On the calendar today …
- MEETING: California Water Commission will meet beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include consideration of Resolutions of Necessity for the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project (Big Notch Project); consideration of a request from Contra Costa Water District to increase its early funding award amount for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project, and review and consideration of approval for the Groundwater Trading: Final White Paper. Click here for full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Green Infrastructure: Ecosystem Benefits and Applications from 10am to 11am. Two presentations: Presentation 1: Monitoring Green Infrastructure Applications (Michael Borst and Thomas O’Connor). Presentation 2: Leveraging Ancillary Benefits from Urban Greenspace (Matthew Hopton). Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: The Water Recycling Revolution: Tapping into the Future from 10am to 11am. During the past two decades, recycling municipal wastewater for drinking water has gone from “an option of last resort” to an increasingly common practice. Water reuse offers a renewable, locally managed, and drought resistant water supply. It also requires substantive public engagement. This lecture tracks the story of this development, examines the pros and cons, and explores the future potential of recycling wastewater for both potable and nonpotable uses. Click here for more information and to register.
- OCWA WEBINAR: Brine Minimization Maximizes IPR Potential from 12:30pm to 1:00pm. Rancho California Water District (Rancho Water) in Temecula, California has been studying options for a groundwater injection indirect potable reuse (IPR) project to provide a locally controlled, drought-resistant water supply that decreases salt loading to the groundwater basin. This project used economic and non-economic criteria to demonstrate how Rancho Water could use high recovery RO and brine ponds with an enhanced evaporation technology to implement a larger IPR project than originally anticipated. This helped them improve water supply resiliency despite no access to a brine line or ocean outfall for RO concentrate disposal. Click here to register.
- GRA SF BRANCH: California State Water Board Update at 6pm in Oakland. Cheryl Prowell, Matthew Cohen, and Roshani Dantas with the State Water Resources Control Board, UST and Cleanup Programs section will provide an update on the status of the Underground Storage Tank and Site Cleanup Programs including the process to update State Board Resolution No. 92-49 to address vapor intrusion. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Farmers across state face new water cuts
“With 60% of the state now in extreme drought conditions, state officials are warning water-right holders that they should expect more curtailments during peak irrigation season in June and July. In a statement last week, the state Division of Water Rights said “curtailments are expected to increase progressively through the spring and summer and continue through the early fall until significant precipitation occurs.” The warnings of curtailments could also include senior water-right holders. “Accordingly, water-right holders and claimants should plan for reduced supplies even if your water right or claim is not currently curtailed,” the Division of Water Rights said. ... ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Farmers across state face new water cuts
SEE ALSO: WEEKLY UPDATE on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
California’s snowpack, groundwater keep dropping
“New numbers continue to show California Sierra snowpack is dropping along with the state’s groundwater but why is that important? That Spring snowmelt not only fills our streams, reservoirs and lakes, we also use it for agriculture, household, ecology and hydropower. In total providing one-third of the state’s water supply. The problem lately, we just can’t get enough storms to keep the snowpack at normal levels. This year only finished at 42% of normal. In fact, only two of the past 10 years have finished above 100% of normal. The snowpack is now melting on average 21 days sooner. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area here: California’s snowpack, groundwater keep dropping
At Los Angeles County water recycling facility, Governor Newsom highlights state and local action to combat drought
“Today, Governor Gavin Newsom visited a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California water recycling facility to discuss the administration’s response to the ongoing megadrought affecting the western United States. January through March were the driest first three months in the state’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are currently at half of their historical averages, and the state’s snowpack is just 17 percent of average. Governor Newsom called on local water agencies and Californians to step up and take action to conserve water. “California will need to use every tool in its toolbox to safeguard our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the severe, climate-driven drought being felt throughout the West,” said Governor Newsom. “The state is taking urgent action to tackle drought impacts, drive water savings, and empower local water agencies to step up conservation measures across the state. All of us must take aggressive action to meet these challenges head-on while we work to build a climate-resilient water system.” … ” Read more of this press release from the Office of the Governor here: At Los Angeles County water recycling facility, Governor Newsom highlights state and local action to combat drought
SEE ALSO:
- Californians likely to see water conservation mandates take effect in June, from the Center Square
- Newsom visits Carson water-recycling plant to tout need for conservation, from Spectrum 1
- California, please stop watering your decorative grasses, newsletter from Politico
- ‘We’re still not in great shape’ | Conservation stressed as California’s water crisis continues, from Channel 10
Sites Reservoir: Does drought-prone California need another reservoir?
“The Antelope Valley’s sweeping northern California pastures, dotted with cows and encircled by the gentle hills of the Coast Range, spread out about 50 miles north of Lake Berryessa, in Napa County. In five years’ time, if current plans become reality, the cows and grass would be replaced by a reservoir holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of Sacramento River water. Antelope Valley’s new lake would look much like Lake Berryessa. The construction of this new reservoir, named for the tiny town of Sites in Colusa County, came closer to reality last month. Combined with the expansion plans for two additional northern and central California reservoirs, this new storage could mean additional water to soften the sharp edges of megadroughts like the one now threatening farms, cities and the environment. … ” Read more from & the West here: Does drought-prone California need another reservoir?
