On the calendar today …
- CONFERENCE: Localizing California Waters fall conference (Virtual) from 9am to 2pm. Practitioners will share information and resources on the tools you can implement in your own yards and communities to survive and thrive in the face of drought and extreme conditions. A professional virtual facilitator will assure that the day of presentations, discussion and conversation are engaging and accessible. Together we can catalyze a paradigm shift toward local-based approaches that embrace equity and systems thinking. Click here to register.
- EVENT: Central Valley Tour 2021 A Virtual Journey from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Join the Water Education Foundation on a virtual journey through California’s Central Valley, known as the nation’s breadbasket thanks to an imported supply of surface water and local groundwater. Covering about 20,000 square miles through the heart of the state, the valley provides 25 percent of the nation’s food, including 40 percent of all fruits, nuts and vegetables consumed throughout the country. Click here to register.
- VIRTUAL EVENT: Yolo Flyway Nights: Aquatic Ecology, Climate Change, and Historical Ecology Research from 7pm to 8:30pm. Yolo Basin Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship Recipients Dive into Aquatic Ecology, Climate Change, and Historical Ecology Research. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
PPIC Report: Priorities for California’s Water
“Water is central to how California adapts to a changing climate. To those of us steeped in the complexities of managing the state’s water resources, the current fast-moving drought—coming on the heels of the record-breaking 2012–16 drought—is a stark reminder that we must accelerate preparation for the disruptive changes underway. Californians have taken steps to address major threats to our water resources. But a recent IPCC report underscored that the climate is changing faster than anticipated, and that many of these changes are already locked in. Rising temperatures are making our winters shorter and our droughts more intense, outpacing our ability to manage water supplies and the natural environment. We need to act with urgency to adapt to these changes. And we need to rethink how we store water. This brief examines how the current drought and a changing climate are affecting California’s ability to manage water and lays out priority actions to address major challenges—including some urgent short-term actions should the drought continue into next year. … ” Continue reading from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) here: PPIC Report: Priorities for California’s Water
Northwest storm train keeps rolling along
“November is beginning the same way October ended in the Northwest: stormy. AccuWeather forecasters say that the storm train is likely to keep chugging through the region for at least several more days. This stormy pattern is sending much-needed precipitation in the form of rain and mountain snow to areas from the Pacific Northwest to Northern California. … More rain and mountain snow are expected to start the weekend, with precipitation potentially getting as far south as the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada in California. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Northwest storm train keeps rolling along
CW3E AR Update: Active weather pattern expected to continue along US West Coast
“A series of low-pressure systems and atmospheric rivers (ARs) are forecasted to impact the western US this week into early next week. The first AR made landfall last night across Washington and Oregon. AR 4 conditions (based on the Ralph et al. 2019 AR Scale) are forecasted in portions of coastal Oregon. AR 2/AR 3 conditions are forecasted elsewhere along the coast between Northern California and Washington. After the first AR dissipates, multiple weak disturbances are forecasted to bring weak AR conditions to the US West Coast on Friday and Saturday. Another stronger AR may make landfall early next week, but there is considerable uncertainty regarding the AR timing, location, and magnitude. ... ” Read more from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes here: CW3E AR Update: 3 November 2021 Outlook
What will it take for California drought to end? It’s way more complicated than ‘rain’
“While drought does come and go, rain can bring some relief, according to the U.S. Geological Society. But exactly how much precipitation it would take to end the California drought is complicated. A major storm, like the bomb cyclone Northern California saw last month, can help — but it won’t end water woes. “It is important to remember that drought is a naturally recurring feature of our climate in California, and droughts will never completely go away,” said Michelle Stern, a hydrologist at USGS. “Droughts and floods are central to California’s past, present, and future.” While drought does come and go, rain can bring some relief, according to the USGS. But it’s complicated. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: What will it take for California drought to end? It’s way more complicated than ‘rain’
