In California water news this weekend …
Interview: Downloading the facts from California’s first groundwater plan assessments
“In June 2021, the Department of Water Resources released the first groundwater sustainability plan decisions ahead of the statutory deadline identified in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act – commonly called SGMA. The long-term planning required for SGMA will provide a buffer against drought and climate change and over time will contribute to reliable water supplies regardless of weather patterns in the State. To provide more insight into what these decisions mean for advancing sustainable groundwater management, we spoke with DWR’s SGMA’s Technical Manager. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Interview: Downloading the facts from California’s first groundwater plan assessments
In first valley visit, U.S. Senator gets pushed on farm water
“Alex Padilla made his first official visit to the Central Valley as U.S. Senator, holding several discussions about water. Padilla, along with other elected officials, held a media availability at his only public event of the day — a tour of the Dos Palos water treatment plant. There, he spoke about the need to upgrade infrastructure for drinking water, as well as water for farmers. Padilla says the infrastructure bill being debated in the Senate will help with water, especially in underserved areas. “We’re talking education and health care and child care and yes, water, water, water, water. We all know that access to clean water is essential for the health and safety of our communities and our economy. It’s particularly key to California’s agricultural industry,” Padilla said. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: In first valley visit, U.S. Senator gets pushed on farm water
Senator Alex Padilla visits Dos Palos to tour aging water infrastructure
“Senator Alex Padilla was joined by Congressman Jim Costa on a tour of the aging water infrastructure of Dos Palos on Friday, allowing Senator Padilla the chance to see the desperate need for clean water in the Central Valley. “We’re the richest country in the world,” Congressman Costa said. “And to have cities like Dos Palos and others where their water system shuts down or they can’t meet state or federal drinking water requirements is simply unconscionable. Period.” The two were joined by local politicians and government officials in front of the local water treatment plant, which was shut down for days in 2020 after it became clogged with algae. … ” Read more from KFSN here: Senator Alex Padilla visits Dos Palos to tour aging water infrastructure
State ponies up $200 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals
“Several of the state’s key canals will get a sprinkle of state money this year and next toward fixing more than $2 billion in damage caused by sinking land from excessive groundwater pumping. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a massive budget “trailer” bill, which authorizes actual funding for programs and services outlined in the state budget that was passed June 15. The trailer bill included $200 million for the Department of Water Resources to spend over the next two years on the California Aqueduct, Delta-Mendota Canal and Friant-Kern Canal. Together, repairs for those canals are estimated at $2.35 billion. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: State ponies up $200 million toward $2.35 billion repair bill for major canals
SEE ALSO: California invests $100 million in 2021/2022 budget toward restoring water conveyance capacity, statement from the Friant Water Authority
Congressman David G. Valadao introduces three amendments to alleviate California drought
“Today, Congressman David G. Valadao introduced three amendments to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which funds various federal agencies. Each of which would make strides toward alleviating the devastating California drought. The House Committee on Appropriations is responsible for appropriating funding for most of the functions of the federal government. Congressman Valadao’s first amendment would extend California water storage provisions of the WIIN Act — Subtitle J — for one year. Certain provisions of the WIIN Act are set to expire soon, or have already expired, creating an urgent need for specific extensions. … ” Read more from Congressman David Valadao’s office here: Congressman David G. Valadao introduces three amendments to alleviate California drought
Two rods and a ‘sixth sense’: In drought, water witches are swamped
“In a vineyard flanked by scorched hills and charcoal trees, Rob Thompson gripped two stainless steel rods, began rotating in a circle and counted under his breath. Then he said he had found it — water, hundreds of feet beneath the parched ground. “This is really good,” said Mr. Thompson, 53, scratching an ‘X’ into the ashen soil with his shoe. “This is a deep one: 750 feet, 55 to 60 gallons a minute.” He added, “This one I can feel.” Mr. Thompson is a water witch. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: Two rods and a ‘sixth sense’: In drought, water witches are swamped
State Water Contractors Annual Science Report 2020-2021
“The State Water Contractors and Member Agencies participated in multiple interagency and stakeholder working groups tasked with determining how to implement permit requirements, including the Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Juvenile Production Estimate Core Team and Delta Coordination Group for summer-fall habitat actions for Delta Smelt.” Read the report here: State Water Contractors Annual Report 2020-2021
