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Incoming storms …
CW3E AR Update: Atmospheric River Conditions are Forecast Over the US West Coast this Week with Heavy Precipitation in California
“AR activity is forecasted to bring stormy conditions from the Pacific Northwest to Baja California this week. The current AR and its parent low continue to bring rain to parts of the Pacific Northwest through tomorrow afternoon. The break will be short-lived though, as additional precipitation moves onshore in association with multiple shortwave troughs. The trough associated with the current AR is expected to cut off from the main flow and weaken. As it weakens, tropical moisture is exported towards Southern California and Baja California as part of the 2nd AR. … ” Continue reading from the Center for Western Water & Weather Extremes here: Atmospheric River Conditions are Forecast Over the US West Coast this Week with Heavy Precipitation in California
Active pattern through end of year, with heavy mountain snowfall and low elevation snow possible in some (unusual!) spots
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “With this blog post, I’m just going to focus on what’s coming over the next 1-2 weeks (since there is much to discuss! I’ll talk about the rest of the season to come next time.). Most of California has been experiencing a relatively active weather pattern for the past few weeks, with very heavy Sierra Nevada snowfall allowing statewide snowpack to recover from near zero to as high as 95% of average as of today! This wet and relatively cold pattern has brought significant short-term drought relief, especially to NorCal, although recent rains in SoCal have helped as well. After a brief several day lull, which is ending this evening in northwestern CA, an active pattern is once again expected to envelop the state by midweek. ... ” Read more from Weather West here: Active pattern through end of year, with heavy mountain snowfall and low elevation snow possible in some (unusual!) spots
Drought-denting rains, feet of mountain snow to plaster West Coast
“California and the West Coast remain entrenched in a crippling drought that’s left some reservoirs dry and vegetation desiccated, but the atmosphere will deliver another welcome dose of water this week. A soaking slug of heavy rain and feet of mountain snow will plaster the western United States, with up to 10 feet of accumulation and blizzard conditions in the mountains amid a replenishing of the Sierra Nevada’s snowpack. The storm could bring issues for holiday travelers, however. Winter storm watches span the length of the Sierra Nevada, where hurricane-force winds will also combine with the snow to bring near-zero visibilities. In the Cascades, winter storm warnings have been issued. Freezing fog was already affecting parts of Northern California and the Great Basin of Nevada early Monday, an undesirable prelude to an extended period of inclement weather. ... ” Read more from the Washington Post here: Drought-denting rains, feet of mountain snow to plaster West Coast
SEE ALSO:
-
- Christmas week storm to douse the Bay Area for seven days straight, dump snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains, from the San Jose Mercury News
- ‘Conveyor Belt Of Low Pressure’ Systems Brings Promise Of Wet Ending To 2021, from CBS San Francisco
- Christmas week storm to douse the Bay Area for seven days straight, dump snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains, from the San Jose Mercury News
In other California water news today …
Danger in Droughtsville: California’s urban water at risk
“Droughtsville, California, is in trouble. Its water supply is endangered as multiple crises intensify: worsening droughts, competition for scarce supplies, sea level rise, groundwater contamination, earthquakes, wildfires and extreme weather. All of these factors, and more, threaten Droughtville’s ability to provide clean water to its residents. The city is fictional, but the threats are not. A typical city in California faces multiple stressors that put drinking water supplies at risk — drought just happens to be the focus now. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Danger in Droughtsville: California’s urban water at risk
“Pray for snow, not rain”: State enacts holiday water cutback despite rain in forecast
“Following a sizable atmospheric river dumping rain and snow in the San Joaquin Valley and central Sierra Nevada mountain range and another on the way for Christmas, it appears that Valley communities won’t be earning any immediate extra water supplies. Earlier this month, California’s Department of Water Resources announced that, for the first time ever, it would start the 2022 water year with a zero water allocation for water users relying on the California aqueduct and other state canal systems. Monday, the agency informed state water contractors that, due to current environmental regulations, they would enact the “Integrated Early Winter Pulse Protection.” ... ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: “Pray for snow, not rain”: State enacts holiday water cutback despite rain in forecast
California lawmakers looking at health effects of current drought