Climate change is acidifying and contaminating drinking water and alpine ecosystems
“Garrett Rue grew up fly fishing in central Colorado, often surrounded by mountains stained amber and maroon, and hiking along streams that seemed to borrow those colors. … Nowadays, Rue, a postdoctoral scientist studying waterways at the University of Colorado’s Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research, knows how to read the color code of stream ecology: rusty red or orange for iron oxide, chalky white for aluminum, and yellow for manganese. Such colors reveal the presence of minerals that wash down mountainsides; the results can be hostile to local aquatic life and dangerous for drinking water systems. Some mineralization and acidification occur naturally. But decades of research show some is also a result of historic excavations and waste disposal practices at regional gold, silver and other mines, often found in mountainous regions. Now, climate change seems to be speeding up the process. …” Read more from Scientific American here: Climate change is acidifying and contaminating drinking water and alpine ecosystems
As climate talks put focus on water crisis, the Colorado River provides a stark example
“As world leaders meet in Scotland this week to discuss efforts to address the climate crisis, experts are urging greater focus on adapting to fundamental shifts in the planet’s water supplies — and they’re pointing to the Colorado River as a prime example. … To water resiliency advocates who are attending the United Nations conference, the river’s plight stands out as one of the world’s starkest cases of a major water source that is being ravaged by the altered climate, where efforts to adapt haven’t been nearly enough. “To me, it is the best example globally of how things can go badly,” said John Matthews, executive director and co-founder of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation. “I can easily point to the Colorado as a place where we only have hard choices now.” ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: As climate talks put focus on water crisis, the Colorado River provides a stark example
CEQA news you can use: The never-ending story of the State Water Project Monterey Amendments litigation
“Central Delta Water Agency et al. v. California Department of Water Resources et al. (Oct. 21, 2021) reflects the latest chapter in the litigation over the Department of Water Resources (DWR)’s approval of the Monterey Agreement and Monterey Amendments to the long-term State Water Project (SWP) contracts and the related environmental review. Following numerous challenges, the current appeals stem from the “Monterey Plus EIR” and a “Revised EIR” related to DWR’s transfer of the Kern Water Bank to local agency management. The petitioners’ claimed that: (1) DWR violated CEQA by failing to form a proper project decision, (2) the Monterey Plus EIR failed to analyze a specific no project alternative, and (3) the Revised EIR inadequately analyzed crop conversion. ... ” Read more from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck here: CEQA news you can use: The never-ending story of the State Water Project Monterey Amendments litigation
A synthesis of microplastic sources and pathways to urban runoff
“What do clothes dryers and car tires have in common? Both release microplastic pollution into the environment, according to a new investigation by scientists at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. Building on SFEI’s major finding that storm-driven runoff from cities is a major pathway for microplastics to enter California’s aquatic ecosystems, this new report synthesizes available information on sources of microplastics to urban runoff, including textile, cigarette filter, and other types of fibers; single-use plastic foodware; and vehicle tires. It illustrates how plastic products and their breakdown microplastic particles move through the environment, traveling through the air, depositing on the urban landscape, and washing into streams, rivers, and coastal locations during storm events. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Estuary Institute here: A synthesis of microplastic sources and pathways to urban runoff
Historic drought set to be a focal point of Thursdays CA legislative fisheries forum
“The 48th annual California legislative fisheries forum takes place Thursday, and the impact of the historic drought on the fisheries and aquaculture is expected to be a major focal point. … Senator Mike McGuire, chairman of the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture, will convene the 48th annual Zeke Grader Fisheries Forum this Thursday, November 4 at the State Capitol in Sacramento. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Historic drought set to be a focal point of Thursdays CA legislative fisheries forum
Drought pushes California farmers and ranchers to adapt to a drier future
