use
Commentary: Shocking water news in Arizona, Tucson should lead to more action
Opinion columnist Tim Stellar writes, “The problem, as always, is that water keeps flowing from the tap. Every other indicator is telling us we should be in red alert right now about Arizona’s climate and water situation. But when we turn the valve, even on these blazing days, drinkable water flows. It’s a luxury in this season and this place. And it makes it easy to turn away from the news. But we shouldn’t. This week alone: Lake Mead, the source of Central Arizona Project water that we use in Tucson, reached a record-low level as the lake plunges even faster than expected in our hotter climate. Wildfires burned large areas of Eastern Arizona and started in other places around the state on land desiccated by extreme drought. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Commentary: Shocking water news in Arizona, Tucson should lead to more action
Cataract Canyon without Lake Powell: A monumental legacy of dried mud
“Lake Powell has drastically shriveled during 20 years of drought, allowing dozens of miles of the Colorado River to become a river again in world-famous Cataract Canyon. But why have many of its legendary rapids failed to return? Three men from Moab have made it their crusade to study that issue and to document a stunning after-effect of Lake Powell: a river struggling to cut its way through a monumental legacy of dried mud. Mike DeHoff is a welder by trade, but on the river, he’s a man on a mission. “It’s just a personal curiosity that’s grown into this big old mess of a project,” DeHoff said as he launched a small motorboat above Lake Powell and headed upriver. He’s one of three investigators in an effort called the Returning Rapids Project. ... ” Read more from KSL here: Cataract Canyon without Lake Powell: A monumental legacy of dried mud
In national water news today …
House advances bill with increased funding for clean water
“The U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee last week marked up and advanced H.R. 1915, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021. This legislation follows the Senate’s passage in May of its clean water reauthorization package, S. 914, the Senate Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 (DWWIA). According to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Committee’s action marks another step towards increasing clean water investment, setting the stage for increased funding year over year that better reflects the critical needs for clean water investment. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: House advances bill with increased funding for clean water
Call to action for enhancing water infrastructure
“A broad coalition of water and agriculture organizations is calling for improvements to water infrastructure in the West. In a letter addressed to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the coalition highlights the need for federal action. The letter was signed by more than 220 organizations from 15 states, representing approximately one-third of U.S. ag production. The group details how federal investment can help relieve some of the ongoing water challenges facing agriculture and urban areas alike. “We need your help to ensure that federal investment and timely improvements are made to our water management portfolio,” the coalition states in the letter. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: Call to action for enhancing water infrastructure
PFAS, emerging contaminants & how polluters are paying municipalities for water remediation costs
“Toxic manmade chemicals, like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 1,2,3-Tricholoropropane (TCP), are showing up in water systems across the US. It’s not new, but it has become more common, as municipalities are now increasing mandatory testing due to new state and federal regulations. These new regulations are also resulting in tighter maximum contaminant levels (MCL) in water systems as the health impacts of these toxic chemicals are dire. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are part of the PFAS family of about 6,000 chemicals used in fire retardants, as well as stain-, water- and grease-resistant products. These compounds were created in the 1930s for use in products such as hiking boots, rainwear, swimwear, cookware, and disposable food wrappings. PFOS and PFOA are considered “forever” chemicals that do not break down over time and they spread very easily in groundwater. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: PFAS, Emerging Contaminants & How Polluters Are Paying Municipalities for Water Remediation Costs
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
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Salton Sea by Kevin Dooley How to save the Salton Sea: Proposal to import seawater across California desert is biggest since Hoover Dam
- Clock is ticking on dreams of saving Salton Sea with water from Mexico’s Sea of Cortez
- Commentary: The Salton Sea, long a disaster, is on the brink of a major collapse
- Bills to fund canal repairs moving forward
- Sen. Padilla proposes bill to clean up toxic chemical on military bases
- California approaches budget deadline with a bill — but no deal
- The West is the driest it’s been in 1,200 years – raising questions about a livable future
- Brenda Burman to join Central Arizona Project
- Drought measures: Lake Tahoe water released to meet goals downstream
- Central Coast farmers concerned over ‘extreme drought’ conditions happening throughout region
- Lake Mead water level dips to record low
- Biden releases his first regulatory agenda
- And more …
Click here for the Daily Digest, weekend edition.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
KINGS RIVER HEARING: Procedural Ruling in Hearing Phase 1A
NOTICE: Reclamation announces public teleconference negotiations with Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding San Joaquin River restoration flows
NOTICE: State Launches Listening Sessions as part of Drought Executive Proclamation to Develop Drinking Water Well Principles and Strategies
