On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Stakeholder meeting from 10am to 12pm. The meeting will focus on the development of Groundwater Protection Targets. The meeting is open to the public and all interested stakeholders. To receive the meeting Zoom link, please RSVP to Sue.McConnell@waterboards.ca.gov by April 12th. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: Delta Science Program: Governance Brown Bag from 11:30am to 1:00pm. This webinar will focus on Collaborative Governance, highlighting how partnerships and decentralized structures and processes are used by government and non-government actors to influence decision-making. Speakers include Brett Milligan (UC Davis), Andrea Gerlak (University of Arizona), Matthew Moore (United Auburn Indian Community) and Jessica Law (Sacramento Water Forum). Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Water cuts leave hard choices for farmers
“Hit with a third consecutive year of drought, farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley who grow trees, vines and row crops are making difficult decisions on what to farm and what to fallow. “We’re just in a tough situation right now. We’ve been dealt a really tough hand of cards,” said Fresno County farmer Ryan Ferguson, who farms trees and row crops in Lemoore. “We have enough water to get our trees through, but there’s going to be fewer acres planted on the ranch. We’re fallowing about 1,200 acres of row-crop ground.” Ferguson serves as board president of Westlands Water District, the state’s largest agricultural water district. He is a contractor of the federal Central Valley Project. This is the second year that the district received a zero water allocation due to drought. In 2020, the allocation was 20%. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Water cuts leave hard choices for farmers
Enduring drought compounds water pain for California farmers
“On a recent day in the San Joaquin Valley, the rain falling outside was cause for celebration for Aaron Fukuda. “For us, water is a mood,” Fukuda, president of the Tulare Irrigation District, said over the phone. As a third consecutive dry year sets in on California, drought has become a source of stress and anxiety for farmers and communities. But rain brings happiness. If only the rain came more often, Fukuda stated. The state’s rainy season typically ends April 1, and for Fukada and his team, who manage water distribution to 230 farms in Tulare County, it’s shaping up to be an even more challenging year than the last few. … ” Read more from PBS News Hour here: Enduring drought compounds water pain for California farmers
Western drought puts food security at risk
“Water is in short supply in the West. A coalition of farmers and farm organizations recently ran a national ad in the Wall Street Journal to educate consumers on the fact that farms producing much of the food in the U.S. shouldn’t be taken for granted. “Without prioritizing a safe, affordable, domestic food supply, higher prices and food shortages could be coming soon,” Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said in a news release. Consumers pay attention when food prices go up. With prices rising, they are forced to make decisions about what they can buy. … ” Read more from The Packer here: Western drought puts food security at risk
With summer approaching, drought only growing worse in West
“The expression “April showers” has been just that — more of an expression than a fact of life for much of the western United States. The continuance of drought conditions in several western regions mirrors what was predicted in AccuWeather’s spring forecast, and the drought will only become worse as summer approaches. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, approximately 90 percent of nine Western states are at moderate drought levels, while 34.97 percent are facing either extreme or exceptional drought. On April 8, the World Meteorological Organization declared that precipitation deficits in the West are “at or near record levels” and that the current long-term drought in the region is the worst in the 22-year history of the Drought Monitor. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: With summer approaching, drought only growing worse in West
Innovative urban water strategies offer vast opportunity for California drought relief and longer-term water resilience
“Throughout California, innovative urban water strategies—water efficiency, water reuse, and stormwater capture—are already finding success in many communities. These cost-effective and technologically feasible strategies reduce urban water use (currently 6.6 million acre-feet per year), while boosting local water supplies. As a result, they can help narrow the gap between how much water urban California now uses and how much water is available. Combined, they provide an opportunity for shorter-term drought relief and long-term water resilience. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute here: Innovative urban water strategies offer vast opportunity for California drought relief and longer-term water resilience
Winters water rights revived after Navajo Nation case
“For more than a century, since Winters v. United States, 207 U.S. 564 (1908), the Supreme Court has recognized that when the United States establishes a Native reservation, it impliedly reserves sufficient water rights to support that reservation. But many of these Winters rights, like those held by the Navajo Nation, remain unadjudicated and unquantified, creating uncertainty for junior right holders. A recent decision from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals confirms that the United States cannot ignore Winters rights held by tribes just because they have not been adjudicated. The recent decision in Nation v. U.S. Dep’t of Interior (Navajo II), No. 19-17088 (9th Cir. filed Feb. 17, 2022), impacts Navajo Nation most directly. But, its holding is likely to ripple through Native water law. It may hold particular interest for tribes considering whether to sue the United States for failing to quantify, consider, or defend their water rights. … ” Read more from JD Supra here: Winters water rights revived after Navajo Nation case