“Despite recent rains, the 2020–21 drought has been unusually severe. Low precipitation, coupled with high evaporation has affected irrigated crops and livestock pastures. Yet California farmers and ranchers are adept at adapting. Despite record-setting drought conditions and hundreds of thousands of acres left unplanted, California farms and ranches, as a whole, may generate normal revenue in 2021, according to the authors of a new special issue of ARE Update focusing on the drought. The 2020 water year (which ran from October 2019 through September 2020), was dry and hot in California, with the warmest April through September since 1895. It was followed by the third driest year since 1895 – receiving about half of the average 20th century rainfall. Consecutive years with record-setting warm, dry conditions have led to higher evaporative demand. Some regions, particularly the Sacramento Basin, have been hit especially hard by this ongoing drought. … ” Read more from UCANR’s Green Blog here: Drought pushes California farmers and ranchers to adapt to a drier future
Mixed year for cotton growers with less water and higher prices
“California cotton growers have been struggling with constraints on water availability this year. President and CEO of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, Roger Isom explained that overall acreage was down due to a lack of water. Cropping decisions in areas with no surface water deliveries and restricted pumping caused many growers to prioritize permanent crops in lieu of things like cotton, tomatoes, and garlic. “Cotton acreage was down to something under 120,000 acres which would make it the lowest cotton acreage we’ve ever seen,” Isom noted. “But then when you look at the crop that was planted, it’s pretty decent quality so far that we’re seeing. Early returns have decent yields, we’re not going to break any records, but it looks fairly good.” … ” Read more from Ag Net West here: Mixed year for cotton growers with less water and higher prices
Map: Here are the top crops in each California county
“As a result of California’s varying environmental conditions, the top crops on farms vary widely across the state. The Chronicle examined the top crop category by production value for each county to understand which crops predominate in each region. Almonds are one of California’s signature crops with statewide production valued at $5.6 billion in 2020, according to data from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. They are the top-valued crop in nine different counties, including in Kern County, where almond production was valued at nearly $1.6 billion. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Map: Here are the top crops in each California county
A native attorney fights for salmon — and her tribe’s way of life
“When Amy Cordalis tries to explain the relationship her tribe has with the Klamath River, a winding, majestic body of water that snakes down from Oregon into Northern California and empties out into the ocean, she struggles for words. “That question is always difficult to answer,” she tells The Story Exchange, “because there’s really no words to describe it in the English language.” The 41-year-old lawyer grew up on the Yurok Indian Reservation, an 88-square-mile patch of land that stretches across Del Norte and Humboldt counties, and follows the shape of the river. The Yuroks are known as the Salmon People, and the river is not only their lifeline for food and income, but it is part of their creation story. “Fishing rights are a matter of cultural survival,” says Cordalis, “and the exercise of our sovereignty.” She comes from a line of fishers, and is a competent fisher herself. While many outsiders might think of fishing as a sport, to her family, and many Yuroks, it is an “an act of overcoming genocide, assimilation and oppression.” ... ” Read more from The Story Exchange here: A native attorney fights for salmon — and her tribe’s way of life
Beetles have more sex when it’s hot — and it’s killing pine trees in CA, study finds
“Hot temperatures usually make people tired and lazy, but for the western bark beetle, the heat just makes them want to have a lot of sex — and that’s bad news for giant pine trees scattered across the West Coast. During California’s 2012-2016 drought, abnormally high temperatures stripped ponderosa pine trees, also known as yellow pines, of available water, forcing them to pause photosynthesis to conserve energy. The trees’ attempt at survival also made them weak, providing the perfect environment for hungry — and aroused — beetles to chew through their bark and lay eggs within them that block the flow of nutrients. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Beetles have more sex when it’s hot — and it’s killing pine trees in CA, study finds
Today’s featured article …
DELTA LEAD SCIENTIST: A typology of drought decision making
At the October meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council, during the Lead Scientist report, Dr. Laurel Larsen spotlighted an article on decision-making during drought, noted two upcoming science workshops, and gave an update on the ongoing activities of the Delta Science Program.
