In California water news today …
Creating collaborative recharge partnerships in the San Joaquin Valley
“Bringing the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater basins into balance by the early 2040s is going to be challenging, but two neighboring groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in Madera County are collaborating to move the process forward. We spoke with one engineering consultant and one general manager—Joe Hopkins of Aliso Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Sarah Woolf of the Triangle T Water District—to hear about their agencies’ efforts to comply with the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ” Read more from the PPIC here: Creating collaborative recharge partnerships in the San Joaquin Valley
Lake Tahoe falls to alarmingly low level – environmental impacts could result
“This week, a historically dry period in California will come to bear at Lake Tahoe, where the water level is expected to sink below the basin’s natural rim. That’s the point at which the lake pours into its only outflow, the Truckee River. It’s not a crisis, researchers and conservationists say, but it marks another extreme swing for Tahoe amid historic drought, wildfires and erratic weather, all intertwined with climate change and becoming more prominent aspects of the alpine environment. “Going below the natural rim won’t change much in the lake itself. But there’s very little positive about low lake levels once they get below the rim,” said Geoffrey Schladow, director of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center at UC Davis. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Lake Tahoe falls to alarmingly low level – environmental impacts could result
Low water levels trigger curtailments for water right holders in Mill and Deer creeks
“With climate change impacts reducing water levels to almost half of normal volume throughout the Sacramento River basin, the State Water Resources Control Board today ordered all 22 right holders in the Mill and Deer creek watersheds to stop diverting to protect drinking water and other health and safety water supply needs and meet flow requirements for endangered and threatened fish species. An emergency regulation authorizing curtailment orders in the watersheds was adopted by the State Water Board on Sept. 22, 2021 and approved by the Office of Administrative Law on Oct. 4, 2021. … ”
Summer of 2021, another dry-well-a-palooza
“Phones were ringing practically non-stop at Self-Help Enterprises toward the end of this summer with valley residents all calling about the same problem: Their wells had gone dry. Employees were fielding 100s of calls a month from people whose wells had dried up, Marliez Diaz wrote in an email. Diaz is a water sustainability manager for Self-Help a community organization based in Visalia that works on housing and water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. The number of calls has slowed so far in October, but the organization is still getting six or seven calls a day. … ” Read more from Capital Press here: Summer of 2021, another dry-well-a-palooza
Drought-stricken Western towns say no to developers
“In the small city of Oakley, Utah, the drought conditions parching much of the West have depleted the natural springs that supply water to the community. During each of the past several summers, local leaders worried that quenching any major fire might empty the city’s water tanks. The city issued water-use restrictions this past April and residents cut back, but officials heard a consistent message from their constituents, said Mayor Wade Woolstenhulme. “If you guys are so low on water, why do you keep giving out building permits?” In May, Oakley’s city council voted to pause new development and to prohibit any new landscaping needing irrigation, including private lawns. The 180-day ban was a drastic measure that city leaders were reluctant to take. Woolstenhulme said they had no choice. “We can only allow [development] that we can provide water for,” he said. “We need to protect the people who live here before we let more people come in.” … ” Read more from the Pew Charitable Trust here: Drought-stricken Western towns say no to developers
Governor Newsom signs SB 821, restoring compensation to Delta Independent Science Board
“On Thursday, October 7, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 821, which mandates that members of the Delta Independent Science Board shall not be employees of the Delta Stewardship Council, and that the Council shall issue contracts to pay the Delta Independent Science Board members at professional scientific rates. The Governor’s signing of SB 821 ends an embarrassing chapter in the state’s administration of the Delta Independent Science Board. … ” Read more from the California Water Research blog here: Governor Newsom signs SB 821, restoring compensation to Delta Independent Science Board
Q/A: Building the tunnel, Part 1: Nothing boring about boring technology
“There is absolutely nothing boring about a tunnel boring machine (TBM). Today’s TBMs resemble massive subterranean factories, capable of cutting through harder rock and against higher water pressures than ever before. TBMs can now operate in mixed ground conditions and in a host of other environments that would have been impossible as recently as the 1970s and 1980s. For the first episode in a special two-part Delta Conveyance Deep Dive series on tunnel construction, we invited two of the Delta Conveyance Project design team’s leading consultants on tunnel design and engineering to talk about the state‑of‑the‑art technology that would be used to build the Delta Conveyance Project. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Q/A: Building the tunnel, Part 1: Nothing boring about boring technology
Contractor selected for Friant-Kern repairs
