On the calendar today …
- FREE WEBINAR: Southwest Drought Briefing from 10am to 11:30am. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that all of the Southwest is experiencing some level of drought, and forecasts indicate these conditions are expected to continue through summer. This short drought briefing will provide an update of current drought conditions and forecasts for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: Understanding Ecohydrologic Processes of Agricultural Ecosystems from Headwaters to Groundwater During Droughts from 3pm to 4pm. Presented by UC Ag and Natural Resources. Presenter: Hoori Ajami, UC Riverside (abstract) Click here for webinar link.
In California water news today …
Ancient river channels could speed groundwater recharge
“By the time California finally began regulating groundwater use in 2014, most of the San Joaquin Valley was in critical overdraft. The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that groundwater pumping in the region has exceeded replenishment by an average of 1.8 million acre-feet per year over the last few decades. This imbalance was even worse during our last drought, when overuse shot up to 2.4 million acre-feet per year. Overpumping puts groundwater aquifers at risk of compaction, permanently reducing their water storage capacity and making surface lands sink. Now, however, San Joaquin Valley groundwater managers must find and implement a fix. The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act mandates balancing the region’s pumping with replenishment by 2040. ... ” Read more from Estuary News here: Ancient river channels could speed groundwater recharge
As drought worsens, Valadao rolls out new bill for water flexibility, storage projects
“As California plunges deeper into historic drought conditions and Valley officials stare down worst-case-scenario options, one local lawmaker is making moves to tackle the short and long-term issues tied to the region’s water woes. Thursday, Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) is set to unveil a new piece of legislation aiming to coordinate varied issues tied to the on-going drought along with must-pass legislation to advance progress on development of water projects across the western United States, including the San Joaquin Valley. The bill, dubbed the Necessary to Ensure Expeditious Delivery of Water (NEED Water) Act, seeks to tackle immediate water needs as California and Federal water officials have halted water deliveries while also building off of five years of progress on long-term goals. ... ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: As drought worsens, Valadao rolls out new bill for water flexibility, storage projects
SEE ALSO: Congressman David G. Valadao Introduces Legislation to Address Worsening California Drought
Cyberattack on Bay Area water supply: ‘No specific threat to public safety’
“A hacker accessed the computer system of a Bay Area water treatment plant in January and deleted programs the plant used to treat drinking water, a senior intelligence official confirmed Thursday. NBC News first reported Thursday that the unidentified hacker used a former plant employee’s username and password to gain entry to the unidentified Bay Area water treatment facility on Jan. 15. Michael Sena, executive director of the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, confirmed NBC’s report about the security breach, but declined to say where it occurred or who carried it out. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Cyberattack on Bay Area water supply: ‘No specific threat to public safety’
SEE ALSO:
- Ways to protect your systems from a hack, from the Western Farm Press
- Cybersecurity & how one utility is protecting its county’s most precious resource, from Water Finance & Management
Delta Independent Science Board funding slashed
“Pressure is mounting on the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) to find a solution after funding for the Delta Independent Science Board (DISB) was slashed with little explanation and less notice. “In a year of a robust state budget, there is absolutely no excuse for the DSC to starve the Delta Independent Science Board of necessary funding to maintain the ability to conduct scientific reviews,” said Osha Meserve, a Sacramento-based environmental lawyer. “Without a properly funded DISB, the Delta will have no reprieve from interest-based or ‘combat” science.’” … ” Read more from The Press here: Delta Independent Science Board funding slashed
How Desert Water Agency prepares for changing regulations with the California Data Collaborative
“Like her peers across California, Ashley Metzger, Outreach and Conservation Manager for Desert Water Agency (DWA), received an email from the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) early in 2021 asking for feedback. The email included a link to download dozens of opaquely-named files containing spatial data about her agency, yet little guidance about where and what to look for in her data. Without any GIS or data analysts on-site, Ashley felt overwhelmed and unsure about how to prepare her organization’s response. And the stakes were high. If the State’s landscape area measurement (LAM) data were incorrect, it would have serious implications for DWA’s ability to comply with future water efficiency requirements. So when Ashley received an email from the CaDC offering to perform a customized analysis of the LAM data free for CaDC members, she jumped at the opportunity. … ” Continue reading at the California Data Collaborative here: How Desert Water Agency prepares for changing regulations with the California Data Collaborative
California is losing more forest land to wildfires than ever before. Here’s which parts of the state are hardest hit
“California has an estimated 31.6 million acres of forest land, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But that figure has been shrinking year after year, and at a more rapid rate than before, experts say. The state lost nearly 800,000 acres in tree cover just in 2020, data shows. It’s both the result and a driver of climate change. In rural Manton, Marily Woodhouse, a resident there of more than 30 years, has seen the impact of losing those trees. The forests that surround her 20-acre property have changed from full and diverse to patchy, burnt and ecologically monotonous. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California is losing more forest land to wildfires than ever before. Here’s which parts of the state are hardest hit
In California drought news today …
A ranch is running out of water in the West’s historic drought. ‘In 85 years, it’s not been this bad.’
