On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: The State Water Board will hold a workshop beginning at 9am on proposed amendments to the SFY 2021-22 DWSRF and CWSRF IUPs, which are proposed to serve as Draft Implementation Plans for administration of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Allocations from the Budget Act of 2021. Click here for full workshop notice.
- WEBINAR: Severe Wildfire Threats to our Soil and Water Resources from 12pm to 1pm. Randy Dahlgren (Soil Biogeochemist, Distinguished Professor Emeritus – UC Davis) will discuss the effects of wildfire on soil and water resources. His research team has examined the aftermath of several wildfires in northern California, including the 2007 Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe and the 2012 Rim Fire near Yosemite. Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/96448065924
- PUBLIC WORKSHOP: Delta Water Quality and Fish Facilities Program at 2pm. On December 7, 2021, DWR announced a 45-day public comment period for the Delta Water Quality and Fish Facilities Program Draft Guidelines. The public comment period will close at 5 p.m. on January 24, 2022. A public meeting will be held January 20, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. to present the draft Guidelines and solicit comments. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, DWR will host the meeting via Zoom. Click here to register.
- MEETING: Delta Protection Commission from 4pm to 6pm. Agenda items include a Delta Protection Advisory Committee report, a report on California State Lands Commission Abandoned Commercial Vessel Removal Plan efforts, Consider approval of Great California Delta Trail Master Plan, report on Delta Drought Response Pilot Program, and report on Delta National Heritage Area 2022 activities. Click here for the complete agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
A bitter feud centers on source of Arrowhead bottled water
“High in the San Bernardino Mountains, water seeps from the ground and trickles down the mountainside among granite boulders and bay laurel trees. Near this dribbling spring, water gushes through a system of tunnels and boreholes, and flows into a network of stainless steel pipes that join together in a single line. The water then courses downhill across 4.5 miles of rugged terrain in the San Bernardino National Forest to a tank, where some is hauled away in trucks to be bottled and sold as Arrowhead 100% Mountain Spring Water. Local environmentalists say the bottled water pipeline doesn’t belong in the national forest and is removing precious water that would otherwise flow in Strawberry Creek and nourish the ecosystem. After nearly seven years of fighting against the extraction of water, activists say they hope California regulators will finally order BlueTriton Brands — the company that took over bottling from Nestlé last year — to drastically reduce its operation in the national forest. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: A bitter feud centers on source of Arrowhead bottled waterW
Water agencies table Delta drought regulation*
“The Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation have withdrawn an emergency drought regulation for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Despite a dry January, board staff said the regulation, known as a temporary urgency change petition (TUCP), would not improve conditions if implemented as planned in February. They found no potential benefits to Shasta and Trinity reservoirs, which have the greatest need for water. … ” (My apologies if this article is not available.) Read more from AgriPulse here: Water agencie tables Delta drought regulation
How long before California needs more rain?
“California is known for long stretches of dry weather. Our water year begins Oct. 1 as the state picks up the majority of its rainfall during the months of November through April, better known as our “rainy season.” The graph below shares a look at how much rainfall we pick up each month of the year. This graphic shows the majority of our rainfall is during the months of December, January and February. During these months, we average more than 3 inches of rainfall. The average amount of rainfall we pick up for the year is 18.14 inches. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: How long before California needs more rain?
