On the calendar today …
- MEETING: The Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets beginning at 9am. Agenda items include presentation of levee inspection results for the Sacramento River West Bank Levee System; Monthly report from DWR; a 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan update and consideration of a Resolution for California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 23, Division, Chapter 1, Articles 2 and 8 Rulemaking. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
“Massive dollars” needed to clean tainted groundwater from Kern County’s banking projects
“Southern California’s reliance on Kern County’s prolific groundwater banks for drought insurance could be jeopardized by a chemical known as 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). The cancer-causing agent has been found in several large groundwater banking operations in Kern and a first look at how much it may cost to clean up is a doozy. Up to $465 million, according to a recent feasibility study of the Arvin-Edison Water Storage District banking operation. And that’s just one of Kern’s water banks used by urban partners to store, or “bank,” water in flush years and retrieve it during drought. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: “Massive dollars” needed to clean tainted groundwater from Kern County’s banking projects
Contamination a looming possibility for groundwater bank to be built using public funds
“A proposed Kern County groundwater bank that would be partially funded with $87 million in Proposition 1 money for new water storage, may have to deal with contamination before it spreads its first drop. The Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project has not found contamination yet, but is sandwiched between areas that have confirmed 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), a carcinogen allegedly leftover from a fumigant made by Dow Chemical and Shell Oil. The possibility of TCP contamination is “being considered as we’re going through the design process,” said Trent Taylor, water resources manager for Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District which is partnering with Irvine Ranch Water District on the project. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Contamination a looming possibility for groundwater bank to be built using public funds
Controversial Kings Co. water pipeline faces familiar foe in legal drama: CEQA
“The latest round of legal war between a local water district and one of Kings County’s largest farming and water players over a controversial water pipeline being installed in the southern portion of the county has fallen victim to a familiar foe. The foe? The California Environmental Quality Act, otherwise known as CEQA, the state’s marquee environmental law. Last month, the Tulare Lake Canal Company sued Sandridge Partners, the farming and water giant owned by Santa Clara County native John Vidovich, over the construction of a water pipeline in southern Kings County. … In its latest legal action, Tulare Lake Canal is arguing that Sandridge violated CEQA by failing to perform an environmental impact report (EIR) for the project. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Controversial Kings Co. water pipeline faces familiar foe in legal drama: CEQA
Drought conditions worsen in California
“The two large storms that broadsided California in October and December brought optimism that the dry weather that has plagued the state would be relegated to the past. But after a dry January and February, that optimism has been replaced with a sense of gloom. On Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor released its weekly report showing that 68% of California is in severe drought and 100% of the state is suffering from abnormally dry conditions. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Drought conditions worsen in California
SEE ALSO:
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- California drought: Maps show 69% of the state is still facing severe dryness, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- With 6 weeks left in rainy season, California is running out of water and time, from Channel 10
New technologies improve how the Department of Water Resources tracks NorCal’s water supply
“Sacramento is about to reach a bleak milestone: a record-long stretch of days without any rain during the “wet” season. The last measurable rainfall in downtown Sacramento came on Jan. 7, 41 days ago. Sunday will set the new record of 44 days. But whether precipitation is scarce or plentiful, being able to accurately track and forecast water supply heading into the warmer, drier months is critical to ensuring there is enough water to serve California’s population and its ecosystems. Early Thursday, the Department of Water Resources announced the steps it is taking to improve in those areas. … ” Read more from KCRA here: New technologies improve how the Department of Water Resources tracks NorCal’s water supply
Wetlands help fight climate change, but the kind of wetland matters
“On a rainy fall morning, a pair of research technicians from the Berkeley Biometeorology Lab travel in a white pickup truck along a tongue of land where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers converge and then finally join. Even though the road is paved with gravel, the tires kick up dust and mix with the scent of wild fennel. At a nearby pasture, cows chew cud unfazed by the sound of the rattling truck bed or river otters splashing. Sandhill cranes soar above crackling high-tension power lines. Once threatened American white pelicans fly in formation against the backdrop of slow turning wind turbines. … As slow-moving as it seems, driving through the wetlands where the mud and tides ooze around the gently blowing reeds, Verfaillie and Szutu feel a sense of urgency. The team is fascinated with a process most people only get from science textbooks: something called carbon sequestration. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: Wetlands help fight climate change, but the kind of wetland matters