CA FWD Action Fund and partners urge wildfire and forest resilience investments
“With the threat of wildfires bearing down, the California Forward (CA FWD) Action Fund is pressing state lawmakers to continue investing sufficient resources and policy strategies to reduce risks to people, communities and landscapes. In a letter delivered Monday to key state leaders, Micah Weinberg, president and director of CA FWD Action Fund, the advocacy arm of CA FWD, urged key legislators to allocate a minimum of $1 billion annually for at least the next two years to wildfire and forest resilience work to help ensure a safer, healthier state for all Californians. The recommendation emphasized the need for developing forest products industries that can make use of excess woody biomass, reduce fire risks, create healthier forests, capture carbon and generate rural economic activity. … ” Read more from California Forward here: CA FWD Action Fund and partners urge wildfire and forest resilience investments
Team probes heat, drought stress on forests
“How hot is too hot, and how dry is too dry, for the Earth’s forests? A new study from an international team of researchers, including a Washington State University scientist, found the answers by looking at decades of dying trees. Just published in the journal “Nature Communications,” the University of Florida-led study compiles the first global database of precisely georeferenced forest die-off events, at 675 locations dating back to 1970. The study, which encompasses all forested continents, then compares that information to existing climate data to determine the heat and drought climatic conditions that caused these documented tree mortality episodes. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Team probes heat, drought stress on forests
Thinning offsets cost of managing mature forests
“Research by the Oregon State University College of Forestry suggests a way for forest managers to reduce the costs associated with managing older Douglas-fir stands. Thinning – removing some trees in a stand to allow more room and resources for the others – can result in enough of a financial offset to prompt some forest managers to grow older stands, 100 years old or more, before harvesting them, the study indicates. Older stands of trees provide some ecosystem services that younger stands do not, like wildlife habitat and diversity of native shrubs and herbs, and they are also more fire resistant. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Thinning offsets cost of managing mature forests
In commentary today …
Running on empty: Is California doing enough on drought?
Tracy Quinn, Director, California Urban Water Policy, Healthy People & Thriving Communities Program, writes, “California’s “wet season” officially ended with a whimper on April 1st, the last snow survey of the season showed our snowpack was only 38% of average for this time of year. That means we are heading into what is likely to be another hot, dry summer with near record low water storage in California’s largest reservoirs and not much help in snow reserves to carry us through until it rains or snows again. Thanks to efforts to improve water efficiency in urban communities, we’re in a better place than we would have been without actions to use water more wisely in our homes, landscapes, and some businesses. … ” Read more from the NRDC here: Running on empty: Is California doing enough on drought?
Honey the VAs shrunk the Delta flows
Doug Obegi writes, “Since the State Water Resources Control Board began its public process to update the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in 2008, the amount of water proposed for the Bay-Delta environment has continuously shrunk due to political pressure from those who profit from the destruction of the Delta. While the proponents of the voluntary agreements have not provided any modeling of the latest proposal, preliminary analysis shows that the 2022 proposed voluntary agreement would provide an annual average of less than 500,000 acre feet of additional winter-spring outflow compared to the rules in place from 2009 to 2019 (before the Trump Administration gutted environmental protections in the Bay-Delta). That’s less than half of the 1.3 million acre feet of additional outflow included in the State’s 2017 proposed voluntary agreement, and it appears to be about one quarter of the water for the environment that the State Water Resources Control Board has identified in its proposals for and adopted amendments to the Bay-Delta Plan. … ” Read more from the NRDC here: Honey the VAs shrunk the Delta flows
How can science help the Voluntary Agreements succeed?
Paul S. Weiland writes, “This past week a number of federal, state, and local agencies took a significant first step toward negotiation of Voluntary Agreements (VAs) that could be the basis for implementing updated water quality objectives for California’s Bay-Delta. This is a notable milestone but much work remains. The participating agencies must agree upon the details of the VAs, and ultimately, the State Water Resources Control Board must consider whether to adopt the VAs as the means to implement the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. … The work ahead should be informed by scientific information but, more importantly, by societal values as Sheila Jasanoff explains in Technologies of humility. She observes, “Researchers and policy-makers need ways for accommodating the partiality of scientific knowledge and for acting under the inevitable uncertainty it holds.” … ” Read the full post at Delta Currents here: How can science help the Voluntary Agreements succeed?