“The final piece of the puzzle for construction of much needed repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal to begin soon is now in place. On Thursday the Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority, which oversees the canal, announced the selection of a contractor to begin work on the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project. The project involves the repair o a 33-mile stretch of the canal from between Lindsay and Strathmore to North Kern County. Brosamer & Wall/Tutor Perini Joint Venture form Walnut Creek, Calif., was awarded a $177 million contract to complete first phase of repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal along a portion of the 33-mile stretch to be repaired. It’s estimated this portion of the canal has lost as much as 60 percent of its capability to deliver water due to the canal’s sinking level, known as subsidence, as a result of the overpumping of groundwater. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Contractor selected for Friant-Kern repairs
West Coast water justice podcast launched on Indigenous People’s Day
“Today Save California Salmon released its first episode of the Western Water Justice podcast, “Envisioning Justice on the Klamath River with Dr. Cutcha Risling-Baldy”. The first episode of the podcast was released today in honor of indigenous People’s Day, according to Save California Salmon. “The Western Water Justice podcast aims to highlight issues of water injustice in the west, along with the voices of those that are the most impacted by the climate and water crises in the Western United States,” according to the group. “The podcast also aims to provide solutions for our crises and to envision a more just world. The first episodes will be focused on the Klamath River.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos here: West Coast water justice podcast launched on Indigenous People’s Day
Cultivate California educates residents about farms’ need for water
“California is in the middle of one of its worst droughts on record. The federal government reports that showed that nearly half of the state – including the entire Central Valley – is in an exceptional drought as of mid-October. Overall, 2021 has been the ninth driest year in California since accurate records began being kept 127 years ago. Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir, is at 23% of capacity and Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir, is at 22% of capacity. No one knows how long these dry conditions will last, but the most recent drought lasted for 376 weeks, from December 2011 to March 2019. And the National Weather Service currently forecasts that drought conditions are likely to continue in California as a weak La Niña effect will likely see storms diverted to the Pacific Northwest this winter. And all of that is bad news for California agriculture. … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: Cultivate California educates residents about farms’ need for water
Video: How much is water worth? Why a billionaire-owned stake in a California water bank could be worth more than $1 billion
“How much is access to water worth? In this episode, we aim to answer that question by looking at the Kern Water Bank, one of California’s largest underground water storage facilities. From above, it looks a lot like a giant puddle. But underneath it has the capacity to hold the equivalent of roughly 500 of New York City’s Central Park Reservoirs. And, as one expert says, it’s the “absolute jewel” of California water banking. It’s also part-owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire couple behind fruit and nut giant Wonderful Company, which makes everything from Halos mandarins to POM Wonderful juice. As California and the Western U.S. sinks deeper into a 20-year megadrought, Forbes estimates that the Resnicks’ 57% stake in the water bank could be worth $1.7 billion—and counting.” Watch video from Forbes here: Video: How much is water worth? Why a billionaire-owned stake in a California water bank could be worth more than $1 billion
State Water Board raises fees again – ignores industry concerns
“Recently, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) voted to increase all of their water quality and water rights fees again. This time they increased the fees across the board. In one program in particular, the Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) Fee had already increased by 112% from 20111 to 2020. This past week, the SWRCB voted to increase those fees another 16.8%! Despite industry pleas, including testimony from the Association’s President/CEO Roger Isom, the board voted unanimously to increase the economic burden on the agricultural industry once again. … ” Read more from Cal Ag Today here: State Water Board raises fees again – ignores industry concerns
Legal brief: Pesticides in water
“Environmentalists want the Ninth Circuit to look into whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fully assessed the dangers to freshwater endangered species of pesticides sprayed directly on bodies of water.” Read the legal brief via Courthouse News here: Legal brief: Pesticides in water
Atmospheric rivers are stable for now — but change is on the way
“Yale researchers are charting the course of mighty “rivers” in the sky that are holding steady in the face of climate change — for now. In future decades, however, climate-induced changes to these atmospheric rivers could drastically increase extreme precipitation events in some parts of the world, they report in a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Atmospheric rivers — long, winding filaments of intense water vapor — account for as much as 90% of the moisture sent toward the North and South poles. They are thousands of miles long and hundreds of miles wide; globally, they transport more water than the discharge of 27 Mississippi Rivers. And yet their meanderings have been somewhat mysterious. … ” Read more from Yale University here: Atmospheric rivers are stable for now — but change is on the way
Distribution of landfalling Atmospheric Rivers over the U.S. West Coast during Water Year 2021: End of water year summary
View the summary from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes by clicking here.
