On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water beginning at 9am. View complete agenda and remote access instructions by clicking here.
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board meets beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include consideration of a proposed Order for State Water Board Review of General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands (Central Coast Regional Board); Temporary Ugency Change Petition for Dela flow and water quality requirements; Coachella Valley Water District’s Regional Consolidation Plans for the Eastern Coachella Valley; and Workshop on the Proposed Statewide Construction Stormwater General Permit Reissuance. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Improving California’s Water Market from 12:30 to 1:45pm. In California, markets for water support drought resilience, environmental improvements, and adaptation to a new market and regulatory conditions. In the coming decades, their effectiveness will be tested when it comes to easing the implementation of the state’s new groundwater law: The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. This policy requires that local groundwater users form management agencies and bring their groundwater basins into balance by the 2040s; as they face a future of pumping reductions and subsequent land fallowing, water banking and water trading may prove important tools to help manage this transition. However, a combination of aging infrastructure and complex, conflicting regulatory structures currently hinders the expansion of banking and trading. We will discuss these barriers and what improvements may be possible. Presenter: Andrew Ayres is a research fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center. This event is part of Business Ethics Week at San Francisco State University. Click here to enter Zoom meeting.
- WEBINAR: Secretary Speaker Series: Hidden Heroes for the Environment from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Come celebrate Earth Week with an inspirational discussion on environmental action and leadership. California is leading the world combatting climate change and protecting nature thanks to on-the-ground leaders who are taking matters into their own hands. Far from the political limelight in Sacramento, these Californians are showing how we reduce pollution and build resilience in our own communities. Register on Zoom
In California water news today …
Incoming storm to deliver welcome rainfall to California
“The recent weather pattern has sent waves of rain and mountain snow across the Pacific Northwest, but AccuWeather forecasters say that a late-week storm could dip far enough south for rain to fall in parts of parched Southern California. Some rain and mountain snow fell over the weekend as far south as Central California. On Monday, precipitation was spottier with just some light rain showers and snow showers in the mountains. While precipitation is expected to increase along the coasts of Washington and Oregon on Tuesday, a much more impactful and wide-reaching storm is expected by midweek. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Incoming storm to deliver welcome rainfall to California
More heavy Sierra snow coming this week. What it means for California drought, fires
“A pair of storms will reach Northern California this week, with lighter showers Tuesday intensifying to heavy April snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains later in the week. A winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service is already in place for the greater Lake Tahoe area, warning that between 4 and 7 inches of snow could fall at elevations of 6,500 feet and higher between 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday. Chain controls were in place Tuesday morning on Interstate 80 at summit level, Caltrans said. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: More heavy Sierra snow coming this week. What it means for California drought, fires
California gives rivers more room to flow to stem flood risk
“Between vast almond orchards and dairy pastures in the heart of California’s farm country sits a property being redesigned to look like it did 150 years ago, before levees restricted the flow of rivers that weave across the landscape. The 2,100 acres (1,100 hectares) at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers in the state’s Central Valley are being reverted to a floodplain. That means when heavy rains cause the rivers to go over their banks, water will run onto the land, allowing traditional ecosystems to flourish and lowering flood risk downstream. The Dos Rios Ranch Preserve is California’s largest single floodplain restoration project, part of the nation’s broadest effort to rethink how rivers flow as climate change alters the environment. … ” Read more from WKRG here: California gives rivers more room to flow to stem flood risk
California’s rivers could help protect the state from flood and drought
