April 1 snow survey …
California snowpack virtually nonexistent in last survey of water year
“Most Californians understand the water supply problem, but the California Department of Water Resources’ final snow survey of the year conducted Friday underscored the true dire nature of the situation. “You need no more evidence than standing on this very dry landscape to understand some of the challenges facing California,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state’s water department. April 1 is the last snow survey because it is typically when the snowpack that builds in the Sierra Nevada mountains throughout the winter is at it peak. On Friday, Nemeth and her team walked through what was essentially dry ground at a field near Echo Summit, just west of Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: California snowpack virtually nonexistent in last survey of water year
Californians urged to save water as state faces dismal snowpack in Sierra Nevada
“California is going into spring with a minuscule amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada, leaving the state in a third year of extreme drought and with depleted reservoirs to draw on during what’s likely to be another hot, parched summer. The mountain snowpack, as measured by snow sensors across the Sierras, now stands at just 38% of the long-term average. State officials stood on bare ground at a snow survey site in the mountains on Friday, saying the paltry snowpack reflects the state’s accelerating water challenges with climate change. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Californians urged to save water as state faces dismal snowpack in Sierra Nevada
Driest winter in over 100 years in Sierra leads to local snow measurement of 4% of average
“The monthly measurement of snow at Phillips Station Friday was dismal, a sign of a “very bad water situation” for the state of California. They found a snow depth of just 2.5 inches, with a snow-water equivalent of just a single inch. The latter amount is just four percent of the historic average for the spot west of Lake Tahoe on April 1. As a state, the current snowpack is 38 percent of average, far below the 154 percent statewide on January 1, 2022. The monthly winter snow measurement is conducted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and its Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit Manager Sean de Guzman. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now here: Driest winter in over 100 years in Sierra leads to local snow measurement of 4% of average
Reactions to snow survey …
From Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District
“Today’s snowpack survey offers yet another troublesome indication of the state’s extreme drought conditions. California depends on January, February and March to provide the precipitation we need for the year, but this year, these months were the driest in recorded history. We face serious challenges as our state and local reservoirs continue to drop and we need all Southern Californians to immediately reduce their water use. Increased conservation is especially critical in communities that depend on the limited supplies from the State Water Project, including areas of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties. If these communities don’t significantly and immediately cut back their water use, they face major shortages in available water supplies, particularly for outdoor use, as soon as this summer. In addition to our conservation efforts, we also are working hard with our partners to make the needed investments in our infrastructure to ensure our region is more resilient to drought and the long-term impacts of climate change.”
From Jim Piefer, General Manager of the Regional Water Authority
“Today’s snow survey underscores the seriousness of the drought and the necessity for everyone to do their part to reduce water use, following their water provider’s guidelines. Although the Sacramento region can meet the near-term water supply needs of local residents and businesses due to decades of drought-resiliency investments, the American River watershed is part of a larger integrated, statewide water system that is under stress. Every drop conserved this year is a buffer against continued dry conditions in 2023. …
In other California water news this weekend …
Judge in Boswell-Vidovich battle says she can’t “stretch” laws to keep groundwater from leaving Kings County
“A pair of lawsuits focused on trespass and environmental issues surrounding construction of a 48-inch water pipeline in Kings County are, in many ways, just a token of a much larger issue: Groundwater leaving the county, a judge noted on Friday. “The fact that groundwater is an issue in this county isn’t disputed,” Judge Valerie Chrissakis said … During a proceeding Friday, Chrissakis acknowledged that groundwater depletion is a serious problem and many other counties have ordinances prohibiting native groundwater from being shipped outside their borders. “The fact is we don’t,” she said of Kings. “There are people who could have protected our county from this and, for whatever reason, they haven’t.” … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Judge in Boswell-Vidovich battle says she can’t “stretch” laws to keep groundwater from leaving Kings County
Voluntary Agreements to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed take the next step