US Water Alliance outlines utility consolidation strategies
“The U.S. Water Alliance has released a new report that examines strategies, tactics, and resources for community-driven consolidations and partnerships in the state of California. … In the face of mounting water stressors, the State of California alone seeks to secure 200 consolidation agreements by 2025 as a key strategy to achieve the state’s water access and resiliency goals. Yet, the sector lacks frameworks for using community-driven processes and environmental justice principles in utility partnership, regionalization, and consolidation efforts. In this context, over 30 diverse individuals representing community-based and nonprofit organizations, technical assistance providers, utilities, state governments, engineering and consulting firms, and academia answered the call to articulate what community-driven processes should look like and how to accelerate those processes. … ” Read more from the US Water Alliance here: US Water Alliance outlines utility consolidation strategies
With an eye on every field in California, Land IQ watches water use
“When it comes to agriculture in California—where the US draws more than a third of its vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts—one company keeps an eye on water usage to ensure the resource remains sustainable. For years, Land IQ has documented more than 420,000 individual fields of crops statewide via remote sensors, satellite imagery, and in-person verifications spanning more than 15,000 miles annually. In three California counties critical to the state’s agricultural production, the company also tracks how much water each field is using. The data, made visible on maps via a geographic information system (GIS), gets reported to local water resource managers. These smart maps support officials monitoring the state’s water supply and farmers making decisions that must balance economics with protecting natural resources. ... ” Continue reading from ESRI here: With an eye on every field in California, Land IQ watches water use
Last year’s drought cost ag industry more than $1 billion, thousands of jobs, new analysis shows
“The 2021 drought directly cost the California agriculture sector about $1.1 billion and nearly 8,750 full- and part-time jobs, according to estimates in a new analysis led by UC Merced researchers. Once the effects on other economic sectors are considered, total impacts are estimated at $1.7 billion and 14,634 full- and part-time jobs lost. The Economic Impacts of the 2021 Drought on California Agriculture Preliminary Report, released today, analyzes the impacts of last year’s drought in the Central Valley, the Russian River Basin and northern intermountain valley areas. The researchers developed these preliminary estimates of economic impacts using surveys, reviews of hydrological information and remote sensing data gathered from those areas and comparing them to average conditions, as well as to the 2012-2016 drought. … ” Read more from UC Merced here: Last year’s drought cost ag industry more than $1 billion, thousands of jobs, new analysis shows
SEE ALSO: California agriculture takes $1.2-billion hit during drought, losing 8,700 farm jobs, researchers find, from the LA Times
California’s changing agroclimate metrics
“Every decade a suite of standardized climate metrics known as “climate normals” are calculated, providing averages of temperature and precipitation data over the previous 30-year period. When “average climate” is referenced in news articles, or when the local weather notes that the temperature on a given day was warmer or cooler than “normal,” these 30-year “climate normals” are often the baseline for those comparisons. However, there are numerous additional ways to measure climate conditions that are more directly applicable to agricultural producers besides average temperature and precipitation. … To provide information on contemporary climate conditions for California agriculture, scientists at the USDA California Climate Hub, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC ANR identified a suite of agroclimate metrics and calculated how they have changed over the two most recent climate normal periods (1981-2010 and 1991-2020), and the trends in these metrics over the 40-year 1981-2020 period. … ” Read more from the USDA here: California’s changing agroclimate metrics
CDFA accepting comments on SWEEP pilot project
“CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) is accepting public comments for its draft Request for Grant Applications (RGAs) for a State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Pilot Program for the Southern Desert Region of California. SWEEP was established in 2014 through emergency drought legislation to provide incentives to California farmers who are reducing on-farm water use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from irrigation and water pumping systems. Since its development, SWEEP has awarded over 1,000 projects, but very few have been awarded in the Southern desert region due to the specific regional water and energy scenarios. Of the $50 million appropriated to SWEEP in the Budget Act of 2021, CDFA is allocating $2 million for the Southern California desert region. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: CDFA accepting comments on SWEEP pilot project
Federal water leaders focus on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during Family Farm Alliance annual conference