Drought-stricken California hasn’t mandated statewide water restrictions. Here’s why
“After two consecutive dry winters and a series of early summer heat waves, the vast majority of California is gripped by drought. Water levels in reservoirs like Lake Oroville, Shasta Lake and Lake Mendocino are dangerously low. Wells in parts of the San Joaquin Valley and along the Russian River are drying up, and local water officials have mandated water restrictions up to 40% in some areas. Already, more than 85% of California is experiencing extreme drought conditions, according to the latest drought monitor released on July 15, and experts forewarn a third year of drought could be on the horizon if the state doesn’t see significant winter rain storms. … ” Read more from KQED here: Drought-stricken California hasn’t mandated statewide water restrictions. Here’s why
Severe drought threatens California waterfowl and salmon
“Millions of waterfowl and other birds are going to have a tough year due to the ongoing drought in the West. Not only is there less water for ducks and geese, but the agriculture fields these migrating birds depend on for food will be significantly smaller, which means less waste grain. “We planted about 20 percent less this year, which is about 100,000 acres below a normal harvest,” Jim Morris of the California Rice Commission told CBS-TV Sacramento. “The Sacramento Valley rice fields are home to nearly 230 species of wildlife, including 60 percent of the fall and winter food for the seven to 10 million ducks and geese that spend their time in our area.” … ” Read more from Outdoor Life here: Severe drought threatens California waterfowl and salmon
SEE ALSO: Massacre of salmon predicted in Sacramento River, from The Hill
Dry lightning event possible across portions of California Sun/Mon; significant fire weather concerns across interior
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “Unfortunately, one of the very things I was really hoping wouldn’t happen this summer, in the midst of our extreme to unprecedented drought, may now be coming to pass: the *potential* for a substantial and relatively widespread dry lightning event across central and northern California from Sunday into Monday. Unlike the massive August 2020 lightning event–which brought over 10,000 cloud to ground strikes to Northern California–this event does not involve any remnant moisture from East Pacific tropical cyclones. Instead, this event is taking a more “traditional” path: monsoonal moisture and elevated atmospheric instability will move over California from the southeast, bringing a chance of thunderstorms first to the mountains and deserts of southern California on Sunday and then spreading northwestward across central and perhaps northern California overnight Sunday into Monday. … ” Read the full post at Weather West here: Dry lightning event possible across portions of California Sun/Mon; significant fire weather concerns across interior
Threat of dry lightning deepens wildfire worries, as crews make slow progress against ongoing blazes
“Weekend weather forecasts predicting possible thunderstorms over the Bay Area fueled concerns Friday about dry lightning strikes sparking new wildfires across much of drought-stricken Northern California. The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for a large portion of the Bay Area, including regions near Cloverdale and Santa Rosa in the North Bay, Concord and Livermore in the East Bay and farther south near Monterey and Big Sur. Surging, unstable air masses could arrive over the Bay Area by Sunday afternoon, bringing with them the chance of dry lightning. The fire weather watch will take effect at 5 p.m. Sunday and last through 11 a.m. Monday. … ” Read more from NBC News here: Threat of dry lightning deepens wildfire worries, as crews make slow progress against ongoing blazes
“The West is a tinderbox”: Heat and drought set the stage for the huge wildfires burning across the region
“Much of the western United States is one unlucky lightning strike or misplaced ember away from a major wildfire, thanks to a rare and dangerous combination of climate conditions. The huge wildfires currently burning across California and Oregon are the result of a mix of a historic drought, extreme heat and several other conditions that have the area primed to burn, scientists and fire experts say. And with more heat and dry weather expected in the coming months, this fire season could be worse than any in recent times. … ” Read more from NBC News here: “The West is a tinderbox”: Heat and drought set the stage for the huge wildfires burning across the region
In commentary this weekend …
Letters to the Editor: Rest of the U.S. to California: Don’t even think of taking more water
“Every time California is devastated by drought or wildfires, readers send us their ideas for grand projects pitched as practical, if enormously expensive, adaptions to our changing climate. With an exceptional drought drying much of the West right now, one such idea has gained traction among some of our letter writers: Build another aqueduct. The most recent example is a letter this week calling for linking the Mississippi River to the Lake Powell reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border with a massive pipeline. To be sure, such a mega-project built over mountain ranges and across two time zones would be infinitely less practical than Southern California making better use of precipitation that falls locally, but it’s hard to fault people in a region that idolizes William Mulholland for this kind of thinking. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Letters to the Editor: Rest of the U.S. to California: Don’t even think of taking more water
