WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for April 17-22: Managing the forest for water supply; Plenty of precip but not a drought buster as state prepares for the dry months ahead

A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …

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This week’s featured article …

PACIFIC FOREST TRUST: Seeing the Forest for the Water

When an ecologist, a geographer, and an engineer walk into a watershed bar, what do they talk about?

Most of us recognize that when you ask resource managers, ‘What do you need out of forests? What do you value out of forests?’ the top priority is almost always water. And so that leads to the question, if water is an absolute top priority, do we manage our forest watersheds for that function? If we do, what do we do? If we don’t, Why not? And what are the practices that we’re doing that don’t support watershed function?

Those were the questions posed at a recent webinar from the Pacific Forest Trust that brought together three pre-eminent scientists with deep experience in the management and science of forest hydrology and watershed function to discuss their work understanding how forests function as watersheds and the effects of land management.

Click here to read this article.

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In California water news this week …

Plenty of rain, snow in Northern California. But nothing close to a drought buster

“Northern California is getting a nice spell of wet weather, the latest in a series of storms in what’s turning into a fairly wet April. But a drought-buster? Forget it. “Any water is good water at this point,” said Benjamin Hatchett, a climatologist at the Desert Research Institute in Reno.. “It’s very beneficial, but probably isn’t going to make much of a dent in the long-term situation.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Plenty of rain, snow in Northern California. But nothing close to a drought buster

State Water Board staff proposes readoption of emergency drought regulation in Bay-Delta

“With three consecutive years of drought reducing water levels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed to alarming lows, the State Water Resources Control Board today released the draft of an emergency regulation to continue curtailments adopted last year to preserve water storage in reservoirs, protect drinking water supplies, prevent salinity intrusion and minimize impacts to fisheries and the environment. A staff workshop to discuss the proposed draft and solicit public feedback will be held May 12. … ”

Click here to read the full press release from the State Water Board.

State Water Board staff proposes readoption of emergency drought regulation in Bay

Gov. Newsom to ask legislature for $750M as state looks to conserve water

“During Gov. Gavin Newsom’s visit to Butte County on Tuesday, Newsom said he will ask the legislature for $750 million to help with drought conditions. At the Hyatt Powerplant at Lake Oroville, which shut down last year due to record low lake levels, Newsom spoke about how the state needs a different approach to water conservation. Newsom already invested $5.2 billion in the past three years for water security for all Californians. “This year we’re asking the legislature for another three-quarters of a billion dollars, likely more,” Newsom said. … ” Read more from Action News Now here: Gov. Newsom to ask legislature for $750M as state looks to conserve water

California Senate OKs lower standard for indoor water use

“Mired in an extreme drought, California lawmakers on Thursday took the first step toward lowering the standard for how much water people use in their homes — a move that won’t be enforced on individual customers but could lead to higher rates even as consumption declines. California’s current standard for residential indoor water use is 55 gallons (208 liters) per person per day. The rule doesn’t apply to customers, meaning regulators don’t write tickets to people for using more water than they are allowed. Instead, the state requires water agencies to meet that standard across all of its customers. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: California Senate OKs lower standard for indoor water use

Press release: Central Valley Flood Protection Plan update released

“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released the public draft of the 2022 Update to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP). The plan is California’s strategic framework for reducing flood risk in the Central Valley, which has among the highest flood risk in the nation. California’s rapidly changing climate is increasing flood risk across the state. More intense swings from record dry to record wet conditions mean flooding can happen at any time. The increased frequency and magnitude of wildfires in California also heighten the risk for dangerous flood conditions. The Central Valley is home to millions of people and billions of dollars in infrastructure, property and farms, all at risk of catastrophic flooding. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources here: Press release: Central Valley Flood Protection Plan update released