“Julie Rentner is president of River Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing life back to California’s rivers and communities. With the state in the grip of an historic drought, and increasingly extreme swings between wet and dry periods, we asked Rentner to tell us more about the benefits of river restoration in a changing climate. Despite the current drought, we know that floods remain a major concern. How can rivers help with flood management? … ” Continue reading at the PPIC here: California’s rivers could help protect the state from flood and drought
How a suburb of San Francisco used cottage cheese to un-poison poisoned land
“In 2004, Emeryville, an industrial suburb of San Francisco, sent an environmental remediation crew to inject 15,000 gallons of cottage cheese into groundwater below an abandoned factory. The factory manufactured car bumpers from 1951 to 1967, and the hexavalent chromium it left behind had since traveled into the groundwater. Hexavalent chromium gives humans cancer, trivalent chromium doesn’t, and cottage cheese converts the former to the latter. Emeryville’s city manager of several decades tells me the cottage cheese story with obvious delight. I’m asking how Emeryville went from an industrial wasteland in 1975 to the tidy business suburb it is today. His answer is that cleaning up a century’s worth of toxic waste is not straightforward, and that the process of environmental remediation can be strange and labyrinthine. So strange that in certain moments and from certain angles, like a team spraying cottage cheese into the ground in 2004, the science looks like it’s descending into witchcraft. … ” Read more from Slate Magazine here: How a suburb of San Francisco used cottage cheese to un-poison poisoned land
Meet the nurdle hunter combing the beach for hidden pollution
“This 3-mile stretch of sand and tide pools beneath a fortress of 80-foot bluffs is a California tourism poster if there ever was one. Nothing disturbs the pristine, sunny view, except – once you’re aware of them – the nurdles. But you have to look close – on-your-hands-and-knees close – to see one. And once you do, you see another and another – so many that you may not think of this, or any beach, the same way again. Mark McReynolds is trying to bring into focus these tiny preproduction plastic pellets that manufacturers melt down to mold everything from car bumpers to toothpaste caps. They’ve been escaping factories, container ships, trains, trucks – and public notice – for decades. … ” Read more from the Christian Science Monitor here: Meet the nurdle hunter combing the beach for hidden pollution
Some Wintu people call for “land back” during riverfront meetings. Here’s why.
“Mercy Kravitz (Winnemem Wintu/Madesi Band of the Pit River Tribe) was moved to tears as she spoke about her people’s history during a November 18 workshop about the City of Redding’s proposed riverfront land deal. “It’s a miracle I stand here as a Wintu person,” Kravitz, age 23 said, referencing Wintu people’s survival of campaigns of state-sponsored extermination, cultural oppression and forced assimilation. “. . . if the city truly considers this land as surplus, the most just action will be to return it to the unrecognized Wintu people. In the words of our Wintu ancestor, Norelputus, ‘Will there ever be justice for the Wintu?’ . . . .Land back!” ... ” Read more from the Shasta Scout here: Some Wintu people call for “land back” during riverfront meetings. Here’s why.
State Water Board announces member updates: Nichole Morgan confirmed; Dorene D’Adamo reappointed
“The State Water Resources Control Board recently had two notable developments regarding its membership, including a historic confirmation: Nichole Morgan, a civil engineer with an extensive background in water policy and regulation, was confirmed by the state Senate. And Vice–Chair Dorene D’Adamo, currently the longest tenured board member and an attorney with vast experience in environmental issues, was reappointed to another four–year term by Gov. Gavin Newsom. ... ” Read more from the State Water Board here: State Water Board announces member updates: Nichole Morgan confirmed; Dorene D’Adamo reappointed
Gov. Newsom visits Butte County Tuesday to discuss drought response
“Tuesday Governor Gavin Newsom will visit Butte County to discuss the drought and the impact on hydropower production. Last week Newsom touted the expansion of the state’s Save Our Water campaign, to encourage California’s to reduce water use as drought conditions worsen. “Make no mistake, California and the entire West are feeling the effects of the intensifying drought,” said Governor Newsom on Thursday, April 14. … ” Read more from Action News Now here: Gov. Newsom visits Butte County Tuesday to discuss drought response
California field campaign is helping scientists protect diverse ecosystems
“With a plane crisscrossing the sky and researchers working on land and sea, the Surface Biology and Geology High-Frequency Time Series campaign (SHIFT) combines the ability of airborne science instruments to gather data over widespread areas with the more concentrated observations scientists conduct in the field to study natural environments. SHIFT is jointly led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Nature Conservancy, and the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and one of its primary goals is to generate the most precise, high-time-frequency data on plant and aquatic communities ever collected over such a vast region. The 640-square-mile (1,656-square-kilometer) study area, which stretches from Los Padres National Forest in the east to the Central California coast and into the coastal ocean in the west, includes some of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world. … ” Read more from NASA here: California field campaign is helping scientists protect diverse ecosystems