Sites Reservoir: Filling this valley with a 14,000-acre lake could be a water windfall and, some fear, a conservation nightmare
“Most people have never heard of Sites, California. It’s just a tiny dot on maps, little more than an intersection in the road on the remote west side of rural Colusa County in Northern California. But the surrounding Antelope Valley, where wildflowers bloom and cattle graze on spring grasses, is one of the next battlegrounds in California’s water wars. Under plans endorsed by state, federal and local officials, the valley would be flooded by the Sites Reservoir, a 14,000-acre lake that would take in water pumped from the Sacramento River and store it for agricultural and municipal use during dry periods. What happens in the Antelope Valley — and whether the proposed reservoir is built — will have statewide impacts. Proponents say the proposed $3.93 billion reservoir would be another source of water to benefit the environment and provide drinking and agricultural water during the state’s persistent droughts. … ” Read more from Mount Shasta News here: Filling this valley with a 14,000-acre lake could be a water windfall and, some fear, a conservation nightmare
Much warmer and drier second half of May, and some thoughts about summer to come
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “It has been a truly bizarre Water Year thus far in California. With all-time record wet conditions in October in Norcal, followed by very snowy conditions in the Sierra during December, then all-time record dry and warm conditions during the height of the erstwhile “wet season” from January though March throughout much of the state, just about everything has occurred out of seasonal order and in rather bewildering sequence. Most recently, NorCal actually witnessed a 30 day period with near to slightly above average precipitation (!), but perhaps more impressively a very anomalously cool and windy period as well. In fact, some places along the North Coast saw their coolest April and early May period in at least 40 years! We don’t see weather like that too often these days. … ” Read more from Weather West here: Much warmer and drier second half of May, and some thoughts about summer to come
California’s drought, relentless and inexorable, takes its toll
“With the rainy season come and gone, drought’s withered hand remained firmly fixed on California this month, as it has been, with few exceptions, for the last decade. Woes pile up. Rain didn’t save us, the snowpack is all but gone, the Coastal Commission says no desalinating sea water, and urban-interface fires have already begun. It’s almost summer in the Golden State. The so-called wet season has been record-breakingly dry. And snow in the Sierras, a traditional dry-weather water supply, has little to offer this year. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: California’s drought, relentless and inexorable, takes its toll
Water shortages threaten development in more Western cities
“As the Western United States endures an ongoing megadrought that has spanned more than two decades, an increasing number of cities, towns and water districts are being forced to say no to new growth. There’s just not enough water to go around. Last month, the California Coastal Commission urged San Luis Obispo County to stop all new development requiring water use in the communities of Los Osos and Cambria. “The Commission has repeatedly made it abundantly clear that the required [local coastal permit] findings for water supply cannot be made,” read one letter to a county official, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. ... ” Read more from the Pew Charitable Trust here: Water shortages threaten development in more Western cities
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. … ” Read more from Ag Daily here: Groundwater management for California’s drought-hit farmers
Why salmon and rice go so well together
” … [S]almon and rice belong together like cereal and milk. The rich, fatty salmon is tempered by the comfortingly bland white rice, the latter absorbing what the former renders in excess. The twin-flame combo may be one of nature’s purest forms of culinary symbiosis. The rice farmer John Brennan has a saying: If you’re in the rice industry, you’re in the water industry, and if you’re in the water industry, you’re in the fish industry. When Brennan, an owner of Robbins Rice Company, described to me the life cycle of his rice, it sounded like a prose poem. Here’s what Brennan is doing: collaborating with the scientist Jacob Katz to turn a piece of the Sacramento Valley, specifically in the Yolo Bypass, into a floodplain that can be home to baby Chinook salmon during the winter months, as they make their way down the river system to the Pacific. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: Why salmon and rice go so well together
Newsom proposes beaver funding
“Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing funding to support what he calls a “creative climate solving hero” – the North American Beaver. The rodent is known to help restore drought-stricken areas of California by restoring wetlands and groundwater basins. The governor is initially requesting more than $3 million in the next few fiscal years to support and maintain a beaver restoration program within the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Specifically, the request is for $1.67 million in fiscal year 2022-23, and $1.44 million in fiscal year 2023-24 and ongoing. ... ” Read more from KCBX here: Newsom proposes beaver funding
Feinstein, Kelly, Sinema introduce bill to increase, modernize water supply
“Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) yesterday introduced S.4231, the Support to Rehydrate the Environment, Agriculture and Municipalities Act or STREAM Act, a bill that would increase water supply and modernize water infrastructure in California and throughout the West. “As the past two years have painfully demonstrated, severe and prolonged drought exacerbated by climate change is the stark reality for the West,” said Senator Feinstein. “If we don’t take action now to improve our drought resilience, it’s only going to get worse. We need an ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to meet this challenge, including increasing our water supply, incentivizing projects that provide environmental benefits and drinking water for disadvantaged communities, and investing in environmental restoration efforts.” … ” Read more from Senator Feinstein’s office here: Feinstein, Kelly, Sinema introduce bill to increase, modernize water supply
CA’s top crop is cracking under the stress of dry winters
“California’s top crop is cracking under the stress of drought conditions, according to an annual survey. On May 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its 2022 almond forecast estimating the California almond crop will be 4% lower than 2021, meaning there will be about 100 million fewer pounds produced in the Golden State. That’s despite an 3.7% increase in bearing acreage to a record high 1.37 million acres. The price per pound was $1.76 in 2021 down from $4 in 2014. One report said prices are around $1.42 per pound this spring. The 2.80 billion pounds would be 4% lower than last year’s production of 2.92 billion pounds. Forecasted yield is 2,040 pounds per acre, 8% lower than the 2021 yield of 2,210 pounds per acre. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: CA’s top crop is cracking under the stress of dry winters
