In California water news today …
California water suppliers cast 1st challenge to strict drought rules
“Freshly cut off from their chief water supply, a group of California water agencies in one of the state’s most fertile farming areas sued on Wednesday to freeze the latest round of emergency drought rules. In a lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, the suppliers argue they were denied due process when state regulators ordered thousands of landowners last month to cease diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta due to drought conditions. They claim the sweeping water curtailments were based off faulty data and will cause permanent damage to pricey fruit and nut orchards. The suppliers say they are facing a catch-22 situation: break the rules and continue diverting water or abide and watch countless farms and businesses in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties go bankrupt. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: California water suppliers cast 1st challenge to strict drought rules
Column: Will this California drought result in another expansion of water-thirsty orchards?
Stuart Leavenworth, filling in for Sammy Roth’s The Boiling Point, writes, ” … The San Joaquin Valley is a conservative place, with farmers reluctant to publicly question their collective practices. But Arax has a knack for finding truth tellers such as the Oracle — later revealed to be a nut grower named Denis Prosperi. In a more recent piece for The Atlantic, “The Well Fixer’s Warning,” Arax profiles Matt Angell, a well driller the author describes as a “agrarian Cassandra,” stunned by how farmers keep drilling more wells, deeper and deeper, as if the San Joaquin Valley sits atop a bottomless underground lake. “Drought on top of drought. Climate change on top of drought. And our response is always the same,” Angell said. “Plant more almonds and pistachios. Plant more housing tracts on farmland. But the river isn’t the same. The aquifer isn’t the same.” … ” Read the full column at the LA Times here: Column: Will this California drought result in another expansion of water-thirsty orchards?
Coastal grape growers can use less water during drought
“California grape growers in coastal areas can use less water during times of drought and cut irrigation levels without affecting crop yields or quality, according to a new study out of the University of California, Davis. The findings, published today (Sept. 1) in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, show that vineyards can use 50% of the irrigation water normally used by grape crops without compromising flavor, color and sugar content. It sheds new light on how vineyards can mitigate drought effects at a time when California is experiencing a severe water shortage and facing more extreme weather brought on by climate change, according to lead author Kaan Kurtural, professor of viticulture and enology and an extension specialist at UC Davis. … ” Read more from UC Davis here: Coastal grape growers can use less water during drought
Increased pumping in California’s Central Valley during drought worsens groundwater quality
“Intensive pumping of aquifers during drought can speed up deterioration of groundwater quality, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. The results highlight clean drinking water supply vulnerabilities in California and other western states currently experiencing record drought conditions. “Water quality problems from legacy groundwater pollution could get worse, faster, when pumping increases during drought,” said Dr. Zeno Levy, a research geologist with the USGS. “This could lead to more public drinking-water wells being shut down if costly treatment or cleaner water sources to mix with are not available.” … ” Read more from the USGS here: Increased pumping in California’s Central Valley during drought worsens groundwater quality
Friant-Kern Canal repairs scheduled to begin in November
“The first phase of much-needed repairs of the Friant-Kern Canal is set to begin late this fall. It was reported at Tuesday’s Tulare County Board of Supervisors meeting construction on the first phase of the project is set to begin in November. As part the process to move the project along the board unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the project to move forward. The MOU deals with such issues as working with the Friant Water Authority, who oversees the Friant-Kern Canal, on how costs absorbed by the county as part of the project will be covered. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Friant-Kern Canal repairs scheduled to begin in November
Wildfires are putting water supplies at risk, and corporate America is scared
