On the calendar today …
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board at 9am. Agenda items include a drought update and Consideration of a proposed Resolution for drought-related Emergency Regulations pertaining to urban water conservation. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: Department of Food and Agriculture at 10am. Agenda items include an update from Secretary Karen Ross and an update on California Ag Vision. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- WORKSHOP: Amendments To The California Water And Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program Guidelines from 1pm to 3pm. Since sufficient funds remain after implementation of the Water Arrearages Program, the Budget Act of 2021 appropriates the remaining funds for payments to wastewater treatment providers, or wastewater billing entities that are designated as the billing entity for a wastewater treatment provider, to forgive residential and commercial customer arrearages that accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic bill relief period of March 4, 2020 through June 15, 2021. The draft amendments to the Guidelines establish the criteria and processes the State Water Board will use to administer the Wastewater Arrearages Program. Click here for the full workshop notice.
In California water news today …
Drought’s grim death toll: California says endangered salmon perished in Sacramento River
“Amid a brutal heat wave and a worsening drought, California’s wildlife agency made a dire prediction in July: “Nearly all” of an endangered salmon species’ juvenile population was likely to be cooked to death on the Sacramento River in 2021. It turned out to be true. Only an estimated 2.6% of the winter-run Chinook salmon juvenile population survived the hot, dry summer, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The fate of the winter-run salmon has profound implications for California’s chronically overtaxed water supplies, even as recent rain and snowpack levels suggest the drought might be easing. Environmental restrictions aimed at propping up the fish populations could deprive cities and farmers of water deliveries this year. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Drought’s grim death toll: California says endangered salmon perished in Sacramento River
SEE ALSO: Already-Endangered Young Salmon In Sacramento River Latest Victim Of Drought, from CBS 13
California Reservoirs continue to rise after major winter storms
“California has seen big changes in reservoir levels so far this rainy season and the trend is up for the foreseeable future. At the beginning of the water year for 2020-2021, some major reservoirs, such as Lake Oroville, were at record lows. California’s well-known reliance on water capture and transport was under severe strain until a record October storm provided quick relief. More storms in December have continued to add water to the big reservoirs and more snowpack which will become future water in the Spring and Summer. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: California Reservoirs continue to rise after major winter storms
Capturing the flood in California’s ancient underground waterways
“Tens of thousands of years ago, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains wore upon their shoulders the ancestors of today’s rivers. The waterways flowed down from the highlands to meander across the plateau of the Central Valley in languorous braided ribbons. Spurred by sea levels about 400 feet lower than today and climate and glacial processes, the rivers cut valleys 100 feet deep and a mile wide through sediment on the valley floor, as runoff from glacial melt scoured the land, pushing downstream loosened gravel, sand, and silt. Later in the glacial cycle, as sea levels rose and the streams flattened out, they lost momentum. Gravel and sediment dropped out of the water column, backfilling the cut canyons with this coarse material. These events repeated themselves over the last million or so years, as glaciers crept down from the north, then retreated. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: Capturing the flood in California’s ancient underground waterways
State Water Board registrations of small water diversions are ministerial and exempt from CEQA
“The State Water Resources Control Board’s registrations of small water diversions are ministerial projects and hence exempt from CEQA. As such, allegedly erroneous registrations cannot be challenged under CEQA. Mission Peak Conservancy v. State Water Resources Control Board, No. A162564, 2021 WL 5917917 (1st Dist., Dec. 15, 2021). The Water Rights Permitting Reform Act of 1988 created a streamlined process for a person to acquire a right to divert a small amount of water from a stream into a storage facility for domestic or certain other uses. … The registration is deemed completed, and the person obtains the right to appropriate water, when the State Water Board receives a substantially compliant registration form and the fee. The State Water Board has designated this registration process to be exempt from CEQA as a ministerial decision. In this case, the petitioners challenged the State Water Board’s acceptance of a registration form that allegedly contained false information. … ” Read more from the California Land Use and Development Law Report here: State Water Board registrations of small water diversions are ministerial and exempt from CEQA
Why is the Fish and Game Commission in the Constitution?