“T.J. Atkin’s family has been in the cattle ranching business for nearly a century. In that time, he says, a drought has never hit their operations this hard. “Everyone else I’ve talked to says in 85 years, it has not been this bad,” Atkin told CNN. “We have 85 years’ worth of our own drought data that says we’ve never done this … not to this extent.” Atkin, carrying on his family’s legacy as a rancher, operates two properties in Utah and northwest Arizona, both of which have been experiencing an extended severe drought. “In the last 15 months combined, we’re barely at 3 inches,” he said of precipitation, adding that the expected rainfall should be closer to 12 inches during that time. … ” Read more from CNN here: A ranch is running out of water in the West’s historic drought. ‘In 85 years, it’s not been this bad.’
Drought + heat = increased impacts
“As we approach the official start to summer, California and much of the Southwest are experiencing a heatwave that will set new temperature records in some areas. Warm temperatures are affecting drought impacts. Runoff this year in key mountain watersheds remains on a par with that of 2014 and 2015, the two warmest and driest years of California’s last drought, despite this year’s statewide April 1 snowpack being at 59% of average as compared to 25% of average in 2014 and 5% of average in 2015. The decrease in runoff efficiency (the runoff that occurs in response to a given quantity of precipitation) is a troubling, yet expected, outcome of a warming climate. Outcomes of this shift in conditions were seen earlier in the spring when forecasted Sierra Nevada and Cascades runoff failed to materialize, triggering the May 10 expansion of the Governor’s drought emergency proclamation to cover Central Valley watersheds in response to needs for water rights administration actions to preserve reservoir storage. Estimated statewide reservoir storage at the end of May was 67% of average. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Drought + heat = increased impacts
California reservoirs reflect deepening drought
“Just four years after emerging from a punishing multi-year drought, California has descended into dry conditions not seen since 1976-77. Evidence of the new drought stands out in satellite images of the state’s two largest reservoirs. The images above and below, acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8, show Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville this year and in June 2019, under more typical conditions. The tan fringes around the water in 2021 are areas of the lakebed that are typically underwater when the reservoirs are filled closer to capacity. The phenomenon is often referred to as a “bathtub ring.” … ” Check out the pictures from NASA’s Earth Observatory here: California reservoirs reflect deepening drought
A California reservoir is expected to fall so low that a hydro-power plant will shut down for first time
“Water in a key California reservoir will fall so low this summer that its hydroelectric power plant will be forced to shut down for the first time, officials said Thursday, straining the state’s already-taxed electric grid. An unrelenting drought and record heat, both worsened by the changing climate, have pushed the water supply at Northern California’s Lake Oroville to deplete rapidly. As a result of the “alarming levels,” officials will likely be forced to close the Edward Hyatt Power Plant for the first time since it opened in 1967, California Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley told CNN. … ” Read more from CNN here: A California reservoir is expected to fall so low that a hydro-power plant will shut down for first time
SEE ALSO: California Braces For Another Day of Heat, Potential Blackouts, from Bloomberg News
Lake Oroville water release worries
“Since Lake Oroville is state run, 27 million Californians stretching across the whole state depend on water coming out of the lake. “We have no water here for us local people and that’s not right,” said Mark Vega, who lives in Oroville. “They shouldn’t be selling our water to LA or anybody really.” Vega wonders how much time he has to take his jet skis out for a spin before water levels drop too low. “We count on it every summer, and this is why most of us move to the lake area so we can have fun out here and they are taking it away,” said Vega. … ” Read more from Action News Now here: Lake Oroville water release worries
In California agriculture news today …
When it’s too hot for food to grow
“Kou Her’s family has run the 12-acre Herr Family Farms in Sanger, just east of Fresno, for the last 20 years, raising a variety of vegetables for Bay Area produce and farmer’s markets. In those 20 years, Kou and his parents haven’t seen anything like the heat wave gripping the Central Valley this week. “I am terrified,” Her said by phone Wednesday evening. “I’ve never experienced three days of 110 before. I hope we don’t have significant damage by the end of the weekend.” Extreme heat has moved from east to west across the American West over the last week, setting new temperature records as it goes. … For many annual plants, there’s no place to hide from such heat. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: When it’s too hot for food to grow
How tiny soil organisms could help farmers adapt to climate change