“As wildfires tear across America’s West, the immediate risk is to life and property, but they will eventually affect water supplies. That’s one reason large corporations are beginning to help fund forest restoration in order to mitigate their water risk. The water supply for many communities, including large cities, starts in mountains and national forests. In California, about 70% of the water either starts or flows through national forests, according to Forest Service estimates. “When we have large-scale fires like this, we get huge amounts of erosion that end up filling up the dams and reservoirs that store water and that help create hydropower,” said Eli Ilano, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest. “That is why there is a huge sense of urgency to do work in the forests, thin and restore them, in order to make them more resilient to climate change and to these large-scale, catastrophic fires.” … ” Read more from CNBC here: Wildfires are putting water supplies at risk, and corporate America is scared
Stanford’s Buzz Thompson on California’s wildfires, water, drought, and climate change
“California’s wildfire season started early again this year and its destruction already for the record books with the Dixie fire currently the second largest in the state’s history and growing while the Caldor fire has caused the evacuation of residents from the iconic South Lake Tahoe communities. Here, Stanford Law School’s Professor Buzz Thompson, one of the country’s leading water law experts, discusses California’s wildfires, drought, water, and climate change with Stanford Legal on SiriusXM co-hosts Professors Joseph Bankman and Richard Thompson Ford. … ” Read more or listen at Stanford News here: Stanford’s Buzz Thompson on California’s wildfires, water, drought, and climate change
How should California confront a rising sea? Lawmakers have some big ideas
“In a year marked by record-breaking wildfires, extreme heat and unprecedented water shortages, California lawmakers say there’s another — seemingly distant, but just as urgent — climate-related threat the state cannot afford to ignore: sea-level rise. It’s the focus of more than a dozen new bills and resolutions this year mobilized by years of research and piecemeal efforts across the state to keep the California coast above water. The proposals mark a paradigm shift in the way officials are addressing the social, economic and environmental pressures looming over the state’s eroding coastline. … ” Read more from the Del Mar Times here: How should California confront a rising sea? Lawmakers have some big ideas
Caldor Fire …
Lake Tahoe residents told to stop leaving water on before evacuating
“Lake Tahoe residents are being told to stop leaving running sprinklers and hoses on roofs as they evacuate their homes. The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, made up of professionals from a number of local and state agencies, said it has been seeing the “alarming trend” as crews and water purveyors make their way through neighborhoods impacted by the Caldor Fire. “Not only is this not helpful in protecting homes from wildfire, but it can be detrimental for firefighters who rely on water supply with adequate water flow to fight fire in extremely dangerous conditions,” TFFT wrote in Wednesday’s release. … ” Read more from KTXL here: Lake Tahoe residents told to stop leaving water on before evacuating
Caldor Fire may imperil fish important to Lake Tahoe-area tribes
“The massive Caldor Fire burning in California’s Sierra Nevada has forced the evacuation of thousands of people who live and work around Lake Tahoe, but biologists and nearby tribes also worry about the fate of the lake’s occupants. The fish, including an already imperiled species of trout, could suffer if ash and sediments begin to collect in the water. Biologists are monitoring the ever-changing conditions for fish and the plants and smaller animals the fish depend on for food. The state and federal agencies and their tribal partners will also watch for possible effects on water quality and food supplies when accumulated ash and sediment wash into the lake during the winter rains and snowfall. … ” Read more from the Arizona Central here: Caldor Fire may imperil fish important to Lake Tahoe-area tribes
Lake Tahoe faces what could be the worst disaster in its history. What’s at stake?
“Even after 20 years of living at Lake Tahoe, it still takes Corey Rich’s breath away when he comes home. Rich is an adventure photographer, shooting at exotic locales all over the world, from the airless mountain peaks of Pakistan to the waterfalls of Chile. Doesn’t hold a candle to Tahoe, he says. “Driving back into that basin and seeing that crystal blue water, that incredible granite, those beautiful trees, I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he said. “There’s something magical about seeing an entire alpine basin blanketed — just a carpet of green, lush as far as you can see. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Lake Tahoe faces what could be the worst disaster in its history. What’s at stake?