“On March 29, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines the terms for an 8-year program that would provide additional flows to and create habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The set of voluntary agreements outlined in the non-binding MOU are designed to meet the objectives of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, which establishes water quality objectives to protect native fish, wildlife and other beneficial uses of water. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is currently updating the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. Various federal, state and local water agencies are signatories to the MOU. … ” Read more from Brownstein & Hyatt here: Voluntary Agreements to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed take the next step
The Yolo Bypass: A 100-year-old nature-based solution
“The Sacramento is a “beast” of a river. It runs 400 miles from Mount Shasta to the delta where it meets up with its southern sister at the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, as both rivers join with the San Francisco Estuary and Bay. The Sacramento River drains a watershed encompassing 26,000 square miles. Gabriel Moraga gave the river its current name, Rio de los Sacramentos, in 1808. Before dams and impoundments were constructed in the watershed, peak discharges during the wet season are estimated to have reached 650,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is second only to the Columbia River on the Pacific Coast of the United States, and is comparable to annual average discharges on country’s largest river, the Mississippi. Consistent with California’s climate, the Sacramento’s flow during dry periods can drop below 1,000 cfs. But it’s during periods of high flow when the Sacramento River has left its marks on California’s landscape and history. … ” Read more from Engineering With Nature here: The Yolo Bypass: A 100-year-old nature-based solution
Gov. Newsom’s drought order aims to slow ag well drilling
“New wells for agriculture will be more difficult to drill in the San Joaquin Valley under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order in response to the ongoing drought. Part of the order prohibits new wells from being drilled without approval from local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA) first. The GSAs must determine that new wells or changes to existing wells won’t hurt their groundwater sustainability goals, damage infrastructure or cause ground subsidence. “It’s a historic move that we’re really proud to see happening,” said Kyle Jones, policy and legal director for nonprofit Community Water Center. ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: Gov. Newsom’s drought order aims to slow ag well drilling
Assemblymember Bennett champions groundwater sustainability bill
“As concerns about the drought continue, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, has filed legislation meant to strengthen and protect groundwater sustainability. His AB 2201 would enact restrictions and other regulations on groundwater extraction, including the prohibition of permits for new or expanded facilities in a probationary basin unless a state board determines the area is properly managed. It would prohibit a groundwater extraction facility in a basin designated by the Department of Water Resources subject to critical conditions of overdraft from extracting water without a valid permit with certain exceptions. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: Bennett champions groundwater sustainability bill
Congress passed a historic infrastructure law: What this means for California and its cities
“When it comes to technology, agriculture, and advances in clean energy, the world looks to California as an example. However, that success is undercut by the state’s crumbling infrastructure system. Despite residing in one of the world’s largest, most diverse economies, Californians must contend with obsolete bridges, damaged roads, congested highways, and dwindling water reservoirs throughout their daily routines. … The League of California Cities and its members have been fighting for infrastructure funding at the state and federal levels for years. In 2021, the federal government responded in a big way with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in November 2021. … ” Read more from Western City here: Congress passed a historic infrastructure law: What this means for California and its cities
Recent rain didn’t halt California’s slide back into severe or extreme drought
“Despite a late-spring storm that brought heavy rain to parts of the Southland, California continues its slide back into drought after a promising wet fall and early winter. On Monday, 1.32 inches of rain fell in downtown Los Angeles to bring the total for March to 1.41 inches — meaning only 0.09 of an inch had fallen in the entire month before this week’s storm. That left downtown L.A. 0.82 of an inch short of normal for the month, which is 2.23 inches. March’s shortfall comes on the heels of what are typically two of L.A.’s wettest months, January and February, which this year were 3.10 inches and 3.58 inches below normal, respectively. Just 0.19 of an inch of rain fell in January, and 0.06 of an inch in February. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Recent rain didn’t halt California’s slide back into severe or extreme drought
Climate change creating more devastating rainfall events in wildfire burn scars
“Devastatingly large wildfires followed by intense precipitation events will grow in frequency as the effects of climate change become more widespread and entrenched, a study published Friday has found. The American West has long been susceptible to landslides and flooding that afflict areas recently scorched by wildfires. The fire destroys vegetation that stabilizes slopes and prevents large-scale erosion while exposing more of hillsides and riverbanks to the ravaging effects of intense rain. A new paper published in Science Advances by a team of scientists working at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, argues that if rising temperatures continue unabated, the number of times that an extreme fire event will be followed by an extreme precipitation event will double in California and increase by eight times as much by the end of the century. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Climate change creating more devastating rainfall events in wildfire burn scars