Click here to read this article.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath: ‘We can’t just pray for rain’: Tribes, conservationists call for action to save salmon
“Klamath River tribes and conservationists have called upon the State Water Resources Control Board to establish permanent instream flow requirements for the Scott and Shasta rivers, two of the Klamath River’s largest tributaries, in an attempt to save threatened salmon species. If immediate action is not taken, the letter signatories — the Karuk and Yurok tribes, Save California Salmon, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Institute for Fisheries Resources, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Friends of the Shasta River, Climate Water Trust, Coast Action Group, Friends of the River, Native Fish Society, California Coastkeepers Alliance, the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center, the Sacramento River Council and Sustainable Northwest — fear flows along the Klamath River could be reduced to a trickle next year. ... ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: ‘We can’t just pray for rain’: Tribes, conservationists call for action to save salmon
Satellite images show kelp forest has doubled in size on California’s North Coast, after a dramatic collapse
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The kelp forest off the Sonoma-Mendocino coast, a vital habitat for marine life that historically bobbed across 9,000 acres of seashore, roughly doubled between 2020 and 2021, recent satellite and drone surveys show. It’s a welcome sign after the bull kelp canopy all but disappeared from the North Coast between 2014 and 2020 because of several environmental conditions converging at once, including warming ocean temperatures. The abrupt collapse, which turned shorelines teeming with life into blank seascapes, is one of the region’s most striking examples of the impact of climate change. While the bull kelp canopy is still isn’t back to pre-2014 levels, the new growth gives hope for its potential to recover. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Satellite images show kelp forest has doubled in size on California’s North Coast, after a dramatic collapse
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
El Dorado Irrigation District IDs capital investments
“Last week El Dorado Irrigation District Directors reviewed spending in 2021 and looked to capital investments for 2022 and onward. Planned expenditures for 2021 were $78 million. Actual expenditures have traditionally been about 80% of the planned amount, but this year it was 94%, which include the acceleration of Flume 30 replacement and replacing Flumes 4, 5 and 6, all of which were in the Caldor Fire’s path. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat here: El Dorado Irrigation District IDs capital investments
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Spillway gravel launch ramp reopens as Lake Oroville rises
“As the rain falls down in the watershed, Lake Oroville’s water level rises. Lake Oroville recovered some of its water over the last two weeks from a recent storm ending a long streak of low lake levels that has lasted since its record low on Aug. 4. According to a community update from the California Department of Water Resources, the recent storm brought the reservoir’s elevation from 629 feet on Oct. 22 to 658 feet by Oct. 27. The elevation Wednesday was 661 feet. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Spillway gravel launch ramp reopens as Lake Oroville rises
BAY AREA
Marin drought picture improves — except on Tiburon Peninsula
“Most of Marin was downgraded from “exceptional” to “extreme” drought conditions after a storm dumped nearly 18 inches of rain on the county in a matter of days last week, but much of the Tiburon Peninsula remains in the 3.4 percent still ranked in the highest category of concern. The U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Agriculture and National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, is updated Thursdays and ranks areas nationwide on a six-intensity scale. Some 99 percent of California is in some form of drought, and all of Marin is in an extreme drought, or year-round fire season and extremely low reservoirs with inadequate water for agriculture, wildlife and urban needs. … ” Read more from The Ark here: Marin drought picture improves — except on Tiburon Peninsula
San Francisco: PG&E fights lawsuit over century-old gas plant pollution
“In a lawsuit over century-old pollution from a defunct gas plant, two lawyers urged a federal judge Wednesday to adopt their interpretations of what historic business records say about Pacific Gas and Electric’s liability for potential groundwater contamination. “What we have here is irrefutable evidence that San Francisco Gas and Electric operated the manufactured gas plant and generated waste,” attorney Stuart Gross argued in a video-conference hearing Wednesday. Gross represents plaintiff Dan Clarke, a former San Francisco resident seeking a court order that would force PG&E to investigate and clean up contamination allegedly left by the Cannery gas plant, which was owned and operated by PG&E’s predecessors from 1899 to 1903. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: PG&E fights lawsuit over century-old gas plant pollution
Rain is back in the S.F. Bay Area forecast – but for how long?