“Water and Science and Bureau of Reclamation senior leadership are showcasing how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will benefit family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts and allied industries in 17 western states during the Family Farm Alliance Annual Meeting and Conference February 24-25 at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, Nevada. This year’s agenda features a keynote address by the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo and remarks by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “We have a historic opportunity to make investments that will help local, state, and Tribal communities respond to drought,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Trujillo. “I am grateful for this opportunity to continue to hear from and receive input from our partners to make the best use of this opportunity.” ... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Federal water leaders focus on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during Family Farm Alliance annual conference
CVP allocations reflect disappointing lack of rain and snow
“The Bureau of Reclamation released initial 2022 water allocations for Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors. The CVP allocations reflect a lack of rain and snow since the beginning of the calendar year. As of February 23, the California Department of Water Resources reports that the statewide snowpack is just 66 percent of average for this time of year. Allocations for the CVP incorporate current water storage conditions and snowpack levels in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada. South-of-Delta irrigation water service and repayment contractors have received a zero percent allocation. Municipal and Industrial repayment and water service contractors are being allocated 25 percent of their historic use. In a statement, Westlands Water District expressed disappointment in the CVP allocations, but understands the troublesome hydrologic conditions. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: CVP allocations reflect disappointing lack of rain and snow
SEE ALSO: ‘Weather whiplash’ prompts zero allocation from CVP, from the Western Farm Press
How ‘solar canals’ could help California survive a megadrought
Roger Bales writes, “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. … ” Continue reading at Fast Company here: How ‘solar canals’ could help California survive a megadrought
In commentary today …
Instead of more bureaucracy, California needs more water storage
Mark McKean, a board member of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “I disagree with the commentary suggesting that layering more bureaucracy on top of California’s already-complex water laws will fix our water problems. Water laws are not the cause of California’s changing weather patterns, and legal wrangling will not alter what scientists tell us will be continuing boom-and-bust water cycles. Government entities already have significant power to alter water rights in emergency situations. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Instead of more bureaucracy, California needs more water storage
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Largest dam removal in US history set to begin
“The Iron Gate Dam, one of four dams on the Klamath River, will be removed in 2023. It will be the largest dam removal in U.S. history. For Pachomio Feliz, the waters of the Klamath River and Pacific are life. He’s a member of the Yurok Tribe. “This is our lifeblood,” he said. “Without the river, we’d be dead.” The Klamath River runs from southern Oregon to the Pacific Ocean in California. Along the way, there are four dams holding back the river’s natural flow. … ” Continue reading at Fox13 here: Largest dam removal in US history set to begin
Groups announce intent to sue feds over threats to Shasta River coho salmon
“Today, on behalf of the Friends of the Shasta River and Environmental Protection Information Center, the Western Environmental Law Center notified the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the groups’ intent to challenge its flawed Shasta River safe harbor program in federal court. The NMFS safe harbor program provides legal immunity for harming protected species in exchange for stewardship practices on private land. The groups allege NMFS violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing water diverters to kill threatened coho salmon under “enhancement of survival permits” based on unlawful and scientifically incorrect biological opinions. NMFS’s decision to issue the permits despite these flawed foundations violates its duty to not “jeopardize” threatened coho salmon or adversely modify their habitat. … ” Read more from the Western Environmental Law Center here: Groups announce intent to sue feds over threats to Shasta River coho salmon
Threatened salmon face another hot summer in the Trinity River
“Drought conditions don’t look like they’re going to let up this summer and that could leave the Trinity River’s already threatened fish species in hot water. On Tuesday, North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman sent a letter to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton requesting that less water from Trinity Lake be sent to Central Valley farmers. The lake is currently storing 775,000 acre feet of water, which is just 25,000 acre feet above the amount of water needed to maintain cool temperatures in the Trinity River, and that’s before the irrigation season has even started. “Without this cold water, juvenile salmonids in the Trinity River during spring and summer will suffer,” Huffman wrote, “and there will be no ability for BOR to augment lower Klamath River flows in the fall for adult Chinook salmon.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Threatened salmon face another hot summer in the Trinity River
North Coast sinking back into ‘Extreme Drought’