“Did you know that the California Fish and Game Commission, an executive branch entity, is created by the state Constitution? Why is the Commission in Article IV, which deals with the legislative branch of state government, rather than Article V, which deals with the executive branch of government? Article IV, Section 20(a) states that the Legislature may provide for division of the State into fish and game districts and may protect fish and game in districts or parts of districts. Section 20(b) provides that there is a Fish and Game Commission of 5 members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate for 6-year terms. In addition, the Legislature may delegate to the commission such powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game as the Legislature sees fit. Finally, a member of the commission may be removed by concurrent resolution adopted by each house, a majority of the membership concurring. … ” Continue reading at the California Globe here: Why is the Fish and Game Commission in the Constitution?
Anti-government conspiracies create another challenge to addressing drought in the West
“For more than a century, a system of government and legal agreements has largely resolved water disputes among those living in America’s most arid region of the country. The methods of conflict resolution were at work in December when water bosses in California, Nevada and Arizona agreed to cut their use of Colorado River water to avoid penalties under a compact that divvies up the river among seven western states and Mexico. But a new cause of conflict threatens that system already straining to respond to the region’s worst drought cycle in 1,200 years. Instead of adjusting water consumption to the reality of a changing climate, officials are having to respond to the fallout of false claims that cuts in water use are part of an elaborate government plan to starve and depopulate the earth. Some of the talk of a violent standoff last summer in Oregon’s Klamath River Basin was laced with the language of this anti-government conspiracy theory. … ” Read more from Deseret News here: Anti-government conspiracies create another challenge to addressing drought in the West
Meet the mosquitofish: California scientists debate whether it’s menace or messiah
“Government officials warding off deadly diseases often praise the lowly mosquitofish as a public health messiah. But some environmentalists have dubbed it the “plague minnow” and the “fish destroyer.” Today, nearly a century after the finger-sized fish was first introduced to California in a Sacramento lily pond, it’s arguably the most ubiquitous freshwater fish in the world. But the mosquitofish also ranks among the world’s worst invasive species. Balancing the pest-control prowess and ecological destruction of the fish, nearly every mosquito and vector control district in California now deploys the creature with varying strategies. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Meet the mosquitofish: California scientists debate whether it’s menace or messiah
Water in 2021: Looking back on a year of extremes
“In California, 2021 was the year that climate change hit home. The increasingly frequent, warmer droughts that climate scientists have been predicting have arrived. Although this past December brought some welcome storms, California remains in the grips of an historic, fast-moving drought that has followed close on the heels of the last one. The non-partisan PPIC Water Policy Center tackled the thorny issues of this moment—as we often do—by providing data and analysis to inform tough conversations about managing drought today and into the future. … ” Continue reading at the PPIC here: Water in 2021: Looking back on a year of extremes
California burning: Stanford research looks at drought, wildfires, and smoke and the growing risks of climate change in the Golden State
“In July 2021, smoke from California’s Dixie Fire, the second largest in the state’s history, combined with smoke from fires in the American West and Canada, traveled thousands of miles to New York and other parts of the East Coast, triggering air-quality alerts. It was an alarming message for people a continent away from the flames that the environmental fallout from climate change does not respect state lines. California is prone to both droughts and floods, but climate change is sending those natural cycles into overdrive. In the last decade, record-breaking heat waves have combined with severe and prolonged droughts to disastrous effect. Eight of the state’s top 10 largest wildfires took place in the past five years, exacting a huge personal and financial toll on people, homes, farms, and tourism. For Stanford Law faculty, students, and alumni who study water, wildfire, and smoke, California is already at a crisis point, giving their research new urgency. … ” Read more from Stanford Lawyer here: California burning: Stanford research looks at drought, wildfires, and smoke and the growing risks of climate change in the Golden State
In commentary today …
Funding desert conservation will help achieve climate goals
