On the calendar today …
- FREE WEBINAR: Soil Moisture 101: What It Means and How It’s Measured from 11am to 12pm. The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are pleased to host two webinars on soil moisture data and applications. The webinars are intended to help NWS operational forecasters, and other weather and climate service providers, to better understand soil moisture monitoring and its practical applications. This first webinar will provide an overview of soil moisture monitoring and interpretation. It will include a series of brief recorded presentations, followed by live Q&A with the presenters. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: Natural and Working Lands: An Underutilized Climate Solution from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. Amidst worsening impacts of climate change, California is doubling down to achieve carbon neutrality and build climate resilience. Unleashing nature-based climate solutions is essential to this effort. Improving our stewardship of natural and working lands, with an eye toward sequestering carbon and buffering climate impacts, is a cornerstone of this nature-based strategy. These lands, which include our forests, farms, wetlands, community greenspaces and so much more, cover 90 percent of our state and hold tremendous, underutilized potential to combat climate change. Join us and diverse leaders as we explore how we can improve our land stewardship to make measurable progress combatting the climate crisis. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Snow to spread across West as temperatures plunge
“An active weather pattern is in place across the western United States, AccuWeather forecasters say, and the arrival of a storm in the Northwest will eventually result in widespread impacts from California to the central and southern Rockies. By Monday afternoon, an area of low pressure is expected to dive southeastward from the Pacific Northwest and spread a swath of snow from across Washington and Oregon to Nevada and Utah. On Tuesday, steady snow will slowly taper off across the Pacific Northwest and transition southward across the southern Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada and the central and southern Rocky Mountains. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Snow to spread across West as temperatures plunge
Leading water conservation group IDs top five obsolete dams to remove in California
“Fish and watershed conservation non-profit organization California Trout (CalTrout) released a new report today detailing the top five dams ripe for removal in the Golden State. The lower four Klamath Dams are on the list. Removal of the dams named in the Top 5 California DAMS OUT Report would support the recovery of California’s native migratory salmon and steelhead populations, many of which are at critical risk of extinction; improve the health of watersheds, which benefits both people and wildlife; and provide economic, recreational and safety benefits to local communities. The dams identified in the report were carefully selected: dams that provide the least benefit for people and cause the greatest harms to imperiled native fish rose to the top. … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: Leading water conservation group IDs top five obsolete dams to remove in California
SEE ALSO: Dams Out: CalTrout’s Top 5
Hurtado proposes to dissolve State Water Board
“Democratic State Senator Melissa Hurtado of Sanger introduced legislation on Thursday calling for the dissolution of the State Water Resources Control Board. A Blue Ribbon Commission of various state leaders would effectively take its place as a result of her legislation. Hurtado introduced Senate Bill 1219 — the State Water Resiliency and Modernization Act — to deal with the issue of the continued trouble the state has had in managing its water. “Water impacts every facet of our life,” Hurtado said. “Californians are feeling the rise in prices for essentials like water, food and energy. As prices drastically increase due to inflation, we must look to ways to reduce costs. We in the Central Valley have been at the forefront of these concerns for a while. We feel the impacts and suffer the consequences long before many across California do. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Hurtado proposes to dissolve State Water Board
A parched west remains divided on desalinating seawater
“Gripped by drought, communities along California’s coast are exploring innovations and investments to ensure residents have access to drinking water. But desalinating seawater, one proposed solution, has provoked heated debate, as some environmentalists say the process is inefficient, expensive and unneeded. The California Coastal Commission next month will decide whether to approve a private company’s application to build a $1.4 billion seawater desalination facility in Huntington Beach, southeast of Los Angeles. An approval would cap a 15-year permitting process to bring Southern California its second, large-scale seawater desalination facility—joining another in Carlsbad that fully opened in 2015. … ” Read more from the Pew Charitable Trust here: A parched west remains divided on desalinating seawater