“Light rain was expected to dampen the Bay Area Wednesday night and possibly over the weekend — with a bigger, wetter storm lurking around the corner early next week. None of the storms are expected to deliver the kind of downpours or the prodigious amounts of rain that fell last month, flooding creeks, rivers and streets and threatening mudslides in areas where fires over the past two seasons denuded hillsides. “Around here, we say ‘the storm door remains open,’” said Matt Mehle, a National Weather Service meteorologist for the Bay Area. “This should produce beneficial rainfall.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Rain is back in the S.F. Bay Area forecast – but for how long?
October rainfall in San Francisco was 750% above average
“It was a monster weather event. The Oct. 24 mega-storm coupled with a handful of weak systems led to October rainfall totals that are exorbitantly above average. This is great news in a water-starved region but experts say there are still several months left in winter and the drought is far from over. The National Weather Service released totals for a handful of key spots across the region, and of those listed San Francisco won the prize for location with total rainfall that’s the highest percentage above average. Downtown San Francisco recorded 7.04 inches of rain in October — that’s 750% above average. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: October rainfall in San Francisco was 750% above average
The Bay Area’s main reservoir is up 21 feet. Here’s what that means.
“Northern California’s reservoir levels continued to rise in the week after an atmospheric river slammed the state with torrential rain and high winds. The soaking was welcome in a drought-plagued state with a diminishing water supply. And while one storm didn’t come close to ending the drought, some reservoirs in Northern California, especially those that fell right in the path of the storm, saw significant gains. One of the most impressive was Hetch Hetchy, which provides drinking water to 2.6 million people in San Francisco and other Bay Area communities. Located within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park, the reservoir saw a sizable 21.31-foot bump in its water level and gained 36,300 acre-feet, according to Tuesday data from the U.S. Geological Survey. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: The Bay Area’s main reservoir is up 21 feet. Here’s what that means.
Voluntary Contra Costa County water reductions falling short of governor’s goal
“In July, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged a 15% voluntary reduction of water use compared to 2020 levels, and as he recently expanded the state’s drought emergency to all 58 counties, he noted the state had achieved only a 5% reduction to date. “As the Western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” Newsom said. “With historic investments and urgent action, the state is moving to protect our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the immediate impacts of the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience to help the state meet the challenge of climate change impacts making droughts more common and more severe.” … ” Read more from The Press here: Voluntary Contra Costa County water reductions falling short of governor’s goal
Alviso wetlands: A large gulp to swallow
“Propped up at the wooden bar inside Vahl’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, regulars sometimes wax poetic about Alviso’s historic heyday—when the hustling and bustling port city at the Santa Clara Valley’s northwestern fringe was like a South Bay version of San Francisco’s Pier 39. Today, residents say the small community is not the end of the world, but it’s certainly on the edge, butted up alongside tidal marshland home to ducks, egrets, seagulls, pickleweed, endangered salt marsh harvest mice and collapsing wooden structures boarded up with plywood. When Amelia Vahl first heard of the property where she would start a restaurant in 1939, the story goes that she asked, “Where’s Alviso?” Eight decades later, bartender Frank Rebozzi says Vahl’s remains somewhat of a local secret to everyone but a few dozen patrons—mirroring an episode straight out of Cheers, complete with a man named Norman perched on the corner stool. ... ” Read more from Metro Active here: Alviso wetlands: A large gulp to swallow
CENTRAL COAST
Santa Cruz: Frustrations mount over drinking water issues in Boulder Creek
“Take a left turn from downtown Boulder Creek onto Highway 236, and picturesque sky opens up, redwood canopies filling in the horizon like a landscape painting. But look a little closer and the remnants of the CZU Lightning Complex fire are still plenty. Handmade signs along the throughway read “CZU FIRE SURVIVORS WE MISS YOU” and “THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS.” Properties that once held homes, families and memories have been leveled to dirt lots and for sale signs. More than a year after the historic fire was put out — and some residents were able to return home – much of the Boulder Creek region is still without reliable drinking water. The CZU Complex destroyed most of the Big Basin Water Company’s pipelines and tanks, along with its only surface water treatment plant. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Frustrations mount over drinking water issues in Boulder Creek