Water shortage limits more cotton acres as price surges
“Considering the red-hot price of cotton these days, California farmers say they would love to plant more of the field crop—if only they have the water. State cotton growers have increased plantings by a modest 10% more than last year, according to preliminary estimates by the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association. In its March prospective plantings report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated state cotton acreage at 142,000 this year, up more than 24%. “We should see wall-to-wall cotton out there, and it’s not,” said Roger Isom, association president and CEO. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Water shortage limits more cotton acres as price surges
Draft statewide sanitary sewer system general order proposes new requirements for spill prevention and reporting
“The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is in the process of revising the Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems, Water Quality Order No. 2006-0003 (SSS WDR General Order), which establishes a regulatory program to address sanitary sewer overflows. A sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is any overflow, spill, release, discharge, or diversion of untreated or partially treated wastewater from a sanitary sewer system. For a variety of reasons, sanitary sewer systems experience periodic failures resulting in SSOs that may reach surface and ground waters, potentially impacting public health and aquatic life. The existing order takes a proactive approach to ensure public entities that own or operate sanitary sewer systems of a certain size that collect and convey wastewater to a publicly owned treatment facility in the State have a system-wide operation, maintenance, and management plan in place to reduce the number and frequency of SSOs. The order also includes prohibitions and comprehensive reporting requirements. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn here: Draft statewide sanitary sewer system general order proposes new requirements for spill prevention and reporting
Poseidon Water’s Coastal Commission application denied – setting up an uncertain future for desalination
“On May 12, 2022, at the conclusion of a 10-hour hearing, the California Coastal Commission voted to deny Poseidon Water’s application to site and operate a desalination plant in Huntington Beach, in what could be a fatal blow for a project that has been debated for more than 20 years. The Coastal Commission’s vote was unanimous, 11-0, in agreeing with the staff report’s recommendation to reject Poseidon Water’s application. The staff report recommended denial “due to this project’s fundamental inconsistencies with Coastal Act and LCP policies related to coastal hazards, protection and mitigation of marine life, and protection of wetlands and environmentally sensitive habitat, as well as its unclear but likely significant burdens on environmental justice communities.” ... ” Read more from Nossaman here: Poseidon Water’s Coastal Commission application denied – setting up an uncertain future for desalination
Western water, power in short supply this summer
Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources
“Dire consequences of the ongoing western drought won’t merely be measured in acre feet, but in megawatts as rolling blackouts become a likelihood in Arizona and California this summer. Arizona Power Service, the public utility that provides energy for 2.7 million customers across the state, is said to be concerned that rolling blackouts may happen as temperatures increase. “APS said they will be hard pressed to avoid rolling blackouts this summer if temperatures get above 117 degrees,” Ed Gerak, executive director of Arizona Power Authority, said at a water meeting sponsored by the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Western water, power in short supply this summer
Environmentalists oppose more life for California nuke plant
“Dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear organizations expressed opposition Tuesday to any attempt to extend the life of California’s last operating nuclear power plant, challenging suggestions that its electricity is needed to meet potential future shortages in the nation’s most populous state. Last month, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the possibility that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant — which sits on a coastal bluff halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles — could keep running beyond a scheduled closing by 2025. His office said the governor is in favor of “keeping all options on the table to ensure we have a reliable (electricity) grid.” … ” Read more from the AP via the Star Chronicle here: Environmentalists oppose more life for California nuke plant
Scientists have just learned an amazing new fact about California redwood trees
“California’s towering redwoods have been around for thousands of years, but the trees are still yielding some surprises about what makes them so resilient. UC Davis scientists recently discovered that redwoods have two different types of leaves — and those leaves play different roles, but work together to help the trees thrive in both coastal and drier inland areas where they grow. The trees’ peripheral leaves, like those on most trees, are food producers that convert sunlight into sugar through photosynthesis. But the axial leaves serve an entirely different role, researchers found — absorbing water. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Scientists have just learned an amazing new fact about California redwood trees
UCI-led research recommends extending California’s prescribed burning season
“Prescribed burning of ground-level shrubs, branches and leaves is a time-tested tool to help prevent wildland fires from getting out of control, but a team led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine suggests that the practice isn’t used frequently enough. For a paper published recently in the journal Science of The Total Environment, the scientists conducted an in-depth assessment of meteorological and vegetation data spanning 35 years, finding several additional periods during winter and spring in which wind, temperature and humidity levels would allow safe and effective human-set blazes. ... ” Read more from UC Irvine here: UCI-led research recommends extending California’s prescribed burning season
In commentary today …
Big water abusers ignored as California drought persists
Food & Water Watch writes, “California’s crushing drought continues and urban water usage increased 19% in March compared to 2021. Yet, Governor Newsom has only done more of the same. He called for increased voluntary conservation by residents and pledged an ad campaign to encourage conservation. But hoping voluntary measures will avoid the impacts of this climate change-induced drought is just wishful thinking. And it gives a pass to the largest corporate water abusers in the state. … ” Read more from Food & Water Watch here: Big water abusers ignored as California drought persists
Column: Did wastewater recycling help defeat the Huntington Beach desalination plant?