“In recent years, the global average temperature has climbed past one degree celsius warmer than pre-industrial times. And, like a raisin in the sun, the planet is drying out — or, at least, parts of it are. In semi-arid areas around the world, drought conditions have worsened with intensified heat. Unfortunately, many of these places have something else in common: they are home to communities that are built around agriculture. … Farmers on semi-arid land throughout the world therefore must make a choice: They can either migrate, or try to adapt their crops to d rier, hotter conditions. … ” Read more from Discover Magazine here: How tiny soil organisms could help farmers adapt to climate change
New pilot program for California producers to build drought resilience
“Producers in California are now able to apply for a new program that prioritizes whole-farm climate resilience as the drought poses challenges and an earlier start to wildfire season calls for more action to address the climate crisis. More than $22 million is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for this new program – Conservation Incentive Contracts (EQIP-CIC) – that bridges two existing programs Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). EQIP-CIC provides financial assistance to California farmers and ranchers to adopt practices included in the popular EQIP while offering the benefits of longer-term contracts and enhancements associated with CSP. … ” Read more from the California Climate & Agriculture Network here: New pilot program for California producers to build drought resilience
Video: Conversations for Change: Farming in the minority community
“This week, farmer Will Scott speaks about the rich history of African American farmers in the Central Valley and Scott’s own efforts to inspire young African Americans to continue in the farming trade.” Watch at Your Central Valley here: Video: Conversations for Change: Farming in the minority community
In regional water news and commentary today …
FERC approves license transfer for Klamath dams in ‘major milestone’ for salmon restoration
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved the transfer of the license from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California, as co-licensees, for the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project. The license transfer brings North Coast tribes one step closer to their decades-long goal of dam removal to restore struggling salmon runs. “(This) order confirms that the Renewal Corporation has the ability, financially and otherwise, to undertake dam removal, and with the states, as co-licensees, the necessary legal and technical expertise required for such a huge undertaking,” FERC said in a prepared statement. “The surrender application is still pending before the Commission and is awaiting further environmental review as required under the National Environmental Policy Act.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: FERC approves license transfer for Klamath dams in ‘major milestone’ for salmon restoration
FERC approves transfer of Klamath River dam license from PacifiCorp to Klamath Renewal Corporation
Dan Bacher writes, “In a big step toward the removal of four PacifiCorp dams on the Klamath River, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today approved the transfer of the license for the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project (Project) from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California, as co-licensees. The approval of the transfer takes place at a critical year for imperiled salmon populations on the Klamath River, the second largest producer of salmon behind the Sacramento River in California. Biologists from the Yurok and Hoopa Tribes have documented a massive fish kill of juvenile Chinook salmon on the Klamath since early May in this record drought year. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos here: FERC approves transfer of Klamath River dam license from PacifiCorp to Klamath Renewal Corporation
Historic Klamath Dam removal project takes another step forward
“The Federal Energy Regulatory Committee today paved the way for the four dams clogging the Klamath River to be taken down, approving a transfer of the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp to the nonprofit Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California. “Since 2016, PacifiCorp, along with a coalition of state and federal agencies, Tribes, the states of Oregon and California, and other stakeholders, have worked together to propose surrender of the project license, which includes a plan to decommission the four dams on the Klamath River that comprise the Project,” a FERC news release states. “Today’s transfer is another important step in the ongoing surrender proceeding.” ... ” Read more from the North Coast Journal here: Historic Klamath Dam removal project takes another step forward
SEE ALSO: FERC Approves Transfer Application Transfer Decision a Major Step toward Dam Removal, press release from the Klamath River Renewal Corporaion
Klamath Basin farmers prepare for a season with no water
“Paul Crawford and his son meet me at a gas station in Malin, Oregon, a farming town right on the California border. I follow them down one of the many long country roads bordered on both sides by farmland–much of which is now browning since the A Canal, which irrigates some 200,000 acres, was shut off last month. Crawford jumps out of his red pickup and turns on the spigot of a center pivot irrigator on one of the few green lots in view. “When it’s my turn I gotta make sure to turn this on or it messes up everyone’s flow,” he tells me as he listens for airflow in the pump. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Klamath Basin farmers prepare for a season with no water
Klamath Trinity spring chinook salmon added to California endangered species list
