In California water news today …
Water is disappearing in the West — and not just during the summer
“Skiers and snowboarders pray for snow so they can shred the slopes. Climatologists and hydrologists have an entirely different and more critical reason to cross their fingers for the “white gold.” The West’s historic drought has many impacts, including water shortages, more severe wildfire seasons and unprecedented heat waves, to name a few. Intense droughts are a result of many factors, one of which scientists have recently began to analyze with more scrutiny: snow drought. Though the impact is most intense in the summer months, when rain is sparse and temperatures are high, droughts actually start to take shape during the winter. … ” Read more from CNN here: Water is disappearing in the West — and not just during the summer
Drier springs bring hotter summers in the withering Southwest
“A question has bothered climatologist Park Williams during the decade he’s been probing drought in the Southwest. Like other climate scientists, he knew from research papers and worldwide storm patterns that a warming atmosphere is thirstier and sops up more moisture from oceans and the land. “But, in the Southwest, we’ve seen the exact opposite happening,” said Williams, an associate professor in the University of California, Los Angeles’ geography department. “For the last 50 or so years, we’ve actually seen the amount of water vapor molecules in the atmosphere decline” while temperatures have climbed about twice as fast as the global average. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News here: Drier springs bring hotter summers in the withering Southwest
CDFW initiates massive wildfire protection effort at wildlife areas, ecological reserves statewide
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has undertaken the largest wildfire protection and resiliency effort in its history, working to safeguard nearly all of its wildlife areas, ecological reserves and the surrounding communities from wildfire ahead of peak wildfire season this summer and fall. Wildfire resiliency work is underway at dozens of CDFW-owned properties statewide. These efforts include creating fire breaks, removing brush and other wildfire fuel, thinning overgrown vegetation, expanding livestock grazing and conducting controlled burns when conditions safely permit. The unprecedented undertaking is the result of SB 85, the “Wildfire Forest and Resilience Early Action Package,” state legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in April that authorized $536 million in wildfire protection and resiliency spending in the current fiscal year. CDFW is budgeted to receive $15 million of those funds to better protect its lands, which total about 1 million acres. Additional wildfire funding is expected in the 2021-22 state budget. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife here: CDFW initiates massive wildfire protection effort at wildlife areas, ecological reserves statewide
Scientists issue urgent plea for drought-stricken states like California to ‘skip the fireworks’
“As San Francisco and other Bay Area cities ready Fourth of July celebrations, more than 100 scientists urged the public to forgo potentially wildfire-sparking fireworks. “We are gravely concerned about the potential for humans to accidentally start fires from fireworks and other activities by adding ignitions to this combination of historic drought, heat and dry vegetation,” the scientists wrote in an open letter published Wednesday on The Conversation, a website featuring academic commentary. Citing the deepening drought threatening California and much of the West, the scientists urged the public to “skip the fireworks this July 4th” to avoid igniting wildfires in increasingly “flammable landscapes.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Scientists issue urgent plea for drought-stricken states like California to ‘skip the fireworks’
Stunning drone photos show severity of drought at Lake Shasta
“Droughts are common in California, but this year’s is much hotter and drier than others, evaporating water more quickly from the reservoirs and the sparse Sierra Nevada snowpack that feeds them. The state’s more than 1,500 reservoirs are 50% lower than they should be this time of year, according to Jay Lund, co-director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. Last year was the third-driest on record in terms of precipitation. Temperatures hit triple digits in much of California over the Memorial Day weekend, earlier than expected. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Stunning drone photos show severity of drought at Lake Shasta
California’s poor water regulation puts pressure on farmers, Western Growers leader says
“Drought conditions and tightening regulations on groundwater pumping are putting California’s San Joaquin Valley growers in a vise and forcing them to fallow many acres now, and likely thousands more in the years ahead. From the perspective of Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers, the dire situation with the drought this year could have been alleviated with better decisions by state water regulators. “We have to be candid about it,” he said. “California has made a series of decisions at the policymaking level that acted in combination to bring us where we are today, which is the beginning of a large-scale fallowing of land,” he said. If that land isn’t replanted, Puglia said it will bring economic and social harm to the entire region and all the people in it. … ” Read more from The Packer here: California’s poor water regulation puts pressure on farmers, Western Growers leader says