Columnist Michael Smolens writes, “For some time, California seemed well on its way toward a water future made more secure by desalination plants up and down the coast. A dozen are currently in operation, including the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which upon opening in 2015 became the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Ten more plants are being planned. But one of those proposed for Huntington Beach ran into a roadblock last week that raises questions about just how much the state will rely on desalination in the years to come. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Column: Did wastewater recycling help defeat the Huntington Beach desalination plant?
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Dam removal could offer promise for Oregon commercial salmon fishery
“The final hurdle is in sight and expected to be overcome, in the decades-long fight to remove four dams from the Klamath River and hopefully allow restoration of the river’s Chinook salmon population which was once the third-largest in the country, but in recent years has plummeted by as much as ninety-eight percent. The four dams were built between 1903 and 1967 as part of PacifiCorp’s Klamath Hydroelectric Project and are now obsolete. Removing them will provide native migratory fish, like Chinook salmon, access to larger spawning grounds. It will also help restore the natural flow of the river, providing innumerable benefits to the entire ecosystem. … ” Read more from National Fisherman here: Klamath Dam removal could offer promise for Oregon commercial salmon fishery
Gov. Brown, fire officials warn of challenging wildfire season
“A rainy late spring is delaying the start of fire season in Oregon, but state officials said they still anticipate a challenging summer and fall. Large fires are already blazing in New Mexico, and fire risk in the Northwest is expected to worsen as summer continues. During a news conference Monday, Gov. Kate Brown and officials from several Oregon agencies that deal with wildfires said they’re preparing for an intense fire season. “We know from the past several years that we’re fighting fires of a new age, made more intense by the impacts of climate change,” Brown said. “Almost every fire season since I became governor has been more complex and more difficult, from Chetco Bar in 2017, to the Labor Day fires of 2020 and last year’s Bootleg Fire.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Gov. Brown, fire officials warn of challenging wildfire season
Water allotment to farmers in the Klamath Basin hindering food production amid high market
“Many farmers across the Klamath Basin are currently in the stages of planting their crops following the first few water deliveries from irrigation districts. However, with a drought emergency gutting the Basin’s water supply and only 50,000 acre feet of surface water allocated by the Bureau of Reclamation one farmer says the impacts of another low production year will continue to hurt the community and the farming industry. “It’s about to get a lot worse because the entire west is in this situation and food scarcity is going to be a real thing this year,” said Scott Seus, a farmer and Tulelake Irrigation district board member. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Water allotment to farmers in the Klamath Basin hindering food production amid high market
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Tehama County mulls funding options for Antelope Community Sewer project
“The Tehama County Board of Supervisors received a presentation Tuesday on the Antelope Community Sewer Project and looked at the next steps. The project aims to provide sewer service to Antelope residents by developing a sewer system and treatment plant. There are around 2,000 connections in the area. Assembly Bill 1215 provides various funding for wastewater treatment projects, but criteria include serving disadvantaged areas, primarily on a septic tank system and the distance to a potential wastewater treatment facility. Water Resource Control Engineer Dania Jimmerson said the Antelope area meets all three criteria. ... ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News here: Tehama County mulls funding options for Antelope Community Sewer project
Roseville creeks a local treasure as community members help keep them clean
“Roseville sits within three watersheds home to a network of creeks that flow through our community. These creeks require maintenance to restore their natural luster and maintain them as a community asset. And it takes community teamwork to help keep them clean. In October 2021, Environmental Utilities’ stormwater program began hosting multiple Adopt-a-Creek clean-up events throughout the city. … ” Read more from Roseville Today here: Roseville creeks a local treasure as community members help keep them clean
NAPA/SONOMA
Board renews water curtailments for Russian River
“Farmers with water rights along the Russian River in Mendocino and Sonoma counties may be subject to further curtailments of water diversions after the California State Water Resources Control Board readopted emergency actions from last year. This time, however, the way curtailments are administered may be changing, with a voluntary process replacing the one-size-fits-all approach of 2021. Under the regulation adopted at the board’s May 10 meeting, curtailment orders would be issued based on water supply or when insufficient flows endanger fish in the lower Russian River watershed, the board said in a statement. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Board renews water curtailments for Russian River
Commentary: A creative approach can help Russian River, farmers
Frost Pauli, a Mendocino County winegrape and pear grower and is chair of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau Water Committee, writes, “The Russian River, like most of California, is no stranger to low-water years. Now that 2022 is our third straight year of drought, necessity—as the saying goes—must be the mother of invention. With a reduced water supply, it has become obvious that there is the need for creative, forward-looking solutions. On May 10, the California State Water Resources Control Board readopted an emergency regulation that stands to force 2,000 water-rights holders to curtail water diversions for another year. (See related story on Page 10.) The emergency action is being used to make water available to senior diverters, minimum instream flows and minimum health and human safety needs. For farmers and ranchers in Mendocino County, the continuing drought means more sacrifices: fewer acres irrigated, herds reduced and farming output diminished. Yet there are alternatives to across-the-board water curtailments. This is a sustainable solution we are working toward through the upper Russian River water-sharing program. ... ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Commentary: A creative approach can help Russian River, farmers