“State lawmakers are taking a closer look at how California’s current drought can affect residents. “Droughts have far-reaching impacts, including the wellbeing of communities large and small,” said State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger. The Senate Select Committee on Human Security held a hearing on how drinking water is being affected, along with labor, health, and prices and supply at grocery stores. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley here: California lawmakers looking at health effects of current drought
More than 130 groups call on CFTC to shut down ‘dystopian’ water futures market
“Warning Wall Street against commodifying what has been treated since ancient history as “a common right for everyone,” more than 130 civil society groups on Monday demanded that federal regulators shut down the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s water futures market. Food & Water Watch organized the petition, which was sent to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a year after the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) opened the world’s first market for water futures contracts, based on water rights in drought-plagued California. “Water is necessary and essential for life and is simply not a commodity.” “Water index futures trades are contrary to the public interest as they involve the trade of an essential resource,” wrote the groups, which also included Public Citizen, For Love of Water (FLOW), the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). ... ” Read more from Common Dreams here: More than 130 groups call on CFTC to shut down ‘dystopian’ water futures market
Coleman hatchery to release two million additional salmon in Sacramento River
“The Coleman National Fish Hatchery, funded by the Bureau of Reclamation, hatched an additional two million juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon this past October, successfully releasing 600,000 fish this past week with the remainder scheduled to be released the first week of January. The Golden State Salmon Association proposed the project to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA fisheries last spring. “This project will allow us to study the potential of generating additional adult returns to spawn naturally in the Sacramento River by releasing fry,” said Paul Souza, Regional Director for the Service’s California Great Basin Region. “We’re excited to provide these additional salmon to increase recreational opportunities for fishermen and women here in California.” … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service here: Coleman hatchery to release two million additional salmon in Sacramento River
Walmart sued for alleged dumping of hazardous waste in California landfills
“A lawsuit filed by the California attorney general and a dozen district attorneys alleges Walmart has dumped nearly 80 tons of hazardous waste, plus confidential customer information, in California landfills each year over the last five years. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Alameda County Superior Court, accuses the nation’s largest retailer of dumping lithium batteries, insecticide, aerosol cans, cleaning supplies, electronic waste, paint and LED lightbulbs as well as confidential customer information in landfills throughout the state from more than 300 Walmart stores. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Walmart sued for alleged dumping of hazardous waste in California landfills
SEE ALSO: California sues Walmart over hazardous waste disposal, from Reuters
Republican legislators press on Newsom for water infrastructure funding
“As California eyes a projected $31 billion budget surplus, Republican lawmakers are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to allocate funding to water infrastructure projects across the state. California remains in the throes of a multi-year drought. Senate Republicans have asked the governor to use a portion of the budget surplus to spearhead a $3.2 billion investment in California’s water infrastructure. With this funding, lawmakers estimate the state could store an additional 1.5 million acre-feet of water during wet years to be dispersed during times of drought. … ” Read more from Center Square here: Republican legislators press on Newsom for water infrastructure funding
Reclamation releases $210 million spend plan for drought and fire suppression in the West
“Today, the Bureau of Reclamation released the spending plan for the $210 million provided in the Extending Government Funding and Delivery Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43). The legislation provides Reclamation with $200 million to address drought conditions throughout the West, as well as $10 million for fire remediation and suppression emergency assistance related to wildfires. “By funding efforts to address intensifying drought and wildfires, this Administration is making among the largest investments in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. “This legislation helps protect communities and ecosystems against the threat of wildland fire by making historic investments in drought relief, hazardous fuels management, and post-wildfire restoration activities.” ... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation releases $210 million spend plan for drought and fire suppression in the West
California reservoir, with estimated $3.9b cost, gains funding approval
