On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: LiDAR Derived Products Stakeholder from 9am to 12pm. The California Water Data Consortium and co-conveners will host a virtual cross-sector gathering to build common ground and collaboration on needs and uses of LiDAR derived products in California. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC HEARING: 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan – Public Draft from 10am to 12pm in Sacramento. The hearing will present information about the public draft of the 2022 Update to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP). This hearing will be held in person at the Natural Resources Agency Auditorium, 715 P Street, Sacramento and also livestreamed. Click here for more information.
- WEBINAR: Managing Salinity in the California Delta in a Changing Climate from 10am to 11am. Join the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) for a virtual CCST Expert Briefing on managing salinity in the California Delta and the impacts of climate change. Moderated by Ms. Karen Kayfetz, Delta Stewardship Council Adaptive Management Program Manager. Featuring panelists: Dr. Jay Lund, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences; Dr. Brett Milligan, UC Davis Department of Human Ecology; and Dr. Nigel Quinn, Berkeley Lab Hydroecological Engineering Advanced Decision Support. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Growing Green Schoolyards from 12:30pm to 1:45pm. Climate-driven extreme heat threatens Californians, especially kids and other vulnerable populations. Replacing asphalt in school yards with shade trees, plants, and gardens supports children’s physical and mental health. Green schoolyards also sequester and store carbon, create habitat for biodiversity, and provide outdoor learning opportunities, which helps to build California’s pipeline of future land stewards. How can we turn this promise into a reality for more of California’s schools? Register via Zoom
- GRA SoCAL HYBRID MEETING: Managed Aquifer Recharge – Case Studies on East and West Coast Objectives for Water Quality and Supply Objectives from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. The presentation will provide an overview managed aquifer recharge (MAR) with focus on the interaction between surface and ground water through both natural means and engineered programs. Two projects will be highlighted serving as examples for MAR programs with contrasting objectives on the east and west coasts of the U.S. This is a hybrid meeting with in-person and remote attendance options. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
How California can survive another historic drought
“There is no end in sight for California’s drought. The state’s 39 million people are growing accustomed to the reality that there is not enough water for everyone — agriculture, industry, homeowners, fish and wildlife. Small water systems are in crisis. With groundwater supplies collapsing, many wells in rural areas have run dry, requiring water to be trucked in. A paucity of rain has made wildfire a persistent menace up and down the state. Political fights over access to water will surely intensify as drought continues and shortages are prolonged. But according to Jay Lund, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California at Davis, the direction of those contests is becoming clear. … ” Read more from the Washington Post here: How California can survive another historic drought | Read via Bloomberg
SEE ALSO: Yes, the drought really is that bad, from High Country News
How engineers see the water glass in California
“Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either half full or half empty. Not so for engineers in California. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: How engineers see the water glass in California
Press release: Freshwater harvested from American tomatoes to positively impact millions of lives in drought-stricken California
“In a world-first, a new sustainable and renewable source of potable water has been discovered utilizing award-winning globally patented technology that harvests the water naturally stored in plants. … Tomatoes are grown in the Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley areas. The four largest counties for tomato production are Fresno, Kings, Yolo and Merced. The major planting periods are from late January-early June and the harvesting season ranges from late June-October. Did you know that tomatoes are made up of 95% water? There lies a significant opportunity…” Read the full press release at EIN News here: Freshwater harvested from American tomatoes to positively impact millions of lives in drought-stricken California
Worth waiting for: the advantages of late-migrating spring-run chinook
“Rare traits and behaviors within a population often get less attention, but might sometimes be the perfect ingredient to ensure the survival of a species in the face of threats like climate change. A recent article published in the journal Nature revealed the surprising success of a rare life-history strategy for threatened spring-run Chinook salmon. Juveniles that spent the summer in cool, high-elevation habitat and migrated in the fall rather than the spring were found to be crucial to the success of the population, especially in years experiencing stressful environmental conditions. A team of researchers investigated migration patterns of spring-run Chinook salmon from Deer and Mill creeks in the Sacramento Basin of the Central Valley to understand how variations in timing could contribute to climate change resilience. … ” Read more from FishBio here: Worth waiting for: the advantages of late-migrating spring-run chinook
California is getting a new state park — in San Joaquin Valley