“Salmon River Restoration Council and Karuk Tribe release: Yesterday, the California Fish and Game Commission ruled unanimously to add Upper Klamath Trinity Spring Chinook to the California Endangered Species List. “We are elated that the Commission recognized the unique characteristics, cultural importance and true peril of Klamath River Spring Chinook.,” said Salmon River Restoration Council (SRRC) director Karuna Greenberg. “Tribes and grassroots activists have worked tirelessly for decades to preserve this iconic fish, and now we have a better chance at accomplishing that goal.” … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: Klamath Trinity spring chinook salmon added to California endangered species list
Hundreds of thousands of salmon dying in ‘climate catastrophe’
“Hundreds of thousands of juvenile Chinook salmon are dying off in a large Northern California river, threatening tribal communities in the region that depend on the fish for their livelihoods and traditions, according to SFGate. The devastating fish kill in the more than 250-mile Klamath River is a consequence of the state’s historic drought. Low water levels in the river have allowed a deadly parasite known as Ceratonova shasta to thrive in the waterway and infect large numbers of salmon. Typically, sufficient water flows rushing down the river kept the parasite population in check. … ” Read more from The Hill here: Hundreds of thousands of salmon dying in ‘climate catastrophe’
North Coast: Wiyot Tribe declares state of emergency due to drought and low flows on local rivers, their ‘sacred cultural resources’
“Press release from the Wiyot Tribe: It was with heavy hearts that the Wiyot Tribal Council voted Monday night to declare a State of Emergency on the Wiyot’s ancestral rivers due to extreme low flows and drought conditions. The Wiyot Tribe shares its name with its ancestral river, the Wiya’t (Eel River). Waterways in the ancestral lands of Wiyot people include Baduwa’t (Mad River), Hikshari’ (Elk River), Wiya’t (Eel River), and Gidughurralilh (Van Duzen River). These rivers are sacred cultural resources to the Tribe and are considered the bloodlines of Wiyot culture, providing nourishment, medicine, spirituality, sustenance, and cultural knowledge to the Wiyot people. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: Wiyot Tribe declares state of emergency due to drought and low flows on local rivers, their ‘sacred cultural resources’
Lake County: EPA updates community on Sulphur Bank Superfund site cleanup plan
“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency staff held an online meeting with community members on Wednesday to report on the decades long effort to plan and carry out the cleanup of the Sulphur Bank Superfund site in Clearlake Oaks. The 160-acre site, mined for sulfur and mercury between 1865 and 1957, has two million cubic yards of contaminated mine waste along with the Herman impoundment, a flooded open pit mine that’s filled with water contaminated by mine waste that’s impacting Clear Lake. The mine site has been on the Superfund list since 1990. … ” Read more from the Lake County News here: Lake County: EPA updates community on Sulphur Bank Superfund site cleanup plan
Low river levels to blame for ‘earthy’ taste to Sacramento tap water, city says
“Does your tap water taste a little off right now? Sacramento city leaders say the drought is probably to blame. The city says they have been recently getting some calls with people reporting an “earthy” taste to their tap water. Some people have also been reporting an off smell as well. Utility staff say, however, the earthy notes are common during the summer months – and are harmless. With river levels lower than normal, officials say they are not surprised that they’re getting these kinds of calls about water earlier than usual. ... ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Low river levels to blame for ‘earthy’ taste to Sacramento tap water, city says
Water Audit Sues St. Helena over alleged failure to uphold public trust
“Water Audit California is again suing the City of St. Helena over their management of water resources. This comes on the heels of a similar suit filed June 1 against Napa County. Both cases aim to increase monitoring and oversight of groundwater and surface water resources. “There doesn’t appear to be enough information available about water availability for anyone to make informed decisions, or for the public to understand what is going on,” Grant Reynolds, a director of Water Audit said. The suit cites poor documentation of major water uses, including pumping at the City of St. Helena’s Pope Street wells complex, and water deliveries to vineyards, wineries, and Meadowood resort. Water Audit’s complaint does not ask for changes to existing water uses. Instead, it seeks an injunction to stop the City from issuing new groundwater well drilling permits until enough information is available to make informed water allocation decisions. ... ”
Drought Emergency: Valley Of The Moon Water District, Sonoma urge limiting groundwater use by 20%
“As the region faces its second dry year in a row, the Valley of the Moon Water District and the city of Sonoma are asking residents to cut back their water usage by 20 percent. Limited water supplies partially result from low reservoir levels at the Russian River, but Matt Fullner, district general manager for the Valley of the Moon Water District, says that limited stored water in local aquifers also needs to be a priority. … ” Continue reading at CBS Bay Area here: Drought Emergency: Valley Of The Moon Water District, Sonoma urge limiting groundwater use by 20%
Petaluma inches toward mandatory water cuts