2022 SAFER Aquifer Risk Map: Estimating groundwater quality risk for domestic wells and state small water systems
“The Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program is a set of tools, funding sources, and regulatory authorities to provide assistance to the nearly one million Californians who currently lack safe drinking water. The Aquifer Risk Map fulfills one of the requirements in Senate Bill 200 (Monning, statutes of 2019), and is a component of the SAFER program. The Aquifer Risk Map uses existing water quality data to estimate where domestic wells (serving less than five connections) and state small water systems (serving between 5 and 15 connections) are at risk of accessing groundwater that does not meet primary drinking water standards. The Aquifer Risk Map is intended to inform Water Boards staff in the preparation of the annual Fund Expenditure Plan and to help identify at-risk state small water systems and domestic wells as required in SB 200. For the 2022 Needs Assessment, the SAFER program will combine the results of the Aquifer Risk Map with drought risk data from the Department of Water Resources to produce a combined risk assessment for state small water systems and domestic wells. … ”
Groundbreaking for Friant-Kern Canal repairs is Tuesday
“It’s been a long time in coming but the much needed repairs for the area’s major water source will finally begin. The groundbreaking for what’s called the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday [January 25]. The groundbreaking will be held along the Friant-Kern Canal at the intersection of Avenue 96 and Road 208 in Terra Bella. The groundbreaking will begin a project that will take several years that should eventually end with much needed repairs of a 33-mile stretch of the canal being completed. The 33-mile stretch goes from between Lindsay and Strathmore to north Kern County. After more than three years of planning the project is finally going to become a reality. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Groundbreaking for Friant-Kern Canal repairs is Tuesday
Collaborative efforts aid fish and fowl
Todd Fitchette writes, “There is much to be said about the collaborations between like-minded groups and individuals. I was fortunate to interview some folks recently in California on their joint efforts to affect positive environmental change. What you’ll read about here is a decades-long effort between conservation groups and California rice growers to take the successes they’ve seen in bird habitat restoration and parlay that into fish restoration projects in a valley that was once a large flood plain prior to dams and levees. The dams and levees are a necessary tool to protect and provide for millions of Californians. However, these have come at a cost to the environment, but not an insurmountable one that cannot be mitigated to a mutual benefit. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Collaborative efforts aid fish and fowl
Green rice: Collaborations burnish crop’s image
“When California rice farmers were told about 25 years ago that they’d have to find an alternative to burning their rice stubble after harvest, the news was not met with immediate enthusiasm. Borne from this regulatory call, however, was a collaboration between farmers and conservation groups to change practices and a philosophy that earned the California rice industry an enviable moniker. Tim Johnson, president, and chief executive of the California Rice Commission, still remembers the call to end rice burning, an annual practice of razing harvested farm fields that choked the valley air. Farmers saw the rice stubble burning as necessary to destroy the tough stubble and help prepare fields for planting once again in the spring. As rice straw burning became more unpopular with residents in the Sacramento Valley, state regulators stepped in to end the practice. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Green rice: Collaborations burnish crop’s image
Rice fields benefit endangered salmon
“Waterfowl and flooded rice fields have long been understood to be a natural fit. Now scientists believe that juvenile salmon may likewise benefit from the same winter habitat rice farmers provide their feathered friends. Andrew Rypel is a fish biologist with the University of California. In a collaborative effort between the California Rice Commission and California Trout, Rypel and others are looking at how salmon can benefit from flooded rice fields and associated Sacramento Valley flood plains during the winter months. “Before I came here there had been some pilot work to look at whether salmon grew well in rice fields, and lo and behold, it seemed like they did,” Rypel said. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Rice fields benefit endangered salmon
Beavers offer lessons about managing water in a changing climate, whether the challenge is drought or floods
“It’s no accident that both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology claim the beaver (Castor canadensis) as their mascots. Renowned engineers, beavers seem able to dam any stream, building structures with logs and mud that can flood large areas. As climate change causes extreme storms in some areas and intense drought in others, scientists are finding that beavers’ small-scale natural interventions are valuable. In dry areas, beaver ponds restore moisture to the soil; in wet zones, their dams and ponds can help to slow floodwaters. These ecological services are so useful that land managers are translocating beavers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom to help restore ecosystems and make them more resilient to climate change. … ” Read more from The Conversation here: Beavers offer lessons about managing water in a changing climate, whether the challenge is drought or floods
Just what is a ‘resilient’ forest, anyway?
“What does a “resilient” forest look like in California’s Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees than we’re used to, according to a study of frequent-fire forests from the University of California, Davis. More than a century ago, Sierra Nevada forests faced almost no competition from neighboring trees for resources. The tree densities of the late 1800s would astonish most Californians today. Because of fire suppression, trees in current forests live alongside six to seven times as many trees as their ancestors did — competing for less water amid drier and hotter conditions. The study, published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, suggests that low-density stands that largely eliminate tree competition are key to creating forests resilient to the multiple stressors of severe wildfire, drought, bark beetles and climate change. ... ” Read more from UC Davis here: Just what is a ‘resilient’ forest, anyway?
What is a healthy forest in California? These scientists are experimenting west of Lake Tahoe.