“Coastal Sonoma County and virtually all of Mendocino County have slipped back into a state of “extreme” drought amid a prolonged dry spell during what should be the wettest part of the year, according to the latest update of the U.S. Drought Monitor. With just a few spits of rain through all of January and February, and predicted dry weather ahead, conditions are ripe for a long, parched summer of water use restrictions and other extreme measures. But water watchers continue to hold out hope for a “miracle March” that could at least bolster supplies and lessen the pain. “We’re not going to see a rebound to normal conditions I think right now,” said Don Seymour, principal engineer at Sonoma Water. “What we’re hoping for is to get as much improvement as we can.” ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: North Coast sinking back into ‘Extreme Drought’
Lake County Planning Commission denies permit application for We Grow cannabis project
“On Thursday, the Lake County Planning Commission denied a permit application for a large cannabis operation that would have been located next to Hidden Valley Lake, a move taken at the recommendation of county staff. Zarina Otchkova’s We Grow LLC’s project proposed a nine-acre grow, processing and distribution operation on a 309-acre property located at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown. The proposal included 34 greenhouses, four drying buildings, a shed, 20 water tanks and privacy fencing. ... ” Read more from the Lake County News here: Lake County Planning Commission denies permit application for We Grow cannabis project
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Yuba River: Restoration & Redds: Findings from our 2021 Survey
“The Yuba’s beloved salmon make a yearly journey upstream to spawn in nests called redds. In the late fall of 2021 and 2022, South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and Cramer Fisheries Sciences (CFS) staff conducted surveys of these redds at the control site (UC Sierra Foothill REC property) to figure out how many the salmon constructed. Spring run chinook salmon are a threatened species on the Yuba. In recent years, a mere 2,000 to 5,000 make it above Daguerre Point Dam each year to mate on average. This represents a 99.5% decline from historic populations. SYRCL is working with partners, including CFS, to give salmon a better shot at survival by restoring sections of the lower Yuba. … ” Continue reading from the South Yuba Citizens League here: Yuba River: Restoration & Redds: Findings from our 2021 Survey
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Yolo County wells doing better than expected
“Despite no rainfall in October or December, measurements have shown Yolo County’s wells are faring better than previously expected. However, the groundwater levels still are not at the same levels of 2021, and some areas of the county are showing more recovery than others, according to Kristin Sicke, general manager of the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. According to Supervisor Gary Sandy one of the well levels in Wild Wings dropped last week. “It is very location specific,” Sicke explained during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Woodland Daily Democrat here: Yolo County wells doing better than expected
NAPA/SONOMA
Water vs. housing debated at Sonoma Development Center
“California was in a rush for black gold — oil and petroleum — when the Sonoma Developmental Center opened its doors in 1891. But as the campus is redeveloped and faces its environmental review stage, a chasm between advocates for housing and protectors of water has formed. Permit Sonoma entered the environmental review of the SDC’s redevelopment, where they will host a number of public meetings to receive feedback about environmental concerns for the 945-acre property that includes a wildlife corridor. From the comments that residents provided to Permit Sonoma on Thursday, Feb. 17, the biggest concern were two resources that California has less and less of: water and housing. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Index Tribune here: Water vs. housing debated at Sonoma Development Center
BAY AREA
‘Extreme’ drought now back in parts of Bay Area after almost 2 months with no significant rain
“What we feared is now happening. According to new data released on Thursday, the Bay Area is now regressing in its progress with the drought due to the lack of significant rain in the region. Now “extreme” drought has now made its way back into parts of the Bay Area. Mendocino County and parts of Sonoma County are back in “extreme” drought and the rest of the Bay Area is in “severe” drought. ... ” Read more from ABC7 Bay Area here: ‘Extreme’ drought now back in parts of Bay Area after almost 2 months with no significant rain
CENTRAL COAST
Plant Profile: North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter Plant
“For nearly two decades, groundwater quality in the northern portion of the Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basin in Ventura County, California, continuously declined due primarily to the infiltration of poor-quality surface water. These challenges were a driving factor in the city of Camarillo reducing groundwater pumping and increasing the blending of imported water with Wells A and B, two of Camarillo’s largest wells. Imported water comprised up to 60% of Camarillo’s water supply, with the remaining 40% coming from local groundwater. After deciding to mitigate those challenges to the water supply, water quality, local economy and the watershed, the city completed in the winter of early 2018 a revised supplemental environmental impact report, initiating construction of the North Pleasant Valley (NPV) Groundwater Desalter Plant in 2019. … ” Read more from Water & Wastes Digest here: Plant Profile: North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter Plant
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Much of West Side gets zero federal water once again. A few districts are doing OK