The Delta regime shift hypothesis and the Voluntary Agreement framework
Deirdre Des Jardins writes, “In response to the decline of pelagic fish populations in the early 2000s, the Interagency Ecological Program formed an interagency team to find the causes. In 2010, the team published a comprehensive synthesis of the 47 studies in the report, 2010 Pelagic Organism Decline Work Plan and Synthesis of Results (Baxter et al. 2010.) … If there has been a regime shift of the Delta ecosystem, it will take significant, sustained changes in the drivers to shift the ecosystem out of the new regime. However, the proposed Voluntary Agreement framework appears to preclude any experiments that would cost a large amount of water. … ” Continue reading from the California Water Research blog here: The Delta regime shift hypothesis and the Voluntary Agreement framework
Food prices are rising, and so are burdens for farms
Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, writes, “We are all feeling the pressures these days of rising costs, from the grocery store to the fuel pump. Most Americans are already making adjustments here and there. Some might drive less, take a family vacation closer to home, or cook a few more meals rather than dining out. But finding small ways to save can only go so far when your very livelihood depends on goods that keep getting more expensive, sometimes skyrocketing in price. When you need to plant crops, tend to them and care for animals to keep the farm running, you have to find a way to make it work. Many American farmers are hoping to at least hold on until relief in the supply chain comes. As a beef and poultry farmer, I am a price taker—and that’s the same story for farmers of all commodities across the country. … ” Continue reading at Ag Alert here: Commentary: Food prices are rising, and so are burdens for farms
Today’s featured article …
STATE WATER BOARD: Urban water conservation numbers for February show state water use decreased by 0.5%
Also, Staff preliminary analyses show water use rises with income; most water utilities have regressive rate structures
At the April 5 State Water Board meeting, staff updated the Board on the urban water production and conservation submitted by urban retail water suppliers for February 2022. Staff also shared preliminary analyses on water consumption and income, regressive water rate structures, and water affordability.
Click here to read this article.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Bureau of Reclamation 2022 Operation Plan hastens extinction of endangered C’waam and Koptu
“Yesterday’s announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation of its 2022 Operations Plan is perhaps the saddest chapter yet in a long history of treaty violations visited upon us by the United States. Under the Plan, Reclamation intends to usurp “up to 62,000-acre-feet” of water from the nearly extinct and (Klamath Tribes) treaty-protected C’waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker) at the height of their spawning season. Instead, despite the clear mandate of the Endangered Species Act to prioritize the needs of endangered species, Reclamation intends to send that water to irrigators in violation of Reclamation’s own water allocation formula. … ” Read more from Klamath Falls News here: Bureau of Reclamation 2022 Operation Plan hastens extinction of endangered C’waam and Koptu
Lake County Board of Supervisors rejects temporary moratorium on ag, cannabis projects
“The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a proposal from one of its members to enact an interim urgency ordinance that would have placed a 45-day moratorium on new agricultural and cannabis cultivation projects. Supervisor Bruno Sabatier presented the item to his colleagues, asking for them to pass the 45-day temporary moratorium in order to come up with solutions about how to protect the county water supply amid deepening drought conditions. “This is climate change. Whether you want to agree that this is manmade or not is not the discussion,” he said. … ” Read more from the Lake County News here: Lake County Board of Supervisors rejects temporary moratorium on ag, cannabis projects
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
South Lake Tahoe sets cold record; More snow expected Thursday
“South Lake Tahoe went from setting heat records last week to setting a new cold standard this week. The low temperature on Tuesday dropped to a frigid 7 degrees which was just enough to set a new standard, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. The record in Tahoe City of 5 degrees set more than 100 years ago (1911) survived. The normal low temp for the time of year is 27. The active weather pattern will continue this week and into Easter weekend. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: South Lake Tahoe sets cold record; More snow expected Thursday
North Yuba Forest Partnership gains national support for forest resilience work in North Yuba River watershed
“The United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore announced the North Yuba River watershed as one of the 10 initial landscapes funded for the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy implementation. Launched earlier this year, the strategy outlines the need to treat up to an additional 20 million acres on national forest lands and up to an additional 30 million acres of other federal, state, Tribal, private and family lands over the next decade. The approximately 313,000-acre North Yuba landscape will receive significant federal investment beginning this year as part of the strategy. … ” Read more from YubaNet here: North Yuba Forest Partnership gains national support for forest resilience work in North Yuba River watershed
Tuolumne Band Of Me-Wuk Indians awarded $3.6 million for water infrastructure