Bills addressing California water crisis advance in Sacramento
“A pair of bills addressing the state’s water crisis have now cleared another hurdle in Sacramento. Senate bill 559 from Senator Melissa Hurtado (14th District- Sanger) would allocate $785 million dollars to repair three canals that move water across the state. These include the Friant-Kern canal. … ” Read more from KMPH here: Bills addressing California water crisis advance in Sacramento
Senator Dodd’s water project bill cleared by committee
“As California’s drought deepens, threatening community and agricultural supplies, legislation advanced today from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to streamline improvements to the state’s outdated central water delivery system. “This legislation will speed the contracting process to keep supplies flowing to our communities and farmers,” Sen. Dodd said. “Water is the lifeblood of our state and the drought underscores the need to update our aging water infrastructure. I thank Assembly committee members for seeing the value in this commonsense measure.” … ” Read more from Senator Dodd here: Senator Dodd’s water project bill cleared by committee
NEED Water Act to provide drought relief to San Joaquin Valley
“New legislation has been introduced in Congress aimed at addressing drought conditions in the San Joaquin Valley. The Necessary to Ensure Expeditious Delivery of Water Act, known as the NEED Water Act, aims to provide emergency drought relief. The legislation was introduced by Congressman David Valadao and co-sponsored by the entire California Republican delegation. The bill would reportedly provide better flexibility for the movement of water and mandate greater transparency for water management decisions. … ” Read more from Ag Net West here: NEED Water Act to provide drought relief to San Joaquin Valley
California farmers finding new ways to navigate water risk
“California is in the grips of another devastating drought, brought on by hot temperatures, reduced water levels from the Colorado River and less mountain snowpack. … But drought-like conditions aren’t the only challenges California ag producers and other users face. Increasing demand on existing water supplies, climate change and regulations have had their own impacts. Necessity, though, spurs innovation and improved technology has made water users much more efficient, and a new water futures contract may help improve price transparency to the region. … ” Read more from Benzinga here: California farmers finding new ways to navigate water risk
The hidden costs of letting your landscape go dry
“While preparing to write this week’s column, I clicked down into a rabbit hole of links on the San Joaquin Master Gardener website, and discovered a fascinating paper posted on the University of California, Center for Landscape and Urban Horticulture page, ucanr.edu/sites/UrbanHort/. The paper, “9%: Perspective on the California Drought and Landscape Water Use,” was written by University of California Cooperative Extension researchers, Hodel and Pittenger in May 2015, while California was in the midst of the last drought. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: The hidden costs of letting your landscape go dry
Reclamation provides $1.14 million to help communities develop water marketing strategies
“The Bureau of Reclamation is awarding $1.14 million in WaterSMART Water Marketing Grants to seven projects in California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington. These grants will provide cost-shared financial assistance for the selected entities to develop water marketing strategies to establish or expand water markets or water marketing activities. “Water markets and water marketing allow the movement of water between willing buyers and sellers under state and federal law,” said Chief Engineer David Raff. “These strategies will provide water managers more flexibility in addressing their water management challenges and reduce conflicts over water.” These grants will support more than $2.6 million in water marketing planning activities including the recipients’ cost share. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation provides $1.14 million to help communities develop water marketing strategies
California Coastkeeper Alliance lawsuit challenges the County of Sonoma to protect public trust resources