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

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

Policy Brief: Drought and California’s agriculture

“California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest, but water is a concern. The industry employs over 420,000 people and generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue. Farmers have steadily improved productivity, shifting to crops that generate more profit and jobs per unit of water—like fruits, nuts, and vegetables—while maintaining a sizeable share of the nation’s dairy and beef cattle production. However, California farms rely heavily on irrigation, and water availability is an enduring concern despite ongoing improvements in irrigation efficiency. Climatic and regulatory constraints have limited surface water in recent decades. Chronic overpumping of groundwater has dried up wells and damaged infrastructure, prompting the enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: Policy Brief: Drought and California’s agriculture

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

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

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In commentary this week …

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

Why Gavin Newsom is creating a water and energy disaster

Michael Shellenberger, a Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment,” and president of Environmental Progress, writes, “California Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday claimed he was taking major action to address the drought affecting California and the West. More than 90% of California is in severe drought, up from 65% just one year ago. He said he had created an agreement that was a win-win-win for residents, farmers, and conservationists. In truth, Newsom is starving California of both water and energy. We are in the worst energy crisis in 50 years and yet Newsom is planning to shut down the largest single source of energy in California, Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. Meanwhile, he has failed to build a single new large water project, despite the fact that California voters in 2014 passed a $2.7 billion water bond to pay for them. … ” Read more at the Eurasia Review here: Why Gavin Newsom is creating a water and energy disaster

Commentary: LaMalfa is inaccurate with his water crisis solutions

Ralph Hitchcock, a retired civil engineer, writes, “This concerns Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s March 16 “Other Voices” column. Because of their position, the opinions of members of Congress are influential, regardless of inaccuracies, incompleteness or personal ideas. Regarding the water crisis, LaMalfa has vastly oversimplified a very complex problem. LaMalfa states that instead of conserving water for beneficial use, “our state is continuing large unneeded releases of fresh water out to sea unused.” That statement is inaccurate. … ” Read more from The Union here: LaMalfa is inaccurate with his water crisis solutions

Community Voices: California farmers are key to carbon capture

Jim Lauria, a water technology executive with a bachelor of chemical engineering degree, writes, ““Getting to Neutral” by the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory draws a roadmap to California’s carbon neutrality by 2045, removing 125 million tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere (and the economy). The report’s map is crossed by pipelines, dotted by underground carbon storage facilities, anchored by biomass-burning pyrolysis plants, and colored by a bias toward the sorts of high-tech solutions that appeal to ivory tower scientists and sci-fi fans. But unlike the actual map of California, “Getting to Neutral’s” carbon roadmap barely includes the 27 million acres of cropland and 16 million acres of grazing land. And that’s a massive oversight. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Community Voices: California farmers are key to carbon capture

Food shortages, rising prices … we’ve been warning about this for years

Paul Orme and Dan Keppen with the Family Farm Alliance write, “As the Ukraine war kindles fears of rising food prices, the recognition of a secure domestic food supply – driven in large part by irrigated agriculture in the Western U.S. – is something we need to talk about. The Family Farm Alliance last month released a report that describes current and projected food shortages resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war. This is nothing new, from our standpoint. The domestic food security issue is a concern that we’ve warned our policy leaders about for more than 15 years. The U.S. needs a stable domestic food supply, just as it needs a stable energy supply. As we teeter on the brink of escalating warfare, that stability becomes even more pressing. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Food shortages, rising prices … we’ve been warning about this for years

Editorial: Joshua trees, threatened by climate change, deserve California’s protection

The LA Times editorial board writes, “The Joshua tree, a singular but imperiled fixture of California’s high desert, faces a dim long-term future because of the interconnected threats of development, wildfire, drought and climate change. But efforts to ensure that these beloved trees survive into the next century have encountered a serious setback. In a report made public Wednesday, scientists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended against listing the Joshua tree as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act, saying it is not in serious danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Editorial: Joshua trees, threatened by climate change, deserve California’s protection

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In regional water news this week …