Podcasts …
WATERLOOP PODCAST: Dry Times For California Farms With Heather Cooley and Ruth Dahlquist-Willard
As farms in California face another extreme drought this summer, the hope is that lessons learned and policies and tools developed from the last drought can help with water management this time. During drought farms significantly increase use of groundwater and now California is focusing on monitoring, management, and recharge of this foundational water source. The impacts and actions of agriculture during drought are discussed in this episode with Heather Cooley, Director of Research at the Pacific Institute, and Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Farm Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension. They discuss the variety of choices California farms will make during drought, including where to get water, how much to water crops, what crops to fallow, how to improve water efficiency, and even whether to stay in business.
CAL MATTERS PODCAST: Newsom asks Californians to cut water usage as communities suffer from extreme drought
Communities across California are suffering from extreme drought conditions. CalMatters environmental reporter Rachel Becker joins the podcast to share her reporting on the drought’s varying impact across the state and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent ask for Californians to voluntarily cut their water use by 15%. “It’s a patchwork of experiences, and it’s a patchwork of pain from the drought,” Becker said. Becker also discusses what steps the state can take to prevent drought conditions and water availability from getting worse.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Responsible Cannabis Farming
Right now, a new industry has the opportunity to climb out of its stigma as an underground, below the radar style business and become respected and supported in society. I’m talking about medicinal cannabis farming. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Operation Unite® Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, Online at www.operationunite.co
RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST: Insightful Perspectives
Pulling from their decades of experience, David Pilz and Andrew Purkey of AMP Insights, provide a brass tacks discussion about what is needed to translate interest into a successful local water market. We cover the basic considerations, conditions, and context AMP Insights uses to assess partner goals, local market activity, and drivers when designing impactful water transactions. A rich and useful discussion for the water community.
In regional water news this weekend …
CPUC approves transfer of Klamath River dams from PacifiCorp to KRRC
“California utility regulators approved an asset transfer of all facilities connected with the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project from PacifiCorp to the nonprofit corporation seeking to dismantle it. The California Public Utility Commission’s Thursday decision to transfer ownership of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation is a regulatory step multiple utility commissions within PacifiCorp’s western operating region must take, KRRC CEO Mark Bransom told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Friday. ... ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: CPUC approves transfer of Klamath River dams from PacifiCorp to KRRC
Tulelake Irrigation District to get $10M to combat drought
“A $10 million emergency appropriation will head to the Tulelake Irrigation District to help mitigate drought-related impacts to wildlife and the local economy. Assemblywoman Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) and Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) negotiated the allocation into the 2021 California state budget, a release from the assemblywoman’s office stated. The budget bill, SB 129, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this week. “I’m thankful to my colleagues for recognizing the importance of the Klamath Basin to the North State,” said Assemblywoman Dahle in a statement. “Over the last several months, we have worked with the Tulelake stakeholders and family farmers to lay the groundwork for meaningful and sustainable solutions. I’ve been in constant contact with them to identify ways to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts as much as possible. This emergency appropriation is critical to ongoing efforts to survive this crisis.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Tulelake Irrigation District to get $10M to combat drought
Wells run dry in many Klamath Basin homes
“Judy Shanks starts her shift at Basin Ambulance at 5 a.m. each morning. She likes to start and finish work early, so she can return to her Malin home in the afternoon and tend to her livestock. But lately, rather than saddling up and going for a ride when she gets off, Judy is spending her afternoons finding water for her small collection of horses, cows and goats. On June 24, the 118-foot domestic well that provides water to the Shanks property ran dry. ... ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Wells run dry in many Klamath Basin homes
Folsom keeps growing. But will the city have enough water to meet its grand ambitions?