Western U.S. drought approaches historic levels – here’s why that matters to you
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, writes, “Hurricanes and tornadoes get a lot of attention and rightfully so. They can be significant stressors on our socio-economic fabric in the United States. They are also more episodic and “buzzworthy” events than drought, which tends to be rather creeping and sustained. Drought rarely receives immediate live reporter coverage and social media hashtags like a severe weather or hurricane threat. Yet, it is a significant stressor on society as well. The current drought in the U.S. West is approaching historic levels, and you probably didn’t even know it. … ” Read more from Forbes here: Western U.S. drought approaches historic levels – here’s why that matters to you
California steps up its investigations and permitting of PFAS
“The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) recently updated the regulated community and the public on the Board’s statewide investigation to study and sample potential sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The State Water Board’s investigation is aimed at public agencies involved in drinking water and wastewater treatment, as well as private entities involved in manufacturing or other industries where PFAS may have been used in various products and/or processes. At its April 5 meeting, State Water Board reiterated its intent to eventually incorporate PFAS monitoring requirements into permits, including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, and ensure state pretreatment program compliance is consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) PFAS effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) and/or other PFAS treatment requirements. … ” Read more from Downey Brand here: California steps up its investigations and permitting of PFAS
Here today, gone tomorrow? Supreme court uses emergency docket to weigh-in on section 401 program
“Entities seeking federal authorization for infrastructure projects that may impact waters of the United States must obtain a Section 401 certification under the Trump administration’s narrowed Section 401 certification rule—for now. On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Trump administration’s Section 401 certification rule will stay in place while further litigation proceeds, potentially signaling how the court may view the underlying merits of the case pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. … ” Read more from Brownstein Hyatt here: Here today, gone tomorrow? Supreme court uses emergency docket to weigh-in on section 401 program
Feinstein, Padilla announce $6.7 million in forest restoration funding for California
“Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.) today announced federal funding for three California forest restoration projects totaling $6.7 million. Forest restoration projects are a critical tool to reduce the risk of severe wildfires. In addition to decreasing the risk of devastating wildfires by removing the fuel that feeds them, these landscape restoration activities establish forest vegetation by planting, seeding and natural regeneration; reduce or eradicate invasive plants; and enhance stream habitat. The funds are part of the U.S. Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program and were made available through a combination of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and annual appropriations. … ” Read more from Senator Feinstein’s office here: Feinstein, Padilla Announce $6.7 Million in Forest Restoration Funding for California
Western wildfires bring ‘new peak to air pollution,’ new study finds
“The large, intense wildfires that have scorched the Pacific Northwest in recent years are altering the seasonal pattern of air pollution and causing a surge in unhealthy air pollutants in August — as well as undermining clean air gains and posing potential health risks to millions across the continent, a new study found. The research, helmed by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and published this week in Nature Communications, pointed to a sharp increase in carbon monoxide levels during the month of August — a time when carbon monoxide levels have historically remained low. While this gas generally is not a significant health concern outdoors, it indicates the presence of more harmful pollutants like aerosols and ground-level ozone. … “Read more from AccuWeather here: Western wildfires bring ‘new peak to air pollution,’ new study finds
America’s Most Endangered Rivers report …
America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022 spotlights rivers in crisis mode
