On the calendar today …
- PPIC WEBINAR: Farming in a state of extremes from 11am to 12pm. California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. But the ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities. Join us for a panel discussion about the drought’s impacts on farming regions—and how the state and other actors can best respond to looming challenges. Click here to register.
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 1:00pm. Agenda items include CV-SALTS Enforcement Priorities; Consideration of a Resolution Commending Dr. Karl Longley’s Service on the Central Valley Water Board; Consideration of various NPDES, Waste Discharge Requirements, and Rescissions. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: Urban Conservation Emergency Regulation from 1pm to 3pm. The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of a draft emergency regulation proposal for future consideration by the State Water Board in response to the Governor’s March 28, 2022 Executive Order (EO). Specifically, the EO directs the State Water Board to consider adopting a new water conservation emergency regulation to prepare for and mitigate the effects of worsening drought conditions. The webinar will also give interested parties the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions about the staff proposals in advance of the State Water Board’s formal emergency rulemaking process. The webinar will be a virtual meeting on Zoom. At the scheduled time, participants can join the webinar by clicking here: https://waterboards.zoom.us/j/96501350138?pwd=cnE2Z1gwUFNmR1E4cVNpWlNaK3VzUT09
In California water news today …
‘Awesome’ April offers welcome California storms, but drought persists
“Rain and mountain snow have returned to California after the state’s driest start to the calendar year on record. Meteorologists are ecstatic about the influx of precipitation. “We may not have had a miracle March, but April has been awesome!” tweeted the National Weather Service office serving the San Francisco Bay area Tuesday. The welcome wet pattern will probably delay what would have been a very early start to fire season. But the state remains entrenched in a multi-year drought. Nearly half of California is experiencing extreme drought, the second most severe category. ... ” Read more from the Washington Post here: ‘Awesome’ April offers welcome California storms, but drought persists
Do spring storms help with California’s drought conditions? Not as much as you might think
“California is heading into its third year of drought after record dry stretches. … Record heat hit early in April, which started warming the ground and rapidly melting the meager snowpack. Thomas Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories and research scientist at the University of California Los Angeles, leads a team of scientists in airborne missions measuring snowpack from the sky using equipment like lidar and spectrometers. He says the snowpack has been fairly good at 10,000 feet, but is not looking healthy below that elevation. Painter says there are three things that work against spring storms helping for drought: periods of warm spring temperatures, historically warmer storms and evaporation rates. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: Do spring storms help with California’s drought conditions? Not as much as you might think
SEE ALSO:
- Feet of snow will hit Sierra, while rain sweeps into Sacramento Valley. Here’s when, from the Sacramento Bee
- Could April storms help save California from another drought year?, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- NWS: April showers welcomed, but West needs more to overcome drought, from the Siskiyou Daily News
Dry weather forecast calls for higher food prices and billions in farm losses
“California is having its driest year ever. In West Texas, no one alive has seen this little rain. The vast underground lake that feeds the Great Plains, which helps produce one-sixth of the world’s grain, is shrinking. Drought — historic drought, not just a year or two or three of dry weather, but a famine of rain so severe that some say you have to go back to the 1500s to find a rival — extends from the Pacific coast as far east as Mississippi, Wisconsin and Illinois. It couldn’t come at a worse time. Food prices are already stratospheric. Wheat prices, worsened by a shortage due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, have spiked. Soybeans are the highest in 10 years. Avocados haven’t been this expensive since the 1990s. Corn prices are flirting with an all-time record. America’s drought will push them and others higher. … ” Continue reading from Forbes Magazine here: Dry weather forecast calls for higher food prices and billions in farm losses
SGMA ‘will have devastating impacts,’ industry leader says
“In March, as part of the week-long National Groundwater Awareness Week, the California Department of Water Resources emphasized that as the state entered its third consecutive year of drought, awareness of groundwater’s role in the state’s water supply and the need to protect the resource was paramount. “The reality is that our water system — including the 515 groundwater basins serving as underground reservoirs — is going to be stretched thin this summer, said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Water awareness and conservation are now a lifestyle to be practiced every day.” Those feelings were backed up by Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau at its recent Capitol Ag Conference when he told legislators: “Multiyear droughts are not new, occurring 60% of the last 100 years in our state’s agriculture. Our resolve on how we deal with it is what’s lacking.” … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: SGMA ‘will have devastating impacts,’ industry leader says
Groundwater management for California’s drought-hit farmers