“On the surface, the city of Folsom would seem to be water rich. Perched at the foot of Folsom Lake, where snowmelt funnels into the Sacramento Valley, the city taps into large intake pipes plumbed deep into Folsom Dam’s inner face to send cool water to nearby homes and businesses. That easy access is turning into a mirage. After two dry winters, the reservoir has shriveled to its second-lowest level for July in nearly 50 years. … The increasingly dire situation has rekindled a simmering debate about one of the Sacramento area’s fastest-growing suburbs: Are Folsom’s lofty growth ambitions putting residents at risk of becoming water poor as climate change reduces the region’s already tight water supply? … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Folsom keeps growing. But will the city have enough water to meet its grand ambitions?
Editorial: Sacramento County declared a climate emergency. Its action plan should take that seriously
The Sacramento Bee editorial board writes, “The city of Folsom is moving forward with a plan to build a staggering 11,000 new homes, whether it has the water to service those homes or not. Is the way we make land-use decisions in the region — with an eye on market and housing demands and no regard for environmental and climate consequences — still feasible? Folsom’s housing boondoggle isn’t the only example of regional leaders being too slow to reckon with what climate change and Mother Nature are telling us right now. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Editorial: Sacramento County declared a climate emergency. Its action plan should take that seriously
Amid Sacramento’s highest temperatures, water needed for city’s unhoused population
“The shade in Cesar Chavez Plaza provides a refuge for people during the rising, record-breaking heat in downtown Sacramento. Staying cool is critical during a heat wave — as is staying hydrated. But for Sacramento’s over 5,000 unhoused people, accessing that drinking water isn’t always straightforward. And while Sacramento has 297 drinking fountains, they don’t always provide cold water, for example. Jeffrey Milner, who is unhoused, said he’s gotten water from people near the downtown library branch and from people giving away water at Cesar Chavez. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Amid Sacramento’s highest temperatures, water needed for city’s unhoused population
Lake Mendocino is drying up, and 1,600 Russian River water rights are about to be halted
“Water supplies in Lake Mendocino are shrinking at a faster rate than they were a month ago, raising the risk the reservoir could be depleted by fall and setting regulators up to halt diversions from the Russian River for about 1,600 water rights holders before the end of July. Two-thirds of those diverters, including farmers, ranchers, vineyard operators, rural residents and municipal suppliers, already were put on notice a month ago, when authorities said not enough water existed in the upper river to support irrigation, household use and the watershed’s imperiled fish species. Now, amid the hottest and driest months of a deepening, two-year drought, regulators are poised to move forward with a more aggressive crackdown, called a curtailment of water rights. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Lake Mendocino is drying up, and 1,600 Russian River water rights are about to be halted
Russian River curtailments delayed as Lake Mendocino meets target storage level this week
“Earlier this summer, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an emergency regulation authorizing the curtailment of water rights holders in the Russian River watershed “once water levels fall below storage targets in Lake Mendocino or when flows cannot meet demands in the Lower Russian River.” So far, the water level in Lake Mendocino met both targets for July: 29,315. acre-feet before July 1 and 27,825 acre-feet before July 15, but officials are predicting that it will not meet the target of 26,109 acre-feet before Aug. 1. … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal here: Russian River curtailments delayed as Lake Mendocino meets target storage level this week
Marin vets options for desalination, water pipeline
“Marin Municipal Water District announced Friday that it has found a potential vendor for temporary desalination plants and four Central Valley water suppliers that could transfer water to the county through a pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The emergency water projects are being explored based on forecasts that the majority of Marin residents could run out of water by July 2022 if the upcoming winter is as dry as last year’s. The district serves about two-thirds of the county including 191,000 residents in central and southern Marin. The price tag to build one of these projects is estimated to range from $30 million to $90 million depending on the option, staff said in a presentation to the district’s Board of Directors on Friday. ... ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin vets options for desalination, water pipeline