Water storage, recharge focus of Sonoma summit
“In recognition of the ongoing drought and weather extremes, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau took a deep dive into the world of water storage and regulation last week in search of ideas and solutions. Step one, for some people, was simply talking about it. “Agriculture here is so important to our community, our families, the stewards of the land, the generations,” dairy farmer Jennifer Beretta, president of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, said in her opening remarks at the May 10-11 summit in Santa Rosa. “Without conversations about water, the future of those will not be here.” Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Department of Natural Resources, said California became the biggest farming state in the nation by building systems to capture and move water—systems that “worked really well for upwards of a century.” … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Water storage, recharge focus of Sonoma summit
Eden Environmental Citizens Group sues West Coast Metals for violations of the Clean Water Act
“On Monday, Eden Environmental Citizens Group, LLC filed a complaint in the Northern District of California against West Coast Metals, Inc. alleging violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the purported pollution of the Russian River in northern California. According to the complaint, Eden is a California Limited Liability company and environmental membership group with the mission of protecting, preserving and enhancing California’s waterways. The complaint states Eden implements this mission by seeking redress from environmental harms caused by Industrial Dischargers who pollute the waters of the United States through the enforcement of the CWA and California’s Industrial General Permit. … ” Read more from Law Street Media here: Eden Environmental Citizens Group sues West Coast Metals for violations of the Clean Water Act
North Bay agencies seek $83 million to expand water recycling amid drought
“Petaluma, one of the driest corners of Sonoma County during the past two years of drought, is making a multimillion-dollar advance into recycled water. Operator of a wastewater treatment plant that serves about 65,000 people and treats about 5 million gallons of effluent a day, Petaluma is seeking grants for four projects with a total cost of $42 million. Six other North Bay agencies — including Sonoma Water and the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District — are proposing a dozen projects totaling $41.2 million, bringing the total to $83.2 million, as Gov. Gavin Newsom is backing water reuse as an antidote to drought. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: North Bay agencies seek $83 million to expand water recycling amid drought
BAY AREA
Temperatures to soar into the 90s in this part of the S.F. Bay Area, raising wildfire worries
“A combination of high temperatures, breezy winds and low humidity is in the weather forecast for the Bay Area starting Wednesday — raising concerns of fire potential in some areas, meteorologists said. Gusty winds up to 30 mph were predicted to develop Wednesday through Thursday, with the most blustery conditions expected in the North Bay mountains, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures were also expected to climb into the 80s and lower 90s inland and into the high 60s and mid-70s along the coast during those two days, weather officials said. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Temperatures to soar into the 90s in this part of the S.F. Bay Area, raising wildfire worries
Environmental upgrade for South Bay sewage plant
“A big environmental upgrade is underway for how sewage in South Bay will be treated in the future. On Tuesday local leaders broke ground a project that will move treated sewage from the outdoors near the shoreline of the Bay to an indoor facility. Right now huge ponds off Zanker Road in north San Jose contain years worth of treated sewage. The ponds are where sludge is “de-watered” – where the water content simply evaporates and then what’s left over is used at a nearby landfill as a dirt covering. … ” Read more from KTVU here: Environmental upgrade for South Bay sewage plant
Half Moon Bay: Coastside County Water District eyes more shortages
“Water officials are preparing for the prospect of another wave of restrictions and conservation efforts as statewide drought conditions continue, even as water use goes up. At last week’s Coastside County Water District meeting, the board of directors reviewed recent news from Sacramento that could trickle down to local residents. In late March, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order telling the State Water Resources Control Board to consider adopting additional emergency water conservation regulations as early as this month. Last month, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission released its estimated water availability from its regional water system. It is anticipating that the Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir will be full by May 2023, but the entire regional water system will experience shortages. … ” Read more from Half Moon Bay Review here: Half Moon Bay: Coastside County Water District eyes more shortages
CENTRAL COAST
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
San Joaquin County and Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority announce award of multi-million dollar state grant
“As severe drought conditions persist in California, news of a $7.6 million state grant for the Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority (ESJGWA) to implement its mandated Groundwater Sustainability Plan couldn’t come at a better time. The ESJGWA, which includes 16 regional Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), will soon benefit from the grant funding to help this over drafted basin start down the path to sustainability. Overdraft is when more water is pumped from the groundwater basin on average than is returned to the basin via natural and artificial groundwater recharge. … ” Read more from San Joaquin County here: San Joaquin County and Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Authority announce award of multi-million dollar state grant