“California is by far the highest agriculture producing state in the United States, bringing in almost twice the cash receipts in 2020 than the second highest agriculture producing state, Iowa. The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports that over a third of U.S. vegetables and two thirds of U.S. fruit are produced in California. California is a prospering state that has a significant impact on the food system across the U.S., but California has seen its agriculture output limited in recent years due to frequent drought conditions. The National Integrated Drought Information System reports that California is often in a drought, and the droughts can last for years at a time. In response to them getting worse every year and the groundwater supply depleting, California officials passed a three-bill legislative package, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ” Read more from Ag Daily here: Groundwater management for California’s drought-hit farmers
NASA satellites reveal groundwater levels beneath the surface
“Keeping tabs on groundwater is more important than ever. Most of the western United States is suffering the most extreme drought in 12 centuries. And climate change only promises to make things worse. Aquifers — porous underground rock or earth containing groundwater — can provide lifelines to farmers and cities. But pumping them dry causes the land around them to sag, a process known as subsidence. It can create sinkholes, destroy infrastructure and potentially collapse the underground water storage formation. But groundwater is hard to monitor — it’s sometimes located thousands of feet under the surface. That’s where satellites come in. … ” Read more from Marketplace here: NASA satellites reveal groundwater levels beneath the surface
Water a driver for coastal walnut yields
“While the trees were blooming and buds breaking, nut industry personnel were taking a final, long look at last year — what happened, when, and why — to either repeat the happenings or circumvent their recurrence. This was also the time of year for learning with a lot of training recertification taking place, for instance on the North Coast where the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources folks in Lake County were sponsoring their annual Walnut Update. “Our irrigated tonnage from the 2021 growing season was in the 1 ton (per acre) category for the less-irrigated orchards to a respectable 3 ton harvest elsewhere, mainly Chandler and Hartley,” said Pomology Farm Advisor Emeritus Rachel Elkins, who has been watching trees grow in Lake and Mendocino counties since 1987. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Water a driver for coastal walnut yields
Big storms, dry spells, demonstrate the need for improved infrastructure and the Delta Conveyance Project
“California is immersed in a third year of drought, with January, February and March of 2022 experiencing the lowest precipitation on record. Weather whiplash of big storms followed by dry spells makes every drop of rain, every flake of snow, and every water molecule vital this year for families, farms, the environment and the economy. But outdated infrastructure and the orientation of the pumping facilities in the south Delta limits our ability to capture available water from storm events. The Delta Conveyance Project would help resolve this limitation. In fact, if the Delta Conveyance Project was operational at the end of 2021, the State Water Project would have captured about 236,000 acre-feet of additional water – enough water for over 2.5 million people, or nearly 850,000 households, for a full year. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Big storms, dry spells, demonstrate the need for improved infrastructure and the Delta Conveyance Project
California eyes solar canals as clean energy source
“As part of a broader research effort to conserve California’s scarce water resources, a $20-million pilot project in the state will investigate the use of solar canals as a major source of renewable energy. Known as Project Nexus, the state-funded venture is expected to demonstrate how covering canals with solar panels can reduce water delivery system costs and generate enough electricity to meet ambitious clean power goals. Public water and electric utility Turlock Irrigation District in central California announced Feb. 8 that it has accepted state funds to provide proof of concept for the project using its utility infrastructure and will install and test the performance of solar canopies over less than 2 miles of its 250-mile canal system, using its existing electrical grid to capture energy storage from the panels. … ” Read more from ENR here: California eyes solar canals as clean energy source
How rivers in the sky travel across the ocean
“Winter in California is a time of promise and peril. We’re desperate for rain, only not too much please. Our fate swings from drought to floods, depending largely on whether or not we get rainstorms called atmospheric rivers. These ribbons of extraordinarily wet air shoot across the Pacific Ocean, dropping the moisture they carry upon landfall. The Bay Area’s latest “wet” season began with the bang of a record-breaking atmospheric river in late October but then fizzled out. These storms have been so scarce in the last few months that the state is facing a third year of deepening drought. Atmospheric rivers typically begin over oceans in the tropics, where it’s so warm that water evaporates readily, filling the air with moisture. Then all it takes to start an atmospheric river is a storm called an extratropical cyclone, which spins over the ocean and sweeps up the wet air. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: How rivers in the sky travel across the ocean
After wildfires, scorched trees could disrupt water supplies
“In a California forest torched by wildfire last summer, researcher Anne Nolin examines a handful of the season’s remaining snow, now darkened by black specks from the burned trees above. Spring heat waves had already melted much of the year’s limited snowfall across California and parts of the West when Nolin visited in early April. But she and her colleague are studying another factor that might’ve made the snow vanish faster in the central Sierra Nevada — the scorched trees, which no longer provide much shade and are shedding flecks of carbon. The darkened snow is “primed to absorb all that sunlight” and melt faster, said Nolin, who researches snow at the University of Nevada, Reno. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area here: After wildfires, scorched trees could disrupt water supplies
Watch: Desalination turns ocean water into drinking water — so why hasn’t it solved droughts?