“For the first time in 13 years, California will create a new state park — where the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers meet among 200-year-old valley oaks and willows in the San Joaquin Valley near Modesto. California State Parks will plan and develop the new park at Dos Rios Ranch, a restored floodplain on a former dairy farm about 10 miles southwest of Modesto. The state will acquire the 2,100 acres for the new park from River Partners, a Chico-based conservation group that’s spent the past decade restoring the site and will donate the property. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California is getting a new state park — in San Joaquin Valley
SEE ALSO: Dos Rios Ranch, California’s first new state park in 13 years, is just outside of the Bay Area, from SF Gate
Subjective almond forecast down four percent from 2021
“The latest subjective almond forecast from the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) indicates a slight drop from last year. The initial forecast for 2022 almond production is 2.8 billion pounds. The number represents a four percent decline from last year. While production is projected to come down, forecasted bearing acreage for this year is a record high of 1.37 million acres. … ” Continue reading at Ag Net West here: Subjective almond forecast down four percent from 2021
In commentary today …
Alarming research on pesticide warrants curbs on its use
Jonathan Evans, legal director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s environmental health program, writes, “Even if you’ve never heard of imidacloprid, there’s a good chance the world’s most-used neonicotinoid pesticide is lurking somewhere in your home. Or on your dog. Or maybe even in your groundwater or drinking-water supplies. This insecticide, widely used for decades on fruits, vegetables and many other crops, has triggered growing concerns over its well-documented role in the dramatic declines of birds, bees, butterflies and other insects across the globe. But despite its presence in many household bug sprays and flea-control products, the human health risks of this dangerous pesticide have managed to fly largely under the regulatory radar here in California. Until now. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Alarming research on pesticide warrants curbs on its use
We are the problem in California’s housing shortage
Larry Wilson, member of the Southern California News Group editorial board, writes, “Everything everyone — by which I mean the wrong ones, the NIMBYs — says about housing in Southern California is always wrong. A favorite trope, loved by letter-to-the-editor writers, who just make things up — sorry, letter-writers, whose gemlike prose I edit and publish every day — is that the coming of more and more multi-family housing to our megalopolis is nuts because we are in a drought and all those new people will use up even more water. Fact: Take your average Southland single-family homestead, raze it and replace it with an eight-unit apartment building, and you’d be … saving water.... ” Continue reading at the Pasadena Star-News here: We are the problem in California’s housing shortage
High time for SCOTUS to clarify what constitutes ‘waters of the United States’
Tom Campbell, professor of law and a professor of economics at Chapman University, writes, “The 1972 Clean Water Act established federal authority over the “waters of the United States.” Congress did not offer further explanation of what was covered under that term, but the two federal agencies given authority by the Clean Water Act asserted broad power. The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers required farmers, homeowners, commercial and industrial concerns and developers to obtain permits before digging a ditch for water run-off, shoring up existing erosion protection structures, or draining swampy land. This expansion of federal agency authority was accomplished without any new law passed by Congress, or even any formal regulation issued by the federal agencies, until 2015, when EPA and the Corps put in writing what it had been doing in practice, in a regulation that came to be known as the “ditch rule.” … ” Continue reading at the LA Daily News here: High time for SCOTUS to clarify what constitutes ‘waters of the United States’
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Endangered fish and waterfowl find refuge at the Klamath Basin’s Lakeside Farms
“On a cool day in late April, a small crowd gathers around a truck-mounted water tank at Lakeside Farms, on the southeastern shore of Upper Klamath Lake. .. Nichols and Spangler are here to stock the pond with over 1,000 young C’waam and Koptu — Lost River and shortnose suckers, two endangered species that inhabit Upper Klamath Lake and that are at the heart of the area’s water conflicts. It’s the first time that hatchery-raised suckers have been released on private land. … ” Continue reading at OPB here: Endangered fish and waterfowl find refuge at the Klamath Basin’s Lakeside Farms
BAY AREA
San Anselmo approves water conservation upgrades at park
“San Anselmo has approved a plan to renovate the playing fields at Memorial Park with phased-in water conservation upgrades. After being presented with three project options Tuesday, the Town Council voted 4-1 to combine elements of two alternatives, but to do the work in stages. The project calls for new grass and an upgraded irrigation and drainage system to be installed as soon as possible. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: San Anselmo approves water conservation upgrades at park
CENTRAL COAST
San Luis Obispo County cities, towns call for cutbacks as drought worsens: ‘All the easy water is gone’
“As severe drought conditions continue to hammer San Luis Obispo County, some cities and towns are requiring residents to cut back on water use — while others say they still have plenty to supply. Some cities, such as Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, have declared so-called “severely restricted water supply conditions,” while other communities, such as San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, aren’t expecting shortages despite the drought conditions expected to worsen throughout the summer. ... ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: SLO County cities, towns call for cutbacks as drought worsens: ‘All the easy water is gone’