“As Petaluma braces for mandatory water cuts under the specter of a potentially unprecedented drought year, city officials are dusting off a water-saving campaign that harkens back to the last drought several years ago. Street banners, signs plastering downtown windows and consistent emails and mailers from the city of Petaluma are likely to resurface as a prominent fixture of daily life in the coming weeks, as the city revives the methods and resources that marked the 2014 drought response. … ” Read more from the Argus-Courier here: Petaluma inches toward mandatory water cuts
Corte Madera: Little mud, lotta work
“For decades, patches of Creekside Marsh at Hal Brown Park in Corte Madera lay barren. “There wasn’t a single thing growing,” says Sandy Guldman, 80, a recently retired environmental consultant who is also president of the nonprofit group Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed. “The soil was all old fill.” Many of the bare patches are now covered with planted and volunteer pickleweed, saltgrass, marsh baccharis, and more. The remainder is at least partially vegetated, thanks to a recently completed restoration project that was — largely singlehandedly — managed and maintained by Guldman. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: Corte Madera: Little mud, lotta work
Richmond: Moonrise over giant marsh: new monitoring data from two-year-old supershore project
“Kathy Boyer is used to getting up in the dark so she can slide across the mudflats into the Bay at first light. But this past May, she got a once-in-a-decade treat. As the professor from SF State’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center aimed her boogie board at some two-year-old eelgrass beds growing off the Richmond shoreline, the Super Flower Blood Moon rose in the blue field of the western sky. “It’s hard to get up at 4 a.m. but if I wasn’t doing this work, I would have missed the eclipse,” said Devon Wallace, a student of Boyer’s and a recent SF State graduate, who was enjoying the chance to get in some field experience after a year grounded by coronavirus restrictions. Indeed few of members of the field crew complained of the wee-hours wake up required to participate in a low-tide eelgrass planting at Richmond’s Giant Marsh. The eelgrass is one ingredient in the region’s biggest, most complex experiment in shoreline restoration with climate change in mind to date. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: Moonrise over giant marsh: new monitoring data from two-year-old supershore project
Court decision upholds $2.8 million fine, clears path for long–awaited restoration of Point Buckler Island
“The California Supreme Court has denied review of the February appellate decisions in Sweeney v. Regional Water Board and Sweeney v. Bay Conservation and Development Commission, leaving in place key administrative orders against the Point Buckler Club for unauthorized levee construction and other environmentally harmful activities at Point Buckler Island. The privately owned club’s construction of a mile–long levee in 2014 and 2015 blocked tidal access to the island’s channels, destroyed tidal marshland vegetation and deprived endangered salmon and longfin smelt of valuable foraging habitat. Located in Solano County, Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous, brackish marsh on the west coast of North America and a critical part of the Bay–Delta estuary. … ” Continue reading this press release from the State Water Board here: Court decision upholds $2.8 million fine, clears path for long–awaited restoration of Point Buckler Island
Contra Costa County: East County workshop planned to review groundwater plan
“Worsening drought conditions across the entire western region of the country have brought the importance of carefully managing water resources into focus, and the first complete draft of a plan to manage the region’s groundwater is ready for public review and input. A two-hour public workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, June 23 to review a draft of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) completed by East County water agencies in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). ... ” Read more from The Press here: Contra Costa County: East County workshop planned to review groundwater plan
Foster City’s dilemma – keeping the rising bay at bay
“The city of 32,000 people at the foot of the San Mateo Bridge dates to 1962, when 18 million cubic yards of sand were dumped into the remnants of a tidal marsh along San Francisco Bay. It wouldn’t exist except for the levee around the edge that now is being replaced by a stronger and taller one — in part to keep out the higher tides anticipated with sea level rise. The $90 million project began last fall and is being financed by residents, who were warned that without a new levee they would be forced to buy expensive flood insurance. Until work is completed in 2023, the joggers and strollers who previously used the trail atop the levee are being steered to the sidewalk along the homes. A bike lane hugs the concrete barricades of the construction zone. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Foster City’s dilemma – keeping the rising bay at bay
Mountain View: Ballpark battlegrounds