Big western storm brings fire danger to California and heavy snow to Rockies
“A strong cross-country storm system is bringing the worst of every season as it sweeps across the nation, featuring howling winds and a serious fire danger in California, heavy snow in the Rockies and, by Tuesday night, a severe thunderstorm threat in the Plains. It comes on the heels of a weekend storm that also brought heavy snow to parts of the West and tornadoes in Oklahoma. This new storm slamming the West has prompted the National Weather Service to hoist advisories for multiple hazards affecting tens of millions of people from California to Colorado. … ” Read more from the Washington Post here: Big western storm brings fire danger to California and heavy snow to Rockies
California releases first-ever draft natural and working lands climate smart strategy
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), together with state agency partners, today released a draft Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy that will guide and accelerate near- and long-term climate action across key California landscapes. The document is available for public feedback through November 9. The Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy responds directly to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nature-based solutions Executive Order N-82-20, which identified our natural and working lands as a critical yet currently underutilized sector in the fight against climate change. These lands cover 90 percent of California’s 105 million acres, and can sequester and store carbon emissions, limit future carbon emissions into the atmosphere, protect people and nature from the impacts of climate change, and build resilience to future climate risks. Climate smart management of our natural and working lands also delivers on other critical priorities for California, such as improving public health and safety, securing our food and water supplies, and increasing equity. … ” Read more from the California Natural Resources Agency here: California releases first-ever draft natural and working lands climate smart strategy
In commentary today …
California is fighting a two-front war: climate change and climate already changed
“It’s been 15 years since California passed a historic, first-in-the-nation law to cut back greenhouse gas emissions. In 2006, we thought of climate change as a threat in the distant future. But we’re no longer waiting for our climate to change. The stark reality we face today is a climate that has already changed. As we write this, our forests are burning. Our neighborhoods are experiencing extreme heat. Our wells are running dry. These are all deadly consequences of a changed climate and its catastrophic effects are rapidly escalating in severity. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: California is fighting a two-front war: climate change and climate already changed
In regional water news and commentary today …
Upper Klamath River salmon quota met
“Based upon California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) projections of the recreational fall-run Chinook salmon catch on the Klamath River, anglers will meet the Upper Klamath River adult fall-run Chinook salmon quota below Iron Gate Dam for the 2021 season as of 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 11. This triggers the closure of the adult fall-run Chinook salmon fishery on the main stem of the Klamath River from 3,500 feet downstream of the Iron Gate Dam to the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec. The fishery at the mouth of the Klamath River was closed as of August 28 and will remain closed to all fishing for the rest of the calendar year, and the adult fall-run Chinook salmon fishery on the lower Klamath River was closed as of September 8. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife here: Upper Klamath River salmon quota met
Column: Citizen science on the shores of Clear Lake
“When the Lake County Land Trust, or LCLT, developed a set of long term priorities for future acquisitions and conservation easements nearly 15 years ago, preservation of the wetlands along the western Clear Lake shoreline from Clear Lake State Park to south Lakeport in what came to be called the Big Valley Wetlands project came out at the top of the list. Over the years Clear Lake has lost about 80% of its natural shoreline to development. … ” Read more from Lake County News here: Column: Citizen science on the shores of Clear Lake
Commentary: Wake up and smell the cannabis, Sonoma County
Deborah A. Eppstein and Craig S. Harrison write, “Sonoma County swung and missed three times in its effort to establish a successful cannabis ordinance. The board of supervisors (BOS) recently approved a temporary moratorium on permitting because it realized its flawed policy enables illegal operations. The BOS should hit pause by extending the moratorium and get the policy right for both commercial growers and neighborhoods. The cannabis ordinance is flawed, an understandable situation when regulating a new industry. … ” Continue reading at the Sonoma Sun here: Wake up and smell the cannabis, Sonoma County