“More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, but only 0.5% it is actually accessible to us. Removing salt from ocean water, known as desalination, can create drinkable water during a time of extreme drought and soaring demand. So what’s the problem?” Watch video from NBC LX here: Watch: Desalination turns ocean water into drinking water — so why hasn’t it solved droughts?
Pacific lamprey: Meet an ancient, amazing fish in need of an image makeover
“Cape Horn is a concrete and earth-filled dam on the upper Eel River in Mendocino County. … Though it’s the smaller of the two dams on the Eel, the Cape Horn Dam is still over 90 feet high. To its side is the oldest fish counting station in California, the Van Arsdale Fisheries Station, run by the California Department of Fish and Game since 1922. The station overlooks a fish ladder, built as part of the agreement to allow construction of the Scott Dam, which allows fish like salmon and trout to travel upriver to spawn. Unfortunately, from the beginning it also overlooked, and not in the scenic way, the needs of the lamprey, a much-maligned fish that also needs access to the Eel’s headwaters and unlike its salmonid cousins can’t swim up a ladder. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: Pacific lamprey: Meet an ancient, amazing fish in need of an image makeover
New global forecasts of marine heatwaves foretell ecological and economic impacts
“Researchers have developed global forecasts that can provide up to a year’s advance notice of marine heatwaves, sudden and pronounced increases in ocean temperatures that can dramatically affect ocean ecosystems. The forecasts described in the journal Nature could help fishing fleets, ocean managers, and coastal communities anticipate the effects of marine heatwaves…. Marine heatwave forecasts will be available online through NOAA’s Physical Sciences Laboratory. The researchers called the forecasts a “key advance toward improved climate adaptation and resilience for marine-dependent communities around the globe.” The forecasts leverage global climate models to predict the likely emergence of new marine heatwaves. “This is a really exciting way to use existing modeling tools in a much-needed new application,” Jacox said. … ” Read more from NOAA here: New global forecasts of marine heatwaves foretell ecological and economic impacts
Abnormally warm water could get close to California coast soon — but it’s no ‘blob’
“Federal scientists have created a new tool for forecasting marine heat waves, and they say one is currently forming in the North Pacific Ocean that has the potential to get close to the California coast by fall. The marine heat wave currently predicted to linger into winter is not expected to have the impact of “the blob” — the name for a period of high seawater temperatures that persisted along the West Coast from 2014 to 2016. But scientists say their new prediction models will help forecast similar extreme ocean warming events that are expected to increase in duration and intensity with climate change. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Abnormally warm water could get close to California coast soon — but it’s no ‘blob’
California’s radical plan to defend homes from sea level rise: move them
“The hamlet of Gleason Beach sits on a wild and picturesque stretch of the Sonoma coast between Bodega Bay and Jenner. Built in the 1930s, it doesn’t have a store, gas station or coffee shop, just coastal prairie rolling gently toward a handful of cottages perched at the bluff’s edge above the Pacific Ocean. But where 21 oceanfront homes once stood shoulder-to-shoulder west of Highway 1, only four remain, clinging precariously to the cliffs. For decades, this land has been eroding about a foot a year, causing stretches of the highway to buckle and threatening the remaining homes. … Now, after decades of studies and debates, Gleason Beach has become the guinea pig for California’s foray into a bold and controversial strategy: to remove buildings and infrastructure from the coast and relocate them farther inland. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California’s radical plan to defend homes from sea level rise: move them
Retreat by any other name
“To prepare for the ocean moving in, many waterfront structures will have to move out. But don’t call it “managed retreat.” It’s one of many conclusions a group of social scientists drew from a study of how seven Californian towns and cities tried to plan for rising seas, with wildly different results. “Retreat can conjure failure, and nobody wants to be managed,” explained the study’s lead author Amanda Stolz at the California Social Coast Forum this March. Part of the problem is the term itself. One Pacifica resident quoted in the study commented, “Managed retreat’ is a code word for give up — on our homes and the town itself.” … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: Retreat by any other name
The western Joshua tree’s future could rest on landmark climate case
