In California water news this weekend …
La Niña watch is officially on this fall, and that could be disastrous for the drought
“Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center issued an update Thursday giving a 60% chance that another La Niña pattern will form — and this same forecast was given last year, only to be updated the second week of September to say, “Yep, La Niña is here.” La Niña temperature patterns, in which cooler temperatures gather along the surface of the Pacific, have a mixed bag of effects on the West Coast, with the tendency to make for drier than average winters in Southern California, and wetter than average years for the Pacific Northwest. This past winter, there was hope early on that the drier than average November and December here in Northern California would give way to wetter winter and spring months, but that didn’t happen, and we had one of the driest winters on record, making our current drought that much worse. … ” Read more from SFist here: La Niña watch is officially on this fall, and that could be disastrous for the drought
SEE ALSO: La Niña is likely to form, raising concerns of increased hurricane activity, just like in 2020, from CNN
Small towns grow desperate for water in California
“As a measure of both the nation’s creaking infrastructure and the severity of the drought gripping California there is the $5 shower. That’s how much Ian Roth, the owner of the Seagull Inn, a bed-and-breakfast in this tourist town three hours north of San Francisco, spends on water every time a guest washes for five minutes under the shower nozzle. Water is so scarce in Mendocino, an Instagram-ready collection of pastel Victorian homes on the edge of the Pacific, that restaurants have closed their restrooms to guests, pointing them instead to portable toilets on the sidewalk. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: Small towns grow desperate for water in California
Before-and-after satellite photos show just how terrible the drought is in the West
“The drought conditions in the Western United States are so bad, merely stating facts sounds like hyperbole. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 98% of the West is in a drought. About 25% of the region is in the worst category: exceptional drought. Every state in the region is feeling the consequences. California is dealing with another season of record-breaking wildfires. Washington and Montana are seeing abysmal soil conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. Plus, lake and reservoir levels around the region are at scary lows. Lake Mead near Las Vegas and the Great Salt Lake in Utah reached their lowest levels ever recorded this summer. … ” Read more from WGNO here: Before-and-after satellite photos show just how terrible the drought is in the West
‘When will the megadrought end?’ is the wrong question to ask
“Even after potent summer rains deluged parts of the West, nearly 60 percent of the region remains mired in extreme or exceptional drought. The biggest reservoirs in the U.S. — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — have already fallen to historic lows. Dead cattle decay on the ground in parched Northern Mexico. California’s reservoirs look like bathtubs continually losing water. This isn’t typical drought. The warming Southwest is in an over two-decade, prolonged drying period — the worst megadrought in at least some 400 years — in addition to a two-year dearth of rain and snow in California, and abnormal dryness in other regions. When or how droughts might end in different Western places is a looming question. But in the continually heating West, it’s not the most crucial question. … ” Read more from Mashable here: ‘When will the megadrought end?’ is the wrong question to ask
Fish food on the floodplain with Jacob Montgomery
“CalTrout’s Central Valley 2021 field season (Oct 1, 2020 – April 1, 2021) marked the much-awaited second year study of large-scale Fish Food export. For some brief background, the Fish Food export program is CalTrout’s novel management practice for transferring benefits of winter-flooded habitat that juvenile salmon can not get to, back to fish wedged between the river levee system. The Fish Food program is the compliment to the Nigiri Project. With Nigiri, we bring fish onto the floodplain, and with Fish Food, we bring the floodplain back to the fish. In 2019, we ran the pilot year for Fish Food and got some very positive results. … ” Read more from CalTrout here: Fish food on the floodplain with Jacob Montgomery