“The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians announced that the Tribe has been awarded close to $3.6 million in funding to install a water tank as well as improve and replace water infrastructure on the Tuolumne Rancheria. The money draws from two phases of the California Department of Water Resources(DWR) Urban and Multi benefit Drought Relief Grant program. The grant applications were completed by the Tribe through the Tuolumne-Stanislaus Integrated Regional Water Management Authority. ... ” Read more from My Mother Lode here: Tuolumne Band Of Me-Wuk Indians awarded $3.6 million for water infrastructure
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
California bill would ban homeless encampments along American River Parkway
“Three Democratic state lawmakers from the Sacramento area are backing legislation they say would speed up the removal of homeless encampments along the American River Parkway — and eventually ban the camps from the 23-mile natural corridor. … The legislation comes three months after the American River Parkway Foundation demanded the city and county remove 750 unhoused people camping along the corridor by the end of the year. The environmental preservation group cited multiple hazards tied to the camps, including increased fire danger, diminished water quality and the spread of hazardous materials from intravenous drug use. … ” Continue reading at Capital Public Radio here: California bill would ban homeless encampments along American River Parkway
Manufactured homes to fall under Solano elevated flood protection rules
“Flood prevention regulations that have applied to floor elevations in a Special Flood Hazard Area also apply to newly installed manufactured homes and equipment such as heating and air conditioning units, water heaters and electrical panels. The Solano County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday introduced an ordinance that amends the county codes so manufactured homes and newly affected equipment must also be 1 foot above “base flood elevation.” The board was told the county code already covers the regulations, but FEMA wanted more clarification. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Manufactured homes to fall under Solano elevated flood protection rules
NAPA/SONOMA
Possible sewage discharge prompts health advisory in Napa County near Silverado Trail
“Napa County Public Health is issuing a health advisory for two tributaries east of the Silverado Trail in north Napa County due to a discharge or potential discharge of sewage. The affected tributaries are Bell Creek downstream from the 600 block of Crystal Springs Road and Canyon Creek downstream from the convergence of Canyon Creek and Bell Creek, according to the county. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco here: Possible sewage discharge prompts health advisory in Napa County near Silverado Trail
BAY AREA
Santa Clara Valley Water District limits outdoor watering to twice weekly as drought deepens
“The South Bay’s largest water provider is limiting when and how often people can water their yards as Santa Clara County faces the effects of a deepening drought. … The Santa Clara Valley Water District board voted Tuesday to limit outdoor watering to twice weekly. The Water District also banned watering from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. – sunrise to sunset – during the hottest part of the day. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco here: Santa Clara Valley Water District limits outdoor watering to twice weekly as drought deepens
CENTRAL COAST
Santa Cruz receives recognition for ocean protection efforts
“The nonprofit organization Project O recognized Santa Cruz for its commitment to healthy oceans and waterways. Project O certified Santa Cruz as a “Blue City” after putting the city’s environmental initiatives and programs through a thorough assessment. The city received 405 points out of a possible 500. “Our team is very pleased to welcome the beautiful seaside town of Santa Cruz into the Blue City Network,” said Blue City Network Executive Director, Evelina Marchetti. ... ” Read more from KSBY here: Santa Cruz receives recognition for ocean protection efforts
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
A glimmer of hope for small town’s long struggle for clean water
“The tiny community of Tooleville on the edge of the valley floor in Tulare County is finally beginning the process of getting clean drinking water from the nearby City of Exeter. And last month, the state announced a proposed standard for hexavalent chromium, which is in Tooleville’s water. Without a safety standard for hexavalent chromium in drinking water, it has been more difficult for communities like Tooleville to get aid for permanent water solutions. So, there are definitely signs of progress for the impoverished, two-road community of 340. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: A glimmer of hope for small town’s long struggle for clean water
Column: Santa Maria students get San Joaquin Valley ag, water tour
“As you may recall from one of my earlier columns I talked about setting up a tour for the Young Farmers and Ranchers club sponsored by our County Farm Bureau and Allan Hancock College. I arranged for the group to visit Semitropic Water Storage District in Wasco and the Kern County Water Bank near Bakersfield. I was able to join the group on the first day of their tour and sat in and listened while the group learned about groundwater banking and how the District has been successful in utilizing this management tool to increase water supply reliability for its customers. … ” Read the full column at the Hanford Sentinel here: Column: Santa Maria students get San Joaquin Valley ag, water tour
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Listen: Wake-up call: 75% of SoCal beaches could disappear by 2050