“Catastrophic drought. Disastrous floods. Fish and other freshwater species nearing extinction, as rivers heat up. Many people in the United States have imagined climate change as a problem in the future. But it is here now, and the primary way that each of us is experiencing climate change is through water. The climate crisis is a water crisis. Today we are announcing America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022 and sounding the alarm that our nation’s rivers and clean water are in crisis. Topping the list this year is the Colorado River, which is threatened by climate change and outdated water management. Thirty federally-recognized Tribal Nations, seven states, Mexico and 40 million people who rely on the river for drinking water are being impacted by this crisis. Also threatened is vital habitat for wildlife, as the Basin is home to 30 native fish species, two-thirds of which are threatened or endangered, and more than 400 bird species. ... ” Read more from American Rivers here: America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022 spotlights rivers in crisis mode
The top 10 most endangered rivers in America
“The Colorado River — which provides drinking water, irrigation and electricity for more than 40 million people in the West — is the most endangered river in the United States this year, according to the nonprofit conservation group American Rivers. From the Pacific Northwest to Alabama, American Rivers ranked the top 10 most endangered rivers across the country — crises brought on by worsening droughts, human-made dams and coal-ash contamination. The Colorado River’s outdated water management practices have been worsened by climate change, pushing the river into the No. 1 slot, the group said. Matt Rice, the group’s director of the Colorado Basin Program, said that the climate crisis is really the theme of this year’s report. ... ” Read more from CNN here: The top 10 most endangered rivers in America
Colorado River is America’s most endangered; ranchers work to combat climate change
“The Colorado River, a major freshwater source for over 40 million people in seven southwestern states and parts of northern Mexico, has lost 20% of its water levels over the past 22 years and environmentalists forecast it’s going to get worse. Farmers and other agriculture workers have been especially hit by the water loss as the fields have dried up, making it harder to cultivate crops and cattle. “We’ve really been working on some of this for two decades. You know, we’ve kind of seen this coming,” Paul Bruchez, a fifth-generation Colorado rancher, told ABC News. Now Bruchez, his family, other ranchers and farmers are teaming up with conservationists to adapt to the changing environment and try to repair some of the damage, and they hope that they can encourage others to step up before it’s too late. … ” Read more from ABC News here: Colorado River is America’s most endangered; ranchers work to combat climate change
Kern River among top 10 “most endangered rivers” in the country
“The lower Kern River earned the dubious distinction of being named one of the country’s 10 “most endangered rivers,” according to American Rivers, a national environmental group that has highlighted rivers suffering pollution and other threats for the past 36 years. The group listed “excessive water withdrawls” as the main threat to the lower Kern, which is dry in all but the biggest water years as it cuts through the heart of Bakersfield. “We wish the Kern didn’t merit listing as an endangered river,” wrote Tim McNeely, with local group Bring Back the Kern, in an email. “But since it faces an ongoing existential threat, we are excited that now the river is getting the national attention it deserves. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Kern River among top 10 “most endangered rivers” in the country
Report by American Rivers classifies Lower Kern as one of nation’s 10 most endangered rivers
“The Lower Kern River is one of the country’s most imperiled waterways, or so says the environmental nonprofit organization American Rivers, which has just released its annual report, America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2022. The Lower Kern – that is, the section west of the entrance to the Kern River Canyon – is what might be called a lifeless eyesore. At least that’s what American Rivers calls the Lower Kern, which comes in at Np. 7 on its list of the country’s 10 most endangered rivers, right between the polluted Mississippi River and Arizona’s overextended San Pedro River. … ” Read more from KGET here: Report by American Rivers classifies Lower Kern as one of nation’s 10 most endangered rivers
In commentary today …
Bay-Delta VA: A sweetheart deal to subsidize agribusiness
Doug Obegi, Director, California River Restoration for the NRDC, writes, “Not only does the proposed Bay-Delta voluntary agreement wholly fail to provide the water that the environment needs, but even the woefully inadequate flows and the habitat restoration proposed in the VA would largely come from other water users and taxpayers, rather than the water districts that signed the MOU. It’s not surprising, given who was in the room negotiating this backroom deal, that the VAs are a sweetheart deal that would subsidize the mitigation obligations of the state’s largest irrigation districts and industrial agribusinesses, undermining the Public Trust. If you think state and federal taxpayers should pay to subsidize Stewart Resnick’s almond and pistachio empire, the VAs are the deal for you! ... ” Continue reading from the NRDC here: Bay-Delta VA: A sweetheart deal to subsidize agribusiness