In commentary today …
Two kinds
Trudy Wischemann writes, ” … I’ve found myself looking at two kinds of people in this world most of my life, particularly as I find them in California agriculture. I’ve looked especially at two kinds of things created by those two kinds of people: two kinds of water rights, two kinds of political structures, two kinds of towns, two kinds of farmers (oops, sorry, I meant “growers”). It all started for me during the 1976-77 drought, when those two kinds of everything stood out in stark relief. Over the years I’ve witnessed the same thing in drought years: our awareness of the two kinds increases, then melts away during the next rains. So now, when the question “what if it doesn’t rain for the next two years?” brings on nightmares to those brave enough to be aware, I’m going to bring it back up. One of those two kinds of people is hanging by a thread, and we will lose that kind of person, that kind of grower, that kind of water user if we don’t act. We will lose them in droves. … ” Read the full commentary at the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Two kinds
Statewide environmental crises shouldn’t be ‘new normal’
Andrew Hanna, a high school student, freelance writer and soon-to-be published author, writes, “As I drove past Mount Tamalpais recently, I could only make out the hazy outline of Marin’s highest peak. The mountain – and everything around it – was almost completely obscured by wildfire smoke. This unsettling reality is the prelude to what promises to be one of the worst fire seasons in the state’s history. From the beginning of 2021, a staggering number of nearly 7,000 wildfires have occurred across California – nearly 600 more than the state had experienced at the same point during 2020. The Dixie Fire alone has consumed well over 700,000 acres, making it the second-largest recorded fire in state history. Additionally, California is in the grips of an unprecedented drought. … This shouldn’t be the new normal. … ” Continue reading at the Marin Independent Journal here: Statewide environmental crises shouldn’t be ‘new normal’
In regional water news and commentary today …
Collaborative efforts once again being used in the Sacramento Valley to benefit birds and the Pacific Flyway
“At the end of the growing season, as the Sacramento Valley transitions from summer to fall, we shift from the agronomic season to the bird season as waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway begin to arrive as part of their annual migration. Birds and other species using the Pacific Flyway are reliant upon varied land uses in the Sacramento Valley that include ricelands and managed wetlands (both privately managed wetlands and public refuges and state wildlife areas) to meet their habitat needs. Much of the habitat value of these lands (food, safe resting areas and for some species nesting areas) is dependent upon surface water deliveries. Because of the magnitude of habitat usually available in the Sacramento Valley, it serves a vital role to birds using the Pacific Flyway. This year, that role has a heightened level of importance, as the birds that arrive in the Valley will have traveled through a Flyway that is in the middle of a west-wide drought. … ” Continue reading at the Northern California Water Association here: Collaborative efforts once again being used in the Sacramento Valley to benefit birds and the Pacific Flyway
Corning implements volunteer water conservation program
“A Stage 1 Volunteer Water Conservation program was approved by the Corning City Council during its Aug. 24 meeting. The programs asks city water users to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 15 percent of normal useage. City Manager Kristina Miller said the program is in response to the state government’s July 8 executive order calling on all Californians to voluntarily reduce water usage by 15 percent of last year’s levels in order to preserve the state’s surface and groundwater supplies under the ongoing drought conditions. ... ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Corning implements volunteer water conservation program
City of Ukiah plans to defy state curtailment orders to deliver water to the coast
“The city of Ukiah announced Tuesday that it plans to divert water from the Russian River in order to deliver water to residents of the Mendocino Coast, actions that would be in direct defiance of the curtailment orders imposed by the California State Water Resources Control Board in early August. “We don’t agree that the water is not there, it is,” said Sean White, director of water and sewer resources for the city of Ukiah, describing the amount of water the city intends to make available to coastal residents as “very small amount” of water that is within the 1.4 cubic feet per second that the city describes as being allowed under its “water right that dates back to 1874.” … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal here: City of Ukiah plans to defy state curtailment orders to deliver water to the coast
Sonoma County: Fire season, meet drought season. This is the new normal.
“In the past couple of years, society has locked on to the term “new normal.” We hear it daily in our conversations with others, on the evening news and on social media. Pick most any subject that has changed in the past several years and someone will mention the “new normal.” When discussing fire season, we in Sonoma County are all too familiar with the new normal when it comes large scale vegetation fires. Since the Tubbs Fire in 2017, Sonoma County has experienced more than its fair share of catastrophic fires. The current drought situation in California is certainly alarming and the affect it has had on our vegetation around the state is of significant importance. Is this a new phenomenon for our county? It depends on who you talk to or what scientific data you read. Is it normal? Currently, yes, it is? But is that to say it won’t change at some point in our lifetime? Scientific data says it will. … ” Read more from the Sonoma County Gazette here: Sonoma County: Fire season, meet drought season. This is the new normal.