“Eight to $10 billion of existing property in the state could be underwater by 2050, and two-thirds of Southern California beaches could be completely eroded by 2100. And that’s just the start. It’s all according to new reports released by California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, which has been looking at the potential impact of climate change through a wide range of scientific studies. CalMatters environmental reporter Julie Cart, who has been covering the issue, says the reports call on the state to develop a game plan that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to dealing with our changing climate. … ” Listen to the radio segment at KCRW here: Listen: Wake-up call: 75% of SoCal beaches could disappear by 2050
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
La Quinta Planning Commission will delay surf resort vote for two weeks due to one commissioner’s absence
“La Quinta planning commissioners will delay for another two weeks a vote on a controversial master-plan resort with wave basin, due to the absence of one of its seven members. Commissioners began their Tuesday meeting saying they would prefer to hear the staff report on additional information about the proposed Coral Mountain Resort that they requested at their March 22 meeting and take public comment. However, they will not discuss the project or vote until the project comes back April 26. The project is too important to vote without all present, Commissioner Dale Tyerman said, with other commissioners agreeing. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: La Quinta Planning Commission will delay surf resort vote for two weeks due to one commissioner’s absence
Desert Water Agency agrees to pay $181,947 penalty for sewage collection system spill
“Desert Water Agency, a public utility that owns and operates a wastewater collection system serving Cathedral City, agreed to pay a $181,947 penalty for discharging approximately 268,916 gallons of raw sewage into the Whitewater River Channel. The incident occurred between Feb. 15–19 after a main pipe ruptured during a heavy storm, sending the untreated wastewater into the channel in Cathedral City. The agency successfully diverted the sewage when it became aware of the spill and later replaced the sewer line. In the settlement approved today by the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, half of the penalty will be deposited in the State Water Resources Control Board’s Cleanup and Abatement Account. The remaining funds will be used to purchase and install the Cathedral Canyon Lift Station Flow Meter Monitoring Vault and Sample Box to detect flow variations that indicate pipe breakages and take water samples to identify pollution in the river channel and local groundwater. … ” Read more from the State Water Board here: Desert Water Agency agrees to pay $181,947 penalty for sewage collection system spill
SAN DIEGO
Californians settle lawsuits against Binational Water Commission
“On Tuesday, Californians settled three lawsuits against the International Boundary and Water Commission or the IBWC, the binational agency that treats a portion of the sewage-laden water rolling into the U.S. from Tijuana under a treaty between the two countries. At the crux of the many complaints by the city of Imperial Beach, Surfrider Foundation, and San Diego’s Regional Water Quality Control Board and others was general frustration that the IBWC, which runs an international wastewater treatment plant at the border, wasn’t doing enough to prevent and monitor Tijuana wastewater entering the Tijuana River and the valley on the U.S. side. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego here: Californians settle lawsuits against Binational Water Commission
Settlement reached in long-running cross-border sewage litigation
“The agency tasked with overseeing wastewater infrastructure in the Tijuana River Valley will mitigate and address cross- border water flows, per a settlement announced Tuesday regarding millions of gallons of wastewater that poured into the San Diego region from Mexico. The settlement aims to resolve long-running litigation filed by several agencies and municipalities, which alleged that the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission allowed polluted water, trash and sediment to flow into the United States over the course of several years, in violation of the Clean Water Act. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Settlement reached in long-running cross-border sewage litigation
Along the Colorado River …
Interior Department may limit Lake Powell water releases to protect infrastructure, hydropower production
“In an effort to protect the infrastructure at Lake Powell and the ability of Glen Canyon Dam to generate electricity, the U.S. Department of the Interior may keep nearly a half million acre-feet of water in the Utah reservoir instead of releasing that water to the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada this year as scheduled. … Tonya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science, sent a letter on Friday to all seven Colorado River Basin states outlining the need to potentially hold back the water and the challenges that exist if Lake Powell were to fall below 3,490 feet above sea level, the lowest level at which the dam can generate electricity. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Interior Department may limit Lake Powell water releases to protect infrastructure, hydropower production
Interior Department considers emergency cutbacks to water supplies
“The U.S. Department of the Interior is considering emergency cutbacks to water supplies for Arizona, California, and Nevada. The measure is designed to keep water levels in Lake Powell from dropping. Further drops at the nation’s second-largest reservoir would mean a stop to hydropower generation at the Glen Canyon dam. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media here: Interior Department considers emergency cutbacks to water supplies
SEE ALSO: Reclamation’s letter to Tom Buschatzke describing potential 2022 releases, from Coyote Gulch
Column: Who ‘deserves’ Arizona’s water? Our future rests on this and 3 other questions