Wildfire smoke may lead to less rain in the western US
“As wildfires and heatwaves stress the western United States, concern over drought is rising: Dry landscapes burn more readily, and rain can help quell fires already raging. But wildfire smoke may keep that essential rain from falling. A new study finds tiny particles in wildfire smoke affect the way droplets form in clouds, potentially resulting in less rain and exacerbating dry conditions that fuel fires. ... ” Read more from Phys Org here: Wildfire smoke may lead to less rain in the western US
California tree deaths could hurt forests on the East Coast
“Since 2010 more than 120 million trees have died in California alone. Bark beetles, drought, and wildfires are largely to blame and according to forest modeling research those tree deaths in California can have big impacts on other parts of the country, as far away as the East Coast. University of Washington Professor Abigail Swann published her research in the journal Environmental Research Letters. … ” Read more from Living on Earth here: California tree deaths could hurt forests on the East Coast
In commentary this weekend …
Maybe California actually does have enough water
Bloomberg opinion editor Francis Wilkinson writes, “It’s hard to know how much to panic over California’s dwindling water supplies. The state has never really had enough water, after all, yet lawns in Beverly Hills somehow remain perpetually green. Earlier this month, however, came a sign that life might soon be getting more uncomfortable for more Californians. On Aug. 3, the State Water Resources Control Board voted 5 to 0 to issue an “emergency curtailment” order for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed. Last week the order was submitted to the state’s Office of Administrative Law, which is likely to approve it. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Opinion here: Maybe California actually does have enough water
Column: California has a leadership drought
Columnist Doug McIntyre writes, “There’s not a drop of meaningful rain in the forecast for California but that doesn’t mean there aren’t storm clouds on the horizon. While the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom is still a month off, our relentless drought continues to drain our reservoirs, dry up our lakes and rivers, fuel wild fires, empty the aqueducts and literally cause parts of the state to sink. … You’d think a drought this severe would result in dramatic, even drastic action by the governor. But what should be done and what is being done is being viewed by Newsom through the prism of the September recall election rather than a rain gage. … ” Read the full commentary at the Press-Enterprise here: Column: California has a leadership drought
Why drought should have California’s almond, alfalfa farmers deeply worried
Chris Reed, deputy editor of the editorial and opinion section of the San Diego Union-Tribune, writes, “California’s latest severe drought has brought forward a familiar debate — and a familiar blame game. It’s lawmakers’ fault because they stopped building new dams and reservoirs decades ago and have been slow to use billions of dollars in available bond funds to add water storage facilities. It’s residents’ fault because they refuse to conserve and millions selfishly water their lawns everyday. It’s environmentalists’ fault because they insist on using so much fresh water to preserve the health of rivers in Northern California. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Why drought should have California’s almond, alfalfa farmers deeply worried
Podcasts …
RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST: Connecting the Dots
“Todd Reeve of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation walks us through the group’s efforts to connect corporate partners with water conservation projects. It’s a great look into leveraging “win-win” scenarios that promote corporate sustainability goals and produce real wet water results. Great discussion with an innovative enterprise.”