Double disaster: Wildfires followed by extreme rainfall are more likely with climate change
“At 3:30 A.M. on January 9, 2018, half an inch of rain poured down on the charred slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains in coastal southern California. The flames of the Thomas Fire—at the time the largest wildfire in state history—had swept through the previous month, leaving the soil and vegetation scorched and unable to soak up the onslaught of water. The destabilized ground gave way in a devastating landslide. …. When Stevenson and Danielle Touma, then a postdoctoral researcher at U.C. Santa Barbara, were casting around for research ideas a couple of years later, the memory of the landslide prompted them to investigate whether extreme rains may become more likely to follow major wildfires as the climate changes. … ” Read more from Scientific American here: Double disaster: Wildfires followed by extreme rainfall are more likely with climate change
Northern California could face dire wildfire danger in 2022. How high is the risk?
“Most of California is bone dry. Climate change is growing demonstrably more extreme by the year. And even though some significant rain fell earlier this week, it’s well short of a “March miracle.” This year figures to be a bad one – another bad one – for California wildfires. The 2021 fire season saw more than 2.5 million acres burn, the towns of Grizzly Flats and Greenville leveled by flames and the unprecedented evacuation of South Lake Tahoe as the Caldor Fire sprinted into the Lake Tahoe Basin. We have no way of knowing exactly what might unfold in 2022. But what is clear is conditions are again primed for another long, dangerous wildfire season. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Northern California could face dire wildfire danger in 2022. How high is the risk?
In commentary this weekend …
Dan Walters: California water war peace treaty? Not quite
Dan Walters writes, “The holy grail of those involved in California’s decades-long political and legal battle over how the state’s water supply should be allocated has been some sort of master agreement. … Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom became the latest governor to claim progress on settling the conflict, announcing a $2.6 billion agreement between the state and some municipal and agricultural factions to reduce the amount of water taken from the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems so that more can flow naturally and thus improve fish habitat. “We don’t have to choose between healthy ecosystems or a healthy economy,” Newsom said in a written statement. “We can choose a path that provides for both. This is a meaningful, hard-earned step in the right direction.” Perhaps, but we’ve heard that claim before. … ” Continue reading at the Ventura County Star here: California water war peace treaty? Not quite
Snowpack report underscores need for transformative changes to address record-setting California drought
Heather Cooley, Dr. Peter Gleick, and Dr. Amanda Bielawski from the Pacific Institute write, “April 1st marks the end of the wet season in California. It’s also the day the California Department of Water Resources announces key seasonal snowpack measurements and makes projections of water availability for the rest of the water year. Today, the news is extremely bad and is a call to action to do much more — and to do some things much differently. Emergency short-term measures are necessary but will not be enough. We must also make systemic, transformational changes to build longer-term water resilience. … ” Read the full article at the Pacific Institute here: Snowpack report underscores need for transformative changes to address record-setting California drought
In people news this weekend …
Honoring Senator Jim Nielsen for 40 years of service
“The Northern California Water Association Board of Directors this year during our annual meeting honored Senator Jim Nielsen for his many years of service to Northern California. As the water managers in the region pursue Ridgetop to River Mouth management with a landscape scale approach to water, wildlife, and forestry management, it is important to acknowledge that Senator Nielsen has been leading the charge on those efforts for decades. Senator Nielsen has and will always be a tireless advocate for the Sacramento Valley when it comes to protecting and strengthening our water supplies. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association here: Honoring Senator Jim Nielsen for 40 years of service
Return to top
Podcasts …
ENGINEERING WITH NATURE PODCAST: Mark Arax: The Dreamt Land, part 1 – California Water, Sustainability, and Engineering With Nature
In this episode, host Sarah Thorne and Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Lead of the Engineering With Nature® Program, are joined by author Mark Arax. Mark’s recent book, The Dreamt Land, describes in very personal terms the history of California’s water challenges, it’s unprecedented irrigation experiment and the emerging threats of climate change. Both Mark and Todd grew up in the San Joaquin Valley and were shaped by their early experiences, including the irrigation canals that sliced through their communities. As Mark notes: “It never occurred to me back then to ask, why are there irrigation canals? Where is that water coming from? Where is it going to? Who is it going to? This was the story of the reinvention of California.”