Pamela Flick, the California program director with Defenders of Wildlife, writes, “There is truly nothing like experiencing a desert oasis. My favorite such place in California is the Amargosa River, which flows intermittently for 185 miles from Nevada into eastern California. On my last visit to the Amargosa in the Mojave Desert, I sat on the riverbank in awe of its healthy, thriving wetlands in the middle of this arid landscape. Once you spend time in one of California’s three deserts, you realize how diverse they are. From rugged watercourses to rolling dunes and towering peaks – our deserts contain some of our state’s most unique natural treasures. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Funding desert conservation will help achieve climate goals
Today’s featured article …
BLOG ROUND-UP: God sent the rain, but we need an angel to build the infrastructure to manage it; Zooplankton: Not just for [fish] breakfast anymore!; The elusive imperative of adaptive management in the Delta; and more …
Click here to read the blog round up.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
CDFW awards $9.7 million for fisheries habitat restoration program projects
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced the selection of 15 projects that will receive funding for the restoration, enhancement and protection of anadromous salmonid habitat in California watersheds. The grants, which total $9.7 million, were awarded through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program. FRGP was first established in 1981 and since 2000, has included funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, established by Congress to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: CDFW awards $9.7 million for fisheries habitat restoration program projects
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Snow pack measurement reveals we’re far from drought recovery, according to CDWR
“The California Department of Water Resources conducted the first Phillips Station snow survey of the season on Thursday, Dec 30 after the basin received over 200 inches of snow, and will potentially see more in the coming week. … Historically, 2015 was the driest winter in Lake Tahoe compared to data taken as early as the 1990’s. But in comparison, 2017 and 2019 proved to be two of the heaviest snowfalls in the basin to date, leaving the question of what this season is still to bring. Officials are labeling this a wake up call. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Snow pack measurement reveals we’re far from drought recovery, according to CDWR
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Frustrations grow as crews fall behind on clearing foliage from Sacramento streets
“As another storm makes its way across Northern California, there’s growing concern in Sacramento about leaves still left in city streets and gutters from past storms. Pile after pile of leaves are leaving many people frustrated. “It’s crazy,” Sacramento resident Mel Cornsilk said. “There’s just piles everywhere.” The falling foliage happens every year in the city of trees, but this year, crews are taking much longer to scoop up these piles. “These leaves have been here since October,” said bicyclist Jeremiah Rohr. … ” Continue reading from CBS 13 here: Frustrations grow as crews fall behind on clearing foliage from Sacramento streets
NAPA/SONOMA
Improved North Bay reservoir levels a hopeful sign for 2022
“Winter rains have bolstered water storage in the region’s two key public reservoirs, reversing months of decline and starting off 2022 with hopes for a less-uncertain year ahead. A lot depends on how the remainder of the rainy season shakes out. After rain this week, the forecast calls for dry weather later this month, followed by months in which the North Coast stands an equal chance of above-normal and below-normal precipitation under La Niña atmospheric conditions. National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Garcia said there were some promising signs for normal rainfall later this month into mid-February that could “lock in some of the early winter gains.” But already, there’s more water in Lake Mendocino than there has been for over a year, while Lake Sonoma has risen to 60% of its water supply capacity. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Improved North Bay reservoir levels a hopeful sign for 2022
BAY AREA
Marin utility considers delaying water pipeline project
“With its reservoirs nearly refilled, the Marin Municipal Water District is considering delaying a proposed $100 million project to build an emergency water pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The district board was originally set to vote on whether to construct the 8-mile pipeline as soon as February. But now the district staff recommends the board delay that decision by possibly more than a year in order to conduct a full environmental analysis of the project. The recommendation comes after the district’s seven reservoirs refilled from 32% of capacity in October to more than 92% as of Sunday after a series of storms. Normally the reservoirs are 75% full at this time of year. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin utility considers delaying water pipeline project
‘A good year’ to see coho salmon make their annual return to Marin creeks