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Common Sense and an Honest Effort
Steven Baker writes, “Although a lot of rain falls in Jacksonville, Florida, it just doesn’t fall where you want it. The topography is so flat that the only possible reservoir for storing all that rainfall is the underlying groundwater aquifers. The value of water is Jacksonville has changed in twenty years. To be sustainable, they are now charging conservation rates for water and people are responding. Today, consumptive water use has dropped 30% to 40%, clearly a success for a community of 850,000 people. 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
In regional water news this weekend …
KLAMATH/NORTH COAST
California, Oregon braced for another extremist water rebellion. Why it’s calm, so far
“Anti-government activists seemed primed for a violent clash with federal authorities this summer in the Klamath Basin along the California-Oregon border. … The local activists, some of them farmers, were warning that Ammon Bundy, the anti-government extremist whose family led standoffs between armed militia members and federal agents in Oregon and Nevada was “coming soon.” Klamath Falls seemed primed to explode, the next major clash after the Jan. 6 riots in the U.S. Capitol building. But it didn’t. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California, Oregon braced for another extremist water rebellion. Why it’s calm, so far
Karuk Tribe: Water users strand endangered salmon, create possible extinction event
“While most California farms and ranches face water regulations to save dwindling water resources and protect fisheries, Siskiyou County’s Scott Valley alfalfa growers continue to pump groundwater with no regulatory oversight. The river is now a series of shrinking puddles full of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed Coho salmon, according to an August 13 press release from the Karuk Tribe. “It’s heart breaking for me to see this fish slowly suffocating in these small puddles while the alfalfa fields are emerald green,” said Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery. “State and federal agencies are failing to protect our tribal trust resources and letting yet another native fish species go extinct.” ... ” Read more from the Daily Kos here: Karuk Tribe: Water Users Strand Endangered Salmon, Create Possible Extinction Event
Cities lead partnership effort to address drought in Mendocino County
“Fort Bragg is worried the community may not have enough water to last through the rest of the year. Ukiah has been investing in its water resources for years and now has some to spare. Even though all of Mendocino County is facing an extreme drought, water resources for each part of the county vary widely. That’s led to the county’s four municipalities — Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and Point Arena — working on mutual aid agreements that will make it easier to transport water from one part of the county to another. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice here: Cities lead partnership effort to address drought in Mendocino County
LAKE TAHOE
Future flooding in Tahoe? UC Davis study says climate change makes an impact on the lake
“Scientists with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center say climate change may leave lasting impacts on Lake Tahoe, and it may not take decades to see it happen. Lake Tahoe is known for its serene skies and lovely lake views. The draw is felt by tourists and locals, alike. “It’s just a spectacular place,” said Jim Lecron, who has had a home in the area for 30 years. He says every year is different. “Sometimes the lake is really low,” Lecron said. “There’s a drought, sometimes you can get tons of snow. Every few years, one or the other.” … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Future flooding in Tahoe? UC Davis study says climate change makes an impact on the lake
NAPA/SONOMA
Napa County recycled water used at record levels amid drought
“Napa Valley Country Club golf course is lush and green, thanks to the purple pipe. A two-year drought is helping to boost Napa County’s recycled water use to record levels. The Napa Sanitation District wastewater treatment plant provides enough non-potable irrigation water annually to fill St. Helena’s Bell Canyon reservoir and more. Napa Valley Country Club in rural Coombsville started piping water from the plant six miles away in late 2015. That allows it to depend less on a well in an area where groundwater levels have long been a concern. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa County recycled water used at record levels amid drought
City of Napa Parks and Recreation Department cuts down on water in response to 2021 drought
“City of Napa residents may have noticed an encroaching shade of golden-brown creeping across the greenery of city parks in recent weeks. Browner foliage is, of course, a visual sign of California’s 2021 drought and water conservation in Napa. When seen in city parks, it’s an indication that the city of Napa Parks and Recreation department’s efforts to conserve water are working. Jeff Gittings, Parks and Urban Forestry Manager for the city, thanked the community for understanding the necessity of this aesthetic sacrifice in a Thursday interview. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: City of Napa Parks and Recreation Department cuts down on water in response to 2021 drought