First solar canal project is a win for water, energy, air and climate in California
“Mounting evidence suggests the western United States is now in its worst megadrought in at least 1,200 years. Groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many places, and the dryness, wildfires and shrinking water supplies are making climate change personal for millions of people. As an engineer, I have been working with colleagues on a way to both protect water supplies and boost renewable energy to protect the climate. We call it the solar-canal solution, and it’s about to be tested in California. … ” Read more from The Conversation here: First solar canal project is a win for water, energy, air and climate in California
What happens when wildfire devastates a ski resort? The industry is watching Sierra-at-Tahoe to find out
“Preacher’s Passion, Sugar N’ Spice, Hemlock – each of Sierra-at-Tahoe’s ski runs sat covered in snow and glistening on the windless, bluebird-sky morning. Someone even groomed Lower Main. Yet the runs were ghostly silent, devoid of skiers — and lined by thousands of ashen trees. … Nearly six months after the Caldor Fire tore through Sierra-at-Tahoe, damaging about 80% of the vegetation on its ski slopes, the resort is battling supply chain issues, fickle weather and the nearing advent of spring as its operators try to salvage what’s left of the ski season. Chief among those hurdles is a problem new to California ski resorts: how to bounce back when flames ravage its most beloved feature, the forest. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: What happens when wildfire devastates a ski resort? The industry is watching Sierra-at-Tahoe to find out
Caldor Fire scorched hundreds of thousands of acres. Now comes the plan to restore them
“Just four months after the Caldor Fire burned nearly 222,000 acres of mountain woodlands near South Lake Tahoe, forest authorities have outlined the beginnings of a plan to restore the area’s ecology and, it is hoped, its economy. Early restoration work will likely begin next month in three key areas of El Dorado County, where most of the fire’s damage occurred: the Gold Rush town of Grizzly Flats, where nearly two-thirds of homes burned; the Highway 50 corridor between Pollock Pines and South Lake Tahoe; and a high-elevation area surrounding the headwaters of the South Fork of the American River and the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, El Dorado County’s second-largest employer. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Caldor Fire scorched hundreds of thousands of acres. Now comes the plan to restore them
Forest fires could boost Western US water supplies
“Relentless drought in the western United States has raised concerns about water scarcity in the coming decades. Parched landscapes are difficult to cultivate and are more susceptible to devastating wildfires. Paradoxically, such blazes could increase the flow of water to rivers and reservoirs long after containment, according to a new study. In an analysis of watersheds throughout the western United States, researchers found that on average, streams see higher flows than expected for 6 years after a forest fire ravages the surrounding basin. Accompanying climate models show that this extra water partially offsets a decades-long deficit in streamflow. … ” Read more from EOS here: Forest fires could boost Western US water supplies
As drought lingers, larger and more destructive wildfires pose new threats to water supply
“Already diminished by drought and extreme heat, California’s water supply will face yet another peril as wildfires continue to incinerate ever larger areas of forested land, according to new research. In a UCLA-led study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers determined that increasing forest fire activity is “unhinging” western U.S. stream flow from its historical predictability. In areas where more than a fifth of the forest had burned, stream flow increased by an average of 30% for six years after the fire. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: As drought lingers, larger and more destructive wildfires pose new threats to water supply
SEE ALSO: Forest fires increasingly affecting rivers and streams, for better and worse, from Phys Org
Expect West Coast seas to rise 8 inches by 2050 — it’ll be even worse on the East Coast
“Bigger storm surges, more flooding at high-tide, eroding shorelines and other damaging events will increase along the coastal United States at a faster pace than in the past century, according to new data on sea level rise released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sea levels will go up by as much as 8 inches in California and along the West Coast by 2050, and by as much as 1 foot on the East Coast, projections based on improved research, satellite data and a better understanding of melting ice in the Arctic and Antarctic show. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Expect West Coast seas to rise 8 inches by 2050 — it’ll be even worse on the East Coast