Today’s featured article …
BLOG ROUND-UP: Bay-Delta VA: A sweetheart deal to subsidize agribusiness; How water managers deal with dry years; Is California doing enough on drought?; and more …
Click here to read the blog round-up.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Federal funds for forests include Oregon, California
“$31-million in federal funds planned for forest landscape restoration include projects in Southern Oregon and Northern California involving the Rogue Basin, Lakeview and Western Klamath Mountains. The Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service announced the funding today for 15 projects that “aim to reduce the risk of severe wildfires, support local economies, create jobs and enhance forest and watershed health in eight states. “The selected projects will enhance the work already accomplished through the program,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. … ” Read more from KDRV here: Federal funds for forests include Oregon, California
Fishery groups plan to sue PG&E over Potter Valley plant and related Scott, Cape Horn dams
“A coalition of fishery groups has formally notified PG&E that it plans to file suit under the Endangered Species Act, alleging the continued injury to once abundant federally protected salmon and steelhead trout as a result of operations at the utility’s aging Potter Valley powerhouse. The legal maneuver is part of an effort to expedite removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams, which pose a threat to vulnerable fish species in the Eel River and block access to hundreds of miles of prime habitat upstream. The plaintiffs contend that last Thursday’s expiration of PG&E’s license for the project means the utility is no longer protected from liability and must be found in violation of the Endangered Species Act — a point the utility disputes. ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Fishery groups plan to sue PG&E over Potter Valley plant and related Scott, Cape Horn dams
An expired license, a mysterious applicant, and a threat to sue: what else can we expect as the fight to control the waters of the Eel River continues?
“A day after the license for the Potter Valley Project expired, a coalition of environmentalists and fishermen filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue PG&E under the Endangered Species Act, if the utility does not remedy the situation described by the coalition. The core claim is that the fishway at Cape Horn Dam in Potter Valley causes unauthorized harm to endangered fish, by preventing their passage when the facility is clogged, or making them vulnerable to predators as they try to climb the ladder. And, if that isn’t drama enough, a man who might not exist filed an application for the license. ... ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt here: An expired license, a mysterious applicant, and a threat to sue: what else can we expect as the fight to control the waters of the Eel River continues?
SEE ALSO: Press Release: Eel River Dams & Notice of Intent to Sue, from Cal Trout
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
‘How we get the water’: NID takes on management of South Yuba Canal, Deer Creek Powerhouse
“The Nevada Irrigation District will begin managing the South Yuba Canal and the Deer Creek Powerhouse this month. The purchase technically helps NID diversify Nevada County’s energy sources, but the district’s purchase of the powerhouse is “ancillary more than anything” to the acquisition of the canal itself, Hydroelectric Manager Keane Sommers said. The canal services the residents of Grass Valley, Nevada City, their fire hydrants, the air attack base and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital — over 30,000 customers. … ” Read more from The Union here: ‘How we get the water’: NID takes on management of South Yuba Canal, Deer Creek Powerhouse
NAPA/SONOMA
Drought inspires dairy farms in Marin, Sonoma counties to employ technology
“Staring at a hillside already turning a lighter shade of green while barely out of winter, Bivalve Dairy farmers John and Karen Taylor are trying to steer out of a third year of drought this spring in Marin County with the help of technology. … With John Taylor tapping into his engineering degree at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, he’s able to come up with innovative measures and practices. Some have already been implemented. Others are in the wings, or rather, in the box awaiting parts delayed by supply-chain issues. When all is said and done, the Taylors expect to save about 10,000 gallons of water per day from the changes they’re making on the farm named after a former, nearby train station meant as a water stop for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad steam engine for almost six decades. … ” Read more from the North Bay Business Journal here: Drought inspires dairy farms in Marin, Sonoma counties to employ technology