Marin editorial: Creek work in Ross key to county’s flood plan
The Marin Independent Journal editorial board writes, “More than 50 years and millions of dollars of damage later — and after spending hundreds of thousands more on studies and plans — Marin County and the town of Ross are moving forward on improving flood protection along Corte Madera Creek. The two have reached a consensus on a $14 million plan that is headed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its approval and funding. For too long, reaching a constructive consensus seemed an erstwhile political exercise. Even after property owners approved the local flood protection tax in 2007, it has taken far too long to get to the point when significant improvements are underway. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin editorial: Creek work in Ross key to county’s flood plan
Pressed by drought and climate change, Antioch turns to desalination
“Founded on a lush plain of the largest estuary on the West Coast of North America shortly after gold was discovered, Antioch’s fortunes have always risen and fallen with the delta tides. … for over 50 years the lower stages of the river and the encompassing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta have been inundated with salt caused by state and federal water projects, increased agricultural runoff, drought and sea level rise. The mounting challenges have rendered the city’s claim useless for large stretches of the year, especially during California’s increasingly common droughts. … ” Continue reading at the Courthouse News Service here: Pressed by drought and climate change, a California city turns to desalination
Water shutoff on parts of Mt. Diablo due to drought
“Pack a few extra water bottles the next time you head to Mount Diablo State Park. Due to the drought, faucets, showers and flushing toilets have been turned off at various parts of the mountain. The California Department of Parks and Recreation says water springs on Mount Diablo State Park have been reduced to a trickle and the water storage tanks are close to empty. That’s why, about two weeks ago, the decision was made to shut down faucets around picnic and camping areas. … ” Read more from KRON here: Water shutoff on parts of Mt. Diablo due to drought
Running dry: Reservoirs serving Valley Water reach historic lows
“Extreme drought conditions have caused the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s reservoirs to drop to just 12.5% of capacity, the water district said in an Aug. 25 statement. The seriousness of the drought is evident in photos the district has taken comparing water levels in April 2017 and last month. In 2017, water levels in the district’s 10 reservoirs were at more than 85% of capacity. The district provides water to parts of Mountain View as well as the south bay. It instituted a 15% mandatory reduction in water use among its customers on June 9 due to state and federal cutbacks, dwindling Sierra snowpack and the Anderson Reservoir shutdown. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online here: Running dry: Reservoirs serving Valley Water reach historic lows
More South Bay residents turn to graywater systems to save water and their plants
“As South Bay water officials ask everyone to cut back 15% because of the drought, more are turning to graywater to save water and their plants at the same time. … The district still has ample funding for conservation programs, including its Graywater Rebate, which refunds up to $400 to homeowners who install qualifying systems. So-called “Laundry to Landscape” systems have gained in popularity in recent years, with its relatively simple design that can typically be installed in a weekend by DIY-minded homeowners, with no permit required. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: More South Bay residents turn to graywater systems to save water and their plants
As Highway 46 improvement project impacts wetlands, CalTrans proposes Centennial Creek restoration
“The fastest route connecting the Central Valley to the Central Coast, Highway 46, has also been a notoriously dangerous one. … The widening has been a work in progress for several years, and eventually, Highway 46 will be a 4-lane divided expressway from Highway 101 in Paso Robles to Interstate 5 in Lost Hills in Kern County. The improvements do come at a cost, Moonjian said, as the project has impacted wetlands in the area. “So we’ve consolidated all of our mitigation needs into one location,” Moonjian said. “So that we can provide a more meaningful and holistic approach to mitigation.” CalTrans plans to restore about four acres around the Centennial Creek bed in Paso Robles. David Best with the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation district said he’s in favor of the plans, and believes it a win-win for residents in the area. … ” Read more from KCBX here: As Highway 46 improvement project impacts wetlands, CalTrans proposes Centennial Creek restoration
Cambria should declare a Stage 5 drought emergency and restrict water use