“[Yesterday], California Coastkeeper Alliance filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to compel the County of Sonoma to consider and mitigate impacts to public trust resources caused by groundwater extraction in the Russian River watershed. As the Russian River watershed faces a drought emergency, California Coastkeeper Alliance is working to hold Sonoma County accountable to protect public trust resources and prevent over pumping of its waterways. Everyone will need to do their part to ensure the Russian River maintains sufficient flows through this drought, and that includes restricting groundwater pumping as surface water pumping rights are curtailed. “Over-pumping groundwater has had and continues to cause significant, harmful effects on the flow of the Russian River and its tributaries,” says Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of California Coastkeeper Alliance. “The current drought only makes this problem worse and restricting surface diversions alone merely drives more groundwater pumping. … ” Read the full press release at Maven’s Notebook here: California Coastkeeper Alliance lawsuit challenges the County of Sonoma to protect public trust resources
A dry California creek bed looked like a wildfire risk. Then the beavers went to work
“Seven years ago, ecologists looking to restore a dried-out Placer County floodplain faced a choice: Spend at least $1 million bringing in heavy machines to revive habitat or try a new approach. They went for the second option, and turned to nature’s original flood manager to do the work — the beaver. The creek bed, altered by decades of agricultural use, had looked like a wildfire risk. It came back to life far faster than anticipated after the beavers began building dams that retained water longer. “It was insane, it was awesome,” said Lynnette Batt, the conservation director of the Placer Land Trust, which owns and maintains the Doty Ravine Preserve. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: A dry California creek bed looked like a wildfire risk. Then the beavers went to work
Drought, data, and decisions
Glen Low and Mike Myatt write, “Drought is upon California once again. It seems that with every day, there are new stories chronicling how the drought is worsening, threatening communities, the environment, and the economy. California has one of the most complex engineered water delivery systems in the world. In times of plenty and under historic climate conditions, the system works relatively well. But with 85% of California in extreme drought, the system isn’t equipped to allocate resources efficiently or equitably. The state’s infrastructure, laws, and institutions fall short when confronted with scarcity. In extreme droughts, decisions about who gets limited water are incredibly challenging. These decisions can feel like impossible tradeoffs, all with dire consequences. Consequences that farmers, communities without water, or tribes who rely on endangered fish as a way of life, never have the option to forget. For the environment, it can be a matter of life and death (even extinction, in the case of the endangered chinook salmon). What makes this current situation even more precarious is that many of these tough decisions must be made using insufficient data. ... ” Read more at the Water Foundation here: Drought, data, and decisions
Open Data: An overview of current policies, benefits, and challenges of requiring water data integration
“Water data have an enormous potential to enhance sustainability, improve management, and inform decision-making when they are freely available and easily accessible. “Open data”, as it’s called, is especially useful when it is consolidated in a single, open platform or data hub from which data can easily be searched, downloaded, republished, and otherwise utilized as needed. In the world of water, having access to open data helps to facilitate a more complete and accurate understanding of current and forecasted water conditions (e.g., quality, location, and quantity) and demand, enabling informed management, policies, and planning. However, water data are collected by numerous agencies at state and federal levels (as well as by utilities, the industrial and agricultural sectors, and nonprofits, among other organizations). Because these data are published on a variety of platforms using different formats and standards they are often fragmented and difficult to access or discover. Why then, don’t agencies share their data and integrate datasets on a common, open platform for the benefit of all? There are many reasons. ... ” Read this article at the Internet of Water here: Open Data: An overview of current policies, benefits, and challenges of requiring water data integration
Californians don’t see the need to adapt to wildfires unless they have close experience with them
“In recent years, wildfires have ravaged the Western American landscape with greater intensity and frequency. California has been especially hard hit. … Will these horrific wildfire experiences increase the public’s willingness to support government funding for resilience measures? Previous work has shown that American voters are more inclined to reward politicians for enacting relief measures after a catastrophic event rather than for putting in place preventive policies that would minimize the damage of future natural catastrophes. In addition, rising partisan polarization and persistent Republican skepticism about climate change have increased the difficulty of marshalling support for funding preventive measures. But could the experience of more frequent and more dangerous wildfires alter this pattern of short-sighted thinking? … ” Read more from LSE US Policy Centre here: Californians don’t see the need to adapt to wildfires unless they have close experience with them.