Valley Water working on projects to reduce flood risk along Coyote Creek
“Although Santa Clara County is currently in an extreme drought emergency, we can’t predict how much rain we’ll receive next winter. As we contend with climate change, we know more severe weather can occur, including more intense storms and increased flood potential. Valley Water is continuing our work on projects aimed at reducing the risk of flooding in neighborhoods along Coyote Creek in San José. Two such projects are the Coyote Creek Flood Protection Project and the Coyote Creek Flood Management Measures Project. The projects extend for nine miles in historically flood-prone areas and seek to protect residential, commercial, and industrial areas and major roads and highways from floods. … ” Read more from Valley Water News here: Valley Water working on projects to reduce flood risk along Coyote Creek
Santa Cruz Column: We must look for our future water sources
Columnist Gary Griggs writes, “We will never run out of water on Earth, but we are running low on fresh water, locally and globally. Each of the water agencies around Monterey Bay is looking at multiple alternatives for providing water to customers in this second year of a major drought and beyond. The Santa Cruz citizen’s Water Supply Advisory Committee’s recommendations in 2015 included 1. water exchange with neighboring water agencies including the Soquel Creek Water District; 2. banking excess surface water (when available) in a groundwater basin; 3. recycling treated wastewater through advanced treatment for specific uses; and 4. desalination, as possibilities for the Santa Cruz City Water Department customers. The first two of these, however, are dependent upon average or above average rainfall and runoff, which has been lacking the past two years. ... ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Santa Cruz Column: We must look for our future water sources
San Luis Obispo: Pollution from old Avila Beach tank farm is seeping into tide pools. What should be done?
“For years, petroleum hydrocarbons have been seeping from the groundwater beneath the old oil tank farm property in Avila Beach into tide pools below. Much of the source of the pollution has been cleaned up, but an unknown amount remains. The question now is, what should be done with it and could over-aggressive remediation cause more harm than good? The trickle of hydrocarbons — comprised of a mixture of diluted, broken-down gas from the tank farm — was discovered in May 2012 “only by a mistake,” said Dan Niles, an engineering geologist at the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: San Luis Obispo: Pollution from old Avila Beach tank farm is seeping into tide pools. What should be done?
An old problem is back at San Joaquin County waterways
“As happens each year around this time, blue-green algae is back at San Joaquin County waterways amid higher temperatures. LiveCopter 3 on Thursday was over the waterfront in downtown Stockton, where algae blooms have turned the water green. The San Joaquin County Public Health and Environmental Health officials and the state Regional Water Quality Control Board are warning people and pets to avoid contact with blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria. The algae blooms can look like green, blue-green, white or brown foam and scum floating on the water. … ” Read more from KCRA here: An old problem is back at San Joaquin County waterways
Kern River at lowest water levels since 2014
“23ABC is taking a closer look at how much water levels have changed in Kern County over the last few years. The California Department of Water Resources monitors the Full Natural Flow (FNF) from Lake Isabella. That’s rain, snowmelt, and any groundwater that makes it to the river. ... ” Read more from KERO here: Kern River at lowest water levels since 2014
Malibu: Water redirected to refill Legacy Park pond
“Residents, along with the local population of Mallard ducks, Canada geese and coots will soon get their Legacy Park nature preserve back. The pond, which is normally kept full most of the year with storm runoff water, totally dried up this spring in the middle of duckling season. The statewide drought took its toll. … City council directed the city manager to find a solution. … ” Read the full story at the Malibu Times here: Malibu: Water redirected to refill Legacy Park pond
Mayor Garcetti urges Angelenos to scale back water use to meet governor’s goals
“Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Friday urged Angelenos to reduce water usage by 15%, as first requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom, amid a severe drought in California and throughout the western United States. Speaking from Owens Valley, which has provided water to the Los Angeles Aqueduct since 1913, Garcetti said, “In Los Angeles, conservation is a way of life, because we know that living with limited water resources isn’t just a phase — it’s the new normal.” … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: Mayor Garcetti urges Angelenos to scale back water use to meet governor’s goals
Imperial Valley’s farm organization execs look ahead