“Cambria is at very real risk of running out of water until the first rain, and yet the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) counterintuitively seems to have decided to do nothing about the possibility. Instead the CCSD should declare a Stage 5 emergency and configure an accompanying policy to significantly restrict demand for the rest of the year. Unlike other towns in the county, Cambria relies entirely on two streams—Santa Rosa and San Simeon creeks—for its supply of water, and these are getting dangerously low as we move through the summer. The drought has meant that even what rain we did get during the winter was heavily concentrated in one storm, and we have gotten virtually nothing since. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Cambria should declare a Stage 5 drought emergency and restrict water use
Infrastructure bill will help Valley store water, fix roads
“The $1 trillion federal infrastructure package is being touted as a victory for the country’s roads, water storage, internet capabilities and public works systems, but how will it benefit Turlock? The legislation was approved by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 10 following a 69-30 vote, with 19 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in supporting the plan. “This bipartisan bill has the investments we need to fix our roads and bridges, finally build new water storage projects, and get our firefighters the tools and technology to keep all of us safe,” Rep. Josh Harder (D-Turlock) said. “It’s supported by Republicans and Democrats alike so I’m working to get it signed into law as fast as I can.” ... ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Infrastructure bill will help Valley store water, fix roads
Madera commentary: Is anyone listening?
Tom Willey with T&D Willey Farms writes, “One courageous voice in our community has been sounding the alarm that our precious aquifer, lifeblood of our economy, households, and public facilities, is in imminent collapse. For the better part of this year, Matt Angell, managing partner of Madera Pumps Inc., has been reeling his video camera down failing wells across the county, stunned by the unprecedented conditions he is witnessing. Plunging water levels, well casings crushed and split like beer cans, and good wells reduced to a trickle of their recent selves, have Matt sounding the cry that our community must respond in equal measure to the challenge before us. We are not. Is anyone listening? … ” Continue reading at the Madera Tribune here: Madera commentary: Is anyone listening?
Santa Monica receives significant grants to advance water self-sufficiency projects
“The City of Santa Monica’s Department of Public Works, Water Resources and Engineering Divisions have successfully secured multiple grants, totaling over $45 million, to fund various water self-sufficiency projects to diversify and increase Santa Monica’s local water supplies. “These grants come at a critical time and will help fund local water supply projects to enhance drought resiliency and reduce the City’s reliance on imported water,” said Interim Public Works Director Rick Valte. “Public Works looks forward to delivering these projects in the near and long term that will positively impact the Santa Monica community for decades.” … ” Read more from the City of Santa Monica here: Santa Monica receives significant grants to advance water self-sufficiency projects
The Bay Foundation releases year 5 report on Ballona Wetlands Community Iceplant Removal Project
“The Bay Foundation (TBF) has released the latest annual report for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration: Community Iceplant Removal Project (Year 5), indicating that the restoration project has thus far successfully removed over 34 tons of iceplant from the project area within the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve (Reserve), showing very little regrowth. Five–year highlights include installation of over 1,400 native plants and seeding native vegetation throughout the site. Over 25 native species were seeded or planted, and results show an increase in native vegetation cover overall. The project, which relies on community volunteers as well as TBF staff and partners, has also removed hundreds of bags of other non–native invasive plant species, which require ongoing maintenance. The project also aimed to broaden public involvement and stewardship at the Reserve. The project is in partnership with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and Friends of Ballona Wetlands (FBW). … “
Proposed change at Prado Dam could yield water for 60,000 more people
“Enough water for 60,000 Orange County residents can be generated by more efficient release of rainwater from the Prado Dam into the Santa Ana River, according to a new multi-agency report. During a year of average rainfall, that’s the amount of water currently flowing into the ocean that could be captured for urban use, according to the two co-chairmen of the committee overseeing project. The proposed plan, slated to begin phasing in next year, would enable more rainwater to be absorbed into the county’s major groundwater basin before it reaches the Pacific. “Local stormwater capture is important because it lessens demand on imported water supplies, which are more costly and less reliable than groundwater,” said Steve Sheldon, president of the Orange County Water District. ... ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: Proposed change at Prado Dam could yield water for 60,000 more people
Will Salton Sea efforts get promised $220 million in California budget or not?