Marin water saving strategy challenged as supply dwindles
“Water management experts and residents are questioning whether the Marin Municipal Water District has done enough to curtail water use as reservoir supplies approach critical low levels. The district’s seven reservoirs, which supply 191,000 residents, are only 40% full and at risk of going dry by next summer if California’s historic drought continues to worsen. Longstanding emergency plans require that if reservoirs reach below 38% of capacity, or 30,000 acre-feet of water, as of Dec. 1, the area would be in such danger of running out of water that the district should implement drastic measures. These include banning all lawn watering seven days per week, enforceable by fines. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin water saving strategy challenged as supply dwindles
Contra Costa County sued over controversial open-space housing plan
“Contra Costa County was hit by two lawsuits Thursday, a month after the Board of Supervisors approved a boundary change to allow construction of 125 homes in protected open space near Danville. In a controversial decision on July 13, the supervisors voted 4-1 to stretch the urban limit line east of Blackhawk so developers could build the homes on 30 acres in the Tassajara Valley. In exchange, the developers promised to dedicate 700 acres of land elsewhere to be preserved as open space. County voters had set the boundary in 1990 to protect the open space beyond it and discourage urban sprawl. One of the suits was filed by a collective of two environmental groups and a pair of Contra Costa County residents, and the other by the Easy Bay Municipal Utility District. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: Contra Costa County sued over controversial open-space housing plan
Contra Costa County: Residents asked to comment on groundwater plan updates
“The Town of Discovery Bay is seeking public comment on the latest additions to its groundwater sustainability plan (GSP). Comments are due by Aug. 16. Unlike other East County communities which use a blend of water drawn from the Delta and groundwater, Discovery Bay residents are completely reliant on groundwater for all household and commercial uses. … ” Read more from The Press here: Contra Costa County: Residents asked to comment on groundwater plan updates
Report: More people and property at risk in San Mateo County from sea level rise
“A San Mateo County civil grand jury report released this week found that projects to address sea level rise in the county face funding challenges and delays. The grand jury, an independent group of 19 citizens who investigate county issues, released the report Wednesday along with a news release highlighting main takeaways from the 43-page report. According to the report, titled “San Mateo County: California’s Ground Zero for Sea Level Rise,” more people and property are at risk from rising seas in San Mateo County than any other California county. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal here: Report: More people and property at risk in San Mateo County from sea level rise
CENTRAL COAST
Big Basin Redwoods: One year after devastating fire, burned wreckage cleared, rebuilding planning just starting
“One year after a massive wildfire devastated California’s oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods, the cleanup is well underway. In recent weeks, construction workers in hard hats have finished removing the wreckage of every burned building and charred vehicle in the beloved Santa Cruz Mountains park — from the twisted metal and blackened granite of the park’s 1930s-era headquarters to the broken glass and shattered propane tanks at its popular museum and once-busy campgrounds. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Big Basin Redwoods: One year after devastating fire, burned wreckage cleared, rebuilding planning just starting
Santa Cruz: Local groundwater agency plan open for public comment
“Sierra Ryan has her work cut out for her. With much of California suffering from drought, Ryan, interim water resources manager for Santa Cruz County Environmental Health, is careful to keep her ducks in a low-flow row. When she’s not busy attending Water Commission meetings or managing her department’s conservation efforts, Ryan can be found engaged with the Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency (SMGWA). With an 11-person board representing the Scotts Valley Water District, San Lorenzo Valley Water District, the County of Santa Cruz, the cities of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz and the Mount Hermon Association, along with two reps for private pumpers, there are plenty of voices and opinions working to help steer an essential component of water management bubble to the surface. … ” Read more from the San Lorenzo Valley Press Banner here: Santa Cruz: Local groundwater agency plan open for public comment
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Commentary: Water and land, then and now in Los Banos
Diane Ingram Thurston writes, “A community is made up of so many things, some intangible. Its present is made by its past. Over the next few columns I hope to address some of the most important issues, times, and residents of our community. Sort of a Los Banos 101. The time is 1973 and the writer, Stephen Birmingham, published a book called “The Right Places (For the Right People).” ... ” Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Commentary: Water and land, then and now in Los Banos