In commentary today …
Dan Walters: Water crisis demands action, not a new commission
“As severe recession wracked California 13 years ago, it revealed a serious flaw in the state government’s revenue system. .. The syndrome was called “volatility” and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators agreed that it needed a fix. But rather than act decisively, they did what politicians often do when faced with seemingly intractable issues — appoint a “blue ribbon commission” to come up with solutions. … This bit of recent history is offered to place Senate Bill 1219 in context. Introduced this month by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Sanger Democrat, it would create a blue ribbon commission, composed of bureaucrats and political appointees, to recommend ways to restructure the state’s agencies that purport to manage water and dissolve the state’s chief water agency, the Water Resources Control Board. … ” Read the full commentary at Cal Matters here: Water crisis demands action, not a new commission
West’s historic drought demands action from state, national leaders
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board writes, “New scientific research puts the severity of the Western drought into stark perspective and serves as a red-alert warning about the needs to address climate change and water insecurity. Recently, a research team led by UCLA environmental scientist Park Williams concluded that the West’s current 22-year drought is the worst the region has experienced in at least 1,200 years, and quite possibly longer. More troubling yet, this current drought is being driven significantly by a factor that wasn’t involved in the other dry periods — human-caused climate change. That means the current conditions stand to only get worse, perpetually, unless we change. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: West’s historic drought demands action from state, national leaders
Today’s featured article …
BLOG ROUND-UP: In runoff forecasting, stationarity is dead; TUCP and algal blooms; FEMA ratings; Large scale green infrastructure, and more …
Click here to read the blog round-up.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
A Winter Wings with fewer wings publicizes Klamath water crisis
“With sunny days, high temperatures upwards of 60 degrees and 95% of the Klamath Basin’s wildlife refuges dry and cracked, 2022 wasn’t a normal year for the Winter Wings Festival. So, peppered among last weekend’s photography workshops and birding trips were frank discussions of why the Klamath’s bird populations have plummeted — and what could be done to recover them. Klamath Basin Audubon Society, which helps organize Winter Wings, included programming at this year’s festival targeted explicitly at the issues facing the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges, which haven’t received enough water to create wetland habitat for waterbirds for more than two decades. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: A Winter Wings with fewer wings publicizes Klamath water crisis
Lake County Planning Commission to reconsider large cannabis operation near Hidden Valley Lake
“The Lake County Planning Commission will once again consider a large commercial cannabis operation to be located near Hidden Valley Lake that the Board of Supervisors overturned on appeal last year. … In an item scheduled for 9:20 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider a major use permit and mitigated negative declaration sought by Zarina Otchkova, owner of We Grow LLC. … The property size is 300 acres but the cannabis-related operations will cover about nine acres and include 34 greenhouses, four drying buildings, a shed, 20 water tanks and privacy fencing. An estimated 130 blue oak trees will need to be removed. … ” Read more from Lake County News here: Lake County Planning Commission to reconsider large cannabis operation near Hidden Valley Lake
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Shasta Lake low lake levels might be costing you more this year
“The added rain and snow could get Shasta Lake a little closer to where we want to be right now. The low lake levels mean that more people who use water from Shasta Lake might have to cut back a little. Currently, Shasta Lake is just 37% full, but the lake should be at 65% to 70% filled this time of year. John Franklin was surprised to see so few people at the lake today, but he thinks it has to do with the lake levels. … ” Continue reading at Action News Now here: John Franklin was surprised to see so few people at the lake today, but he thinks it has to do with the lake levels.