“What does a healthy forest look like? There are dozens of ways you could find an answer, but Rob York has his own simple litmus test. It starts with his own question: “Can you run through it?” As he makes this ask, he gestures toward a patch of forest. To one side, a dense area. To the other, a more spacious plot where many trees are charred, some fallen over and broken apart — all evidence of the prescribed burns and other intentional tactics used to thin the area out. Of the two, which is York’s choice for a healthy forest? … ” Continue reading at Capital Public Radio here: What is a healthy forest in California? These scientists are experimenting west of Lake Tahoe.
California’s most flammable forests targeted by Biden wildfire plan. Here’s how they will change
“California’s most flammable forests will get a good sweeping as part of the United States Forest Services’ 10-year strategy for addressing wildfires. The federal agency also hopes to convince communities in at-risk areas to be more fire resilient through protective boundaries and eliminating brush that could fuel fires. The multi-billion dollar strategy, unveiled this week by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, includes plans to treat forests through prescribed burns, thinning and pruning to remove dead plants that have built up overtime and act as kindling. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California’s most flammable forests targeted by Biden wildfire plan. Here’s how they will change
Biden administration pledges billions to fight wildfire crisis in California and across the West
“Acknowledging that the U.S. Forest Service has fallen short when it comes to preventing wildfires, the Biden administration this week said it would spend nearly $3 billion to reduce risk across the most fire-prone areas of the United States, largely in the American West. The impact could be significant in California, where the federal government is the largest landowner, responsible for nearly half of all land area in the state, including 20 million acres of federal forests vexed by an enduring wildfire crisis. Wildfires burned just over 6.8 million acres across California in 2020 and 2021, more than half of that on Forest Service land. Those fires have saddled the government with an enormous territory of damaged landscapes that, if left alone, could create more dry tinder and other fire-prone hazards for the next blaze. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Biden administration pledges billions to fight wildfire crisis in California and across the West
Climate zoning defined for Burlingame shore and Sonoma Hills
“Mention zoning to most people and they’ll likely think of height limits, density restrictions, or, if their memories are long enough, the notorious practice of racial redlining. But local zoning ordinances and other land-use regulations are taking on a new role in communities trying to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change. “One of the most effective forms of hazard mitigation is through tools that we already have in place: land use and building codes,” FEMA Region 9 Mitigation Division director Kathryn Lipiecki said at last year’s California Adaptation Forum. “Where and how you build can be among the most important decisions that are made in any community.” Zoning changes addressing sea-level rise are happening from Hawaii to Florida. … ” Continue reading from the Knee Deep Times here: Climate zoning defined for Burlingame shore and Sonoma Hills
Top 10 environmental law decisions of 2021
Richard Frank writes, “In 2021 the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the federal circuit appeals court for California, Arizona and Alaska, remained — save only the U.S. Supreme Court — the most important court in the United States when it comes to environmental law. This year the 9th Circuit also maintained its role as the most prodigious source of key environmental decisions of any federal appellate court — issuing nearly one per week. With apologies for any perceived sins of omission, here’s my chronological list of the 9th Circuit’s 10 most important environmental law decisions of 2021 … ” Continue reading from UC Davis here: Top 10 environmental law decisions of 2021
In commentary today …
No Water, No peace: Social justice begins with access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water
Groundswell: Fighting for Water Justice writes, “Of all the racism faced by people of color in the United States in the last century, the most pernicious is racism in access to safe, clean drinking water. Hinkley, Flint, Brady, Compton, Vernon, Warm Springs. The names of these places have become synonymous with poisoned water, toxic waste and cancer in communities where the populations are majority Black, Latino, Native American and poor. The devastating health impacts suffered by communities of color due to lack of access to clean water are well-documented, indisputable and shameful. And, despite tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer funding for “clean water” projects – all claiming to prioritize disadvantaged communities – every single study confirms that, to this day, access to clean drinking water in the U.S. is still highly unequal, based on race, income, and geography. … ” Read more from Black Voice News here: No Water, No peace: Social justice begins with access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water
Lift prohibition on new kelp farms off California’s coast
Brandon Barney, co-founder of Primary Ocean, a San Pedro company developing seaweed farms, writes, “At a recent public hearing, I told the California Coastal Commission that the state is ripe for revolution – a seaweed revolution. Thankfully, they listened. The commission voted to approve an offshore project that plans to farm giant kelp. By the time it appeared on the commission’s docket, the project already had the backing of the federal government – including $5 million of federal funding. We’re thrilled that the outpouring of support from businesses, universities and nonprofits finally convinced regulators to let our project proceed. But securing the green light for a project that will advance such goals as sustainable agriculture, carbon emissions reduction and renewable energy shouldn’t have been such a headache in the first place. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Lift prohibition on new kelp farms off California’s coast
Today’s featured article …
BAY-DELTA SCIENCE CONFERENCE: A new model to address legacy Gold Rush mercury in the Delta
It can be a bit hard for some to comprehend, but it is true: Here in the 21st century, California is still being impacted from actions taken in the 19th century: Mercury mined in California’s Coastal Range and used in the Sierra Nevada Gold Rush in the 1800s continues to contaminate water that flows into the Delta today.