“California is taking steps toward a 2024 start of construction on the 1.5-million-acre-feet Sites Reservoir thanks to new funding. The California Water Commission in December determined the Sites Reservoir, located on the west side of the Sacramento Valley, is eligible for funding through the state’s 2014 voter-approved Proposition 1 Water Storage Investment Program, thereby opening access to $800 million, about 20% of the project’s $3.93 billion price tag. … ” Read more from Engineering News-Record here: California reservoir, with estimated $3.9b cost, gains funding approval
How one California city cut its water use in half
“Most of California here is still in extreme drought. The governor asked residents to conserve water, and that mostly failed. But one town did get it done. … Back in June, the wine country town of Healdsburg set a limit – only 74 gallons of water a day for each resident, about half of normal use. That set up a bit of a competition for retirees Merrilyn Joyce and John Diniakos. … ” Read more (or listen) from NPR here: How one California city cut its water use in half
Planners ruminate on adaptation lessons
“As smoke swirled across California over the long dry summer and fall, hundreds of local and state government planners and climate activists stayed indoors to listen in on the virtual plenaries and workshops of the 2021 California Adaptation Forum. The biennial event, organized by the Local Government Commission, allowed participants to share opinions, insights, and worries about how to adapt to climate change. This year’s June-October series included a deep dive into equity and a hard look at white supremacy in planning institutions, while also sharing a variety of perspectives on holistic planning from around the state and nation. KneeDeep reporters John Hart and Ariel Rubissow Okamoto listened in on a couple of “outcomes” sessions, as well as the final plenary, just to get the flavor of the forum. The following are random snippets of the much larger CAF conversation. … ” Continue reading at Knee Deep Times here: Planners ruminate on adaptation lessons
Irrigation as a service may become new business
“Spend any time around modern farm irrigation systems, and it’s clear they’re becoming more complicated. The Irrigation Show held recently in San Diego was as much about technology as water management. Companies and startups are seeing opportunity in helping users maximize the technology. During the show, two companies were focused on offering irrigation management as a service. The first is a startup that took part in the show’s Innovation Hub pitch competition. The second is an established irrigation firm leveraging an opportunity. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Irrigation as a service may become new business
In commentary today …
No time for half measures to prevent extinction in the Delta
Doug Obegi, Director of NRDC”s California River Restoration, Water Division, writes, “With the planned operations of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project threatening to cause the extinction of winter-run salmon and Delta Smelt if drought continues in 2022, as well as causing devastating impacts to other salmon runs and the Tribes, fishing fleet, and communities that depend on healthy rivers and fisheries, our coalition of fishing and conservation groups (PCFFA et al) moved for a preliminary injunction and opposed the state and federal government’s woefully inadequate Interim Operations Plan in federal district court on December 16. There is no time for half measures, like those proposed in the Interim Operations Plan, if we are going to stop the destruction of the Bay-Delta’s native fish and wildlife. … ” Read more from the NRDC here: No time for half measures to prevent extinction in the Delta
Carbon capture’s offer of climate-change benefit would make Valley a dumping ground
Rocio Madrigal, community outreach worker for the Central California Environmental Justice Network, writes, “The last thing Central Valley communities want for the New Year is another environmental hazard near our homes. That’s why it’s frustrating to read Vanessa Suarez’s recent opinion piece claiming that biomass energy paired with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) presents a promising vision for the Valley. Unfortunately, such schemes are distractions that prop up the same fossil fuel industry that’s created air pollution, health and environmental problems here for generations. ... ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Carbon capture’s offer of climate-change benefit would make Valley a dumping ground
Today’s featured article …
DELTA LEAD SCIENTIST: Managed flow pulses as food web support; Synthesis of food web data; Overview of the Science Action Agenda; and more …
At the December meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council, Dr. Laurel Larsen, Delta Lead Scientist, spotlighted an article on the North Delta flow action for Delta smelt, discussed the partnership between the Delta Science Program and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis to answer some of the questions surrounding the Delta’s the food web, and highlighted upcoming science symposiums. Then, Rachel Klopfenstein, a Senior Environmental Science with the Delta Science Program, provided a presentation on the draft Science Action Agenda, which is open for public comment through January 21st.
Click here to read this article.