Madera Co. OKs incentives for new Oakhurst resort, groundwater policies
” … Falling in line with an executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March, Madera County passed a resolution which establishes the rules for permitting new or altered groundwater wells. Newsom’s executive order prohibits jurisdictions from issuing a permit for a new well or altering an existing well without first determining that the proposed extraction of groundwater is not likely to interfere with other nearby wells and not likely to cause subsidence that would damage nearby infrastructure. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Madera Co. OKs incentives for new Oakhurst resort, groundwater policies
Exeter drinking water notice less severe than anticipated
“Yesterday the city of Exeter delivered a drinking water warning to residents explaining drinking tap water could cause harm to individuals due to high levels of nitrates in the water. However, the threat is not as pressing as it may appear. According to Public Works Director Daymon Qualls, the city of Exeter routinely tests all its wells in the city. Last Wednesday, May 11, the city received information that Well 6’s nitrate sample results exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) at 11 milligrams per liter. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Exeter drinking water notice less severe than anticipated
Lemoore launches salvo against effort to swipe to Kings River floodwater
“Lemoore is speaking out against the efforts of an out of town water entity to export water from the Kings River. The Lemoore City Council approved a letter in opposition to a petition to revoke the Fully Appropriated Stream (FAS) status of the Kings River on Tuesday. The letter is directed to the State Water Resources Control Board, which is hearing a petition from Kern County water agency Semitropic Water Storage District to revoke the FAS status. With the FAS status, the state has determined that the Kings River has insufficient supply for new water right applications. Revoking the status would allow Semitropic to export water from the Kings River in an attempt that has stretched back a couple of years. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Lemoore launches salvo against effort to swipe to Kings River floodwater
Tiny Allensworth on the front lines of bad water and innovative solutions
“When it comes to finding innovative solutions to drinking water problems, the tiny community of Allensworth in Tulare county has long been on the front lines. This spring, community began testing a new technology that would “jolt” arsenic out of its groundwater. And since 2021, Allensworth has also been home to another new technology that “makes” water out of thin air. Both technologies are currently being field-tested in Allensworth. If successful, they could become viable paths to clean water for residents of Allensworth and other small, rural San Joaquin Valley communities that are plagued with contaminated water or unreliable supplies – especially during California’s prolonged droughts. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Tiny Allensworth on the front lines of bad water and innovative solutions
Drought intensity extreme, officials to discuss groundwater at Kern Water Summit
“Whether you’re a resident, in the agriculture industry, or the industrial sector, water supply in California and in Kern County is going to impact your day to day life. “We’re really in uncharted territory with multiple years of drought,” said Tom McCarthy, General Manager for the Kern County Water Agency. McCarthy said during this year’s Annual Kern County Water Summit, drought conditions and conservation efforts will be a top priority. … ” Read more from Channel 23 here: Drought intensity extreme, officials to discuss groundwater at Kern Water Summit
EASTERN SIERRA
Winter’s second wind: Mammoth Mountain resort extends ski season into June
“A series of late snowstorms has extended the ski and snowboard season at Mammoth Mountain, pushing the closure date into the month of June, but weather forecasts show that the region will be in for a major warm-up in the next few weeks. At least 3 feet of snow fell on the Eastern Sierra resort in April and May. There is now no official closure date for the resort, providing the conditions remain ideal for the snow to stay on the ground. “Let’s keep this party going! We’re having too much fun out on the snow and decided to extend the season into June,” Mammoth Mountain said Monday on Facebook. “We will be open daily for skiing and riding until at least June 5th.” … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Winter’s second wind: Mammoth Mountain resort extends ski season into June
Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority begins plan to import water
“At its monthly board meeting on May 11, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority took its first step towards the long term goal of importing water to the Indian Wells Valley. The IWVGA board of directors unanimously voted to send out a request for proposals from consultants capable of planning the water importation project. The plan is still very much in its infancy, with language from the RFP implying that the consultant will be planning for a plan for a study of the project. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Groundwater Authority begins plan to import water
Ridgecrest: Water District board requests time to review water reports from Groundwater Authority
“The Indian Wells Valley Water District board of directors are not satisfied with the process of the annual sustainability reports from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. On Monday, the Water District board approved a motion to send a letter to IWVGA asking them to change this process. The Water District is the public utility company which pumps and provides water for most people in the Valley. IWVGA is the groundwater sustainability agency responsible for drafting and enforcing a groundwater sustainability plan for the Valley. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Water District board requests time to review water reports from Groundwater Authority
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Canyon Country infiltration system captures and treats stormwater pollution