In 2010, the Central Valley Regional Water Board adopted a Delta methylmercury TMDL, including a control program to reduce methylmercury and inorganic mercury in the Delta. The first phase has been completed, which included developing a model for mercury in the Delta.
At the 2021 Bay-Delta Science Conference, Jamie Anderson, Ph.D., Senior Engineer in the Department of Water Resources Delta Modeling Section, discussed the new model and what has been learned. She acknowledged the many collaborators who contributed to this work, including Reed Harris, Dave Hutchinson, and many staff in DWR’s Division of Environmental Services and Delta Modeling Section.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
CalTrout’s North Coast projects receive funding awards from CDFW
“CalTrout’s North Coast region recently received almost $1M in funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) emergency drought funds for three ongoing projects. This area, the northern third of the California coast, is home to some of the most important salmon and steelhead rivers and watersheds in the state. Receiving large grant awards like these from natural resource agencies is key to ensuring CalTrout continues our work supporting fishery and watershed health for California. … ” Continue reading from CalTrout here: CalTrout’s North Coast projects receive funding awards from CDFW
Eel River Field Note: Salmon productivity and resilience with Dr. Gabriel Rossi
“Pacific salmon are iconic travelers. Young salmon use nearly all of the types of habitat available in a large watershed. They emerge in headwaters to rear in tributaries before moving into mainstems rivers, across inundated floodplains and off-channel habitats, through estuaries, sloughs and out onto tidal shelves and the open ocean. Each of these places offers food and growth opportunities for rearing salmon according to unique seasonal and daily patterns. And salmon are wonderfully adapted to these historic patterns of abundance in their home waters. But today in the Eel River and across their range in California, young salmon are often severed from those sources of productivity that nourished their ancestors. … Given this context, we’re asking the question: How can we help to reconnect the Eel River’s native fish with restored and recovering productive habitat that made this river such a powerful and resilient salmon stream? … ” Read more from CalTrout here: Field Note: Salmon productivity and resilience with Dr. Gabriel Rossi
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Northern California Water Association’s 2022 Priorities: Ridgetop to River Mouth Water Management
“The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Board of Directors recently approved its 2022 Priorities. NCWA and the water leaders in the region continue to re-imagine our water system in the Sacramento River Basin and we look forward to working with our many partners in 2022 to cultivate a shared vision in the region for a vibrant way of life. We will also work to harmonize our water priorities with state, federal, and other regions’ priorities to advance our collective goal of ensuring greater water and climate resilience throughout California for our communities, the economy and the environment. … ” Read more from the NorCal Water Association here: Northern California Water Association’s 2022 Priorities: Ridgetop to River Mouth Water Management
Long-Term Groundwater Sustainability Plan approved for the Sacramento Region
“A long-term plan for protecting the groundwater basin underlying parts of Sacramento, Placer and Sutter counties has been approved after nearly five years of scientific study and public input. The North American Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan, required under the landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014, provides a roadmap for sustainably managing the groundwater basin over the next 20 years. The basin is one of the Sacramento region’s primary sources for drinking water, especially during drought years, and also provides more than half of the water supply used for agriculture. … ” Read more from ACWA News here: Long-Term Groundwater Sustainability Plan approved for the Sacramento Region
BAY AREA
Busting water limits won’t cost you in Marin County: Penalties canceled as rain fills reservoirs
“After recent reservoir-boosting rainfall, Marin County’s largest water district decided Tuesday to repeal recently established financial penalties for excessive water use. In September, the Marin Municipal Water District board adopted an ordinance that established financial penalties for exceeding certain water use limits it set in April as drought conditions worsened across the Bay Area and California. In the September ordinance, the district set penalties for going over “tier 1” water usage, which, for single family households, is 65 gallons of water per person, per day. Penalties would range from $5 to $15, depending on how much customers went over that limit. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Busting water limits won’t cost you in Marin County: Penalties canceled as rain fills reservoirs
Marshall and Inverness picked for living shoreline projects in new report