Corning looking to expand water system through grant
“The city is looking to secure grant funding to help fund three wells and extend water mains and laterals with the municipality’s sphere of influence. City staff Tuesday will ask for council permission to apply for a Small Community Drought Relief of $22,322,250 through the Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News here: Corning looking to expand water system through grant
Town, City heads come together to discuss Paradise-Chico sewage pipeline
“Minor draft adjustments were made Monday as the Advisory Committee behind the Paradise Sewer Regionalization Project met to discuss principles of agreement going forward. The committee is made up of Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder and Vice Mayor Jodi Jones as well as Chico Mayor Andrew Coolidge and Vice Mayor Kacey Reynolds. For the project, both Paradise and Chico are working with design firm HDR, which aids in engineering, architecture and related elements. HDR Senior Program Manager John Buttz led much of the discussion, going over principles of agreement between the city and town going forward in an effort to create a smooth transition by the time the project is completed. … ” Read m0re from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Town, City heads come together to discuss Paradise-Chico sewage pipeline
New climate graphic shows Sacramento underwater. It doesn’t account for levees
“Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists and journalists who research and report on climate science, released new visualizations and data that show how rising sea levels from climate change could impact Sacramento. One of the graphics projects dramatic flooding at the state Capitol Building in the next hundreds of years if carbon pollution continues to go unchecked and, in turn, causes a 4-degree Celsius increase in global temperature. Climate Central also released an interactive map of Sacramento, depicting areas in the region that would flood in the future due to rising sea levels. But these visuals do not consider one important element — levees. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: New climate graphic shows Sacramento underwater. It doesn’t account for levees
RELATED: Picturing Our Future, from Climate Central
Yuba Water Agency recognized for its leadership in Yuba River watershed education
“Yuba Water Agency has received a distinguished contribution award from the California Association of Science Educators (CASE) for its Yuba River watershed curriculum project. The project is the cornerstone of the agency’s broader watershed education program, which aims to promote stewardship and awareness of the region’s water and natural resources. “We’re honored to receive this recognition and grateful for the many partners who have helped shape our education program into what it is today,” said Willie Whittlesey, Yuba Water’s general manager. “We hope these efforts will expand opportunities for Yuba County students and inspire them, instilling a life-long appreciation for the incredible natural resources we have in our backyard.” ... ” Read more from YubaNet here: Yuba Water Agency recognized for its leadership in Yuba River watershed education
Study identifies Morro Bay Estuary as site to restore native oysters
“A recent study identifies Morro Bay Estuary as a priority location for restoring the native Olympia oyster population through conservation aquaculture. It’s a project that unites shellfish lovers and conservationists on the Central Coast. April Ridlon, a post-doctoral researcher at UC Santa Barbara, said oysters are not as charismatic as other marine organisms she has studied, but they are a foundation species — meaning they create a habitat for other animals that live on or near their shells. They are also a source of food for crabs, birds, and humans. … ” Read more from KCBX here: Study identifies Morro Bay Estuary as site to restore native oysters
SCV Water wins its second WaterSense® Excellence Award
“SCV Water has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a 2021 WaterSense Excellence Award winner for its Multifamily Apartment Program, which strives to improve water efficiency in multifamily housing. “We’re honored to win our second WaterSense Excellence Award,” said Sustainability Manager Matt Dickens. “We’re so fortunate to have property management companies that are willing to partner with us in saving water in our valley.” SCV Water is one of only 13 entities nationwide to receive the Excellence award. In total, 34 entities, which include utilities, manufacturers, builders and other organizations were recognized by WaterSense in 2021, including 12 WaterSense Partners of the Year, and 9 Sustained Excellence Award winners. … ” Read more from SCV Water here: SCV Water wins its second WaterSense® Excellence Award
Column: You thought the oil spill was bad? In L.A., toxic waste is everywhere