“Large expanses of the San Joaquin Valley will get zero federal water once again due to drought. The Central Valley Project announced that news Wednesday while also providing 75% of contracted amounts to users with senior rights. The CVP pumps water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to as far south as Kern County. The supply can be constrained even in adequate runoff years because of protections for Delta fish. The same allotments were provided in 2021, the second year of what is now a three-year drought. “Last year was a very bad year; this year could turn out to be worse,” said Ernest Conant, regional director for the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Much of West Side gets zero federal water once again. A few districts are doing OK
EASTERN SIERRA
Mono Lake: Horse manure removal work at South Tufa
“Two work days in February at South Tufa and Navy Beach have helped clear the trails of stud piles (piles of horse manure) from the recent rapid and dramatic expansion of horse activity on the south shore of Mono Lake. With high numbers of visitors during the recent unseasonably warm and dry weeks, Mono Lake Volunteers and staff from the US Forest Service, State Parks, and Mono Lake Committee have been working to keep the popular Mono Lake visitation areas accessible and enjoyable by clearing horse manure from the trails. Increased impacts on places, habitats, and wildlife that people have been working for decades to protect and restore at Mono Lake have put a spotlight on the horse herd growth and range expansion into the Mono Basin. Horse activity is damaging delicate tufa towers and sensitive lakeshore wetland and spring habitats. ... ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee here: Horse manure removal work at South Tufa
Ridgecrest: Thumbs up from the Water District audit
“The Water District’s annual audit has received a clean opinion, based on a presentation at the Indian Wells Valley Water District board meeting on Monday, February 14. Fedak & Brown LLC. conducted this audit for fiscal years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020. The presentation on Monday was given remotely by Andy Fedak. Fedak said, “The district received an unmodified clean opinion, which is the highest opinion that you can get.” The written audit report added more detail, saying that the audit found that Water District’s documents fairly represent their financial position. … ” Continue reading from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Thumbs up from the Water District audit
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Simi Valley: Water quality board delays decision on renewal of field lab discharge permit
“The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has postponed until further notice a decision on the renewal of a stormwater discharge permit for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. In accordance with federal laws, the water board must review waste discharge requirements for the 2,850-acre former rocket engine testing and nuclear research facility in the hills south of Simi Valley every five years. A partial nuclear meltdown occurred there in 1959, and residents worry that chemical and radioactive contamination at the site could be contributing to child cancer cases in the area. … ” Read more from The Acorn here: Simi Valley: Water quality board delays decision on renewal of field lab discharge permit
Los Angeles: New park pioneers a model for green spaces through sustainable designs
“The award-winning Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park is a 126-acre park located in the community of Willowbrook in South Los Angeles – the largest open space in the area. The renovation of this park began in 2014 when the multi-disciplinary design and planning firm MIG, developed the conceptual comprehensive plan to show what a complete makeover could look like, including new recreation amenities and innovative water sustainability approaches. With Phase 1A and 1B of the Magic Johnson Park Revitalization Project complete, the park is hailed as the gold star in sustainable park design. The $83 million Phase 1A, which opened in January 2021, demonstrated the latest technology in storm water treatment systems. … ” Read more from Storm Water Solutions here: Los Angeles: New park pioneers a model for green spaces through sustainable designs
San Bernardino: Agencies Come Together to Break Ground for Regional Recycled Water Facility
“Today, three lead water agencies broke ground on the first phase of a regional recycled water project that will keep recycled water in local groundwater basins for future use. East Valley Water District (East Valley), San Bernardino Municipal Water Department (San Bernardino Water), and San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Valley District) are partnering on a multi-phase regional recycled water project that includes infrastructure to store and transport water through Highland and San Bernardino. The Weaver Basins Groundbreaking was held at the site on Greenspot Road in the City of Highland. This groundbreaking is just one part of Phase I of a larger Regional Recycled Water System. Included in Phase 1 is the installation of a 30-inch pipeline which will bring water to the Weaver Basins site. Phase II of the project will include extension of the Regional Recycled Water System through construction of Dike D and the Enhanced Recharge Basins, and connection to San Bernardino Water’s Tertiary Treatment System (TTS). … ”
Cherry Valley: Collaborative stormwater project will boost local water supplies, reduce flooding
“Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District (BCVWD) and Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District are collaborating to capture enough stormwater to supply up to 900 families a year, while minimizing flooding in a portion of Cherry Valley. Securing additional water to support long-term regional water sustainability and ensure a dependable supply for customers is more important than ever, as the state experiences severe drought and faces uncertain weather conditions due to climate change. The Beaumont MDP Line 16 project will construct an underground storm drain that collects runoff and delivers up to 500 acre-feet of water a year to BCVWD’s existing recharge ponds, which feed the Beaumont groundwater basin. Without this joint effort, stormwater would continue to flow along Brookside Avenue, directly into Marshall Creek, and be lost downstream. … ”