Napa’s flood control district could lose out on millions in state reimbursement funding for Napa River projects
“Napa County has joined an effort to raise an early alarm about flood control agencies potentially losing out on millions of dollars if the state doesn’t take action to extend a deadline. Specifically, a loss of access to reimbursement funds would happen if the funding from Proposition 1E — a $4.09 billion bond measure for flood control projects passed by California voters in 2006 — is allowed to expire by its current deadline of July 1, 2023. The funds come by way of a state program, managed by the California Department of Water Resources, that pays back agencies their costs for federally-required flood control projects. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa’s flood control district could lose out on millions in state reimbursement funding for Napa River projects
BAY AREA
‘Living sea wall’ may help protect S.F. from rising waters
“What may be the future surface of San Francisco’s sea wall is being assembled in an expansive warehouse near Mission Bay. Instead of constructing one continuous surface, a team of welders and engineers with the Port of San Francisco are fabricating a series of steel platforms festooned with textured tiles in order to test whether grooves, curves and divots will attract native marine species or promote biodiversity within the Bay. For now, this project is purely experimental. … ” Read more from the SF Examiner here: ‘Living sea wall’ may help protect S.F. from rising waters
CENTRAL COAST
To fix Pajaro River levees officials ask locals to foot part of bill
“Officials spoke Monday on the long-awaited Pajaro River levee rebuild at Watsonville City Hall, which has a hefty federal funding commitment, but isn’t penciled out just yet. The system of levees, built in 1949, are decrepit and currently only offer five to seven years of flood protection. If a multi-year effort to relocate and rebuild levees goes through, the planned overhaul is estimated to protect residents from a 100-year-flood. “Watsonville and Pajaro have already suffered the effects of extreme heat events, droughts and floods. We can no longer let our low income Latino community suffer the impacts of preventable climate disasters,” said Natalie Olivas a community organizer with nonprofit Regeneración. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: To fix Pajaro River levees officials ask locals to foot part of bill
$5.5 million flood control project finishes construction of bypass channel under Highway 101 in Santa Barbara
“A flood control project that has been under development since the 1960s reached a milestone in March when the construction of a new bypass channel under Highway 101 was completed. City officials said that the $5.5 million project, titled the Lower Mission Creek Flood Control Project, is located between Chapala and De La Vina Streets at Reaches 2B-2 (under Highway 101) and Reach 3 (between Highway 101 and Gutierrez Street). The project aims to widen creeks and help reduce flooding risk in Santa Barbara, and it’s a joint effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and the City of Santa Barbara. ... ” Read more from KEYT here: $5.5 million flood control project finishes construction of bypass channel under Highway 101 in Santa Barbara
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Valley farmers worried as groundwater levels remain low
“Throughout western Fresno County, fertile land has been taken out of production because the irrigation supply isn’t stable enough to bring a crop to harvest. Many of Joe Del Bosque’s dry fields in Firebaugh will stay that way this season. “We pulled out our asparagus and we’re not planting our sweet corn, so we’re down to just two crops – almonds and our melons,” he said. “We pulled out our asparagus and we’re not planting our sweet corn, so we’re down to just two crops – almonds and our melons,” he said. Del Bosque normally would grow asparagus on the 100-acre plot and keep a group of loyal workers busy through the summer. … ” Read more from KFSN here: Valley farmers worried as groundwater levels remain low
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Coastal Commission calls on county to step up enforcement at Aliso Creek berm
“The California Coastal Commission is asking Orange County leaders to do more enforcement to keep people from digging out sand from a wave-made berm that forms across the mouth of the Aliso Creek where it meets the Pacific ocean. Environmentalists argue not enough is being done to protect the berm, because when sand is scooped out by people to let the creek water rush toward the ocean to create a standing wave – especially popular with skimboarders – it is also allowing pollution to wash into sensitive marine habitat. The Laguna Bluebelt Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation asked the Coastal Commission to get involved. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Coastal Commission calls on county to step up enforcement at Aliso Creek berm
SAN DIEGO
The new 5-million-gallon water tank in Mission Trails you’ll never see again