ENGINEERING WITH NATURE PODCAST: Mark Arax: The Dreamt Land, part 2 – Rebalancing the System
In this episode, host Sarah Thorne and Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Lead of the Engineering With Nature® Program, continue the discussion with Mark Arax, author of The Dreamt Land.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Decisions at the Top
Stephen Baker writes, “Balancing our ability to handle seasonal flooding and, at the same time, trying to optimize the water supply has always been a challenge in California. The US Bureau of Land Reclamation must meet this challenge every year. First priority is safety and public health and after that focus becomes the water supply. How is rain and snow that falls unpredictably in California each year get assigned to the many water users that depend on this resource? I’m going to give you a peek into the past (2009) and ask you if water decisions are getting any easier this year. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life.” Podcasts here Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, Contact Stephen if you would like your organization’s water relationship to be shared with the masses. water@operationunite.co
INGRAINED PODCAST: Momentum Grows for Sites Reservoir
A third straight drought year poses major challenges for California’s environment, cities and farms. While cooperation, collaboration and innovation are needed in the short term, many feel a major part of the long-term water solution is additional storage. A remote area on the west side of the Sacramento Valley could be a big part of the solution. Sites Reservoir has been debated for decades, and getting this critical addition to water infrastructure appears more likely than ever.
FIFTH & MISSION PODCAST: The drought and wildfires: Are we prepared for what’s coming?
As California’s historic drought persists, Chronicle reporter Kurtis Alexander joins host Cecelia Lei to give an update on water conservation efforts and whether the state is prepared for the upcoming wildfire season. He also shares the status of water restrictions and new research on the health impact of wildfire smoke.
RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST: Water banking writ large
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Yurok fish expert describes benefits of dam removal for salmon
“A little over a hundred years ago, there were no dams on the Klamath River. While the mouth of the river didn’t look too different than it does now, a photograph taken around 1900 shows there was enough water in the system to support a ship offshore. Jamie Holt, the Yurok Tribe’s lead fisheries technician, showed that photo to the people who attended a virtual seminar on the traditional ecological knowledge, science and management of salmon species on Friday. With dam removal scheduled to take place in the coming years, Holt said the photograph is an important reminder of how much the dams have altered the river’s ecosystem and how it’s cared for. Walls, Holt said, “they’re just not meant to be within our system.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Yurok fish expert describes benefits of dam removal for salmon
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
City of Jackson says drinking water is safe despite notice
“At its latest meeting on Monday, March 28, the Jackson City Council said that despite the presence of high levels of the organic chemical trihalomethane, the city’s water was safe to drink. In early March, the city sent out an exceedance notice to inform residents of high levels of trihalomethanes in the city’s drinking water. Trihalomethanes are organic chemicals that are formed when chlorine reacts to certain organic materials. … ” Read more from the Amador Ledger-Dispatch here: City of Jackson says drinking water is safe despite notice
NAPA/SONOMA
NOTICE: State Water Board proposes new drought emergency regulation for Russian River watershed
“With California experiencing a third consecutive year of drought, the State Water Resources Control Board released a draft emergency regulation today that would authorize staff to continue curtailing water rights in the Russian River watershed. The current regulation, adopted in June 2021, expires in July 2022. The Division of Water Rights will hold a public workshop on April 14 to discuss the draft regulation, answer questions and receive comments. Public input on the draft will be accepted until noon on April 18, after which a revised draft will be released again for final comments before being considered for adoption by the State Water Board on May 10. The draft regulation released today modifies various aspects of the current regulation. … ” Continue reading this press release from the State Water Board here: State Water Board proposes new drought emergency regulation for Russian River watershed