“Their forms are murky in the water made gray by a winter sky and recent rains, but it’s soon clear that five male salmon are brawling for the best spot in the middle of Lagunitas Creek. The pink-backed fish have eyed a female, setting the stage for the big event, the coho’s annual spawn in Marin. She is preparing a redd, or nest, by leaning on her side in the shallow water, arching her back and swishing her tail to smooth out the gravel. “When she stops digging it, she’s ready,” says Ayano Hayes, watershed biologist for Turtle Island Restoration Network, while leading a tour of the creek last month in Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Lagunitas. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: ‘A good year’ to see coho salmon make their annual return to Marin creeks
Half Moon Bay faces issues due to sea level rise
“A study examining vulnerabilities to the southern coast near Half Moon Bay from climate change was presented to the City Council Dec. 21, showing buildings like the Ritz Carlton are at risk from sea-level rise. Hilary Papendick, climate change program manager for the Office of Sustainability in San Mateo County, presented information about the San Mateo County South Coast sea level rise vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan. The study looked at the southern Half Moon Bay area to the Santa Cruz County line and analyzed areas vulnerable to flooding, erosion, sea-level rise, potential economic impacts and potential solutions. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal here: Half Moon Bay faces issues due to sea level rise
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
A river deep and wide
“The water year in the Kern River Basin was Scrooge-like in 2021, providing a miserly 15 percent of the precipitation that feeds the Kern in a normal year. Measured annually from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, the water year, was the second driest in the Kern River watershed since officials began keeping track in 1893. And the 2022 water year certainly wasn’t a sure thing, not when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a less-than-favorable precipitation forecast for winter and early spring. Then December happened. “The Kern River watershed is now 115 to 120 percent of normal for this time of year,” said Miguel Chavez, hydrographic supervisor at the city of Bakersfield’s Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: A river deep and wide
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Most of SoCal out of ‘extreme’ drought as California receives more rain than previous year
“A series of storms last month has resulted in a marked improvement in California’s drought situation statewide, pulling much of the southern part of the state out of more serious categories. Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties all saw significant improvements in December, the latest maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor reveal. Nearly all of Los Angeles and Ventura counties are out of the “extreme” drought category and now experiencing less severe “serious” drought conditions, according to the latest map from Dec. 28. … ” Read more from KTLA here: Most of SoCal out of ‘extreme’ drought as California receives more rain than previous year
Leo Carrillo State Park will be closed through January after flood damage
“Leo Carrillo State Park will be closed to the public due to damage from a year-end rainstorm that flooded the campground last week. State parks officials continue to assess the damage at the campground in Malibu, where 50 campers were rescued Thursday as water surged through the area. Monday morning, some cars remained stuck in the mud waiting for a tow. District Supt. Jerry West of the California Department of Parks and Recreation said a handful of campers remained at the site in RVs that are away from the flooded area, but after their reservations are up, the park will be closed to the public until further notice. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Leo Carrillo State Park will be closed through January after flood damage
Days after the wave of sewage and stench, some beaches reopen – but worry endures in hard-hit Carson
“When Najah Najiy returned to her Carson home from a Kwanzaa event on Friday, Dec. 31, she was greeted with sewage-steeped water flooding her 212th Street neighborhood. The muck was part of the estimated 8.5 million gallons of raw sewage caused from a broken pipeline that sent the sludge through the Dominguez Channel to the Port of Los Angeles. Najiy, a 30-year-resident, described a stagnant river of murky, smelly brown water that remained on her street until Los Angeles County sanitation workers came to help. The wave of sewage, cut loose as a severe rainstorm overwhelmed a 48-inch sewer mainline, allowing the toxic sludge to flow into the channel and on into Los Angeles Harbor, shutting down beaches along the Los Angeles and Orange County coastline. The flow was halted on Friday morning and officials said no additional sewage flow had been reported since then. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here: Days after the wave of sewage and stench, some beaches reopen – but worry endures in hard-hit Carson
As OC digs deeper for drinking water, worries about contamination arise