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “The headlines are alarming. Residential wells are going dry in Willcox. A community near Scottsdale will soon lose its sole source of water. Lake Mead, a significant source of water for Arizona, is already in shortage and expected to go lower, forcing even more painful cuts on central Arizona cities. How do we make sense of all this bad news? Here are four fundamental questions to consider about Arizona’s water supply. Hopefully, they’ll challenge your thinking about this precious resource as much as they have mine … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Column: Who ‘deserves’ Arizona’s water? Our future rests on this and 3 other questions
Conservation groups poised to sue feds over riparian habitat loss from cattle grazing
“Two federal agencies have decided to maintain a grazing program that some of their own scientists say is flawed and not suitable in the critical habitat areas for certain endangered species. The decision was revealed in February in documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Request by the Tucson-based Center of Biological Diversity and the Maricopa Audubon Society. The groups have urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service to exclude cattle from areas that are critical habitat for western yellow-billed cuckoo, northern Mexican garter snakes, Chiricahua leopard frogs and Sonora chub, all species protected by the Endangered Species Act. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Conservation groups poised to sue feds over riparian habitat loss from cattle grazing
Glen Canyon Dam receives international award
“Today Glen Canyon Dam received the 3rd International Milestone High Concrete Dam Project Award, which honors engineering achievements in high concrete dam technology. The award was presented to the Bureau of Reclamation during the United States Society on Dams’ (USSD) annual conference in San Diego. “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of Reclamation,” said Reclamation’s Upper Colorado Basin Assistant Regional Director Katrina Grantz. “This award recognizes Reclamation’s contribution to engineering excellence in the design and construction of large concrete dams and it raises awareness about technique, progress, and the strategic importance of dams and reservoirs.” ... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Glen Canyon Dam receives international award
In national water news today …
EPA hits reset on pesticides and endangered species work
“EPA is switching gears on its approach to protecting endangered species from pesticides with a first-of-its-kind plan announced today, in an effort to address one of the most contentious chemicals-related issues dogging the agency. In order to honor its obligations under the Endangered Species Act, EPA plans to revise how it handles relevant pesticides issues, releasing a document mapping out a new blueprint for the agency. EPA is seeking to move away from a reactive approach shaped by litigation and court mandates to a more proactive process it hopes will stem an ocean of lawsuits. … ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA hits reset on pesticides and endangered species work
EPA announces plan to protect endangered species and support sustainable agriculture
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first-ever comprehensive workplan to address the decades-old challenge of protecting endangered species from pesticides. The plan establishes four overall strategies and dozens of actions to adopt those protections while providing farmers, public health authorities, and others with access to pesticides. “Today’s workplan serves as the blueprint for how EPA will create an enduring path to meet its goals of protecting endangered species and providing all people with safe, affordable food and protection from pests,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The workplan reflects EPA’s collaboration with other federal agencies and commitment to listening to stakeholders about how they can work with the Agency to solve this longstanding challenge.” … ” Read more from the EPA here: EPA announces plan to protect endangered species and support sustainable agriculture
‘Shadow docket’ sees controversial federal water regulation revived
“In a narrow decision, the U.S. Supreme has revived a controversial U.S. EPA regulation governing water quality. “In a 5-4 split, the U.S. Supreme Court … temporarily revived a Trump-era rule intended to fast-track big energy projects by limiting the states’ power to curtail them under the Clean Water Act,” according to Reuters. “The majority gave no reasons for granting the application filed on its emergency docket — often called the shadow docket because the cases are decided with minimal briefing, no arguments and no explanation.” With the decision, the court blocked a ruling from late last year that vacated the 2020 version of the Clean Water Act as it is being appealed by a handful of states. … ” Continue reading at Water Online here: ‘Shadow docket’ sees controversial federal water regulation revived
This cheeseburger explains your bigger grocery bill
“To understand what’s driving the nation’s largest increase in food prices in 40 years, just take a close look at your all-American cheeseburger. Whether it’s a humble bun and patty, or piled high with fixings, the rising cost of each ingredient is the product of a range of economic forces and geopolitical conditions that are disrupting how our food gets from the farm to our tables. They include interrupted supply chains, dire labor shortages, climate disasters and, most recently, the war in Ukraine. The March Consumer Price Index report showed that the prices for food both consumed at home and away from the home (i.e. at restaurants) saw the largest 12-month increases since 1981. … ” Continue reading at Politico here: This cheeseburger explains your bigger grocery bill