In regional water news and commentary today …
Newsom visits Klamath, talks drought, dams and more
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom spent some time in a dugout redwood canoe on the Klamath River yesterday while visiting with Yurok Tribal leaders. A Yurok Tribe press release today reports that Chair Joseph James and vice-Chair Frankie Myers took Newsom down a “singularly beautiful” stretch of the river before discussing the ongoing drought, the juvenile fish kill, condor reintroduction efforts, wildlife preparedness, Last Chance Grade repairs and Klamath dam removal efforts with the governor. “We are working with the Gov. Newsom on a number of issues related to natural resource management, environmentally sustainable economic development and cultural resource protection, all of which we discussed today,” James said in the press release. … ” Read more from the North Coast Journal here: Newsom visits Klamath, talks drought, dams and more
‘Nobody’s winning’: Drought upends life in US West basin
“Ben DuVal knelt in a barren field near the California-Oregon border and scooped up a handful of parched soil as dust devils whirled around him and birds flitted between empty irrigation pipes. DuVal’s family has farmed this land for three generations, and this summer, for the first time, he and hundreds of others who rely on a federally managed lake to quench their fields aren’t getting any water from it at all. As the farmland goes fallow, Native American tribes along the 257-mile-long (407-kilometer) river that flows from the lake to the Pacific watch helplessly as fish that are inextricable from their culture hover closer to extinction. This summer, a historic drought and its consequences are tearing communities apart and attracting outside attention to a water crisis years in the making. Competition over Klamath River water has always been intense, but now there is simply not enough, and all the stakeholders are suffering. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: ‘Nobody’s winning’: Drought upends life in US West basin
Running out of water: how climate change fuels a crisis in the US west
“Except for a brief stint in the military, Paul Crawford has spent his entire life farming in southern Oregon. First, as a boy, chasing his dad through hayfields and now, growing alfalfa on his own farm with his wife and two kids, who want to grow up to be farmers. “I wouldn’t trade a day of farming with my wife and my kids for anything. It’s an amazing life,” Crawford said. “It just may end if we don’t figure something out on this water issue.” The American west is drying out as the region faces an unprecedented drought. Few places are as devastated as the Klamath Basin, where Crawford’s farm sits. Straddling the border between California and Oregon, the watershed spans 12,000sq miles – from agricultural lands fed by Upper Klamath Lake to tribal communities surrounding the Klamath River. ... ” Read more from the Guardian here: Running out of water: how climate change fuels a crisis in the US west
Arcata rises to the challenge: innovative upgrades to award-winning wastewater treatment plant
“When the water is slowly rising around you, there is no time to float on your laurels. “The city of Arcata’s wastewater treatment system sits on a bay,” explains Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer. “The bay is rising, and we need both a reinforcement and a retreat strategy that ensures the system works effectively and efficiently through the next 100 years of sea level rise.” Just 34 years ago, Arcata’s pioneering wetland wastewater treatment facility was the talk of the town, winning multiple awards for its integration of oxidation ponds and fresh water marshes to do the dirty work of cleaning the city’s wastewater through a mostly natural process involving bacteria, plants, and sunlight. … ” Read more from Western City Magazine here: Arcata rises to the challenge: innovative upgrades to award-winning wastewater treatment plant
Lake County: Thompson announces funding request for Full Circle pipeline design report update included in appropriations bill
“Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that his request for $320,000 for the Lake County Full Circle Effluent Pipeline preliminary design report update was included in the Fiscal Year 2022 funding package released Thursday by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. This legislation was marked up on Thursday. “Updated and protected water infrastructure is critical for our district, that’s why I requested $320,000 for the Lake County Full Circle Effluent Pipeline project,” Thompson said. “This funding could increase the use of geothermal power and reduce our dependence on less environmentally friendly power generation, all while making our region more resilient against drought. This is critical for our district and I will work to ensure this funding is included in the final spending package that becomes law.” … ” Read more from Lake County News here: Lake County: Thompson announces funding request for Full Circle pipeline design report update included in appropriations bill
How an integrated approach to water planning is helping the city of Roseville weather the drought with an eye toward the future
“By now, it is clear that California is experiencing yet another severe drought. In the Sacramento region, Folsom Lake — the city of Roseville’s primary water supply source — has dropped to levels not seen since 1977. Understanding the drought’s swift toll on the environment, the Regional Water Authority (RWA), which represents water providers serving two million people in the Sacramento region, asked members to start using more groundwater and take other actions to reduce reliance on local lakes and rivers. The city of Roseville responded almost immediately, thanks to its innovative approach to water supply planning called Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) and its partnership with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). … ” Read more from Western City Magazine here: How an integrated approach to water planning is helping the city of Roseville weather the drought with an eye toward the future