“In June, Mountain View’s Permanente Creek is barely a trickle. Culverts burp water into a concrete channel abutted by schools, houses, and ballparks. A pair of mallards splash through the water, not even up to their ankles. After a dry winter, it’s hard to look at these conditions and imagine that gurgle of water rising up over its concrete banks to flood the city, which might explain part of the decade-long push and pull between some residents and flood managers over the adjacent McKelvey Park. Along Miramonte Avenue, and almost 20 feet below it, sit a couple of baseball fields, both in use on a Saturday afternoon. Parents are in attendance behind home plate, but rather than sitting behind a chainlink backstop at field level, they look down from bleachers at the top of vertical concrete walls. McKelvey Park’s curious design reveals its double use: a 0.7-acre, 18-foot deep basin designed to protect Mountain View from Permanente’s next major 50- to 100-year flood. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: Mountain View: Ballpark battlegrounds
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency works toward long-term drought solutions
“In 1983, a group of local farmers looking for ways to manage the Pajaro Valley’s groundwater basin formed the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA). A year later, the agency was officially recognized by the state legislature, who tasked them to stop groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion in the valley—all while preserving the vital agricultural industry. Now, as the state of California struggles with a severe, ongoing drought, PVWMA’s work has seeped into the community’s consciousness. Marcus Mendiola, the agency’s water conservation and outreach specialist, says that more and more people—government officials, the media, individual residents—have been reaching out to them, asking what can be done to save water. “Everyone is thinking very short term—they’re thinking, ‘It’s dry right now.’ And that’s a common human experience,” Mendiola said. “But this is a long-term problem. We have been focused on this since 1983. Our mission during these extreme drought periods is only further reinforced.” ... ” Read more from Good Times here: Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency works toward long-term drought solutions
SEE ALSO: Video: Unique collaboration in Santa Cruz County looking to replenish critically over drafted basin, from Channel 8
Steel tanks replace redwood relics; Lompico modernizes water system
“Old, leaking, redwood tanks that used to supply drinking water to the Lompico community have been transformed, just in time for peak fire season. Six new galvanized steel tanks are now spread throughout the canyon and offer the community more than double the water storage it had previously, as well as more dependable supply sources. The project’s completion largely marks an up-and-running modernized water system for the community. “The big thing was reliability in the canyon,” said Rick Rogers, director of operations at San Lorenzo Valley Water District. “The Lompico canyon is pretty self sufficient now.” … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Steel tanks replace redwood relics; Lompico modernizes water system
Eastern Sierra hatchery resumes stocking following quarantine
“CDFW is pleased to announce that Hot Creek Hatchery is resuming the stocking of trout for recreational angling opportunities. The hatchery was recently placed under a temporary quarantine because of the discovery of a single fish infected with Lactococcus garvieae, the bacterial strain that led to closures of three other Southern California hatcheries last year. The fish carrying the bacteria was not diseased. Following the discovery, CDFW pathologists tested over 780 fish in the hatchery raceways and did not find any other fish carrying the bacteria. This pathogen can result in significant losses of fish within a hatchery. CDFW is pleased that it was found in no other fish. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife here: Eastern Sierra hatchery resumes stocking following quarantine
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley water issues come to a boiling point, protesters fight fees
“The 115-plus degree weather was not the only thing heating up Wednesday when two groundwater lawsuits saw significant developments and a third made its way into the legal system. A handful of protesters braved the heat to picket outside chiropractor Scott Hayman’s office on East Ridgecrest Boulevard. With slogans like “Stop the Fee” and “Save Searles” they were demonstrating in support of Searles Valley Minerals and against the groundwater authority’s replenishment fee. Hayman is an elected city council member and mayor pro tem. He also sits on the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s board – a position for which he was appointed by the city council. And he is currently serving as chairman. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley water issues come to a boiling point, protesters fight fees
Templeton moves forward on Nacimiento recharge project
“The Templeton Community Services District held a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Jun. 15 … The next item was the Nacimiento Water Recharge and Recovery Project at Creekside Site and to authorize staff to pursue an easement for a new Nacimiento turnout and pipeline to the site. The District currently subscribes to a total of 406 acre-feet of Nacimiento water per year. When the pipeline was in service, water was discharged into the Selby percolation ponds until 2019, when the East Side Force Main Project came online and required most of the capacity of Selby ponds for discharge of treated water. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Press here: Templeton moves forward on Nacimiento recharge project
Vandenberg contamination from ‘forever chemicals’ is among the worst in the U.S. military