“According to attorney and water policy expert Felicia Marcus, who is also the William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University, regional officials hope to purify this groundwater and are also actively pursuing collaborations with local water districts in order to obtain clean drinking water for its residents. South Orange County, though, is not affected by this dilemma as at least 90% of its water is imported. As a result of water scarcity, according to Marcus, city water districts have begun digging even deeper below the surface, creating major pollutant concerns. Digging deeper for water sources makes it easier for contaminants to taint the water at levels higher than what is legally acceptable. … ” Read more from the Voice of the OC here: As OC digs deeper for drinking water, worries about contamination arise
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The Whitewater River has run dry in preserve. The reason might surprise you
“The Whitewater River, which normally flows year round in the Southern California canyon that bears its name, has run dry there, confounding some hikers expecting a brisk and scenic flow after recent heavy rains. But those storms are the culprits, says Whitewater Preserve manager Lucas Wilgers, who oversees the area for the Wildlands Conservancy. “It’s kind of counter intuitive … but when larger storms happen, so much water is falling such a short period of time, it just accumulates and kind of coalesces up above,” he said. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: The Whitewater River has run dry in preserve. The reason might surprise you
A Zanjero’s Life: Controlling the waters of California, one irrigation gate at a time
“Before his commute to work every morning, Sergio Lopez packs the essentials: Cell phone, check. Calculator, check. Laptop, check. Long-iron irrigation-gate bar, check. Lopez is a zanjero, or irrigation-ditch minder, in the Imperial Valley, an agricultural expanse that lies between the Salton Sea and the Mexican border. The Spanish word for “ditch” is zanja. Since the days of old Alta California, zanjeros have directed irrigation water where it’s needed, released exactly the right amount for crops to grow, and stopped the flow when the earth has had enough. California leads the nation in farm cash receipts—the Imperial Valley alone produced more than $2 billion in crops in 2019. Every farm in the valley needs water delivered by the Imperial Irrigation District. Lopez is their deliveryman. ... ” Read more from Alta here: A Zanjero’s Life: Controlling the waters of California, one irrigation gate at a time
Along the Colorado River …
Dam the Status Quo: Highlights from a discussion of the Colorado River Basin and Glen Canyon Dam
“As the ongoing effects of climate change are realized throughout the West, an extensive discussion analyzing the influential role of the Colorado River Basin, with its Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell in particular, was recently held to further examine our approach to water management strategies. The three-panel discussion, organized by Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom and hosted by Kyle Roerink of the Great Basin Water Network, demonstrated that in order to develop water strategies of the future, we must first resolve the water management mistakes of the past. … ” Continue reading from the Sierra Nevada Ally here: Dam the Status Quo: Highlights from a discussion of the Colorado River Basin and Glen Canyon Dam
With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what’s underground?
“In Arizona, verdant fields of crops and a growing sprawl of suburban homes mean a sharp demand for water in the middle of the desert. Meeting that demand includes drawing from massive stores of water in underground aquifers. But some experts say they’re overtaxed, and shouldn’t be seen as a long-term solution for a region where the water supply is expected to shrink in the decades to come. “We should recognize now, as we do with the Colorado River, that we have to take action before it’s too late,” said Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. … ” Read more from KUNC here: With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what’s underground?
In national water news today …
EPA: New WOTUS definition coming later this year
“The Biden administration is planning to unveil a new definition of what constitutes a “water of the U.S.,” or WOTUS, later this year, a highly anticipated regulation that’s flummoxed the federal government for decades. Although the fall Unified Agenda included a proposed February timeline for EPA to release a new definition, an agency spokesperson today confirmed it’s expected to take longer (Greenwire, Dec. 13, 2021). “EPA is committed to listening to diverse stakeholders while working on a second rulemaking process to refine the pre-2015 definition of Waters of the United States,” said the spokesperson. “While the Fall Unified Agenda included a proposed February 2022 timeline, EPA anticipates issuing a proposed rule later this year.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA: New WOTUS definition coming later this year
Precipitation watch …
Dr. Michael Anderson, California’s State Climatologist, releases forecast updates during the wet season providing a brief overview of the most recent storm impacts, upcoming precipitation forecasts, and outlooks for the coming month.
20220103_WeekAheadForecast_0Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
WORKSHOP NOTICE: Regulatory Program Workshop – Compensatory Mitigation and the Mitigation Rule