“There are many unique and beneficial features at the new Canyon Country Community Center, one of which you will never see, but it is right under your feet. During construction, a massive stormwater infiltration system was installed underneath the Mercado parking lot. The infiltration facility is the city’s first large-scale infiltration project which was built using Measure W Municipal Funds. The system captures and treats polluted stormwater from Sierra Highway before it reaches and recharges the groundwater supply, preventing pollution in the Santa Clara River. … ” Read more from SCVTV here: Canyon Country infiltration system captures and treats stormwater pollution
Malibu spared from Los Angeles County’s unprecedented water restrictions
“In an unprecedented move, the Metropolitan Water District has mandated affiliated agencies it supplies with restricted outdoor watering to just one day a week. The sweeping new restriction to begin June 1 is in response to the state’s severe drought and one of the driest years on record. Even though MWD supplies water to Los Angeles County Public Works Waterworks District 29, Malibu’s water retailer, most of that water does not come from the State Water Project, which is currently at a critically low level. Cities that depend on that source are being targeted for the huge cutback. Malibu for now has been spared, but that could change as other water resources from the Colorado River and Northern California are also drying up. … ” Read more from the Malibu Times here: Malibu spared from Los Angeles County’s unprecedented water restrictions
Boeing agrees to new framework to clean up Santa Susana Field Laboratory contamination
“Boeing has agreed to strict new protocols to clean up the contamination of the former Santa Susana Field Laboratory in the hills of Simi Valley, where rocket engines, small-scale nuclear reactors, and chemical lasers were once researched and tested. The framework was announced last week and involves Cal EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. It ensures Boeing will clean up radionuclides in soil to levels that would have existed without industrial activity, cleanup of chemical contamination to restore areas to the standard of “resident with a garden,” and so that stormwater runoff from those former testing areas will not be polluted. … ” Read more from CBS LA here: Boeing agrees to new framework to clean up Santa Susana Field Laboratory contamination
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS (SOUTHEASTERN CA)
Needles fairing better than neighbors regarding drought
“The nuances of the ongoing drought, and the importance of not embracing a one-size-fits-all mindset, was one of the main topics of discussion during the most recent Needles City Council on May 10. “I’ve got a lot of questions about the drought and indeed we are in the worst drought in recorded history,” City Manager Rick Daniels said. “But droughts don’t happen uniformly across the state. There are areas that are under severe drought and then there’s areas which aren’t.” Big Bear Lake is at 20% above rainfall — while every other California community is in some stage of severe drought. … ” Read more from the Mohave Valley News here: Needles fairing better than neighbors regarding drought
SAN DIEGO
East County’s $950M water recycling project could be in jeopardy as San Diego nixes pipeline deal
“East County officials fear a $950 million sewage recycling project could get flushed down the drain because of a pipeline deal gone awry. Leaders spearheading the endeavor blame San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria — who signed off on building an eight-mile “brine line” as recently as last year but has since reneged on that commitment. The pipeline would prevent concentrated waste generated by the East County project’s reverse osmosis filtration system from entering into the city’s own $5 billion Pure Water sewage recycling project now under construction. Instead the byproduct would be routed into the city’s larger wastewater system. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: East County’s $950M water recycling project could be in jeopardy as San Diego nixes pipeline deal
Along the Colorado River …
Climate change will force big shift in timing, amount of snowmelt across Colorado River Basin
“New research predicts that changes in mountain snowmelt will shift peak streamflows to much earlier in the year for the vast Colorado River Basin, altering reservoir management and irrigation across the entire region. “Because of global climate change, areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming could have much less water, and future hydrologic conditions may more closely resemble those of the arid Southwest regions of the basin today,” said Katrina Bennett, a hydrologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and coauthor of the paper published in the journal Earth and Space Science. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Climate change will force big shift in timing, amount of snowmelt across Colorado River Basin
Water in the arid West: ‘We are standing on the shoulders of giants’
“As drought continues to hold states in the West by the throat, threatening power generation, livelihoods, growth and more, a pessimist would say the glass is half empty and the region’s destiny is doomed. But against the backdrop of triple-digit temperatures in Tempe, Arizona, a Tuesday gathering of politicians, water experts and policymakers made clear that the glass is half full — with plenty of reason for optimism if wise-water management is embraced head on. “There is no reason for people not to come here,” said John Giles, mayor of Mesa, Arizona, throwing down the welcome mat for would-be newcomers. “Going back generations, we are standing on the shoulders of giants who laid the framework for people to live in this environment. ... ” Read more from the Deseret News here: Water in the arid West: ‘We are standing on the shoulders of giants’
Hydropower is 53% of the renewable energy supply in the West. Drought is slowing down production.
“A large provider of Colorado energy says sagging hydropower production on the Colorado River system, which has raised concern over the long-term reliability of the power source in the West, has not had a significant impact here. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the largest hydropower customer on the Colorado River system, has received about two-thirds of its normal hydro supply this year. But only 8% of Tri-State’s total energy comes from the Colorado River Storage Project, known as CRSP, and so the reduction only accounts for about 3% of its total system, according to figures the company provided. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Hydropower is 53% of the renewable energy supply in the West. Drought is slowing down production.