Windsor builds one of the nation’s biggest floating solar arrays
“When the town of Windsor realized that its wastewater treatment facility produced as much as 45% of the town’s total greenhouse gas emissions, it began searching for a cleaner, greener way to power the facility. Finding a solution was especially urgent since Windsor (population 26,344) has a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. After researching possible solutions and getting extensive community feedback, town staff and officials found that solar energy would be the most reliable, sustainable electricity source. But they encountered another hurdle: Where to place the solar array? Installing thousands of solar panels on the very limited amount of land the town owned was not feasible. “We were in a quandary,” said Windsor Senior Civil Engineer Garrett Broughton. “We don’t have enough area to install enough ground mount panels to power our wastewater treatment plant. But we do have a lot of surface area in another place: our ponds.” … ” Read more from Western City here: Windsor builds one of the nation’s biggest floating solar arrays
Suspension on water right curtailments to continue through May 1
“The State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights announced today that the temporary suspension on Russian River watershed curtailments will continue through May 1, 2022. The decision was made based on current conditions and available forecasts and came following a small rain system that brought about half an inch of rain to the area. “The Division will reassess supply and demand conditions in late March, and update diverters for the status of curtailments for the remainder of April at that time. If dry conditions continue, curtailments appear likely to resume for certain right holders at that time. Please note that ongoing dry soil conditions and higher than normal temperatures could lead to localized water shortages,” the notice states. … ” Read more from the Sonoma County News here: Suspension on water right curtailments to continue through May 1
BAY AREA
State to review Point Reyes water contamination strategy
“In the latest showdown over the National Park Service’s controversial plan to allow continued cattle ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore, the California Coastal Commission could decide this week whether or not to withdraw its support. At issue is the park’s recently adopted plan to extend leases for private cattle and dairy ranches that rent parkland for terms of up to 20 years. The plan also allows park staff to shoot some of the park’s free-roaming tule elk to prevent conflicts with ranches over damaged property and competition for grazing forage. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: State to review Point Reyes water contamination strategy
A Berkeley architect is obsessively tracking the East Bay’s backyard water towers
“At the corner of Sixth and Harrison streets in Northwest Berkeley, a bearded, bespectacled young man dressed head to toe in wool is waiting for me. Behind him, the first attraction on an exclusive tour of Berkeley’s last remaining water towers stretches toward the sky. Aaron Goldstein, a 29-year-old South Berkeley architect, has spent much of the last two years peering over fences at backyard windmills. These two to three story towers, which pulled up water from a well at the tower’s base and stored it in a redwood tank, were once ubiquitous across the entire Bay Area, providing residents with their primary supply of residential water. Replaced by municipal water sources in the 1920s, they have since been all but destroyed. … ” Read more from Berkeleyside here: A Berkeley architect is obsessively tracking the East Bay’s backyard water towers
Coastside County Water District declares water emergency
“The agency responsible for delivering most of Half Moon Bay’s water declared a shortage emergency last week, meaning there are new mandatory water restrictions for residents and businesses. The Coastside County Water District’s Board of Directors approved a move into the second stage of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The so-called “Water Shortage Emergency Warning” means new cutbacks are in place to reduce water sales by 17 percent, largely through cutting outdoor irrigation by 50 percent from 2020 levels. … ” Read more from the Half Moon Bay review here: Coastside County Water District declares water emergency
CENTRAL COAST
Pajaro River levee rebuild awarded $67 million in federal infrastructure funds