Roads, groundwater among priorities for Tehama County American Rescue Plan Act funds
“Groundwater concerns, wage increases, short staffing and road repairs were among the most common topics brought up at a Feb. 15 meeting seeking public input on the use of more than $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Rescue Act Ad Hoc Committee held a second meeting to solicit public input on distribution options for $12,641,804 in funds. … ” Continue reading at the Red Bluff Daily News here: Roads, groundwater among priorities for Tehama County American Rescue Plan Act funds
Battle Creek: Reconnecting winter-run chinook salmon with their historical source waters
“When you think about California’s grandeur, it’s hard to pin it down… It’s not just big mountains, or the hottest deserts, or the tallest trees, or the clearest lakes and most beautiful beaches. … You wouldn’t know it by looking, but the real beauty of California is that these features are all connected, from the highest mountains to the smallest fish in the streams. Read on as we explore the unique biology of winter-run Chinook salmon and efforts that are underway by CalTrout and our partners to conserve them. … ” Read more at Cal Trout here: Battle Creek: Reconnecting winter-run chinook salmon with their historical source waters
Sacramento approaches a record for days without rain during the winter. Could more water restrictions be coming soon?
“As of Monday, the Sacramento area has gone 45 days without rain. If this were the summer, it would hardly be worth mentioning. But the winter months are when the region expects to pick up a majority of its annual rainfall. The good news is that despite this near-record long winter rainless streak, the season’s total rainfall (since Oct. 1) is still above average for Sacramento. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Sacramento approaches a record for days without rain during the winter. Could more water restrictions be coming soon?
Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders file CWA citizen suit
“On Friday, Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders, LLC filed a complaint in the Eastern District of California against ACM Machining, Inc., Luis Alfred Balbach and Phillip McWilliams, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. … The complaint alleges that ACM Machining stores industrial materials outdoors that can be exposed to stormwater, eroded by wind and otherwise contaminate the surrounding watershed. The plaintiff states that it conducted an investigation, including a review of the Facility’s Notice of Intent to Comply with the Terms of the Industrial General Permit, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, aerial photography, Federal, State and local regulatory agency mapping tools and discovered that stormwater from the defendant’s facility is collected and discharged through two distinct drainage areas that eventually flow into the Lower Sacramento River. … ” Read the full post at Law Street Media here: Central Valley Eden Environmental Defenders file CWA citizen suit
NAPA/SONOMA
Editorial: It’s never too early to start planning for the next drought
“For a minute this winter, as atmospheric rivers crashed over us, dousing the earth with buckets of much-needed rain, there glistened a glimmer of hope. Hope that those long drought months, with their tragically short showers, just might take a year off. When the Sierras were packed with walls of snow in December, that glimmer ballooned even bigger. That’s about the time that Mother Nature pulled out her comically over-sized pin to pop any desire we might have for a drought-free year. Our unseasonable wet winter was followed by one of the driest January and February on record, when nary a drip of rain could be found. Our quenched aquifers are coughing up dusty dirt as dry cracks settle into the landscape. It might be the height of Sonoma Valley’s “wet season,” but any precipitation has been hard to come by in 2022. ... ” Read more from the Sonoma Index-Tribune here: Editorial: It’s never too early to start planning for the next drought
BAY AREA
Bay Area could see first rain in 45 days — and snow in the East Bay
“The balmy weather that’s swathed the Bay Area in summery warmth over the past several weeks is expected to give way to a cold snap that could bring freezing temperatures and the first measurable rain in 45 days — including a dusting of snow in the hills. A dry cold front swept into the Bay Area overnight Sunday, bringing low temperatures and strong breezes. Conditions will get colder and possibly wetter early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. ... ” Read ore from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Bay Area could see first rain in 45 days — and snow in the East Bay
Residents remain skeptical after years of Coyote Creek flooding
“As the Bay Area battles a deepening drought, growing bitterness over the South Bay’s last flood remains as does the legal battle surrounding it. Five years ago, Coyote Creek in San Jose left entire neighborhoods under water. Years later, the families who lost almost everything in those floods are still fighting against the water district as they try to pull themselves up. … ” Continue reading from NBC Bay Area here: Residents remain skeptical after years of Coyote Creek flooding