“The iconic western Joshua tree may become one of the first species listed as threatened primarily due to climate change under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), potentially making it a landmark case in how species may qualify for legal protection in the future. If no action is taken to mitigate threats to the ancient species, recent climate models predict that the trees may vanish from the state by 2100. Climate change is causing a domino effect of stressors such as fire, predation, and drought that are affecting the trees’ ability to successfully reproduce, adding to the threat posed by habitat loss. Advocates hope to prevent this extinction by listing the tree as threatened under state and federal endangered species protection laws, which would then legally require state and government agencies to make an effort to protect it from climate change. … ” Read more from the Earth Island Journal here: The western Joshua tree’s future could rest on landmark climate case
What does climate justice in California look like?
“Six to eight years ago, “the best science” predicted it would take several decades for California to see the type of climate-driven disasters that have already devastated communities, said Wade Crowfoot, California’s Secretary of Natural Resources, before a packed ballroom during a climate summit in the state capital Monday. … The state still lacks a detailed plan to stop extracting fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change, Crowfoot acknowledged. And, as experts throughout the day made clear, the state does not do enough to reduce the health risks of oil and gas extraction, which are concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color. … ” Read the full story at Inside Climate News here: What does climate justice in California look like?
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Redding: Public riverfront land will remain in public hands . . . for now
“More than seven months of council discussions, community fears and high-stakes public workshops culminated Tuesday night in an anything-but-simple Redding City Council discussion and vote on whether to declare key publicly-owned riverfront land “surplus.” A declaration of surplus would have been the first step in a possible sale to developers that was initiated last September. Impassioned public comments both for and against the surplus declaration and proposed development of the land lasted for hours. As has been the case over a series of four previous public workshops and a number of community survey responses on the topic, the majority of commenters spoke against selling the property, citing environmental concerns, loss of public control, and deep, millenia-long Indigenous connections to the land. … ” Read more from Shasta Scout here: Public riverfront land will remain in public hands . . . for now
The removal of Eel River dam will mean it’s now California’s longest flowing river
“One of the more engrossing wildlife struggles you can watch is a salmon swimming upstream, flickering through the torrent with everything it has, only to lose strength for a second — and all its progress as it gets swept backward. That’s part of the natural cycle for salmon, but when dams block the waterway and they must use a fish ladder, they often opt out for reasons we don’t understand. As reported by Active NorCal, we then lose out on that population that won’t spawn and all the related benefits of nutrients these fish bring to the upstream ecosystem. Dams aren’t always that great (hence the swear), and across the country people are rethinking them as their ‘contracts expire.’ One such dam on the Eel River isn’t going to be renewed, which will result in the longest free-flowing river in California. ... ” Read more from Time Out here: The removal of Eel River dam will mean it’s now California’s longest flowing river
Spring rains a bonus for North Coast rivers
“With very little rain falling throughout our region from January to March, most of us were already preparing for summer. However, the April showers hitting the coast are providing a second winter. These rains will definitely impact the health of future salmon and steelhead runs, which will likely be stronger a few years down the road because of it. First off, the late winter and spring rains will benefit the next run of adult fish moving upriver, mainly spring salmon and summer steelhead. ... ” Read more from the North Coast Journal here: Spring rains a bonus for North Coast rivers
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Snow leads to chain controls, avalanche watch at Lake Tahoe
“The snow is coming down at Lake Tahoe Thursday morning and chains and/or snow tires are required on all mountain passes, and on all North Shore highways. The National Weather Service in Reno has a winter weather warning in effect through 11 a.m. Friday for heavy snow. The basin on Thursday could receive up to 10 inches of snow, with the mountains above 7,000 feet receiving much more. The Sierra Avalanche Center has a backcountry avalanche watch in effect through 4 p.m. The center said the winter storm bringing feet of snow and strong winds may result in widespread avalanche activity. Heavy snow loading could lead to large, dangerous, destructive avalanches. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Snow leads to chain controls, avalanche watch at Lake Tahoe
At high risk for wildfire, Stanislaus, Tahoe forests to receive $80.7 million