“A $400 million rebuild of decrepit Pajaro River levees that has been in the works for decades, is more likely to pencil out after the Biden-Harris administration earmarked $67 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for the project. The system of levees was built in 1949. Flawed since its inception, Latino and working class residents in Watsonville and Pajaro have borne the brunt of flood impacts. A 1995 flood killed two people and triggered $95 million in damages. The funds awarded Tuesday, are part of $17 the billion appropriated by a new federal infrastructure law to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to improve critical waterway infrastructure and alleviate flood impacts across the U.S., in the face of climate change. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Pajaro River levee rebuild awarded $67 million in federal infrastructure funds
Watsonville wetlands nonprofit receives $300k grant: report
“Watsonville Wetlands Watch was selected to receive a $300,000 grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. According to The Sentinel, the grant money comes from California revenue on cannabis taxes and will help grow the nonprofit’s Climate Corps Leadership Institute internship program. The program is for high school students in Watsonville and gives them experiences, tools and training to join their community as a leader in climate action. ... ” Read more from The Patch here: Watsonville wetlands nonprofit receives $300k grant: report
Desal link project in Santa Barbara to connect desalinated water with main treatment plant
“The Desal Link project undergoing construction in Santa Barbara will connect desalinated water to the city’s entire service area when completed, improving system resiliency and water quality. The project — funded by disaster settlement funds and available Water Fund reserves — involves the installation of a new, two-mile-long pipeline connecting the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant to the Cater Water Treatment Plant, which distributes most of the water in the city. … ” Continue reading at Noozhawk here: Desal link project in Santa Barbara to connect desalinated water with main treatment plant
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Modesto residents could face up to $500 fines for water waste under new restrictions
“Stricter watering restrictions are now in effect in the city of Modesto. Ongoing water waste may lead to fines of up to $500 per incident, as the state copes with an ongoing drought. A city spokeswoman told KCRA 3 the restrictions which were implemented on Friday are due to 30-percent cutbacks to treated surface water in Modesto. This means odd numbered addresses water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Even numbered addresses water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Under the restrictions, no one is allowed to water Monday and daily from 12 to 7 pm. The restrictions also impact washing vehicles. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Modesto residents could face up to $500 fines for water waste under new restrictions
Drought conditions worsen: Turlock Irrigation District lengthens irrigation season, cuts water allotment
“Pray for Rain signs may start popping up once again around Turlock as the area continues to experience extreme drought conditions. California is experiencing one of the driest starts to spring in decades, data showed Friday, and absent a heavy dose of April and May showers the state’s drought will deepen and that could lead to stricter rules on water use and another devastating wildfire season. New readings showed the water in California’s mountain snowpack sat at 38% of average. That’s the lowest mark since the end of the last drought in 2015; only twice since 1988 has the level been lower. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Drought conditions worsen: Turlock Irrigation District lengthens irrigation season, cuts water allotment
Porterville: Beckman site officially removed from Superfund List
“The EPA announced on Thursday the site that was the former site of Beckman Instruments where Beckman Coulter operated has been removed from the list of American’s most contaminated properties — the Superfund National Priorities List. The groundwater that was contaminated by the former electronics plant has been decontaminated and now meets all California and federal drinking water standards. EPA removes sites from the Superfund National Priorities List once all the cleanup actions are successfully implemented and no further work is required by EPA. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Porterville: Beckman site officially removed from Superfund List
Kings River watershed snow level falls short