Commentary: How the drought may send Manteca, Ripon, Escalon farmland prices sky high along with cost of housing
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “The reoccurring drought pattern could significantly increase the value of farmland in South San Joaquin County. As counterintuitive as that might sound with the increasing prospect the South San Joaquin Irrigation District will likely have to impose water delivery cutbacks when the 2022 growing season rolls around, it is far from being far-fetched. There has been a spike in interest from those that grow permanent crops in the forms of orchards and vineyards elsewhere in California in acreage served by irrigation districts best positioned to have more dependable water delivery in what is shaping up as a weather trend when dry years are more the norm than the exception. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: How the drought may send Manteca, Ripon, Escalon farmland prices sky high along with cost of housing
LOS ANGELES/ORANGE COUNTY
Antelope Valley: Water aid agreement reached for emergencies
“Water providers and other agencies across the Valley have come together to formalize the informal agreements they have to help each other in times of emergency. “There’s been a handshake agreement for some time,” Rosamond Community Services District Public Works Manager Brach Smith said in introducing the agreement to that District’s Board. The Mutual Response Agreement for Antelope Valley Agencies is the result of efforts started in April 2019, when the City of Lancaster approached the Palmdale Water District about partnering on emergency aid, PWD Human Resources Director Jennifer Emery recounted to the Antelope Valley State Water Contractors Association Thursday. … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press here: Antelope Valley: Water aid agreement reached for emergencies
The toxic truth of L.A.’s stormwater sewer system
“In a region that lauds itself as a bastion of environmental progress, the 100 billion gallons of polluted runoff that flows out of storm drains annually is Los Angeles’ dirty secret. When rain water hits L.A.’s largely impervious landscape it drains into run-off channels that criss-cross through the county accumulating a toxic slew of chemicals, oil, fertilizer, trash, hard metals, and bacteria before entering a storm drain and spewing out into the ocean. Over 30 billion gallons of this polluted mixture exits through 200 drains into the Santa Monica Bay each year, according to LA Sanitation & Environment. This watershed incorporates 55 miles of coastline, but several key drains are located in the City of Santa Monica, including the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain and the Pier Storm Drain. … ” Read more from the Santa Monica Daily Press here: The toxic truth of L.A.’s stormwater sewer system
Bütow: Water storage in south Orange County, a tale of two counties
“The highly publicized, deservedly acclaimed storage and treatment successes in central and northern OC are in part a function of the real estate adage: “Location, location, location.” The reality is “Location, storage, location, storage,” and therein lies the challenge here in South Orange County (SOC): We’re below-ground storage “poor.” Simply put … ” Read more from the Voice of the OC here: Bütow: Water storage in south Orange County, a tale of two counties
OC Parks gives glimpse at short-term plans for Capo Beach
“Plans for a “nature-based” solution to the eroding Capistrano Beach were presented to the California Coastal Commission on Friday, Aug. 13, outlining the ideas OC Parks has to salvage, at least in the short term, that stretch of coast. The presentation was an update to the commission and gave a glimpse at various scenarios that would install cobblestone buffers to try to save what’s left of the beach – plans that could also include creating sand dunes and planting vegetation, or taking out a section of the parking lot. A finalized plan is expected to be ready for a commission vote by the end of the year. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: OC Parks gives glimpse at short-term plans for Capo Beach
SALTON SEA
California senators seek to expand federal authority over threatened Salton Sea
“California Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill on Friday to expand federal authority over the ecologically threatened Salton Sea east of San Diego County. The Salton Sea Projects Improvements Act would significantly expand the ability of the Bureau of Reclamation to partner with state, local, and tribal governments to address the public health and environmental crisis at the Salton Sea. The bill also increases the amount the Bureau of Reclamation is authorized to spend towards these efforts from $10 million to $250 million. ... ” Read more from the Times of San Diego here: California senators seek to expand federal authority over threatened Salton Sea
Along the Colorado River …
The Colorado River basin’s daunting new math