BLOG ROUND-UP: No time for half measures to prevent extinction in the Delta; Racial and Social Equity in Water Rights; Water Wrights coverage: California Water Commission; The high cost of increasing almond yields; and more …
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
6.2 quake off the California coast prompts North State dam inspections
“An earthquake that measured 6.2 in magnitude off the coast of California could be felt as far inland as Redding early Monday afternoon. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake happened at about 12:10 p.m. about 24 miles west of Petrolia in Humboldt County. Petrolia is about 50 miles south of Eureka. The quake was one of a cluster of some 24 quakes that ranged from less than 3.0 in intensity to more than 6.0. The first quake hit shortly before 7 a.m. about 13 miles west of Petrolia and registered 4.0 in intensity, according to the USGS. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight here: 6.2 quake off the California coast prompts North State dam inspections
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Traditional ecological practices taught at workshop in Paradise
“When planning to rebuild her property, Paradise resident Allison Denofrio thought about which species of plants they would keep in their yard. “I don’t want to just go to a nursery and plant what I think is pretty,” Denofrio said. “I want nature to come back; I want this to be healthy.” So Allison and her husband Michael Denofrio attended a native seed workshop hosted by the Camp Fire Restoration Project in Paradise on Sunday, which focused on traditional ecological practices of seed gathering, planting and tending that has been done by natives for thousands of years. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Traditional ecological practices taught at workshop in Paradise
Speaker series to highlight Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
“A speaker series hosted by the Yolo Basin Foundation will give updates on the ongoing research projects conducted in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. Wildlife Area Manager Joe Hobbs will discuss the “Current Status of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area” during the speaker series Flyway Nights where he will detail the research projects, the pollinator field project by River Partners and CA Waterfowl Association, the continued bridge and canal work by Ducks Unlimited, Motus towers to study birds and more, according to a press release from the Yolo Basin Foundation. … ” Read more from the Woodland Daily Democrat here: Speaker series to highlight Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
NAPA/SONOMA
Wine Country tourism faces a challenge, how to deal with climate change
“Perhaps more than any sector of the North Bay and state’s economy, the tourism and hospitality industry and its ability to lure visitors is being severely tested by climate change. “As an industry, we must acknowledge the climate threat to tourism and live up to California’s well-deserved reputation as the best steward of the environment by encouraging responsible travel and adopting green practices,” Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California, said in a Nov. 4 statement. “The opportunity to act has never been greater.” … ” Continue reading at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Wine Country tourism faces a challenge, how to deal with climate change
BAY AREA
Rain likely every day at least through Christmas in the Bay Area — here’s how much
“After a dry weekend in the Bay Area, more rain was in the forecast this week through at least Christmas weekend. Conditions were expected to start off dry Monday with patches of fog in some areas and a slight chance of drizzle starting to develop overnight. A weather system sitting over the eastern Pacific region will bring light rain to the Bay Area through the week starting Tuesday afternoon, said Sean Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Rain likely every day at least through Christmas in the Bay Area — here’s how much
Rainy December helping ease drought conditions in the South Bay
“While water officials are still advising residents to be conservative with water use, recent rains have helped to ease drought conditions in the South Bay. A spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Water District said its reservoirs are slowly filling, but cautioned it will take several more major storms to erase the deficit created by years of drought. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area here: Rainy December helping ease drought conditions in the South Bay
CENTRAL COAST
Publication: Assessment of a post-fire debris flow impacting El Capitan Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
“The 2016 Sherpa Fire burned 7,500 acres along the southern slope of the Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara. A high-intensity rainfall event on January 20th 2017 initiated debris flows and sediment laden flooding in several recently burned watersheds, causing major damage to property and infrastructure primarily in El Capitan Canyon, El Capitan State Beach, and an oil and gas facility in Cañada del Corral. The authors document the conditions leading up to and outcomes of this impactful post-fire debris flow event. ... ” Read more from the Center for Western Water & Weather Extremes here: Publication: Assessment of a post-fire debris flow impacting El Capitan Watershed, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Commentary: The Central Valley needs real solutions for its water shortage