“A multimillion-dollar construction project is almost done on a massive water tank in Mission Trails Regional Park. Once construction is complete, it will likely be forgotten because no one will be able to see it. The San Diego County Water Authority is wrapping up construction on its newest flow regulatory structure on the western edge of the park. Work began in earnest at the beginning of 2021 on the five-million-gallon water tank and it’s expected to wrap up next month. … ” Read more from NBC San Diego here: The new 5-million-gallon water tank in Mission Trails you’ll never see again
Along the Colorado River …
Advocacy group asks Southwest to ‘amp up the urgency’ on protecting Colorado River water
“Climate change and water overuse have driven the Colorado River to the top of the advocacy group American Rivers’ annual list of endangered rivers. Decades of drought that some scientists now call permanent aridification have exacerbated chronic overallocation of the waters stored along the river in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Those reservoirs in turn have shrunken to less than a quarter and a third of their respective capacities, leading federal water managers to call for an emergency cutback in releases to preserve hydropower-generating capacity at Glen Canyon Dam. “The urgency is extreme,” American Rivers spokesman Sinjin Eberle said, noting that the river serves some 40 million people and production of most of the nation’s winter vegetables. “We have to do something now.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Advocacy group asks Southwest to ‘amp up the urgency’ on protecting Colorado River water
Dry as a bone: Las Vegas enforces new water restrictions
“The megadrought gripping the Western United States is widening. Fifty-seven percent of the country and 100% of Nevada is in some level of drought, and nowhere is it as obvious as along the Colorado River. In the Southwestern U.S., the massive Lake Mead Reservoir near Las Vegas is not as massive as it used to be. The water level has dropped to near-record-low levels. Drought has reduced the flow of water into the river, which has forced communities to cut back. “Conservation in this valley means getting after our landscaping uses,” said Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of resources at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. … ” Read more from Channel 9 here: Dry as a bone: Las Vegas enforces new water restrictions
Utah’s water: Decisions now, consequences later
“The drought in Utah didn’t give any favors in 2022, and it will continue to worsen if nothing is done to stop global warming and the handling of how water is distributed in the state, advocates and experts say. In the Southwest region of the United States, a growing issue is the water levels around major bodies of water, particularly the Colorado River, which supports Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The Colorado River’s Upper Basin Water Supply has decreased from 4.5 million acre-feet per year to below 2 million, and the deficit is 35% from where it was when the 20th century began, according to the Utah Rivers Council. … ” Read more from Weber University here: Utah’s water: Decisions now, consequences later
Ducey desalination proposal carries hefty price tag
“This Friday marks Earth Day. This year the drought and dwindling water supplies top the list of environmental challenges here in the southwest. Scientists remain at odds over Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to help solve Arizona’s water issues by desalinating water from the Sea of Cortez. Ducey unveiled the idea in his State of the State address earlier this year. He proposed a $1 billion project to draw treated water to Morelos Dam near Yuma, but the challenges to the idea remain difficult to solve. University of Arizona environmental and chemical engineering professor Andrea Achilli says the challenge isn’t in transforming salt water into drinking water. “The challenge is transporting the water all the way north to Arizona and California,” he explained. … ” Continue reading from Arizona Public Media here: Ducey desalination proposal carries hefty price tag
In national water news today …
Understanding the importance of salt marshes
“Salt marshes are highly productive wetlands that provide important ecological services and play a vital role in coastal carbon cycling. Unfortunately, around 50 percent of the world’s original salt marshes have been lost over the past century. Many remaining salt marshes worldwide suffer from serious degradation and loss of ecosystem function. A recent article in Reviews of Geophysics describes surface water and groundwater interactions in salt marshes and their impact on plant ecology and coastal biogeochemistry. Here, the authors give an overview of the function and importance of salt marshes and highlight some of the unresolved questions where additional research is needed. … ” Read more from EOS here: Understanding the importance of salt marshes
The week ahead forecast …
Dr. Michael Anderson, California’s State Climatologist, releases forecast updates during the wet season providing a brief overview of the most recent storm impacts, upcoming precipitation forecasts, and outlooks for the coming month.
20220418_WeekAheadForecast