“Lakes Mead and Powell, icons of 20th-century water engineering in the American West, are in bad shape. The story of their decline is written into the edges of the receding siblings — it’s evident in the minerals deposited on the rock walls hundreds of feet above Lake Mead, signs of where water once stood, like a white tea stain on nature’s mug. It’s also evident in the sandbars and sandstone arches of Glen Canyon that are reemerging as Lake Powell ebbs. This story, playing out across decades, is deeply consequential for some of the most rapidly growing and intensely irrigated regions of the country; for stressed ecosystems and endangered species; for Native American tribes; for the more than 40 million people who get a portion of their drinking water from the Colorado River. Both reservoirs, the largest by capacity in the United States, are puddles of their former selves. Each about one-third full, they sit today at record lows, products of the Colorado River’s unforgiving math, in which demand exceeds supply. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: The Colorado River basin’s daunting new math
Commentary: Yes, we’re facing a water shortage on the Colorado River. No, it’s not yet a crisis
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “There’s a lot of freaking out about the first Tier 1 water shortage at Lake Mead, which is expected to be announced on Aug. 16. There has been breathless coverage for weeks in the national press about how bad things are now for those of us who rely on the Colorado River. But that’s the thing. A Tier 1 shortage is far from a crisis. Oh, this level of shortage will be painful, especially for farmers in Pinal County who are losing their only source of renewable water. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Yes, we’re facing a water shortage on the Colorado River. No, it’s not yet a crisis
Monsoon 2021 storms surpass Arizona winter runoff
“Monsoon storms have come full force this year and because they have brought strong rain to the Valley, reservoir levels are surpassing what they do during winter runoff. While it’s a much-needed change with ongoing wildfire risks, it’s also helping mitigate our extreme drought conditions. “It’s just kind of an inflow into that dry riverbed,” said Patty Garcia-Likens, SRP spokeswoman. … ” Read more from Channel 12 here: Monsoon 2021 storms surpass Arizona winter runoff
Tribal influence over Arizona water growing
“When Father Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit priest and explorer for the Spanish crown, came into what is now southern Arizona from Mexico in 1692, he was greeted by irrigated farms sprawling incongruously across the Sonoran Desert. The Tohono O’odham, among the first tribes Kino encountered near what is now Tucson, and others had been growing crops along Arizona’s waterways for thousands of years. Because of the confluence of relatively recent water rights settlements and a looming shortage of Colorado River water, tribes like the Tohono O’odham Nation and Gila River Indian Community — which hold the two largest tribal allocations of river water — will have growing influence in the water market, a water rights attorney said. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Tribal influence over Arizona water growing
With deepening drought in the West, farmers could make a bigger difference
“The American West is suffering from the worst drought of our lifetimes — a two-decade dearth of precipitation, perhaps the most punishing megadrought of the past 1,200 years — and much attention is focused on water waste at home. Drought-tolerant landscaping, precisely engineered shower heads, low-flow toilets are all excellent ways to make the most of the limited water supplies where we live. But all the talk and press coverage about water conservation at home misses one important point: The biggest water consumers in the West, by far, are farmers. ... ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here: With deepening drought in the West, farmers could make a bigger difference
Water providers spurt drought awareness efforts with scavenger hunt
“Grand Valley residents may have an idea of how they irrigate water. “It’s a canal that comes off of the Mesa, and it pretty much goes into watering the grass and stuff like that,” New Resident Josh Taft explains, “There’s actually a pump that comes off of it and it goes into the sprinkler system.” The big idea is how someone’s irrigation and conserving water impacts the drought. Public water providers take the Drought Response Information Project up a notch with its new scavenger hunt. … ” Read more from Western Slope Now here: Water providers spurt drought awareness efforts with scavenger hunt
In national water news this weekend …
Some U.S. drinking water still carries levels of arsenic experts consider unsafe
“In the 1970s and 80s, an initiative spearheaded by UNICEF drove pipes into the ground in Bangladesh to create tube wells that could tap into the country’s groundwater. These wells provided local people with drinking water that was free of surface water microbes, which had led to children’s deaths due to cholera and other diarrheal diseases. At the same time, though, the wells introduced another contaminant into the water supply: arsenic, an odorless, tasteless metalloid that is naturally present in Bangladesh’s aquifers, as it is in many other places worldwide. This element is considered a potent carcinogen. … ” Read more from Ensia here: Some U.S. drinking water still carries levels of arsenic experts consider unsafe
Climate change is drying out many part-time streams in the United States