Klamath Tribes protest water released from Upper Klamath Lake

“The headgates of the A Canal, the main irrigation artery to the federally managed Klamath Project at the outlet of Upper Klamath Lake, have once again become a site for activism during the third straight year of punishing drought in the Klamath Basin. Members of the Klamath Tribal community gathered Friday morning in the parking lot next to the headgates to protest the Bureau of Reclamation’s decision to release water from the lake in apparent violation of Endangered Species Act requirements for the fish the tribe calls C’waam and Koptu (Lost River and shortnose suckers), and to call for solutions to the basin’s decades-long water crisis. … ” Continue reading at Jefferson Public Radio here: Klamath Tribes protest water released from Upper Klamath Lake

Tule Lake is set to run dry. Scientists are scrambling to save its endangered fish

“The icy wind and blowing snow whipped across the farms and fields of the Tule Lake basin on a recent morning. By summer, the lake is expected to run completely dry, a historic first for the region’s signature landmark and the latest chapter in a broader, escalating water war. The lack of water could hamper irrigation of potatoes, onions and other agricultural staples. It will likely deny countless migratory birds a popular rest stop on the Pacific Flyway. But most immediately, it will strand an untold number of fish on barren land, a reality that has triggered a novel — and hurried — effort to save two endangered species of suckers on the verge of extinction. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Tule Lake is set to run dry. Scientists are scrambling to save its endangered fish

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?

Russian River water curtailment likely to continue

“Due to ongoing drought and a limited water supply, farmers and ranchers in Mendocino and Sonoma counties are awaiting adoption of an amended emergency order that would extend last year’s curtailment of water rights in the Russian River watershed. With the 2021 curtailment order set to expire in July, the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights is proposing to continue restrictions for an additional year. It plans to revise the regulation in early May. Farmers say they are readying for what is coming, while they seek to negotiate the details and mitigate potential impacts. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Russian River water curtailment likely to continue

Proposed well water fee for rural residents in Santa Rosa groundwater basin is $20 a year

“Rural residents using well water in the sprawling Santa Rosa Plain would pay about $20 a year under a state-mandated program aimed at protecting groundwater for the next 50 years. The 10-member board that governs the agency overseeing Sonoma County’s largest groundwater basin favors a regulatory fee structure based on the estimated amount of water well owners pump from the ground, officials reported at a virtual community meeting Wednesday night. “The board’s preferred option is a fee based on groundwater use,” said Susan Harvey, vice chair of the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency and vice mayor of Cotati. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Proposed well water fee for rural residents in Santa Rosa groundwater basin is $20 a year

Bay Area’s biggest water agency may start capping household water use

“As California enters a third dry year, the Bay Area’s biggest water agency, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, may soon push forward with strict caps on customer water use, and fines for those who exceed the limit. The agency, like most water suppliers in the region, has been relying only on modest outdoor watering restrictions, and voluntary conservation, to reduce consumption. But with lackluster savings and a continuing water shortage, the district’s governing board is scheduled to decide next week whether more aggressive rules are necessary. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Bay Area’s biggest water agency may start capping household water use

Zone 7 board to consider $4.75M for Delta Conveyance Project

“The Zone 7 Water Agency’s Board of Directors is set to consider continuing to fund and participate in the planning phase for the Delta Conveyance Project at its regular board meeting on Wednesday, following an initial approval to participate for two years in late 2020. “The DCP would support the Agency’s mission to deliver safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable water to the residents of the Tri-Valley,” Zone 7 officials said in an announcement. “In addition to the primary benefit of increased reliability through alternative Delta conveyance, the DCP could also provide benefits in water supply and water quality.” … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly here: Zone 7 board to consider $4.75M for Delta Conveyance Project

‘I’m afraid to use water’: Rural Paso Robles residents drill new wells as older ones dry up