$230 million settlement reached in 2015 SB oil spill lawsuit
“A settlement has finally been reached in the seven year-lawsuit regarding the 2015 Santa Barbara oil spill. Plains All American Pipeline has agreed to pay $230 million to fishers, fish processors and shoreline property residents who are members of two classes in a class-action lawsuit filed against the company. The lawsuit was filed after a corroded pipeline spilled an estimated 15,000 barrels of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean in 2015. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: $230 million settlement reached in 2015 SB oil spill lawsuit
EPA announces $48 Million WIFIA loan to expand water supplies in Oxnard, California
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $48 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Oxnard, California, to support its Aquifer Storage Recovery Project. With this WIFIA loan, EPA is helping to expand the city’s recycled water supply to help secure a climate-resilient and reliable water service for over 200,000 people. “Communities across the west—including in Oxnard, California—are facing sustained water challenges as a result of climate change and the worst megadrought in a millennium. This challenge calls for using multiple tools, including recycling our water to get more use from every drop,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “EPA is proud to provide this $48 million loan to help Oxnard expand water reuse. We are working to bring the benefits of water infrastructure investment to communities from coast to coast with $50 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” ... ” Read more from the US EPA here: EPA announces $48 Million WIFIA loan to expand water supplies in Oxnard, California
Weigh in on proposed groundwater fee in Carpinteria
“Community members are invited to learn more and provide comments before the Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board of Directors considers a fee proposal at its public hearing on June 22. Two community meetings are planned in May and June. Groundwater is a vital component of the local water supply portfolio, especially as naturally occurring water supplies are drying up due to drought, climate fluctuations and increased competition for all water resources in the state. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Weigh in on proposed groundwater fee in Carpinteria
EASTERN SIERRA
Standing committee okays LADWP pumping plan for 2022-23 operations/pumping plan
“The Inyo County/Los Angeles Standing Committee unanimously approved the Department of Water and Power’s 2022-23 operations/pumping plan which included a proposed increase in groundwater pumping and water cut-backs to ranch leases at its Thursday meeting. Considering a heated run-up to the meeting from locals, the action was less of a bang and more of a whimper. To continue with clichés, Inyo was between a rock and a hard place. The basis for approval was “reasonable cut-backs.” … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Standing committee okays LADWP pumping plan for 2022-23 operations/pumping plan
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Prepping for the dry days ahead
“In two weeks, new restrictions on outdoor watering will begin, but EcoTech Services Inc. is already seeing an increase in business. Malcolm McLaren, the president of the Azusa water system company, said that the boost has come from homeowners taking a more active approach to how they manage their yards and gardens. McLaren said that the next big thing to come will be homeowners changing their plant material to ones that can take the new one-day-a-week watering schedule. “We haven’t seen a lot of changes yet,” McLaren said. “Some homeowners are being proactive and are doing turf removal projects to change their landscape and know this is coming.” ... ” Read more from the LA Business Journal here: Prepping for the dry days ahead
State agency grants $11.5 million for buying coastal wetland in Newport Beach
“An effort to purchase and preserve a 401-acre wetland in Newport Beach, California, received major help after state coastal agency officials unanimously approved millions of dollars of funding for the cause on May 5. The Trust for Public Land—a nonprofit organization advocating for preservation of parks and open spaces—will be receiving up to $11.5 million from the Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that aims to preserve natural lands and waterways, to help complete the purchase of Banning Ranch, located in Newport Beach by the Santa Ana River. … ” Read more from the Epoch Times here (free registration may be required): State agency grants $11.5 million for buying coastal wetland in Newport Beach
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
El Centro to consider water fluoridation program
“The city of El Centro has reached the state’s threshold for water service connections that may require it to adopt a costly water fluoridation program. By law, community water systems that have more than 10,000 hookups are required to fluoridate their systems if funds are available. El Centro had reached the state’s threshold a few months back, county Public Health Department manager Adriana Ramirez told the City Council during a presentation on May 3. When determining whether a community is required to adopt a fluoridation program, it must consider the availability of funds that are not generated from rate and tax payers, Ramirez said. … ” Read more from the Holtville Tribune here: El Centro to consider water fluoridation program
Along the Colorado River …
The Southwest’s drought and fires are a window to our climate change future