Columnist Patt Morrison writes, “In a bad way, a very bad way, the Huntington Beach oil spill is the enviro-disaster equivalent of the giant panda. The oil spill is of course many things that the hugely adorable panda is not. The oil spill is not cute. It is not charismatic. But it is the big event, the photo-compelling thing that commands news airtime and elbows into social media. The downside of giant panda-dolatry is that it can eclipse the sorrowful state of other species who are just as critically endangered but unlikely to inspire Facebook pages and stuffed toys. When “charismatic mega-fauna” are in trouble — pandas, elephants, polar bears — people rise up. When the pygmy hog-sucking louse slides toward extinction, who but the pygmy hog cares? … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: You thought the oil spill was bad? In L.A., toxic waste is everywhere
El Monte: Treatment plant expansion to address PFAS in drinking water
“Plans to expand a California Domestic Water Company (Cal Domestic) treatment facility have been finalized, laying the foundation for improved drinking water quality and use of local water resources to continue serving people across the south Puente Hills region. The El Monte City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit for the planned treatment facility at its September 21, 2021 meeting where city officials acknowledged the company’s efforts to work swiftly towards a solution for continuing to ensure the public health and safety of those served. … ” Read more from Water World here: El Monte: Treatment plant expansion to address PFAS in drinking water
How to beat the drought? Inland Empire water agency wants to make it rain
“Programs from the drought-busting handbook practiced by Southern California water agencies include recycling water, building storm-water capture basins and offering cash rebates for replacing thirsty lawns with xeriscape landscaping. With the grip from a second year of drought tightening, a regional water-planning agency in the Inland Empire is moving ahead for the first time in its history with a more controversial program: cloud seeding. The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority Commission has approved a four-year pilot cloud-seeding project in yet-to-be-determined locations in and near the mountains of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and a portion of Los Angeles counties, said Jeff Mosher, SAWPA general manager. … ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: How to beat the drought? Inland Empire water agency wants to make it rain
San Bernardino water district bids $32 million for Highland property once slated for 3,600 homes
“The 1,657 sloping acres of dry scrub and boulders in Highland that had been slated for 3,600 houses as part of the Harmony development is one step closer to being sold. The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 5 accepted a high bid of $31,815,000 from the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. The supervisors made the move on behalf of the Orange County Flood Control District, which owns the land. The sale won’t be final until the end of a 120-day escrow, though it could close early. Water infrastructure and wildlife habitat are some of the potential uses. ... ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: San Bernardino water district bids $32 million for Highland property once slated for 3,600 homes
Long-term impacts of Hyperion sewage spill could take a year or more to study
“English sole fish and other marine life have been collected in the vicinity of the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant to determine whether the 17 million gallons of raw sewage discharged in July — and the subsequent release of partially treated wastewater in the months after — will have any long-term impacts on the ocean environment. However, officials with Los Angeles Sanitation’s Environmental Monitoring Division say it could take a year or more to get the full results back. LASAN collected the fish through trawling and the other lifeforms through sediment sampling in the Santa Monica Bay in late September, according to Mas Dojiri, the agency’s chief scientist. It will take months to identify and classify each organism before scientists can begin studying the data, Dojiri said. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here: Long-term impacts of Hyperion sewage spill could take a year or more to study
Committee holding vote, hearing in response to Calif. spill
“The House Natural Resources Committee will vote on a pair of bills to reform offshore oil and gas drilling in response to the recent crude spill off the California coast. In addition, the offshore bleed caused by a ruptured pipeline will be the basis for a hearing before the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee this week, part of an effort to explore greater oversight of offshore pipelines (Energywire, Oct. 5). “As long as the industry is given a free hand to operate with impunity and dodge responsibility for the mess they cause and leave behind, there will be more disasters,” said Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) in a statement last week. He added, “This Committee is moving quickly to protect our coastlines and the communities that rely on them by setting the standards the industry refuses to set for itself.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: Committee holding vote, hearing in response to Calif. spill