Monike Reynozo, advocate and leader in the Delano community, writes, “In the San Joaquin Valley, water is becoming a commodity equal to life and death. California is a powerhouse of food production, growing some 40 percent of the country’s fruit, vegetables and nuts. However, the agriculture industry depends on a water supply that’s increasingly fragile and unreliable as the climate warms. As a means to increase access to livable drinking water, community and elected leaders alike are rallying behind “Building More Dams.” But this is simply not a viable solution. The continued growth of agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley while the water supply becomes increasingly unstable, means nearby towns like Teviston won’t survive another drought. … ” Continue reading at the Bakersfield Californian here: Commentary: The Central Valley needs real solutions for its water shortage
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
2 storms on the way to Southern California could make it a soggy Christmas
“It’s beginning to look a lot like a wet Christmas. Forecasters say Southern California could get the gift of rain and snow this week with not just one, but two storms on the way. A Pacific storm that taps into the atmospheric river is brewing and could bring widespread rain into Southern California Wednesday night into Thursday, according to CBS2’s Amber Lee. The valleys could get as much as three inches of rain, while the foothills and mountains could see up to five inches. … ” Read more from CBS LA here: 2 storms on the way to Southern California could make it a soggy Christmas
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Commentary: Coachella Valley must end massive, water-wasting surf and swimming projects
Alena Callimanis, member of La Quinta Residents for Responsible Development, writes, “Tom Coulter’s article on the Thermal Beach Club makes an excellent point that the club would be a playground for the ultra-rich. But the developer ignores the enormous waste of our potable water for this private surf and beach resort in a community that cannot get potable water for its basic needs. The surfing/swimming basin will be 21 acres, or the equivalent of 16 football fields of land, filled with 22 million gallons of our precious potable water. Using EPA calculations, which take into account our high temperatures and windy conditions, just the yearly evaporation alone can be up to 265 million gallons, six times the calculation of the Coachella Valley Water District. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Coachella Valley must end massive, water-wasting surf and swimming projects
JB Hanby: A year’s review on the IID Board
“One year ago this month, I was sworn into to the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors and elected its vice president. As the board’s youngest member in its 110-year history, and elected by voters with the highest margin of victory in a generation, our community placed their trust in our Valley’s future in me. As I was reminded in my election last year, trust has been eroded so deeply and for so long. One community member wrote to me at the time, “Remember your electorate has been lied to and screwed over for many years. You are the new kid on the block now, and we are watching carefully. We have pinned a lot of hope on what you will do next. Please don’t disappoint us.” This past year I have felt it my duty to honor the trust you have placed in me — and not to disappoint — and have worked to exceed the expectations made of me. I submit the following as my report to you as a brief review of the works accomplished as your IID Director and Vice President in 2021. ... ” Continue reading at the Imperial Valley Press here: JB Hanby: A year’s review on the IID Board
SAN DIEGO
What we learned this year: We’re still trying to fix the TJ river on the US side
“At the start of 2021, it looked like the federal government might get serious about combatting the Tijuana River crisis by spending real money in Mexico, at the source of the problem. The excitement spilled over the border. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had some $300 million at its disposal, after the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement dedicated funds to the cross-border pollution saga. Margarita Diaz, an environmental activist with Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambienta in Tijuana, was hopeful a big chunk of that money could go to fix long-broken pipes, pumps and treatment plants in Mexico. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego here: What we learned this year: We’re still trying to fix the TJ river on the US side
Along the Colorado River …
Water authority manager says Colorado River out of easy solutions
“John Entsminger walks a fine line as Southern Nevada’s top water official. On one side, he has to explain the seriousness of a shrinking Colorado River to climate change skeptics and people who are content with not immediately handling the West’s water woes. On the other, he has to quell concerns of crisis on a river that supplies water to 40 million people in the U.S. and Mexico. “That’s a delicate balance,” he said. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal here: Water authority manager says Colorado River out of easy solutions
The West’s race to secure water: How four cities are trying to survive future droughts, from expanding reservoirs and tapping neighboring watersheds to pushing conservation efforts
“How much water flows into Southwestern U.S. cities next year will depend on the coming snowfall and the resulting snowpack accumulation. So far, it’s not looking good. High mountain snows, the source of most of the region’s water supplies, are projected to be lower than usual this winter in the Southern Rockies. This means that come spring, forecasters expect less snowmelt to flow into the Colorado River Basin and other nearby watersheds. In addition, a warming climate is causing accumulated snow to melt earlier and faster than before, with no guarantee that water will last until next season’s thaw. Even though localities store the melted snow in mountain reservoirs, sometimes there’s just not enough. Many cities aren’t prepared for the water scarcity that lies ahead—their infrastructure isn’t built to handle sustained droughts or withstand an increasing number of wildfires that are magnified by a lack of rainfall. … Here are four cities’ strategies for managing water scarcity. … ” Read more from Bloomberg City Lab here: The West’s race to secure water