“[A] new reality threatens the Southwest, the fastest-growing region in the U.S., and the 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River, while offering a glimpse at what climate change will bring there and elsewhere. “This happens to be one of those years when we can look out the window and look at the future as the smoke pall floats overhead,” said David Gutzler, a professor emeritus who researches climatology and meteorology at the University of New Mexico’s Earth and Planetary Sciences department. To better understand how climate change is and will continue to affect the Southwest, ProPublica spoke to three experts: Gutzler; Mikhail Chester, a professor in Arizona State University’s engineering school and the director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering; and Gregg Garfin, a climatologist at the University of Arizona and co-lead author of the Southwest chapter in the Fourth National Climate Assessment. … ” Read more from Pro Publica here: The Southwest’s drought and fires are a window to our climate change future
Plummeting lake levels threaten Mesa’s water supply
“Arizona and other Western states that take water from the lower Colorado River for cities and farms were hoping for a good season of rain and snow this winter to keep water levels in the river’s reservoirs above dangerously low levels. Instead, they got another bad year. The dry year, on top of 22 years of regional drought, has shortened the time that states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have to avert a series of dangerous scenarios that could unfold in the next two years without action. … ” Read more from the East Valley Tribune here: Plummeting lake levels threaten Mesa’s water supply
Archaeological sites once thought lost under Lake Powell reappear as water drops
“When Lake Powell on the Colorado River first began to fill in the 1960s, it flooded archaeological sites and places with cultural and spiritual significance to Indigenous peoples. Now some of those sites have reemerged as drought shrinks the reservoir. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, the future of the area is unclear. In 1957, Bill Lipe was a 23-year-old anthropology student at Yale, when he heard a call for young men to join field crews in a remote canyon in Utah. He didn’t ask for a leave of absence: he just went. “I couldn’t even swim, you know!” he remembers. “We worked two summers on the Colorado River out of motorboats and rafts.” … ” Read more from KNAU here: Archaeological sites once thought lost under Lake Powell reappear as water drops
In national water news today …
Biden-Harris administration announces more than $68 million from bipartisan infrastructure law to conserve and strengthen ecosystems and economies
“The Biden-Harris administration today announced that 125 ecosystem restoration projects in over 20 states, Tribes and territories will receive nearly $68.4 million in fiscal year 2022 funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With a total of $1.4 billion for Department of the Interior investments in ecosystem restoration efforts over the next five years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is building on proven projects, programs and partnerships that conserve our cherished wildlife and natural resources critical to supporting local economies, creating jobs and strengthening communities. … The funding announced today will invest in projects through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. … ” Read the full press release from the Department of Interior here: Biden-Harris administration announces more than $68 million from bipartisan infrastructure law to conserve and strengthen ecosystems and economies
1 in 6 Americans live in areas with significant wildfire risk
“When a wildfire tore through drought-stricken towns near Boulder, Colo., late last year, it reminded Americans that fire risk is changing. It didn’t matter that it was winter. It didn’t matter that many of the more than 1,000 homes and other structures lost sat in suburban subdivisions, not forested enclaves. The old rules no longer applied. A new analysis reveals for the first time that a broad swath of the country, not typically associated with wildfires, is already under threat. Nearly 80 million properties in the United States stand a significant chance of exposure to fire, according to a model built by the nonprofit First Street Foundation. In the next few decades, many people will face greater danger than they do now. ... ” Read more from the Washington Post here: 1 in 6 Americans live in areas with significant wildfire risk
SEE ALSO: Here Are the Wildfire Risks to Homes Across the Lower 48 States, from the New York Times
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
California is in a water crisis, yet usage is way up. Officials are focused on the wrong problem, advocates say- Inside Politics: CA Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot on drought, water crisis
- California drought could mean ‘devastation across the board’ for fowl on Pacific Flyway
- California’s $100 billion surplus: What to know about Newsom’s spending plan
- Governor Newsom’s proposed budget includes funding for drought
- State Water Board releases draft emergency water conservation regulation
- California nixes plant, but says open to desalination
- Study sheds light on what influences water supplied by snowmelt
- Nuclear power plant near Avila Beach faces uphill battle as Newsom flip-flops on closure
- Tuolumne County elected officials support acquiring PG&E water rights and infrastructure, but questions remain
- Rice is Sacramento Valley’s gift to the world. Can it withstand California’s epic drought?
- Cal Am not fazed by rejection of SoCal desal project
- What about my Koi pond? A wealthy L.A. enclave copes with water restrictions
- Washington Post interactive: The Colorado River is in crisis, and it’s getting worse every day
- And more …
Click here to read the Weekend Digest.