Arroyo Grande sets water usage restrictions
“Arroyo Grande residents are now being required to reduce their water usage. This comes after the city declared a stage 1 water shortage emergency. Arroyo Grande residents primarily receive their drinking water from Lopez Lake. The lake’s capacity is sitting at less than 30% so the city is now declaring a water shortage emergency. Meanwhile, residents are looking at ways to conserve like installing synthetic grass and other drought tolerant plants. … ” Read more from KSBY here: Arroyo Grande sets water usage restrictions
San Luis Obispo County hires first groundwater sustainability director
“San Luis Obispo County has a new, one-man department dedicated to one local asset: groundwater. On Nov. 2, the SLO County Board of Supervisors finalized an at-will contract with hydrologist Blaine Reely, who will serve as the county’s first director of the Groundwater Sustainability Department. Reely, the founder of Monsoon Consultants, a civil engineering and hydrology firm that’s worked for local agencies like the San Miguel Community Services District, is expected to oversee the “overall operations and activities of groundwater resources management,” according to a county staff report. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: San Luis Obispo County hires first groundwater sustainability director
San Luis Obispo County Supervisors are unable to come to consensus on cannabis project
” … The last item of the day was a hearing to consider an appeal of the planning commission’s denial for a cannabis project located in Pozo. Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg had served on the Planning Commission at the time and voted against the project and made her disclaimer that she approached the project with the data and information available at the time and made a finding based on facts with no prejudice and that she plans to do so again today with her role as a supervisor. The project is set to establish cannabis activities, including three acres of outdoor cultivation, 22,000 square feet of indoor cultivation, 16,000 square feet of ancillary nursery, 9.500 square feet of ancillary processing, and a parking modification to reduce the required parking spaces from 80 to 26. The project is within the Agriculture land use category in Pozo. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Daily Press here: San Luis Obispo County Supervisors are unable to come to consensus on cannabis project
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Fresno area groundwater agencies build for drought resilience at record pace
“In the short span of two years, Kings Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in California’s Central Valley have invested in 600 acres of prime groundwater recharge land. This land represents 15 dedicated basins that are constructed or in development. There are thousands of landowners and many communities that overlie the Kings Subbasin that are dependent on the subbasin’s groundwater supply. The Kings Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) serve growers, cities, communities, and businesses by swiftly implementing groundwater strategies that support the future viability of the region. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News here: Fresno area groundwater agencies build for drought resilience at record pace
Reclamation announces public scoping for proposed Aquaterra Water Bank Project
“The Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with the McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency, invites the public and media to attend a virtual public scoping meeting on the proposed Aquaterra Water Bank Project on Nov. 10. The project includes construction, operation, and maintenance by McMullin GSA of a 146,000 acre-foot per year dry-year return water bank in Fresno County. The project is anticipated to recharge up to 208,000 acre-feet of water during wet-year conditions once constructed. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation announces public scoping for proposed Aquaterra Water Bank Project
Ceres: Water plant pipework to commence
“Pipes that will be transporting filtered water from the Tuolumne River to Ceres households by the year 2023 have begun showing up along Hatch Road for underground installation. Through the Regional Surface Water Supply Project, Tuolumne River water will be treated at a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant to provide Ceres and Turlock with clean, safe, reliable drinking water. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier here: Ceres: Water plant pipework to commence
Judge rejects Wonderful-led attempt to halt Assemi pistachio plant expansion
“Another battle in California’s pistachio wars concluded last Thursday with a Tulare County judge rejecting efforts by The Wonderful Company to halt expansion of a pistachio processing plant owned by the Fresno-based Assemi Family. The suit, brought by the Los Angeles farming giant against Tulare County, sought to reverse building permit approvals by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors for expanding the Terra Bella-based ARO Pistachio plant, a processing subsidiary of the Assemi Family’s Touchstone Pistachio brand. Following a one-day trial in mid-October, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Bret Hillman ruled that Wonderful, owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, lacked the standing to seek a writ of mandate. ... ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Judge rejects Wonderful-led attempt to halt Assemi pistachio plant expansion