“As sea-level rise threatens Marin’s shorelines, the county is searching for nature-based solutions. A promising set of projects known as living shorelines could soon fortify the shores of Tomales Bay, protecting habitats and businesses from floods and improving public access to the water. In a study announced this week, the county’s Community Development Agency identified two spots on the bay, Cypress Grove in Marshall and Martinelli Park in Inverness, as potential sites for living shoreline measures, which would include altering streamflows, planting eelgrass and constructing small offshore islands from sediment or driftwood. … ” Read more from the Point Reyes Light here: Marshall and Inverness picked for living shoreline projects in new report
Royally flooded: Dispatches from the highest tides
“In the first days of 2022, thousands of people took to the California shore to catch a live preview of sea-level rise in the coming decades. They were not disappointed. Cars entering the freeway ramp in Mill Valley whizzed through hundreds of yards of ankle-deep seawater. Next to the San Francisco International Airport runway, baywater burbled up to the road from a storm drain. And in Pacifica on the San Mateo County coast, hundreds of hopeful crabbers on the pier ignored the waves breaking over the sidewalk and onto the road by the pier’s entrance. … ” Read more from the Knee Deep Times here: Royally flooded: Dispatches from the highest tides
Suisin City is no island
“Suisun City, a small town about an hour northeast of San Francisco, has always had the waterfront and nearby wetlands at its heart. But that which is a big plus for trade and tourism now places the city in the path of sea-level rise. “It won’t take a lot to make the entire area vulnerable to flooding. It’s a huge challenge,” says Dr. Kris May, a coastal engineer who founded Pathways Climate Institute. Suisun, which means “west wind” in the Patwin language, was home to the Patwin people for thousands of years. When Gold Rush entrepreneurs built a working wharf in Suisun City in 1851 to move agricultural goods from the surrounding hills to San Francisco and Sacramento, the adjacent land was described as a small island five feet higher than the surrounding marshes. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: Suisin City is no island
A’s waterfront ballpark plan wins key vote in environmental review
“The Oakland Planning Commission voted Wednesday to recommend that the City Council certify the environmental review for the A’s waterfront ballpark project — a key step in the process to approve the $12 billion ballpark and surrounding development project. The unanimous vote followed hours of public comment on the adequacy of the final environmental impact report, a detailed study that the city must do for most large development projects. Some speakers urged the commission to delay the decision. The commission’s vote indicates that commissioners believe the environmental impact report is complete and in compliance with state law. The City Council could vote to certify the document as early as next month. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: A’s waterfront ballpark plan wins key vote in environmental review
Levee project launched to protect flood-prone south bay community of Alviso
“The Santa Clara Valley Water District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have broken ground of a nearly $200 million project designed to protect the South Bay from the threat of rising sea levels. The Corps of Engineers is building a 15-foot levee in North San Jose near the community of Alviso. The project would triple the size of the current makeshift levee system in the area. “With the reality of climate change, we know that sea level rise is imminent. And the goal is to protect this coastal community of Alviso, to protect the infrastructure that it around here,” said Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesperson Matt Keller. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area here: Levee project launched to protect flood-prone south bay community of Alviso
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Manteca: Future property tax diversion for levees
“Future development in the impacted 200-year-flood plain within Lathrop, Manteca, the Weston Ranch area of Stockton, as well as portions of rural San Joaquin County will help retire bonds to strengthen and extend levees. The Manteca City Council Tuesday joined Lathrop in indicating they plan to participate in the Mossdale Tract Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District to help pay off bonds needed to meet a state mandate to put in 200-year flood protection in place. Bonds the financing authority will issue will pay for improvements expected to cost in excess of $180 million to provide southwest Manteca, part of the Airport Way corridor north of the 120 Bypass, Lathrop north and east of the San Joaquin River, Weston Ranch, French Camp, and the rural area between Lathrop and Stockton with protection against flooding events that have a 1-in-200 chance of occurring in any given year. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Future property tax diversion for levees
Kern County Water Agency declares water supply emergency
“The Kern County Water Agency recently declared a Water Supply Emergency in response to the severe shortage of water supplies for Kern County. This follows the Dec. 1, 2021 announcement by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) that the initial 2022 State Water Project (SWP) water supply allocation is 0%. This announcement by DWR is unprecedented, with the previous lowest initial allocation being 5% in 2010 and 2014. With this allocation, the agency will receive no SWP water in 2022, entering into what could be the third consecutive year of critically dry weather, leaving the county’s water supplies at all-time lows. … ” Read more from the Kern Valley Sun here: Kern County Water Agency declares water supply emergency