“As part of the Forest Service’s strategy for confronting the wildfire crisis, two landscapes within the Stanislaus and Tahoe national forests will receive targeted investments to increase forest resiliency and health through a broad range of treatments. These two forests will collectively receive $28.6 million in 2022 and an additional $52.1 million over the next three years, for a total of $80.7 million. This funding is being appropriated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The North Yuba Landscape Resilience area on the Tahoe National Forest and the SERAL (Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape) area on the Stanislaus National Forest are two of 10 landscapes selected nationally to receive this funding. Overall, the 10 landscapes will receive $131 million this year to begin implementing our 10-year strategy for protecting communities and improving resilience in America’s forests. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: At high risk for wildfire, Stanislaus, Tahoe forests to receive $80.7 million
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
DWR to perform AEM surveys in tri-county region
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be using an innovative, helicopter-based technology to gather information about the state’s groundwater aquifer structure to support drought response and the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in several Northern California counties, including Colusa, Glenn and Tehama. According to a release issued by DWR, the use of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys advances Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio goal of using technology to support the State’s understanding of groundwater resources. “The data collected during these surveys will provide a better understanding of California’s groundwater systems, and in turn support more informed and sustainable groundwater management and drought preparedness and response approaches,” said Steven Springhorn, DWR’s SGMA technical assistance manager. … ” Read more from the Colusa Sun-Herald here: DWR to perform AEM surveys in tri-county region
BAY AREA
Springtime thunderstorms, possible hail arrive Thursday to cap off a rainy week
“Bay Area residents woke up Thursday to the biggest storm to hit the region in recent memory, with thunderstorms and hail possible later on in the afternoon. The second of two storms this week shifted inland Wednesday, bringing widespread rain Thursday morning, with a second boundary over the North Bay and winds moving behind the front, according to the National Weather Service. Showers are expected to persist into Thursday night, along with a shot of colder air that could result in “pea to small marble size” hail, before petering out by mid-day Friday. Another quarter to half an inch of rainfall at lower elevations is possible over the next 24 hours while the North Bay could get up to quarter of an inch. The wettest spots will be the coastal slopes of Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties and in the East Bay. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: Springtime thunderstorms, possible hail arrive Thursday to cap off a rainy week
Sausalito’s anchor-out debacle: Officials approve temporary space for fraction of boats in controversial estuary
“Officials who oversee Richardson Bay — an estuary surrounded by multiple cities in Marin County — agreed to build 15 temporary living spaces for people who have been living on their boats in the middle of the water. The decision came amid an intensifying battle to relocate people living on the nearly 70 boats moored illegally in the waterway, which is technically a temporary anchorage, though many mariners have lived there for decades. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Sausalito’s anchor-out debacle: Officials approve temporary space for fraction of boats in controversial estuary
North Marin to consider water rate hikes
“The North Marin Water District is proposing to increase its water rates and service fees in Novato and parts of West Marin. The 6% rate and service fee increase would pay for repairs to aging facilities and wildfire prevention upgrades, and cover rising costs and losses caused by the drought. It would take effect on July 1 and apply to the 63,000 residents in the greater Novato area, Point Reyes Station, Olema, Bear Valley, Inverness Park and Paradise Ranch Estates. The district said the majority of ratepayers would see a $9 increase in their bi-monthly water bills should the rate hike be approved. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: North Marin to consider water rate hikes
A South Bay levee breaks ground, and records
“On a drizzly Thursday in April, dozens of reporters, government officials, military brass, conservationists, and bureaucrats gathered beside a weedy shoreline on the edge of San Jose to break ground on an effort worth hundreds of millions of dollars. “We have a grave responsibility to take action, and what you see behind me is an example of that action,” declared Wade Crowfoot, the California Secretary for Natural Resources. The humble surroundings belied the significance of the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project Groundbreaking. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: A South Bay levee breaks ground, and records