“When Lloyd “Ed” Rickard moved to Paso Robles in 1986, he thought he lived on an oasis in the Mediterranean-like area of the Central Coast. As his house was built, Rickard, now 63, had a potable water well drilled on his property — the norm for residents in the rural areas of San Luis Obispo County. At the time, his house and his well together were worth roughly $80,000, he said. “The guy told me: ‘You live in one of the best areas in the county for water. You’ll never have to drill a new well,’” Rickard said, finishing the sentence with a bitter laugh. Five or six years later, however, the well pump didn’t reach water any more, so he had to pay to lower it deeper. ... ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: ‘I’m afraid to use water’: Rural Paso Robles residents drill new wells as older ones dry up

Can the Paso Robles wine industry continue to thrive as groundwater levels fall?

“Around the city of Paso Robles, the hills are alive with the growing of wine grapes. When vintners first began to put down roots in the area, they were welcomed by what was once considered arguably one of the best areas in California for water, serviced by the Paso Robles subarea groundwater basin. And for many years, the aquifer deep underground kept giving more water, even as droughts plagued the region. The seemingly never-ending water source fed a burgeoning wine industry that grew from just a few hundred acres in the 1970s to more than 40,000 acres in the Paso Robles region. But the good times couldn’t last forever, and the basin soon began to show its limits. ... ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Can the Paso Robles wine industry continue to thrive as groundwater levels fall?

Greater Kaweah GSA puts a price on pumping groundwater

“Farms and agriculture operations east of Visalia will be charged fees for the water they use beginning this fall. Those unaware of the new fees and groundwater rules will have a little more time to get acquainted. On April 15, the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) extended the public review and comment deadline on its draft rules and regulations establishing groundwater pumping limits and overpumping fees for its landowners. Initially scheduled to end on April 26, the Greater Kaweah GSA made the determination to extend the deadline to May 12 “to give landowners ample time to provide comments.” … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Greater Kaweah GSA puts a price on pumping groundwater

Kern groundwater plans not all on the same level, sparking fears of state intervention

“Kern County agricultural water districts are giving major side-eye to one of their own over what’s known as “minimum threshold” groundwater levels. The grumbling is aimed at the sprawling Semitropic Water Storage District in northwest Kern, where minimum thresholds are set, in some cases, at levels that would allow farmers to pump down the water table by more than 350 feet from where it is today. Its water levels are also often far below those of neighboring water district. “(Semitropic’s) minimum thresholds impact our water users,” said Dan Bartel, general manager of Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District. “We can’t maintain our own minimum thresholds with much lower minimum thresholds around us.” … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Kern groundwater plans not all on the same level, sparking fears of state intervention

Ridgecrest: Water District to begin planning water pumping optimization

“The Indian Wells Valley Water District will begin planning a project to explore new well locations. This direction came from the Water District’s board of directors at their monthly meeting on April 11. Their goal is to use the plan to apply for grants which can help offset the cost of this water pumping optimization project. Tim Parker, a consulting hydrogeologist for the Water District, said that recent airborne electromagnetic surveys of the IWV groundwater basin show that there are potential areas of the basin that could be useful for standard water measuring and extraction, but these well locations could also potentially be used as sites for replenishing water back into the basin. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Water District to begin planning water pumping optimization

Drought boon or boondoggle? Critics blast Poseidon desalination plan as crucial vote looms

“Among the many complex arguments over water in California, one particularly heated debate centers on whether the state should seek more drinking water from a plentiful but expensive source: the Pacific Ocean. The debate has reached a critical stage in Huntington Beach, where Poseidon Water has been trying for more than two decades to build one of the country’s largest desalination plants. … At the heart of the debate, there are fundamental arguments about whether Orange County really needs the water, how the area should adapt to worsening droughts with climate change, and whether the costs would be a reasonable investment to secure reliable water or an exorbitant megaproject that would mean higher water rates for decades to come. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Drought boon or boondoggle? Critics blast Poseidon desalination plan as crucial vote looms | Read article at Yahoo News

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