SEE ALSO: Coyote Creek Flood Victims Still Without Reparations 5 Years Later, from CBS San Francisco
Photos: Exclusive drone views of San Francisco Bay’s colorful salt ponds
“Flying in or out of the Bay Area, you may have noticed San Francisco Bay’s colorful salt ponds from above. Otherwise, many of the ponds, which cover approximately 16,500 acres of the bay and have been used as salt evaporation ponds since the California Gold Rush era, remain a hidden secret. Most of the ponds were once wetlands in Newark, Hayward and Redwood City. Some are no longer in use, but Cargill Salt continues its operations in Newark. The salt the company produces is used to manufacture glass, paper, plastic, rubber, textiles, dyes, leather, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The Cargill plant is capable of crystallizing 500,000 tons of sea salt each year. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Photos: Exclusive drone views of San Francisco Bay’s colorful salt ponds
CENTRAL COAST
Mt. Madonna students help with Elkhorn Slough monitoring
“On World Wetlands Day, students from Mount Madonna School in Watsonville helped sample water and learn about the slough ecosystem. Peggy Foletta, the education specialist at the reserve, showed buddy pairs of fifth-and ninth-graders how to measure salinity, pH, wind speed, water transparency and tide period. Their measurements will go to the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. The NASA-sponsored program involves over 30,000 schools around the world. … ” Read more from Good Times Santa Cruz here: Mt. Madonna students help with Elkhorn Slough monitoring
Winter rains helped boost Santa Barbara’s water supply
“Joshua Haggmark, Water Resources Manager, told News Channel 3-12 that despite the dismal rainfall so far this year, winter rains were better than expected. “We are well positioned to be able to meet water demands looking out at least through the next three years.” In November 2021, the City’s Water Supply Update report stated two years; that was before the heavy rains in December. Haggmark credits ongoing community water conservation efforts along with continued desalination operations. Both have both helped boost the City’s water supply. … ” Read more from KEYT here: Winter rains helped boost Santa Barbara’s water supply
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Grayson residents get their hands dirty for next phase of riverside forest restoration
“A new phase of river restoration launched Saturday with help from people in nearby Grayson. They planted native trees and brush in an area that will augment work already done at Dos Rios Ranch, just to the northeast. The nonprofit River Partners hopes that mimicking natural floodplain can aid wildlife while buffering high flows where the Tuolumne and San Joaquin meet. The new 285-acre project is notable also because it is much closer to a town than any other part of the total 2,400 acres. Grayson is just a few hundred feet away as the crow flies, and someday a trail might provide easy access. ... ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Grayson residents get their hands dirty for next phase of riverside forest restoration
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Water District wants better overdraft data from Groundwater Authority
“Of the roughly 110 minutes of the open session at the Indian Wells Valley Water District board meeting on Monday, February 14, almost 30 minutes was spent discussing water level data from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. The Water District is responsible for supplying IWV customers with water, while the IWVGA is responsible for developing a groundwater sustainability plan for the valley. According to members of the Water District’s board of directors, the IWVGA is not doing enough to provide accurate data for knowing how much water is coming in and going out of the IWV groundwater basin. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Water District wants better overdraft data from Groundwater Authority
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Coldest storm of the winter to hit L.A mountains and beyond: ‘You need to be prepared’
“The coldest storm of the winter season is set to dump snow and ice to the mountains of Los Angeles County, according to an urgent advisory the National Weather Service issued Monday. The region should expect 1 to 3 inches of snow, with up to 5 inches possible in the San Gabriel Mountains, starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday through noon Wednesday, the advisory warned. Affected mountain areas include those in San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Los Angeles County, excluding the Santa Monica range. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Coldest storm of the winter to hit L.A mountains and beyond: ‘You need to be prepared’
As historic drought worsens, LA pursues ambitious plan to secure water supply