The pain of the West-wide drought in 2021
“Like a sinister specter that won’t vanish, drought was already writing the playbook for water supplies in Utah and the rest of the West as early as fall of 2020. The year 2021 may have been months ahead, but extremely dry conditions during those last few months of 2020 amplified the reality of what was to come: drought, and a nasty one. Looking back, water supply managers who had their fingers and toes crossed hoping for a different outcome via a wet spring realized their hopes were not to be. By March, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency, putting out the plea for all water users to cut back and cut back severely. Nearly all of Utah, about 90%, was already classified in extreme drought at that time. ... ” Read more from Deseret News here: The pain of the West-wide drought in 2021
Federal drought funding includes $40 million to ‘stabilize’ Lake Mead water
“A federal plan to spend $210 million on water conservation programs includes $40 million for “conserving 500,000+ acre-feet of water over the next two years to stabilize the decline of Lake Mead.” The plan also includes $10 million for efforts to suppress wildfires in the West. “By funding efforts to address intensifying drought and wildfires, this administration is making among the largest investments in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. “This legislation helps protect communities and ecosystems against the threat of wildland fire by making historic investments in drought relief, hazardous fuels management, and post-wildfire restoration activities.” … ” Read more from Channel 8 here: Federal drought funding includes $40 million to ‘stabilize’ Lake Mead water
In national water news today …
EPA expands testing of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
“EPA is expanding testing efforts for “forever chemicals” in the nation’s drinking water systems. Administrator Michael Regan said in an announcement today that the agency has finalized a rule establishing drinking water monitoring for 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and lithium. One of the PFAS is HFPO-DA, better known as GenX, a chemical infamous for contaminating drinking water in North Carolina when Regan ran the state’s environment agency. In a statement, Regan emphasized EPA’s work on PFAS and pointed to the new rule as further demonstration that the Biden administration is prioritizing a crackdown on the chemicals. … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA expands testing of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
U.S. Supreme Court issues decision in first ever dispute over interstate groundwater – implications for international law
“In 2014, the U.S. State of Mississippi sued the U.S. State of Tennessee (and the City of Memphis) claiming that Memphis had stolen billions of gallons of Mississippi’s groundwater. Tennessee asserted that transboundary groundwater resources in the United States should be subject to the same doctrine as transboundary surface waters, namely, the doctrine of equitable apportionment. The Court agreed. Here, Gabriel Eckstein explains why this finding has significant jurisprudential impact on the development of international law for transboundary groundwater resources. This story originally appeared on the International Water Law Project. … ” Continue reading at the Global Water Forum here: U.S. Supreme Court issues decision in first ever dispute over interstate groundwater – implications for international law
The future is full of zombie garbage
“In the early 2010s, garbage started falling out of the sand dunes in Lingreville, France. Beset by chronic coastal erosion, a long-forgotten landfill was spewing its rotten trove into the ocean. In 2016, a powerful storm dug into the site. The next year, cleanup crews stripped 14,000 cubic meters of sand mixed with waste—including asbestos—from the site. Now, researchers are warning that coastal communities around the world are set to face the same fate, with destabilized landfills on the verge of releasing large amounts of waste into the ocean. … Robert Nicholls, an expert in climate adaptation at the University of East Anglia in England, is concerned that people are underappreciating just how much garbage could be loosed from degrading shorelines. To demonstrate the true extent of the issue, Nicholls and his colleagues analyzed existing data on landfills in Europe and in Florida—a state set to lose huge swaths of its area over the next century—to show the vast number of historical landfills sitting precariously close to the rising ocean. … ” Continue reading at Hakai Magazine here: The future is full of zombie garbage
Climate research shifting to ‘solutions science’
“When 25,000 scientists from around the world convene to talk research, a huge range of topics is sure to abound. But at this year’s annual conference of the American Geophysical Union — the world’s largest Earth and planetary science society — several urgent themes emerged. Climate change is rapidly and dramatically reshaping the Earth. These changes have profound effects on human health and society. And science can help develop solutions to address the most pressing challenges of the times. Today, “science is a bit less for curiosity and a bit more for posing solutions — looking at the impacts of the Earth system on people and on the environment, on the economy, etc.,” said Guy Brasseur, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research and AGU’s fall program committee chair. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Climate research shifting to ‘solutions science’