Public invited to learn about a new project to restore crucial salmon habitat at Ancil Hoffman
“The public is invited to learn about a new project designed to restore crucial habitat for native salmon and steelhead trout in the river at Ancil Hoffman, near Effie Yeaw Nature Center, in Carmichael. Fall-run Chinook salmon migrate to the Lower American River as adults to spawn from October through December. In the egg-laying process, females create a “nest” (called a redd) in loose gravel in flowing water, depositing their eggs and then covering them up with more gravel. Once hatched, young salmon move to the river’s shallow, slower moving side channels to find protection from predators and grow before swimming back out to the Pacific Ocean. The Ancil Hoffman Habitat Restoration Project will recreate spawning and rearing areas by laying approximately 15,800 cubic yards of clean gravel into the flowing river and carving a new alcove in the existing gravel bar, parallel to the river. … ” Read more from the Water Forum here: Public invited to learn about a new project to restore crucial salmon habitat at Ancil Hoffman
Marin water utilities close books on bleak year
“Marin County hasn’t experienced this dry of a year since people were still driving Ford Model Ts and the Golden Gate Bridge was years away from being built. The county’s two main water suppliers reported record low or near-record low rainfall this past fiscal year, which ended on Wednesday. The Marin Municipal Water District, which serves about two-thirds of the county population, recorded just 20.7 inches of rain from July 1, 2020, through Wednesday — the third-lowest amount for this time period in 143 years of records. The record was set in 1924 when just 19 inches of rain fell. This year’s rainfall was nearly tied with the second-lowest rainfall set in 1918, which was just one one-thousandth of an inch less. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin water utilities close books on bleak year
Restoring habitat, opening trails are key to new East Bay park
“More than five years after golfers took their last swings at the Roddy Ranch Golf Club, plans are taking shape for its new life as a regional park. While no one knows exactly what it will look like, East Bay Regional Parks District planners on Thursday night gave residents a glimpse into three concepts, all of which will restore habitat, protect endangered species and native grasslands while allowing for some passive recreation such as walking, jogging, picnicking, horseback riding or biking. … ” Read more from the Vallejo Times-Herald here: Restoring habitat, opening trails are key to new East Bay park
Hayward may surrender some land to the sea
“By 2100, we may need to let rising waters cover portions of today’s shoreline, once and for all. “You’ve got to be forward-thinking,” said Al Mendall, who served on the Hayward City Council from 2012 until December. “As a layperson, it seems obvious to me that we’re going to have to consider some form of retreat at some point. Not just in Hayward, but all around the Bay.” Before San Francisco Bay’s shoreline was recognized as an irreplaceable resource, it was where cities put garbage dumps, highways and industrial zones. Out of sight, out of mind. That’s why the west edge of Hayward north of Highway 92 includes two sewage plants and the natural gas power plant that opened in 2013. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Hayward may surrender some land to the sea
Bureau of Land Management increases fire restrictions in the Sierra Nevada foothills
“Due to dry conditions and high wildland fire danger, the Bureau of Land Management Mother Lode Field Office is increasing seasonal fire restrictions beginning on Thursday, July 1 and will remain in effect until further notice. The increased restrictions include no campfires, barbeques, or open fires, regardless of whether in a developed campground. Portable stoves with gas, jelled petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are still allowed with a valid California campfire permit, available free on-line at www.readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/campfire-safety/ and at all BLM, U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire offices. … ” Read more from YubaNet here: Bureau of Land Management increases fire restrictions in the Sierra Nevada foothills
Column: Creek Fire may have cleared the way for more watershed
Columnist John Lindt writes, “Last summer’s catastrophic Creek Fire burned about 380,000 acres in the upper San Joaquin watershed, the largest fire in the Sierra Nevada’s history. The fire literally exploded, fed by strong gusty winds and 150 million dead trees resulting in the scorching of 43% of the burned area” with high severity” says the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a state agency. Altogether, about 36% of the upper San Joaquin watershed burned — the same watershed that supplies nine dams and impounds water that feeds a million acres of farmland below, along the Madera and Friant Kern Canals. Experts explain that besides tree loss, “fire removes the absorbent layers of fallen and decaying plant matter on the forest floor. These layers, called litter and duff, can store more moisture than soil can. Without these layers, heavy rain can provide more water than the ground can absorb. This contributes to surface runoff.” ... ” Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Column: Creek Fire may have cleared the way for more watershed