“Small streams that dry up for part of the year are easy to overlook. But these intermittent streams are everywhere, making up more than half of Earth’s waterways. They help purify surface water and provide crucial habitat for creatures such as the Sonoran Desert toad, fairy shrimp, and Wilson’s warbler. Now, a study has found that ephemeral streams across the continental United States have become less reliable over the past 40 years, likely as a result of climate change. Some are dry for 100 days longer per year than in the 1980s. “That’s really shocking,” says Sarah Null, a watershed scientist at Utah State University. … ” Read more from Science here: Climate change is drying out many part-time streams in the United States
Ag industry collaboration aims to more efficiently address water issues
‘”A partnership between Western United Dairies (WUD) and the California Cattle Council (CCC) will help farmers and ranchers address water issues. The new position of Director of Sustainability has been established to help facilitate better industry communication and access to resources. In her new role, Aubrey Bettencourt is working with stakeholders and agency partners in developing a successful path forward for water sustainability for the entire industry. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: Ag industry collaboration aims to more efficiently address water issues
Western water projects in infrastructure deal
” Included in the sweeping $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by the Senate is funding for Western water projects that farmers, water providers and environmentalists say are badly needed across the parched region. The Senate voted this week in favor of the legislation that seeks to rebuild U.S. roads and highways, improve broadband internet access and modernize water pipes and public works systems. The bill’s future in the House is uncertain. The federal funding would come as the West bakes under a decadeslong drought that is straining water supplies. A look at some ways the $8.3 billion for water projects would help bring relief in coming years. … ” Read more from US News & World Report here: Western water projects in infrastructure deal
House moderates erect infrastructure roadblock
“A bloc of House Democratic moderates is threatening to withhold support for the $3.5 trillion budget resolution until the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill is signed into law, throwing a potential roadblock into congressional leaders’ two-track legislative strategy. Nine Democrats laid out their position yesterday in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying they disagreed with her decision to hold off on passing the bipartisan Senate package, H.R. 3684, until that chamber first passes the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package under development. “Some have suggested that we hold off on considering the Senate infrastructure bill for months — until the reconciliation process is completed,” wrote the Democrats, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). “We disagree. With the livelihoods of hardworking American families at stake, we simply can’t afford months of unnecessary delays and risk squandering this once-in-a-century, bipartisan infrastructure package. It’s time to get shovels in the ground and people to work.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: House moderates erect infrastructure roadblock
NIDIS launches new interactive maps on Drought.gov
“The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is pleased to announce two new interactive features on Drought.gov that will make it easier for decision makers and the public across the U.S. to share timely, reliable drought information. These new maps further the goal of making Drought.gov a one-stop shop for data, decision-support products, and resources. First, new customization and sharing options for all maps make it easier than ever to create custom, high-quality maps to include in drought or risk mitigation plans, share on social media or in media briefings, communicate with stakeholders, or report on drought impacts across the United States. Second, interactive economic sector maps that show sector-specific information alongside key drought and climate indicators provide vital information for private and public sector decision makers to monitor, plan for, and mitigate the impacts of drought. Together, these new communication tools will help decision makers and the public respond to the current drought, prepare for future drought conditions, and improve the nation’s long-term drought resilience. … ” Read more from NIDIS here: NIDIS launches new interactive maps on Drought.gov
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Survey to inform upcoming DWR Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief program
PUBLIC WORKSHOP: Petitions for Reconsideration of the Water Quality Certification for the Yuba River Development Project
MEETING NOTICE: Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Criteria Expert Panel
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Forest Conservation Program – 2021 Proposal Solicitation Notice
Catch up on last week’s news in the Weekly Digest …
WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for August 8-13: Enhancing regional water sustainability through virtual water trading; Recalibrating Water Year Types; plus all the top California water news of the week …