“Snow surveys taken during the final week of March reflected far below average water conditions. Steve Haugen, watermaster for Kings River Water Association (KRWA), reports the remaining snowpack water content in the Kings River basin is just 41% of average. Haugen, who manages the KRWA, cautioned this water year’s Kings River supply is likely to not even be that high. Most of the winter and early spring storm activity has been minimal. How the remainder of this year may ultimately turn out is still up to precipitation that could be received over the next month or two. … ” Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Kings River watershed snow level falls short
Watch: Kern County In Depth: California’s mega drought
“California’s mega-drought. A conversation with a UCLA climate hydrologist. A progress report on Project BEST, attracting more young Black men to the teaching profession. And the man behind Kern County’s COVID-19 memorial.” Watch the video from KGET here: Watch: Kern County In Depth: California’s mega drought
EASTERN SIERRA
Mono Lake: Reduced diversions in the year ahead
“This morning, April 1, Mono Lake Committee staff and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) staff cooperatively read the level of Mono Lake. The official reading was 6379.92 feet above sea level, a mere inch below the 6380.00 threshold set forth in DWP’s licenses to divert water from the tributary streams. This low surface elevation triggers limitations designed to slow further decline of the lake from the ecologically perilous current level. For the next twelve months, DWP diversions cannot exceed 4,500 acre-feet of water, a significant reduction from the 16,000 acre-feet allowed in the prior twelve months. … ” Continue reading at the Mono Lake Committee here: Reduced diversions in the year ahead
The 2022 Mono Lake level forecast
“Each spring the Mono Lake Committee’s team of modelers and Mono Basin hydrology experts uses the lake level on April 1 together with the Mono Basin snowpack numbers and similar-year and other relevant hydrological statistical data to produce the Mono Lake Committee lake level forecast for the runoff year ahead. You can download the full April 1, 2022 Mono Lake Level Forecast here. The 2021 runoff year was classified as “Dry” and due to very dry weather conditions throughout most of the year, Mono Lake fell 1.4 feet to 6379.9 feet above sea level by April 1, 2022. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee here: The 2022 Mono Lake level forecast
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Ceremonial groundbreaking at Coronet Park celebrates Westminster’s commitment to using water wisely
“Work will begin soon on a water-wise demonstration garden at Coronet Park following a ceremonial groundbreaking event on April 1. The water-wise garden, or “pocket park,” was awarded to the City in 2018 for its outstanding participation in the 7 th annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation (National Challenge). The pocket park will serve as an educational resource and reminder to residents that water-smart landscaping is achievable, sustainable, and beautiful with proper planning, drought-tolerant plants, and the right irrigation equipment. “The City of Westminster is a shining example of community members coming together for a greater cause,” says MWDOC Board Vice President Bob McVicker, who represents the City in MWDOC’s Division Three. “We look forward to celebrating the City for their tireless efforts to educate community members about the value of water and protecting our most precious natural resource.” … ” Read more from the Municipal Water District of Orange County here: Ceremonial groundbreaking at Coronet Park celebrates Westminster’s commitment to using water wisely
Bolsa Chica wetlands face dire threat from sea-level rise
“Sea-level rise could wipe out precious habitat at Huntington Beach’s Bolsa Chica wetlands and eventually flood neighborhoods just east of the ecological reserve, according to a new study three years in the making. But ongoing estuary maintenance and continued improvements — including new levees and elevating some existing wetlands — would preserve and improve existing wildlife ecosystems. Such work also would bolster the buffer that the wetlands provide for adjacent homes against rising seas, the study found. Because portions of the 1,400-acre wetlands have subsided as a result of decades of oil drilling, there is growing urgency to take action — and the opportunity to provide a model for the state’s other remaining wetlands. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News here: Bolsa Chica wetlands face dire threat from sea-level rise
SAN DIEGO
Cities push to fight sea-level rise in San Diego County
“A regional planning group is laying the groundwork for another large-scale sand project like the one that widened San Diego County beaches a decade ago. The previous effort, completed in 2012 at a cost of $28.5 million, required nearly a decade of planning and the coordinated work of local, state and federal agencies, according to members of the Shoreline Preservation Working Group, an advisory arm of the San Diego Association of Governments. Still, some of the restored beaches were swept clean to the rocks in just a few years. … ” Read more from GovTech here: Cities push to fight sea-level rise in San Diego County