Half Moon Bay: Recycled water surfaces once again
“As statewide drought restrictions continue to impact much of California, local water and municipal officials are hoping to dive back into establishing a recycled water system on the Coastside. Because of drought restrictions, the Coastside County Water District’s water supply from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has taken a hit this year. With climate change making local water sources less predictable, the district is hoping that recycled water, or wastewater that is treated, purified and delivered back to select customers, will be key to alleviating the impacts of severe drought. ... ” Read more from the Half Moon Bay Review here: Half Moon Bay: Recycled water surfaces once again
CENTRAL COAST
Pure Water Monterey source water questioned by businesses
“A group of business interests that have been historic cheerleaders for a Monterey Peninsula desalination project has written a letter to officials at Pure Water Monterey, the provider of potable recycled water along the Monterey Peninsula, questioning the adequacy of source water for it and a planned expansion of the project, questions Pure Water Monterey says it has already answered. The Pure Water Monterey project is key to helping solve the Peninsula’s chronic water shortages as state regulators have significantly scaled back the amount of water that can be pumped from the Carmel River. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Pure Water Monterey source water questioned by businesses
Watch: Paso Robles homeowner keeps drilling deeper wells to get water
“In 2018, Lloyd “Ed” Rickard spent $30,000 to drill a new 700-foot well at his property in rural Paso Robles. Declining groundwater levels are hitting residents throughout the area.” Watch video at the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Paso Robles homeowner keeps drilling deeper wells to get water
Santa Paula to cover some residents’ unpaid water bills
“Some Santa Paula residents with overdue water bills are getting a break thanks to a state grant for COVID-19 pandemic relief. The city is using $366,000 in funds from the State Water Resources Control Board through the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program to cover overdue residential and commercial water bill payments as a result of the pandemic, according to a news release. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Santa Paula to cover some residents’ unpaid water bills
EASTERN SIERRA
Groups support proposal to protect wildlife and rare species in the California’s Eastern Sierra
“Today, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest announced its draft decision not to authorize cattle grazing on scenic and biodiverse public lands in the Eastern Sierra. The Forest Service had been reviewing whether to initiate cattle grazing on inactive sheep grazing allotments of approximately 16,500 acres where domestic sheep grazing was discontinued to protect Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep from disease. The four allotments have been free of all livestock grazing for 10 years allowing these rare high-elevation habitats to recover. ... ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Groups support proposal to protect wildlife and rare species in the California’s Eastern Sierra
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Antelope Valley: Las Virgenes-Triunfo JPA gives presentation
“Members of the Palmdale Recycled Water Authority, on Monday, heard from a similar organization regarding its efforts to better utilize recycled water by treating it to a higher level and adding it to the drinking water system, something the Authority is also considering. David Pedersen, general manager of the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority, described development of its advanced water treatment, a similar system to what PRWA is studying for its own use. “Hopefully, some of our experience will be helpful to you,” he said. “In California, right now, there’s a huge interest in potable reuse.” … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press here: Antelope Valley: Las Virgenes-Triunfo JPA gives presentation
SAN DIEGO
Navigating the San Diego River’s past and its future
“Before California became a state, Pat Curo’s ancestors lived in the Kumeyaay village of Nipaquay on land that is now home to SDSU Mission Valley — including Snapdragon Stadium and what will soon become a dedicated and revitalized River Park for the greater San Diego community. “My family came from the people that lived along the San Diego River, from Cuyamaca all the way to Mission Bay,” said Curo, a tribal member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The 52-mile waterway provided the Kumeyaay with ample food on a seasonal cycle. “In the fall you’d go to the mountains to pick acorns and in the spring, you’d go to where different plants were harvested.” … ” Read more from San Diego State University here: Navigating the San Diego River’s past and its future
Along the Colorado River …
‘We woke up and we lost half our water: How climate change sparked a multistate battle over the Colorado River