Photos of Lake Mead show drought’s devastating effects on US’s largest reservoir forcing marina to move 1,000ft into the water
“A lone coyote scavenges for dead fish lying on dry, cracked earth, which just a few months ago was the site of a busy launch area for boats and pleasure craft setting out on Lake Mead. Now, the water in the bowl of Boulder Harbor in Nevada, has vanished entirely, leaving behind newly exposed shoreline as revealed in these astonishing DailyMail.com photos. In front of the concrete jetty, dead carp and catfish lay rotting in the punishing Nevada sun after being stranded when the reservoir’s waters receded to now-critical levels. The marauding coyote in the harbor is the latest devastating symbol of the potential environmental catastrophe facing America’s largest man-made lake, 30 miles from Las Vegas. ... ” Read more from the Daily Mail here: Photos of Lake Mead show drought’s devastating effects on US’s largest reservoir forcing marina to move 1,000ft into the water
How Colorado River water gets to Yuma farms
“Getting river water to local farms is not a simple process but it’s one that happens every day at the Yuma County Water Users Association offices. Inside the water operations room, dispatchers like Mikey Williams receive water orders from local farms. The computer software tracks everything in the valley, giving the association real-time stats on everything from water elevation to gate operations. It’s called “SCADA”, standing for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. … ” Read more from KYMA here: How Colorado River water gets to Yuma farms
Arizona column: Vote on protecting groundwater unprecedented
Columnist Tim Steller writes, “It defies belief that this law has been sitting there unused for 42 years as Arizona’s groundwater levels dropped and legislators looked the other way. But there it is in the Arizona Revised Statutes — ARS 45-415. “A groundwater basin which is not included within an initial active management area may be designated an active management area upon petition by 10% of the registered voters residing within the boundaries of the proposed active management area.” That may sound like mumbo jumbo to people unfamiliar with Arizona’s 1980 groundwater law. What it means is that the voters in a given area outside Arizona’s biggest cities can vote for increased regulation of groundwater pumping and an end to new irrigation. … ” Read more from Tucson.com here: Arizona column: Vote on protecting groundwater unprecedented
Why critics fear a copper mining company is skirting key water rules in Arizona
“Toronto-based mining company Hudbay Minerals surrendered a key operational permit and started mining operations for its Copper World project on the west slope of the Santa Rita Mountains near Tucson in what opponents say is an unorthodox and illegal move. Hudbay has fought for years to keep three key federal permits needed to begin mining work in the Santa Ritas. But recent developments seemed to put those permits, for both the Rosemont mine and Copper World project, farther out of reach for the international mining firm. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Why critics fear a copper mining company is skirting key water rules in Arizona
Western states turn to homeowners to deflect drought
“On the brink of what all agree is bound to be another drought-stricken summer across the West, water managers are already beseeching the public: Don’t water your lawns. But as states and local jurisdictions struggle to address aridification and shrinking water supplies from the Colorado River Basin and elsewhere, a more permanent version of that plea is gaining traction. Rather than expanses of Kentucky bluegrass drinking up a diminishing resource, homeowners and public spaces alike could be decorated with less-thirsty native plants and rock gardens. While turf replacement programs aren’t new — water agencies have encouraged homeowners to swap out their front yards for less water-intensive landscaping dating back at least 20 years — states are expanding the effort. Utah recently approved its first statewide program to swap out lawns for other landscapes, and Colorado is on track to do the same. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Western states turn to homeowners to deflect drought
Water wars come to Colorado
“When it comes to Colorado and water, the only thing that seems to flow reliably these days is bad news. This year, for example, Nebraska’s governor caused jaws to drop when he announced a plan to divert water out of Colorado into his state. Then last month, the once-mighty Colorado River — fundamental to the water needs of 40 million people in seven states — was named the most endangered river in the U.S. Such unwelcome developments have become almost routine during a historic 22-year megadrought. So far this century, the Colorado River’s flow has declined by nearly 20%. In 2021, it prompted the first-ever federal declaration of an emergency water shortage. And in March, water at supply reservoir Lake Powell dipped toward levels where it could no longer generate electricity — a once-unthinkable prospect. On all fronts, it appears the water supply is drying up. … ” Continue reading at MSU Denver here: Water wars come to Colorado
In national water news today …
Analysis: How earmarks will affect energy, enviro projects
“Congress this year directed billions of dollars in spending toward energy and environment projects through earmarks, and the popularity of the process will likely mean even bigger spending on pet projects for the coming fiscal year. All told, nearly a quarter of the 4,938 earmarks were directed at energy and environmental concerns in the fiscal 2022 omnibus that passed in March, an E&E News analysis found. The aims of the earmarks are as varied as the states represented on Capitol Hill. For instance, top House Energy and Commerce Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington secured $15.6 million in EPA community clean and drinking water grants. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) received $62.8 million for Army Corps of Engineer projects in his state. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) won $3 million to help the Bureau of Land Management expand access to more than 5,000 acres in the state’s Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Analysis: How earmarks will affect energy, enviro projects
How Congress is routing climate policy through the Army Corps of Engineers
“Even as President Biden’s signature climate change bill languishes in the Senate, Congress is poised to spend billions of dollars on ambitious new projects that would help the U.S. adapt to climate change. A bill that would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to build infrastructure to protect against climate impacts is quietly sailing through Congress, demonstrating bipartisan support for measures to protect against flooding and sea-level rise. Lawmakers may not be willing to pass laws that will dramatically cut carbon emissions, but they appear eager to fund projects that will mitigate the harms those emissions cause. … ” Read more from the Grist here: How Congress is routing climate policy through the Army Corps of Engineers
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
WEEKLY UPDATE on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
NOTICE: Upcoming Delta Stewardship Council meeting is a field trip
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: FINAL 2022 IRWM Grant Program Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package for the Proposition 1 – Round 2 IRWM Implementation Grant