Along the Colorado River …
Empty canals, dead cotton fields: Arizona farmers are getting slammed by water cuts in the West
“On the drought-stricken land where Pinal County farmers have irrigated crops for thousands of years, Nancy Caywood stopped her pickup truck along an empty canal and pointed to a field of dead alfalfa. “It’s heart wrenching,” said Caywood, a third-generation farmer who manages 247 acres of property an hour outside of Phoenix. “My mom and dad toiled the land for so many years, and now we might have to give it up.” Farming in the desert has always been a challenge for Arizona’s farmers, who grow water-intensive crops like cotton, alfalfa and corn for cows. But this year is different. An intensifying drought and declining reservoir levels across the Western U.S. prompted the first-ever cuts to their water supply from the Colorado River. … ” Read more from CNBC here: Empty canals, dead cotton fields: Arizona farmers are getting slammed by water cuts in the West
In national water news this weekend …
EPA won’t regulate rocket fuel in drinking water
“EPA yesterday announced it would maintain a Trump-era position of not regulating toxic perchlorate in drinking water, infuriating public health and environmental advocates who have long sought federal limits on the contaminant. EPA said it had conducted a review and concluded that a decision the agency made in 2020 to not regulate perchlorate — an ingredient of rocket fuel and fireworks tied to brain damage in infants — was based on the best available peer-reviewed science. At the time, the agency said perchlorate was not found widely enough in drinking water or “at levels of public health concern” to require federal limits. The agency also said states and public water systems have already taken adequate steps to reduce exposure to the chemical through drinking water. The Biden administration announced last year it was reviewing EPA’s decision. … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA won’t regulate rocket fuel in drinking water
How ancient waterways could be tapped to cool scorching cities
“Flowing beneath the surface of cities around the world is an overlooked and sometimes forgotten resource. From Naples, Italy, to Seoul, South Korea, ancient aqueducts and buried streams make up a vascular system under the concrete, asphalt, and steel. As climate change turns up the heat, researchers argue that tapping this vascular system could be a way to cool cities from below. But before we can tap these sources of water, we have to find them. Cool City is a multi-university effort with teams of researchers performing digital scans of urban space to unveil the often complex ways that water moves through cities. It’s an effort to show how underground water can be redirected to combat urban heat. ... ” Read more from Fast Company here: How ancient waterways could be tapped to cool scorching cities
Lessons from the Cape Town water crisis and the need for a renewed technical agenda
“Cape Town, South Africa faced a crippling drought between 2016 and 2018. The widely reported “Day Zero” crisis, wherein the city faced the real possibility of the taps being turned off, presented an acute shock and highlighted major vulnerabilities in the city’s water supply system, which relies largely on six large dams. Due to a combination of demand incentives, intensive supply management, and behavioral change campaigns, Cape Town was able to avert “Day Zero.” However, the crisis provided a number of useful lessons and exposed the critical need for a water system rooted in principles of resilience and a renewed technical approach to water management aimed at equity, sustainability, and water sensitivity. Having recently acknowledged World Water Day 2022, it is an opportune time to reflect on how the crisis in Cape Town was yet another expression of the growing water turbulence characterizing our world today. … ” Continue reading at the Brookings Institute here: Lessons from the Cape Town water crisis and the need for a renewed technical agenda
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION: Reclamation adjusts operations from Friant Dam; Recreators along the San Joaquin River should monitor flow conditions and take caution
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM: Reclamation to deliver Friant Dam water for Exchange Contractors, Restoration Flows to be reduced
NOW AVAILABLE: A Comprehensive Review of the Delta Monitoring Enterprise
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Science for Communities Workshop Survey