“Officials in a major U.S. city that has struggled with water scarcity since its founding now believe they are on the path toward fundamentally solving the problem — even as drought hits historic new levels. “Leaders of Los Angeles — a metropolis forged by water heists from distant lands — think they’re on a path to drought resilience,” BNN Bloomberg reported. “Heavy investments in water storage, rainwater capture and reclamation are serving towards a goal of supplying 70% of the city’s water from local sources by 2035.” … ” Read more from Water Online here: As historic drought worsens, LA pursues ambitious plan to secure water supply
Sewage spill shuts down portion of Newport Bay coastline
“Health officials in Orange County on Monday closed a portion of the Newport Bay coastline due to a sewage spill of approximately 35,000 to 50,000 gallons. Authorities say the sewage spill was caused by a blockage of a sewer line from a restaurant in the area. … ” Continue reading at Fox 11 here: Sewage spill shuts down portion of Newport Bay coastline
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Imperial Irrigation District sells land to HKG, retains subsurface rights
“Imperial Irrigation District has been negotiating with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal, LLC (HKG) to transfer land near the Salton Sea to the company, plus allow geothermal drilling of the heated brine and mineral extraction. Recently, IID entered into negotiations with HKG to transfer approximately 3,144 acres, which includes the 1,880 acres currently under lease with HKG. Documents showed at the IID’s regular Feb. 15, meeting that under the proposed transfer, IID would retain its rights to all subsurface resources, including geothermal and mineral resources. “You have the largest geothermal reservoir in North America and, globally, the largest lithium reserve,” said HKG Chief Operating Officer Jim Turner. ... ” Read more from the Desert Review here: Imperial Irrigation District sells land to HKG, retains subsurface rights
Along the Colorado River …
Study finds big wildfires temporarily boost water supplies and flood risks
“Major forest fires around the West temporarily boost both surface water supplies and the risks of flood and debris flows, researchers found in a study released this week. In dozens of watersheds that have burned since 1984, including several on or around Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, fires that scorched at least 20% of an area increased streamflow by an average of 30%, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Study finds big wildfires temporarily boost water supplies and flood risks
In national water news today …
The plastic in paint is massively polluting the ocean
Jeremy Miller writes, “When I lived in New York City, I often marveled at the massive human effort employed in service of maintaining the city’s aging infrastructure, namely its beautiful bridges. Elaborate, tinker toy-like sets of scaffolding would emerge around the George Washington, Queensboro, and Manhattan Bridges, seemingly overnight. … The painting was necessary, of course, because the paint itself was in a state of continual decay. I always wondered about the paint that had worn away and fallen into the Hudson and East Rivers. What was the cumulative impact of this industrial rain on the waterways below? … ” Read the article at Sierra Magazine here: The plastic in paint is massively polluting the ocean
More news and commentary in the holiday weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
- A change in the weather pattern starts Sunday, bringing strong winds, then precipitation to Northern California
- DWR launches new website to improve tracking of local and statewide water conditions amid extreme dry conditions
- California records driest January in 38 years
- Fins and feathers together
- Harder pushes for 21st century satellite technology to measure land subsidence nationwide
- A war to halt logging in Northern California reignites. Will it end differently this time?
- Listen: Wildfires, climate change and drought: a conversation about the biggest threats to giant sequoias
- Dean ‘Dino’ Cortopassi, farmer, champion of education and protector of the Delta, dies at 84
- Dr. Michael Dettinger elected to National Academy of Engineering
- El Dorado Irrigation District seeks grant to rebuild longest flume in concrete
- H20 and the Central Coast: The critical connections between water, jobs and housing
- Simi Valley: Water quality control board delays decision on renewal of field lab’s discharge permit
- And more …
Click here to read the holiday weekend edition of the Daily Digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Delta Island Adaptations: First Public Workshop on March 15
WORKSHOP NOTICE: Sacramento River Temperature Management
NOTICE of Consideration of a Proposed Order Related to Abeyance Request of Petition for Reconsideration of Water Quality Certification for Yuba River Development Project
UPCOMING EVENT: Office Hours with Dr. Thomas Harter
NOTICE of Petitions for Change and Time Extension for Monterey County Water Resources Agency Water Rights