“Concerned that tens of millions of dollars promised to help address woes at the Salton Sea could vanish from this year’s state budget, a chorus of Riverside and Imperial County officials this week wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot politely demanding that the funding stay on track. “In May, we joined regional leaders in lauding your decision to include $220 million for the Salton Sea as part of a $5.1 billion dollar ‘California Roars Back’ plan,” wrote the president and vice president of the Salton Sea Authority, a joint powers agency comprising area water districts, both counties and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. ... ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Will Salton Sea efforts get promised $220 million in California budget or not?
Looking to keep Imperial Beach above water
“Imperial Beach has a flooding problem. The city’s mayor and local researchers said it’s only going to get worse. “Probably by [the year] 2100, more than 30% of our city will be impacted by coastal flooding,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. Mayor Dedina sites global warming, rising sea levels, a dated stormwater system, and his city’s geographic location, as problems that lead to flooding in his city. Imperial Beach has the Pacific Ocean to the West, San Diego Bay to the North, the Otay River to the East, and the Tijuana River Estuary to the South. … ” Read more from NBC San Diego here: Looking to keep Imperial Beach above water
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River forecasts not a ‘crystal ball’
“Every month the Bureau of Reclamation attempts to peer two years into the future of the Colorado River and its reservoirs. Reclamation’s 24-month study is a staple forecasting product for the federal agency that manages a chain of dams in the watershed, including those that control lakes Mead and Powell, the country’s largest reservoirs — and currently two of its most consequential. … The 24-month study, in the simplest terms, projects water levels for the next two years at 12 federal reservoirs in the Colorado River basin. Produced monthly, it’s one of several forecasting products that give water managers a sense of possible futures. It is also the foundation of essential water management decisions in the basin. Reclamation’s other forecasts, updated less frequently, look at mid-term (five years out) and long-term (multiple decades) scenarios. Typically nested in wonkish obscurity, the 24-month study acquired newfound public prominence in recent weeks. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: Colorado River forecasts not a ‘crystal ball’
Colorado River states collaborate on remaining water
“Concerns over crashing water levels in two of the West’s larger reservoirs is raising a spirit of cooperation between the Colorado River states. The head of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources said recently that cooperation among the states – namely California, Nevada, and Arizona – is focused on slowing or reversing the drying of lakes Mead and Powell. Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, says there are real fears exist that lakes Powell and Mead could fall to “dead pool” status, the level at which water can no longer be released to the Colorado River. Current conditions are not that dire, but Buschatzke told a room full of water attorneys in Scottsdale, Ariz. recently that all the best efforts of water managers in the past year were unable to stave off a Tier 1 restriction level at Lake Mead. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Colorado River states collaborate on remaining water
Drought-crippled Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon hydropower plants operating at substantially decreased capacity
“The iconic 2-GW Hoover Dam and 1.3-GW Glen Canyon Dam hydropower plants are operating at substantially reduced capacity, paralyzed by enduring drought conditions across the West, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has revealed. Weeks after USBR on Aug. 16 declared the first-ever federal water shortage at Lake Mead, the agency told POWER this week that deteriorating storage levels at the Colorado River’s largest reservoir are posing hurdles for power production from Hoover Dam. The situation could have new implications for Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada, which take the bulk of the allocated firm energy that the plant produces. ... ” Read more from Power Magazine here: Drought-crippled Hoover Dam, Glen Canyon hydropower plants operating at substantially decreased capacity
Utah’s new Colorado River Authority meets to discuss West’s water woes
“In mid-August, water cuts were announced for the first time ever for lower Colorado River Basin states as Lake Powell and Lake Mead reached historic lows. The Colorado River Authority of Utah, which was created by the state Legislature to manage water interests, met for a second time Monday. Representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation detailed the river’s dire hydrological conditions. The river relies on snowpack from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Gene Shawcroft, Utah’s Colorado River commissioner, said this year, there was just 30% of normal runoff. Shawcroft said other upstream reservoirs, including Utah’s Flaming Gorge, have released additional water to help the river’s system. … ” Read more from KUER here: Utah’s new Colorado River Authority meets to discuss West’s water woes