Rewilding California: New $65 million preserve straddles north and south
“If the Sierra Nevada mountains are California’s spine, the Transverse Range is its bulging disc. Tectonic pressure has squeezed this landscape against the grain — radiating east and west, defying the north-south orientation of the state’s mountains — creating a rocky front of steep slopes and broad valleys stretching from the western Mojave Desert to the Pacific Ocean. The region connects California’s north to its south, providing a rare, undeveloped, east-west haven between the teeming population centers of the Los Angeles basin and the San Joaquin Valley. Its topographic rarity is rivaled only by its diversity of animals and plants. Condors, mountain lions, salamanders, legless lizards and the endangered Bakersfield cactus are among the two dozen sensitive species that inhabit it. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Rewilding California: New $65 million preserve straddles north and south
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Burbank officials fear bullet train will compromise airport safety and water supplies
“Several serious concerns have emerged this week about the California bullet train’s impact on Hollywood Burbank Airport, Burbank’s water supply and the taking of a massive commercial development along a proposed 13.7-mile route that is close to final environmental approval. The final decision for the downtown Los Angeles-to-Burbank segment, which would not begin construction for about a decade if the rail authority can find money for it, was outlined at a rail authority board meeting Wednesday. Approval of the environmental impact report was scheduled for Thursday. State officials said they had carefully considered impacts along the route and that it was time to certify the documents. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Burbank officials fear bullet train will compromise airport safety and water supplies
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District to restrict water flow for homeowners ‘wasting water’
“Wealthy homeowners in the Santa Monica Mountains community will face consequences if they’re found to be wasting water. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District is now doing more than just issuing fines to those that go over their allotted “water budget.” Water is becoming a precious commodity in Southern California. The reservoir run by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, contains a six-month supply for the district’s 75,000 customers. … ” Read more from ABC 7 here: Las Virgenes Municipal Water District to restrict water flow for homeowners ‘wasting water’
Poseidon Water could receive millions in state bonds for Huntington Beach plant
“The controversial Poseidon Water seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach could be in line to receive millions in state funds from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee. The committee met Wednesday, a three-hour meeting during which it partially decided how to divide up more than $4.3 billion in tax exempt Private Activity Bonds that are available for distribution in 2022. Most of the money — about $3.7 billion — will go to qualified residential rental programs, which would fund affordable housing. However, the committee also voted to allocate about $510 million to other exempt facilities, which include Poseidon. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Poseidon Water could receive millions in state bonds for Huntington Beach plant
Along the Colorado River …
Protecting natural Colorado River flows is critical for native fish, study finds
“Native Colorado River Basin fish need water to survive, which isn’t groundbreaking news, but recent research finds that natural stream flows are also critical for the survival of these species. The White River runs through eastern Utah and is a Green River tributary in the Colorado River system. It’s also one of the few remaining streams with natural flows, according to Phaedra Budy, a professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University. “The White River does have a spring flood, still, it does have an incredible amount of complex habitat and as a result, it has a very robust and healthy native fishery,” she said. … ” Read more from KUER here: Protecting natural Colorado River flows is critical for native fish, study finds
Colorado fines Boulder County gold mine $17,000 for water quality violations
“The state Mined Land Reclamation Board imposed a $17,000 fine on owners of the Cross and Caribou mines for water quality violations, but suspended all but $5,000 of the penalty as long as Grand Island Resources continues “good faith” efforts to install containment and cleanup equipment. The state agency’s staff largely endorsed the mining company’s presentation detailing completion of a filtration system for any water emitted from the historic mine above Nederland, and said they would continue on-site review of the improvements and water sampling. “We do acknowledge that the operator has taken a number of different actions to bring the site back into compliance,” said Michael Cunningham, an environmental protection specialist with the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, which provides staff to the mining board. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Colorado fines Boulder County gold mine $17,000 for water quality violations
In national water news today …
People haven’t just made the planet hotter. We’ve changed the way it rains.