“Vandenberg Space Force Base is one of five military facilities in California regarded as among the nation’s most contaminated by a class of “forever chemicals” used for decades in firefighting and training. That could mean all sorts of potential health problems for people living or working at or near the base. The Environmental Protection Agency has tied the chemicals to conditions such as cancer, low infant birth rates, a more vulnerable immune system and thyroid hormone disruption. Those warnings are being cited by Sen. Alex Padilla as he helps spearhead a congressional effort to spend $10 billion for PFAS investigations and cleanup. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Vandenberg contamination from ‘forever chemicals’ is among the worst in the U.S. military
SCV Water honored for PFAS water treatment plant
“SCV Water’s quick and proactive response to removing per, and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in its groundwater supply received top honors as the Best Environmental Project from the American Public Works Association (APWA), High Desert Branch. “It’s an honor that our ambitious PFAS treatment program was recognized with this prestigious award by a well-respected, nationally recognized association,” said SCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “Our customers come first, and we’re committed to safeguarding their water supply through our PFAS treatment program.” ... ” Read more from SCV News here: SCV Water Honored for PFAS Water Treatment Plant
SoCal: Three ways to feed the marsh
“Seal Beach is drowning. As a result of sea-level rise, subsidence, and limited sediment supply, much of the 920-acre National Wildlife Refuge in Orange County can no longer keep its head above water. Pacific cordgrass, normally exposed at low tides, is being completely inundated. Rare nesting habitat for the endangered light-footed clapper rail is disappearing at high tides. It’s a marsh manager’s worst nightmare, and a potential harbinger of things to come later this century for tidal wetlands up and down the state, including those in San Francisco Bay. The problem at Seal Beach has been building for decades, and by 2016 managers knew they had to act—fast. But options for saving the existing marsh were limited. So on an eight-acre test plot they went for the Hail Mary: a promising yet unproven approach called “thin-layer placement,” which had never before been attempted in a California salt marsh. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: SoCal: Three ways to feed the marsh
Along the Colorado River …
Las Vegas weighs tying growth to conservation amid drought
“Record-breaking heat and historic drought in the U.S. West are doing little to discourage cities from planning to welcome millions of new residents in the decades ahead. From Phoenix to Boise, officials are preparing for a future both with more people and less water, seeking to balance growth and conservation. Development is constrained by the fact that 46% of the 11-state Western region is federal land, managed by agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management that are tasked with maintaining it for future generations. ... ” Read more from the Associated Press here: Las Vegas weighs tying growth to conservation amid drought
The West has a dangerous lack of water and will
“The attention drawn to Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nev., is understandable and perplexing at the same time. In late May the lake elevation dipped below 1,075 feet, one of several milestones agreed to in negotiations between the states that rely upon the lake. The management strategy to slow the draining of the massive reservoir does not appear to be working. Though the reservoir is technically below the level for Tier 1 restrictions to be implemented, the Bureau of Reclamation won’t implement those restrictions until 2022. Until then, water can leave Lake Mead under Tier 0 restriction levels. This means minor cutbacks in Arizona and Nevada, but business as usual for California. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: The West has a dangerous lack of water and will
Hoover dam’s lake mead hits lowest water level since 1930s
“Lake Mead hit record-low water levels last week, highlighting the severe drought sweeping through the western United States, report Reuters’ Daniel Trotta and Andrea Januta. Formed by damming the Colorado River, the body of water is technically a reservoir of the Hoover Dam. As of last week, the reservoir is just 200 feet above “dead pool” level, the point in which water cannot pass through Hoover Dam. A white “bathtub ring” on the lake’s shores marks how much water has retreated over time. At only 36 percent of full capacity, the water level is decreasing at a faster rate than previously projected, reports Ian James for Arizona Republic. … ” Read more from Smithsonian Magazine here: Hoover dam’s lake mead hits lowest water level since 1930s
“Monsoon season” 2021 began with scattered wind and thunderstorms. Will the pattern hold?
“Now fixed to a specific day, “monsoon season” in Arizona began officially on Tuesday, June 15, with a surprisingly active display of summer thunderstorm power. Scattered rain was reported in the State’s eastern mountains and around metro Tucson, and strong wind gusts knocked down powerlines near Apache Junction in the eastern reaches of the Valley of the Sun. In short, Arizonans didn’t need to hear the announcement that “Arizona Monsoon Awareness Week” (June 13-19) had arrived. The powerful summer storms announced their arrival all by themselves. … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources here: “Monsoon season” 2021 began with scattered wind and thunderstorms. Will the pattern hold?