Rare earth elements and old mines spell trouble for Western U.S. water supplies
“Rare earth elements are finding their way into Colorado water supplies, driven by changes in climate, finds a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Rare earth elements are necessary components of many computing and other high-tech devices, like cell phones and hard drives. But there is growing recognition that they can be hazardous in the environment even at low levels of concentration. “This is of concern because their concentrations are not monitored and there are no water quality standards set for them,” says study author Diane McKnight, who is an INSTAAR Fellow and engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. ... ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Rare earth elements and old mines spell trouble for Western U.S. water supplies
In national water news today …
Court halts Trump’s water rule
“The U.S. District Court in Arizona struck down the Trump administration’s 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, again casting uncertainty on farmers as it relates to jurisdiction of water features on their farms. The ruling issued Aug. 30 vacated the NWPR, signaling an end to the definitions put in place by the Trump administration as the Biden administration also begins to rewrite its own version of how to define federal water. Under the Trump-era rules, the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers had jurisdiction to regulate clearly defined categories of waters, with any water not regulated by the federal government being under the oversight of state and local municipalities. This rule had replaced a 2015 rule proposed by the Obama administration which many saw as a vast overreach of federal water jurisdiction. … ” Read more from Farm Progress here: Court halts Trump’s water rule
Ebb and flow of federal water regulation
“A court decision in late August to scrap the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule brings back the long-running debate and uncertainty of federal regulation of water and water quality. The Trump administration had repealed and then rewritten the Waters of the United States rule written by the Obama administration in response to lingering issues related to Supreme Court rulings from more than a decade ago and varying arguments about their interpretation. The Biden administration had already indicated plans to rewrite the rule again, and the latest court action paves the way for a new rule to come. However, it also raises a great deal of uncertainty as the pendulum on federal regulation seems to swing back and forth, and the process leaves everyone without a working definition of WOTUS beyond the earlier court interpretation. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Ebb and flow of federal water regulation
How Biden’s team rushed to dump a Trump-era PFAS assessment
“Trump-era EPA appointees engaged in “considerable political level interference” on an assessment for a controversial “forever chemical,” documents obtained by E&E News indicate. But the Biden administration wasted no time in yanking that document, moving to scrub the assessment of alterations made by political appointees and restore language advocated by EPA career scientists shortly after the president’s inauguration. At issue is a toxicity assessment for PFBS, part of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances family. PFBS is a replacement chemical for PFOS — one of the two most well-studied and controversial PFAS, due to health risks like cancer. The replacement compound, a surfactant, is used in manufacturing processes and to make stain-resistant coatings for various consumer items like clothes, among other purposes. … ” Read more from E&E News here: How Biden’s team rushed to dump a Trump-era PFAS assessment
Can rock dust be a climate fix for agriculture?
“On a hot and humid August day near Geneva, New York, Garrett Boudinot stands in a field of hemp, the green stalks towering a foot or more over his 6-foot, 4-inch frame. Today, the mustached Cornell University research assistant will harvest six acres of the crop, weigh it in red plastic garbage bins, and continue to analyze the hundreds of water samples taken with measuring devices called lysimeters that have been buried in the field over the last three months. Boudinot, part of a research team at Cornell University, will sweat through the next two days of field work to see whether an unusual component added to the soil earlier in the year helped increase yields and sequester carbon. This soil amendment “we just call lovingly ‘rock dust,’ which isn’t very descriptive,” says Boudinot. “But it’s really silicate rocks that have been pulverized to a fine powder.” ... ” Read more from the Food and Environment Network here: Can rock dust be a climate fix for agriculture?
Today’s featured articles …
MONTHLY RESERVOIR REPORT for September 1st
Prepared exclusively for Maven’s Notebook by hydrologist Robert Shibatani
Click here to read the Monthly Reservoir Report.
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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: State Water Board soliciting public comment on proposed emergency regulation for Mill and Deer Creeks