Public can get in on the upcoming Kern River hearing, sort of
“The public can weigh in on the Kern River at an upcoming hearing but the proceeding will be very narrowly focused, according to a ruling released Wednesday. Too narrowly focused, according to one attorney representing several nonprofits hoping to bring water back to the river through town on a regular basis. “We have a ruling that apparently values an ‘orderly proceeding’ over public participation and the need to put water back in the river,” attorney Adam Keats wrote in an email. He referred to a ruling by the State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearing Office that lays out issues up for consideration at a Dec. 9 hearing. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Public can get in on the upcoming Kern River hearing, sort of
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Metropolitan Water District admits wasting hundreds of thousands of gallons of water
“The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest supplier of treated water in the country, is admitting to FOX 11 that it wasted hundreds of thousands of gallons of water or more. The agency supplies water to dozens of cities and to 19 million Californians. The Golden State is under a drought emergency and many residents are doing their part to help the water crisis. FOX 11’s Christy Fajardo looked into whether the MWD was doing the same and what she found at one facility may surprise you. … ” Read more from Fox 11 here: Metropolitan Water District admits wasting hundreds of thousands of gallons of water
Environmental groups call on EPA to take lead in Carson stench investigation
“A rotten egg odor continues to hang in the air along the Dominguez Channel in Carson, but measurements from air-quality monitors show the levels of hydrogen sulfide gas have diminished since the noxious stench suddenly emerged last month. Officials with the South Coast Air Quality Management District said they are continuing to investigate potential sources of the stink along the channel. “Since the beginning, we have been evaluating petroleum refineries, wastewater treatment facilities, nearby landfills and other types of industrial facilities,” said Terrence Mann, AQMD’s deputy executive officer for compliance and enforcement. He said they are also investigating whether the stinky gas erupted naturally from the channel itself, or whether it might have occurred in combination with other factors. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Environmental groups call on EPA to take lead in Carson stench investigation
Orange County isn’t doomed by climate change — yet
“Wars have been fought over every resource that you can think of with tea, salt, and opium being just a few examples of commodities that humans have killed for. With climate change, humans will be fighting over basic resources like water instead of commodities. We have already begun to see this conflict arise in Southern Asia between China, India and Pakistan. If climate change worsens, it could mean war between these countries and possibly around the world. Instructors from the Natural and Social Sciences divisions at Fullerton College came together on Oct. 7 to present on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report which speaks on the effects climate change will have on the ocean, land and atmosphere. ... ” Continue reading at The Hornet here: Orange County isn’t doomed by climate change — yet
Water district investing $1.8 million in Yucaipa stormwater capture basin
“As droughts are becoming more frequent here in California, agencies across the state are looking for more ways to trap rainwater when we receive it. The San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District is one of those agencies and recently agreed to invest $1.8 Million Dollars to create stormwater capture in the Yucaipa Basin. Kristeen Farlow, who’s a Communications Manager with the water district. “In our region, we really want to maximize and store as much water as we can,” said Farlow. … ” Read more from KVCR here: Water district investing $1.8 million in Yucaipa stormwater capture basin
Along the Colorado River …
Tribes seek water-management role as Colorado River shrivels
“In the mid-2000s, seven states, the federal government and Mexico negotiated critical rules for the Colorado River that established how to divvy up its water in a severe drought like it is now facing. Thirty Native American tribes — with rights to roughly a quarter of all the water in the river — were shut out of those talks. Tribes want to make sure that doesn’t happen again. The effort offers new challenges for the seven Colorado River basin states and the Biden administration, which has repeatedly pledged to be more inclusive in regulatory efforts that affect Native Americans. “It is fair to say that tribes were not involved in the negotiation of the 2007 guidelines,” said Anne Castle, a former Interior assistant secretary for water and science during the Obama administration. “Tribes will have a seat at the table this time in the negotiation of the next set of rules. The question is what does that look like? And that hasn’t been worked out yet.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: Tribes seek water-management role as Colorado River shrivels