‘Droughts don’t cause water scarcity — people do’: Experts say Utah needs to permanently reduce water use
“Utah is in the midst of its worst drought in decades. While state officials have focused on it to explain the water shortage Utah is facing, experts say there’s more to the story. Brian Richter owns a consulting firm called Sustainable Waters. He said droughts don’t cause water scarcity — people do. Richter said states in the Colorado River Basin, like Utah, are already using too much water based on the river’s average annual output. “We really need to take stock of how much water we’re using and what we’re using it for, and start a conversation about whether or not there are things we can do to lessen our dependence on those water supplies,” he said. … ” Read more from KUER here: ‘Droughts don’t cause water scarcity — people do’: Experts say Utah needs to permanently reduce water use
Proposed rule change could allow more pollution in Colorado rivers and streams
“A proposal by the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission, up for debate this week, could allow industries to discharge more pollution into Colorado’s rivers and streams, specifically urban waterways that have already been heavily polluted. The measure, which would roll back the state’s anti-degradation rule, has been met with fierce opposition from local, state, and federal officials, as well as several conservation groups. … ” Read more from CBS Denver here: Proposed rule change could allow more pollution in Colorado rivers and streams
In national water news today …
Congress seeks long-term solutions for drought crippling Western US
“A crippling drought — largely connected to climate change — is gripping the Western United States, affecting over 70 million people and around 40% of the U.S. Large wildfires have already begun in Arizona, California and New Mexico. Lake Mead, a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam, has sunk to its lowest level since it was filled, and fish disease and death rates are skyrocketing for the Yurok Tribe in the Klamath River Basin. Farmers, scientists, tribal officials, foresters and other groups affected by the worsening drought testified at a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife hearing on Tuesday, asking lawmakers for both short-term relief and long-term solutions from the worsening conditions. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Congress seeks long-term solutions for drought crippling Western US
Airports were just getting through the passenger drought — then came a water drought.
“First, airports had to deal with a drought of passengers due to the pandemic. Now, airports in many parts of the West are facing a summer plagued by water shortages. In California at least, where the U.S. Drought Monitor reports that almost 95 percent of the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions, airports say years of conservation efforts make them well prepared. In response to past droughts, Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport removed grass from many locations, added drought-tolerant plantings, and upgraded the car wash facility so that it captures and recycles 85 percent of the wash water. ... ” Read more from WRCB TV here: Airports were just getting through the passenger drought — then came a water drought.
Human evolution led to an extreme thirst for water
“We trekked through the Bolivian Amazon, drenched in sweat. Draped head to toe in bug repellent gear, we stayed just ahead of the clouds of mosquitoes as we sidestepped roots, vines and giant ants. My local research assistant Dino Nate, my partner Kelly Rosinger and I were following Julio, one of my Tsimane’ friends and our guide on this day. Tsimane’ are a group of forager-horticulturalists who live in this hot, humid region. … As part of my field research, I was asking Julio and other Tsimane’ people how they obtain the drinking water they need in different places—in their homes, in the fields, on the river or in the forest. … ” Read more from the Scientific American here: Human evolution led to an extreme thirst for water
States’ feud delivers Supreme Court’s first groundwater test
“The Supreme Court may hear its first groundwater battle later this year — and the case could force the justices to consider an unusual claim. Unlike other interstate water wars that reach the high court, Mississippi has argued that it has sole legal rights to groundwater in an aquifer that straddles the Tennessee border. The claim is a novel departure from the Supreme Court’s traditional approach of dividing water supplies equitably and has set off alarm bells for other states that share water with their neighbors. Mississippi’s argument: For decades, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division has unlawfully sucked up billions of gallons of groundwater in a sub-unit of the Middle Claiborne Aquifer that is exclusively owned by the Magnolia State. … ” Read more from E&E News here: States’ feud delivers Supreme Court’s first groundwater test
50,000 security disasters waiting to happen: The problem of America’s water supplies
“On Jan. 15, a hacker tried to poison a water treatment plant that served parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. It didn’t seem hard. The hacker had the username and password for a former employee’s TeamViewer account, a popular program that lets users remotely control their computers, according to a private report compiled by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center in February and seen by NBC News. After logging in, the hacker, whose name and motive are unknown and who hasn’t been identified by law enforcement, deleted programs that the water plant used to treat drinking water. … ” Read more from NBC News here: 50,000 security disasters waiting to happen: The problem of America’s water supplies
National water and climate update …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
dmrpt-20210617Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
WHITE PAPER: A State Role in Financing Conveyance to Meet Climate Change Needs: Findings and Conclusions
DELTA eNEWS: ~~ June SFEWS~ DPC Newsletter~ Heritage Area~ DCP Webinars~ Environmental Justice~ Non-Native Species