Commentary: Working together to safeguard the environment
Shirley Dettloff, former mayor of Huntington Beach and former member of the California Coastal Commission, writes, “Four decades ago preserving and restoring the Bolsa Chica wetlands became a passion of mine. Working with volunteers and community stakeholders, we successfully fought off development and preserved what became the largest saltwater marsh between Monterey Bay and the Tijuana River Estuary. Today, at nearly 1,500 acres, this beautiful area is now home to many rare and endangered species and stands as a tribute to the hundreds of people who gave their time, money and love to save this invaluable natural resource. When I started this journey in the 1970s, I did so with an eye toward the future. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Commentary: Working together to safeguard the environment
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
SAN DIEGO
San Diego’s infrastructure funding gap soars past $4B, more than doubling in just three years
“San Diego’s severe shortage of funding for crucial infrastructure projects continues to grow as many projects built during a city growth spurt in the 1950s and 1960s reach the end of their expected lifespans. The city’s infrastructure backlog — the gap between projected infrastructure needs over the next five years and the funding available for them — surpassed $4 billion for the first time this winter. The $4.12 billion gap is a 36 percent spike over last winter, when city officials calculated the gap at $3.02 billion, and it’s more than double the gap of $1.86 billion calculated just three years ago. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diego’s infrastructure funding gap soars past $4B, more than doubling in just three years
Voter surveys show San Diego ‘water quality’ ballot measure faces uphill climb
“Voter surveys show San Diego’s proposed “water quality” tax faces an uphill climb if the City Council follows through with plans to place the tax on the November ballot. The proposed measure would pay for projects that boost flood prevention and reduce water pollution. It was supported in surveys by between 59 percent and 62 percent of voters — less than the two-thirds support needed for approval. Supporters say the tax is needed to help pay for $1.8 billion in urgent water quality and stormwater projects, contending taxpayers might pay even more for emergency cleanups if the city doesn’t fix aging pipes and make other upgrades. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Voter surveys show San Diego ‘water quality’ ballot measure faces uphill climb
NOAA’s predictions mean more flooding for San Diego in decades to come
“Sea-level rise will make a big impact by the middle of the century on America’s coastal regions, including in San Diego. That’s what it says in a February 2022 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA predicts ocean levels will rise by 8 inches on the West Coast by 2050. Sea levels will rise even faster on the East Coast — an additional foot by mid-century. Rising sea levels, the result of global warming, will have a real effect on San Diego’s low-lying areas such as the ones near Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, according to Mark Merrifield, with Scripps Institution of Oceanography. ... ” Read more from KPBS here: NOAA’s predictions mean more flooding for San Diego in decades to come
In national water news today …
Inside the water sector’s push to gird for Russian hackers
“The water sector quietly began preparing for a possible onslaught of cyberattacks from Russia more than two months ago, when rumblings of an invasion of Ukraine were being discussed at the White House. Today water utilities across the country are girding for online attacks and misinformation campaigns that could lead to drinking water contamination, service disruptions and demands for ransom. “We don’t have any evidence that anything has taken place, or any proof that something will take place,” said Michael Arceneaux, chief operating officer of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the managing director of WaterISAC, the sector’s threat sharing organization. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Inside the water sector’s push to gird for Russian hackers
The IPCC Climate Change 2022 Impacts Report: Why it matters
“This week some 270 top scientists from 67 countries, including two NOAA scientists, are completing the final details of a large-scale report: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability, the second part of the Sixth Assessment Report offsite link. The report will describe how climate change is already affecting the world’s human and natural systems. On Monday, February 28, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change offsite link (IPCC) will release its latest report, which will focus on climate solutions and regional and local adaptation. It will also assess the feasibility of various adaptation strategies to curb current and predicted impacts of climate change. ... ” Read more from NOAA here: The IPCC Climate Change 2022 Impacts Report: Why it matters
National water and climate update …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
dmrpt-20220224Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE OF PREPARATION: Environmental Impact Report for West False River Drought Salinity Barrier Project
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) Draft Guidelines Now Available for Public Comment
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Reclamation investing in small water efficiency projects
DELTA eNEWS: ~~ AMA Series~ DPAC Meeting~ NHA Meeting~ Island Workshop~ IEP Workshop ~~