Bill includes $2.5 million to clean up contaminated Pico Rivera water
“Facing a potential $13.5 million bill for a system to remove contaminants, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” from its drinking water, Pico Rivera may get an assist from the federal government. Due to industrial activities in prior years, many of Southern California’s groundwater aquifers are contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a chemical that can cause cancer, Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona said. They’re called “forever chemicals” because they remain in the body of those who have consumed them. Included in the House Appropriations Committee’s 2022 energy and water funding bill is $2.5 million to help fund a treatment project for Pico Rivera which would scrub its water of PFAS, according to Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, D-Norwalk. … ” Read more from the Whitter Daily News here: Bill includes $2.5 million to clean up contaminated Pico Rivera water
Invasive algae removal effort in Newport Bay begins next week
“A removal effort will begin next week to eradicate an invasive algae species identified in Newport Bay in March 2021. The algae, which is native to Florida and other subtropical and tropical locales, is scientifically known as Caulerpa prolifera. It can grow quickly and spread easily, choking out native seaweeds and potentially harming marine life through lost habitat. State, federal, and local agencies joined forces to identify the extent of the algae’s infestation in Newport Bay. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) scientists and divers deployed in April and May 2021 to help map the location and extent of the infestation. To help prevent disturbance by boat anchors, boat wakes, divers, or swimmers, the City of Newport Beach is limiting access to the identified infestation area through placement of floating buoys and lines surrounding the area. It is imperative that boaters, kayakers, swimmers and divers avoid the area to prevent unintentional spread of this invasive species. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife here: Invasive algae removal effort in Newport Bay begins next week
Coachella Valley reaches water conservation milestone
“A big congratulations are in order for Coachella valley businesses and residents. CV Water Counts, a non-profit organization that focuses on water conservation is reporting the Coachella Valley has saved more than 60 billion gallons of water over the past six years. “These are our savings since the 2015 drought mandate that first came, and just last year we actually hit the 50 billion gallons saved milestone, and so within a one year period we’ve added an additional 10 billion gallons,” said Victoria Llort, Programs and Public Affairs Manager with Mission Springs Water District. ... ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs here: Coachella Valley reaches water conservation milestone
Along the Colorado River …
‘Megadrought’ along border strains US-Mexico water relations
“The United States and Mexico are tussling over their dwindling shared water supplies after years of unprecedented heat and insufficient rainfall. Sustained drought on the middle-lower Rio Grande since the mid-1990s means less Mexican water flows to the U.S. The Colorado River Basin, which supplies seven U.S. states and two Mexican states, is also at record low levels. A 1944 treaty between the U.S. and Mexico governs water relations between the two neighbors. The International Boundary and Water Commission it established to manage the 450,000-square-mile Colorado and Rio Grande basins has done so adroitly, according to our research. That able management kept U.S.-Mexico water relations mostly conflict-free. But it masked some well-known underlying stresses … ” Read more from the Conversation here: ‘Megadrought’ along border strains US-Mexico water relations
Colorado River water cuts would increase rates in Arizona
“Expected mandatory water cuts from the Colorado River under the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), the Congressionally approved water management plan for Colorado River basin states, are likely to result in higher water utility rates, Fitch Ratings says. This could eventually pressure rate affordability for some retail water utilities in Arizona that have less headroom under Fitch’s current rate flexibility assessments. Growing purchased water costs also increase a utility’s operating cost burden, given utilities’ limited ability to control these costs, and can negatively affect our assessment of operating risk. Water volume at Lake Mead, the Lower Colorado Basin’s principal reservoir serving Arizona, Nevada and California, has fallen to historically low levels as a result of drought conditions in the western US. … ” Read more from Fitch Ratings here: Colorado River water cuts would increase rates in Arizona
Arizona: Is there enough water to grow Valley cities during population boom amid drought?
“Buckeye is quickly becoming a destination for homeowners and businesses in Arizona. Projections show that the West Valley community will grow from its current population of 89,000 residents to 305,000 by 2040. City leaders say that they plan on growing with a smart approach. “If we’re looking at bringing in new employers, we are not going to bid on companies that are going to be high water use employers like a chip manufacturer or something like that,” says Annie DeChance with the City of Buckeye. … ” Continue reading at Channel 15 here: Arizona: Is there enough water to grow Valley cities during population boom amid drought?