Along the Colorado River …
Monsoon brings positive impact to Santa Cruz, other waterways
“The beleaguered Santa Cruz river and other southern Arizona streams benefited from this summer’s monsoon. Luke Cole with the Sonoran Institute says flooding helped break up sediment and allowed more water to soak into riverbeds, recharging underground aquifers. And he expects an upcoming survey will yield details on how well the fish population in the Santa Cruz fared during the monsoon. “We do that all the way from Nogales to Marana, and so we should have some hard data on that sometime in mid-November,” said Cole. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media here: Monsoon brings positive impact to Santa Cruz, other waterways
Environmental groups sue BLM over cattle calls on San Pedro River
“Arizona environmentalists have followed through on their threat to sue the federal government over stray cows in the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity and the Phoenix-based Maricopa Audubon Society accuse the Bureau of Land Management of violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to keep trespassing cattle away from a rare plant called the Huachuca water umbel. The San Pedro River harbors one of the few remaining populations of the plant, but damage from livestock is pushing the species to the brink of extinction, said Robin Silver, co-founder of the center. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star here: Environmental groups sue BLM over cattle calls on San Pedro River
In national water news today …
Lawyers confused over water jurisdiction after conflicting rulings
“Water law experts disagree broadly about whether two federal court decisions vacating the Trump-era definition of the waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, applies nationwide as the Biden administration defines the term for itself. “There has been a period of transition and confusion since” the August decision vacating the Trump-era Navigable Waters Protection Rule, said Kevin Minoli, a partner at Alston & Bird LLP in Washington and former principal deputy general counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration. The confusion stems mainly from at least four federal court rulings—two vacating the the Trump-era rule and two remanding without vacatur. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: Lawyers confused over water jurisdiction after conflicting rulings
NOAA upgrades climate website amid growing demand for climate information
“NOAA’s Climate Program Office today launched a newly redesigned version of Climate.gov, NOAA’s award-winning, flagship website that provides the public with clear, timely, and science-based information about climate. The redesign expands the site’s already significant capacity to connect Americans with the resources they need to understand and plan for climate-related risks. Americans are facing increasingly frequent, severe, and often life-threatening risks from climate change-influenced extreme weather events. Communities, governments, and businesses have begun working to lower greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience. But according to the latest National Climate Assessment, the country will need to significantly scale up these efforts “to avoid substantial damages to the economy, environment, and human health over the coming decades.” … ” Read more from NOAA here: NOAA upgrades climate website amid growing demand for climate information
What sea level rise will do to famous American sites, visualized
“The land on which 10% of the world’s population lives could be lost to sea level rise if carbon emission trends continue, new maps and visualizations show. Fifty major cities, mostly in Asia, and at least one large nation on every continent but Australia and Antarctica are at risk. Many small island nations are threatened with near total loss of their land. The collection of images and videos produced by the non-profit Climate Central visualize future sea level rise if the world fails to meet emissions reduction targets. The images show what areas of the world can be saved and which could be lost, taking with them the heritage and history of these coastal communities. … ” Read more from the Guardian here: What sea level rise will do to famous American sites, visualized
Today’s featured articles …
FEATURE: Agricultural Pesticides Accumulate in Fish Prey Species in the Delta
Written by Elyse De Franco
The toxic effects of insecticides sprayed on Delta farmlands don’t stop at the pests they seek to target. Draining into the watershed via runoff, these chemicals then impact the aquatic invertebrates that fish depend on for food. A new study found that the common insecticide chlorpyrifos is accumulating in one such fish prey species, and that increasing exposure to the chemical causes genetic changes that induce resilience.
Click here to read this article.
BLOG ROUND-UP: California’s wildly inequitable water rights system; Will the Biden Administration adhere to its commitment to best science with water project operations?; DWR’s inability to take one solid action to protect the Delta; and more …
Click here for the blog round up.