Visualizing the aquifers that straddle the U.S.-Mexico border
“Last year, amid widespread drought, a violent protest over water erupted in Chihuahua, Mexico, a state in the northwestern part of the country. Local farmers armed themselves with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails and took over the Boquilla Dam, which was holding the water they desperately needed to irrigate their crops. Two people died in confrontations with Mexican soldiers. The water in question was supposed to be sent to farmers in Texas, part of a water payment under a 1944 treaty between the U.S. and Mexico that allocates water from the Rio Grande. … ” Read more from the High Country News here: Visualizing the aquifers that straddle the U.S.-Mexico border
Audubon’s Marcelle Shoop submits testimony in support of Saline Lakes Bill
“Audubon’s Marcelle Shoop submitted the following testimony to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, for their November 4, 2021 session on the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act of 2021. Chairman Huffman, Ranking Member Bentz and members of the subcommittee, thank you for holding this timely hearing on several important bills to address water and wildlife in the West. … As you are well aware, we have had another year of historic drought across the West, which is already harming communities, birds, fish, and other natural resources. Great Salt Lake is at alarmingly low water levels this year—dropping by nearly a foot below its previous historic low. … ” Read more from Audubon here: Audubon’s Marcelle Shoop submits testimony in support of Saline Lakes Bill
In national water news today …
Florida residents “outraged” as sewage enters drinking water following contractor error
“A drinking water and wastewater worst-case scenario has left consumers furious in a Florida community, demonstrating how important maintaining these services is and just how close to catastrophe consumers really are. “Residents in Gulf Breeze’s Soundside Drive neighborhood are livid after learning a private contractor crossed a residential sewage line with a potable water line, causing sewage-contaminated water to flow from their faucets for an undetermined amount of time,” the Pensacola News Journal reported. “‘I don’t understand how it happened because the pipes are colored and they’re colored for different things,’ [resident Betsy] Echols said. ‘And how they could mix the colors, that scares me. I mean even a novice knows there are colors for different things.’” … ” Read more from Water Online here: Florida residents “outraged” as sewage enters drinking water following contractor error
EPA pressed on ‘toxic cocktail’ in tap water
“Americans are being exposed every day to contaminants ranging from lead and arsenic to so-called forever chemicals, given their widespread presence in almost 50,000 U.S. water systems, according to new findings that lay much of the blame on EPA. In an update to its Tap Water Database published today, the Environmental Working Group warns, “Millions of Americans are unwittingly drinking water that includes an invisible toxic cocktail made up of contaminants linked to cancer, brain damage and other serious health harms.” EPA has power under the Safe Drinking Water Act to help protect the public, EWG said, but the group argued that the agency has fallen short of its mandate to do so. Ken Cook, the group’s president, said in a statement that EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water “has demonstrated for decades that it is utterly incapable of standing up to pressure from water utilities and polluters to protect human health” from contaminants in drinking water. … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA pressed on ‘toxic cocktail’ in tap water
As warming and drought increase, a new case for ending big dams
“As the hydroelectric dam industry tries to reposition itself as a climate change solution, more and more evidence shows that climate change actually undermines the case for hydro dams. Gone are the days when hydropower was considered the predominant engine of the world economy, leading a tenfold increase in global energy production over the twentieth century. Now its advocates portray it as a complement to wind and solar energy, a necessary source of steady output to balance wind and solar’s intermittent generation — and therefore a key component in the battle to limit climate change. ... ” Read more from Yale e360 here: As warming and drought increase, a new case for ending big dams
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
UPDATE: November 3 weekly update on curtailment status of water rights and claims in the Delta watershed & update on enhanced reporting for water rights and claims 5,000 acre-feet or greater
VELES WEEKLY REPORT: Water Price is down again in California. Over 23 million acre feet of precipitation in N CA region in recent deluge.
WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~Drought Relief~ Climate Adaptation~ Water Systems ~Resilience Resources~ CARCD Conference~ Efficiency