“With 500,000 acres of farmland in the Imperial Valley, agriculture continues to not only be vital to the economy of the region, but now perhaps more than ever the crops grown on that land are critical to the entire country and a world that is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering just how essential Imperial Valley agriculture is, strong voices ready to advocate on behalf of the farming community are pivotal — especially considering the ongoing challenges farmers face, like increasing costs of production and an ongoing need to protect the Valley’s water rights during this time of drought, as they work to get their crops from the fields to dinner tables. Rachel Magos, Shelby Trimm, and Cherie Watte represent three of the strongest voices on behalf of Imperial Valley agriculture. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press here: Imperial Valley’s farm organization execs look ahead
Padre Dam will again bill customers for late fees and water shutoffs
“In a 4-1 vote, the Padre Dam Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors voted to resume billing late fees on utility bills for unpaid past due balances beginning Aug. 1. The District will also resume water service shutoffs for non-payment beginning Oct. 1, as the District returns to pre-pandemic policies. Padre Dam provides water, wastewater, recycled water and park and recreation services to over 100,000 residents in the East San Diego County communities of Santee, El Cajon, Lakeside, Flinn Springs, Harbison Canyon, Blossom Valley, Alpine, Dehesa and Crest. … ” Read more from the Alpine Sun here: Padre Dam will again bill customers for late fees and water shutoffs
Along the Colorado River …
Las Vegas water fines: How to conserve water and avoid paying
“The water sector is vital to our health and economy. 3 to 5 gallons come out of a sprinkler per minute. If we eliminate unnecessary scenery and properly use water utilities, we can save an insane amount of water. Water is the source of life. Severe and prolonged drought threatens that life source. When these conditions persist, loss of water supply and poor water quality can lead to a decrease in available water as consumer demand increases. Detrimental economic impacts follow, with increased cost of surviving in a drought. Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) investigator Devyn Choltko explains: “Once it comes out of your irrigation line, we’re never seeing it again. It’s gone.” … ” Read more from Channel 13 here: Las Vegas water fines: How to conserve water and avoid paying
The Drought Preparedness Annual Report: a much-overlooked, but invaluable, source for info on Arizona’s lingering dry spell
“Rarely have residents of the Southwest been more in need of detailed, straightforward information about the effects of the lengthy and on-going drought afflicting the region, or of careful, science-based appraisals of what may (or may not) lie ahead. One seriously overlooked resource is the Arizona Drought Preparedness Annual Report, published each year by ADWR in collaboration with the Drought Monitoring Technical Committee, the Drought Interagency Coordinating Group, and the Local Drought Impact Groups. … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources here: The Drought Preparedness Annual Report: a much-overlooked, but invaluable, source for info on Arizona’s lingering dry spell
Outlets at Blue Mesa, other upstream reservoirs opened to raise near-critical water level at Lake Powell
“Amid predictions that the water surface at Arizona’s Lake Powell will likely encroach on levels needed to maintain power generation at its dam for the first time since it was initially filled, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has taken the first step toward addressing the problem with water from upstream reservoirs. The bureau announced Thursday that it was increasing the amounts of water released from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir and Navajo Reservoir, starting immediately. … ” Read more from CBS Denver here: Outlets at Blue Mesa, other upstream reservoirs opened to raise near-critical water level at Lake Powell
Reclamation’s July 24-Month Study implements contingency operations in the Upper Colorado River Basin
“The Bureau of Reclamation today released the July 24-Month Study, confirming declining hydrologic conditions for the Colorado River system. To protect Lake Powell’s target elevation, the study incorporates the implementation of drought operations under the Upper Basin Drought Response Operations Agreement (DROA). The July 2021 Operation Plan for Colorado River System Reservoirs 24-Month Study (July 24-Month Study) shows that the Lake Powell water year 2021 predicted unregulated inflow volume has decreased 2.5 million acre-feet in the six-month period between January and July 2021. The current forecast for WY2021 is 3.23 maf (30% of average). ... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation’s July 24-Month Study implements contingency operations in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Commentary: Can the Southwest survive with less water?