“After the driest two-decade stretch in 12 centuries, both Mead and Powell fell below one-third of their capacity last year, throwing the Southwest into crisis. On January 1, mandatory cuts went into effect for the first time, forcing farmers in Arizona and the utility that provides water to metropolitan Las Vegas’s 2.3 million customers to limit their uptake from Lake Mead. Even with those cuts, Bill Hasencamp, a water manager from Southern California, says, “The reservoir is still going down, and it will stay low for the next several years. I don’t think we’ll ever not have a shortage going forward.” If Hasencamp is right — and most scientists agree that America’s deserts will only get drier as the climate crisis worsens — that means he and other officials in the region have their work cut out for them to ensure that the Southwest stays hydrated. ... ” Read more from the Intelligencer here: ‘We woke up and we lost half our water: How climate change sparked a multistate battle over the Colorado River
As northern reservoirs drop, central Arizona reservoirs are 72% full
“Falling levels in northern Arizona reservoirs have raised concerns about the state’s water supply during the ongoing drought. But other sources of water supplying metro Phoenix are at healthier levels. Although the bathtub ring at Lake Powell has made headlines as the Colorado River drops, the Salt and Verde rivers have always been a major source of water for the Valley. Just a couple of years ago, a few wet winters filled central Arizona’s reservoirs. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: As northern reservoirs drop, central Arizona reservoirs are 72% full
In national water news today …
Uranium detected in Latinx communities’ water systems
“Unsafe uranium levels have been detected in more than 14,000 community water systems across the United States, and 63% of water records reported at least a trace amount of the contaminant, according to a new nationwide analysis. Concentrations of uranium, along with arsenic, barium, chromium, and selenium, were the highest in community water systems that serve semiurban Latinx communities. “Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. are impacted by high levels of metal concentrations in public water,” said Anne Nigra, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University in New York City and a lead investigator on the analysis. “We really should have federal financial and technological support and regulatory policies that are aimed at reducing exposure in these most highly exposed communities.” … ” Read more from EOS here: Uranium detected in Latinx communities’ water systems
Mapping portal portends big changes for fishery managers
“As climate change forces more fish to move north in search of cooler waters, NOAA has created a way for the public to track their movements. NOAA Fisheries announced the breakthrough yesterday, launching its Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal, a mapping tool that shows the location of various fish species and how they’ve moved over the years. As an example, the portal shows how the distribution of black sea bass along the Atlantic coast moved roughly 140 miles north from 1974 to 2019. “This is one of the most important actions NOAA Fisheries has taken to date to move toward climate-ready fisheries management,” said NOAA Fisheries Chief Janet Coit. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Mapping portal portends big changes for fishery managers
Research: Insects are dying off because of climate, farming
“The combined influence of climate change and expanding agriculture are causing insect populations to plummet in some parts of the world, according to a new study that determined the abundance of bugs has dropped by half in the hardest-hit places. That’s a big concern for both people and nature. Insects often help form the bedrock of natural ecosystems — they pollinate plants, including agricultural crops, and also provide an important food source for other animals. “Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural habitats, slow the expansion of high-intensity agriculture, and cut emissions to mitigate climate change,” said lead study author Charlotte Outhwaite, a scientist at University College London, in a statement. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Research: Insects are dying off because of climate, farming
And lastly …
Cobra venom in the water supply? We fact check the conspiracy theory
“Newsrooms are used to getting calls from the public alerting journalists of potential public safety concerns. On Wednesday, one of Nexstar’s newsrooms received an important (and unsubstantiated) tip: There is snake venom in the drinking water in North Carolina. This is concerning. There has been no public health alert distributed about this. So we did what anyone would do in such a case: We asked Google about the provenance of this warning and what we, as citizens, need to know about it. … ” Read more from KTLA here: Cobra venom in the water supply? We fact check the conspiracy theory
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
ATTN: WATER & WASTEWATER SYSTEMS: Enroll for California Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