Commentary: Lawmakers missed a $200 million opportunity to slow Arizona’s shrinking water supply
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “You’d think that spending $200 million to help shore up our shrinking water supply would be a monumentally good thing. And it could have been, if there weren’t so many stipulations on how that cash must be spent. Lawmakers plopped $160 million into a newly created drought mitigation fund – a hefty chunk of change that some have called “unprecedented.” They set up the fund, according to the budget bill, because “many regions in this state lack access to sustainable water supplies to meet their long-term water demands and need financial assistance to develop water supply and conservation projects.” Sounds good so far. ... ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Commentary: Lawmakers missed a $200 million opportunity to slow Arizona’s shrinking water supply
Drought forces Grand Junction to dip into Colorado River for drinking water for the first time in more than 50 years
“For 65 years, the Ute Water Conservancy District serving Grand Junction and Mesa County has let the Colorado River flow on by, while drawing drinking water from pristine runoff 11,000 feet high on Grand Mesa. The severe, ongoing drought has now forced other plans. The utility has for the first time begun to mix Colorado River water into its Grand Mesa reservoir releases to meet the peak demand of 90,000 customers and preserve backup supplies quickly evaporating in summer heat. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Drought forces Grand Junction to dip into Colorado River for drinking water for the first time in more than 50 years
In national water news today …
Summer is already off to a wild start
“Extreme temperatures in China coupled with a lack of hydro-power forced blackouts in some of its largest industrial cities last month. A rare and short-lived subtropical storm popped up in the South Atlantic off Argentina and Uruguay. And record heat continues to sear Canada and the Pacific Northwest, while drought crackled the entire western U.S., leaving it primed to burn. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is just days old, but the extremes keep piling up. The conditions driving these events—heat, ocean warming, changes in longstanding weather patterns—aren’t going away anytime soon, meaning the worst may be yet to come. ... ” Read more from Bloomberg Green here: Summer is already off to a wild start
‘Fatberg’ fight: Congress takes plunge on flushable wipes
“Congress is plugging its nose and wading into the gnarly problem of whether “flushable wipes” should, in fact, be flushed down the toilet. It’s a legal, legislative and public relations mess that’s clogging up both the nation’s sewer systems and the courts. Massive mounds of flushed wipes, congealed grease and personal hygiene products all come together inside pipes to form “fatbergs,” as utilities call them. The enormous blobs are plaguing wastewater treatment plants across the country, disrupting private and municipal sewer pipes, and damaging treatment equipment — all problems that require expensive repairs. … ” Read more from E&E News here: ‘Fatberg’ fight: Congress takes plunge on flushable wipes
And lastly …
A bird’s eye view: Eureka’s Redwood Sky Walk takes conservation and education to the next level
“High above the forest floor, wrapped in the canopy of an unknown world, unexplored ecosystems thrive with hanging fern gardens, little-known life forms, and bulbous bark formations. One such lifeform glides in the sky from giant to giant, in a scene that feels somewhere between heaven and earth, or a movie set and a dream world. It’s hard not to get immersed in the surreal experience of northern California’s latest attraction: Eureka’s Redwood Sky Walk. Brad Nissen and Lauren Diaz heard about the Redwood Sky Walk from a TikTok video. Then they saw it in the New York Times. “Lauren is down visiting from Oregon, so we figured we’d come check it out,” said Nissen. “I have been up to the redwood national parks, but this is a totally different way to experience the big trees.” … ” Read more from Western City Magazine here: A bird’s eye view: Eureka’s Redwood Sky Walk takes conservation and education to the next level
National water and climate report …
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-20210701Today’s featured articles …
MONTHLY RESERVOIR REPORT for July 1, 2021
Written by hyrologist Robert Shibatani
Summer is here and while temperatures across much of the State have returned to “normal” this week, the recent incredible extreme heat alerts (and those occurring elsewhere in the country) have reinforced the notion to everyone that a rapidly changing climate is here to stay. Water storage across the State continues to decline and the wildfires with the likes of the Lava, Tenant, and Salt fires have started to burn and portend an ominous fire season.
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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Russian River Emergency Regulation submitted to the Office of Administrative Law
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