Timothy L. O’Brien writes, “Sometime next month, for the first time, the federal government is likely to declare a water shortage at Lake Mead. This vast turquoise reservoir, formed in 1935 when the Hoover Dam corked the Colorado River in Arizona and Nevada, is part of a broader network of natural and artificial aqueducts and dams that supplies water to 40 million people and homes, farms, manufacturers and businesses across several states, tribal lands and parts of Mexico. Lights stay on in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles and other Southwestern cities because Hoover Dam hydropower helps generate the region’s electricity. But the lake is shrinking, faster and sooner than hydrologists and other experts predicted. ... ” Read more from Bloomberg Opinion here: Commentary: Can the Southwest survive with less water?
In national news this weekend …
Regulators turn off tap on Trump vision of water-wasting showers
“Former President Donald Trump’s doughty effort to increase water flow from showerheads is all washed up after the Department of Energy announced Friday it will reverse the short-lived rule that had little practical impact. The issue dates back to 1992 when Congress passed a law that said showerheads could not pump out more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. The law was amended 20 years later, under former President Barack Obama, since showerheads had grown increasingly complex, often featuring two or more nozzles capable of dousing well over 5 or even 10 gallons per minute. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Regulators turn off tap on Trump vision of water-wasting showers
In first test of SCOTUS water rule, court sides with greens
“The Hawaiian island of Maui must obtain a Clean Water Act permit for discharges of wastewater that find their way into the ocean, a court ruled yesterday in the first test of a new Supreme Court precedent. Federal District Court Senior Judge Susan Oki Mollway sided with environmental groups, holding that injections of wastewater into wells that then seep into the Pacific Ocean qualify as a “discharge” under the Clean Water Act and require a permit. “Millions of gallons enter the ocean every year at just the handful of monitored points,” wrote Mollway, a Clinton appointee. She added that it is an “enormous amount of pollutant being put into the ocean in the functional equivalent of a direct discharge.” Consequently, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, permit is required. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: In first test of SCOTUS water rule, court sides with greens
New legislation addresses the nation’s 90,000 dams
“This week federal legislators introduced the Twenty-First Century Dams Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Developed with insights from a series of Stanford-convened meetings between hydropower and river conservation stakeholders, the pending bills would invest $25.8 billion for safety improvements and additional power generating capacity at existing dams while also providing funding to remove dams that have outlived their useful lives. … ” Read more from Stanford News here: New legislation addresses the nation’s 90,000 dams
The unequal effects of climate change
“Increasingly destructive weather events are occurring round the globe, affecting everything from housing and the food supply to the utilities we use in our daily lives. In June, residents of the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. suffered under historic heat waves. At one point, the temperature in Portland, Oregon, reached 116 degrees, while the Canadian village of Lytton registered 121. A report released last year by Datu Research, commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund, looked at the economic costs of a range of weather disasters in the U.S. Datu found that each event caused damage equaling, or exceeding, $1 billion in states such as Texas, Florida and North Carolina. Economists say that climate change compounds existing inequalities in society. … ” Read more from the Marketplace here: The unequal effects of climate change
Catch up on last week’s news in the Weekly Digest …
WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for July 11-16: The Yuba-Feather FIRO program, Suisun Marsh and climate change; La Niña could dash hopes of wet winter; and all the top water news of the week
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
NOW AVAILABLE: Final Determination on the Appeals of the Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project Certification of Consistency
NOTICE of Informal Consultation for Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project No. 96)
NOTICE: Draft Drought Emergency Regulation for Scott and Shasta Rivers – Public Meeting & Comment Period