“You probably noticed a lot of weird weather in 2021. From record-breaking deluges and tropical storms to drought-stricken landscapes that erupted in wildfire, the nation seemed to lurch from one weather-related disaster to the next. You’re forgiven if you dismiss these events as unrelated, albeit unfortunate, phenomena. But they actually share a common bond – they’re all part of a new climate reality where supersized rainfalls and lengthening droughts have become the norm. Blame global warming. Rising temperatures don’t just make the planet hotter. They’ve also knocked longstanding precipitation patterns off balance by altering how much water cycles between earth and sky. … ” Read more from the USA Today here: People haven’t just made the planet hotter. We’ve changed the way it rains.
A new perspective on funding nonpoint-source-pollution solutions
“While municipal wastewater treatment facilities fight hard to keep waterways clean, other (“nonpoint”) sources contribute greatly to environmental pollution. But there is funding, and now guidance, available to help solve the problem. For more than three decades, Clean Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF) have been helping states, municipalities, and environmental groups reduce pollution pressures on the nation’s waterways. But people might be shocked to learn how disproportional funding has been for addressing point source pollution vs. nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. The recently released U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) document, CWSRF Best Practices Guide for Financing Nonpoint Source Solutions (EPA 84121012), is designed to improve that imbalance (Figure 1). It offers a broad perspective on putting CWSRF funds to use properly, creative ideas for navigating the technical constraints of such funding programs, and real-world experience from states that have successfully tackled a variety of NPS challenges. … ” Read more from Water Online here: A new perspective on funding nonpoint-source-pollution solutions
Republican leaders press for adequate public comment period on Biden administration’s harmful WOTUS expansion
“Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member David Rouzer (R-NC) pressed for adequate time for the public to submit comments and express concerns with the sweeping regulatory changes under the Biden administration’s proposed redefinition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). This action threatens the livelihoods of farmers, business owners and employees, property owners, and others across the country. Graves and Rouzer wrote to the heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Agencies) to request an extension of at least 90 days to the current public comment period, set to expire on Feb. 7, 2021, which is significantly limited compared to typical public comment periods for complex rulemakings. … ” Read more from the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure here: Republican leaders press for adequate public comment period on Biden administration’s harmful WOTUS expansion
Environmental justice requires a healthy democracy
“Unless the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are passed, the U.S. won’t be able to successfully address environmental and health disparities hurting America’s marginalized racial and ethnic communities, argues National Wildlife Federation’s Mustafa Santiago Ali. Protecting voting rights is essential to securing environmental justice for people and wildlife, he contends. … ” Read the full article at Bloomberg Law here: Environmental justice requires a healthy democracy
Committee OKs wildlife bill, but partisan divisions remain
“A committee debate yesterday on a sweeping wildlife conservation bill exposed deep partisan divisions that could stymie success on an otherwise bipartisan proposal. At a markup of the House Natural Resources Committee, Republicans praised the “Recovering America’s Wildlife Act,” H.R. 2773, as necessary to combat the biodiversity crisis and prevent future additions to the list of endangered species. But they also proposed multiple amendments designed to undermine the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act — federal programs Democrats hold dear. The two parties similarly got no closer to an agreement on a suitable offset for the measure’s nearly $1.4 billion in annual spending, a sticking point a majority of Republicans on the committee said they needed in order to ultimately support the legislation. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Committee OKs wildlife bill, but partisan divisions remain
California drought update …
CA-Drought-Update-1-18-22Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
DELTA eNEWS: ~~ Conservancy Meeting~ DSC Meeting~ Climate Symposium~ Drought Response ~~
VELES WEEKLY REPORT: California is one large atmospheric river or 2 substantial frontal systems away from drought breaking in certain regions
