A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
California bans watering “non-functional” grass in some areas, strengthening drought rules
“California’s top water regulators adopted emergency drought rules Tuesday that scale up conservation requirements for water suppliers throughout the state and prohibit watering grass that is purely decorative at businesses and in common areas of subdivisions and homeowners associations. The regulations outlaw the use of potable water for irrigating “non-functional” grass at commercial, industrial and institutional properties. The ban doesn’t apply to yards at individual homes. There are exemptions for sports fields, grassy areas where people gather, and for watering to keep trees healthy. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: California bans watering “non-functional” grass in some areas, strengthening drought rules | Read via Yahoo News
Press release: State Water Board adopts emergency water conservation regulation
“In response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s March 28 Executive Order the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an emergency water conservation regulation today that will ensure more aggressive conservation by local water agencies across the state. The new regulation bans irrigating turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional properties, such as grass in front of or next to large industrial or commercial buildings. The ban does not include watering turf that is used for recreation or other community purposes, water used at residences or water to maintain trees. The regulation also requires all urban water suppliers to implement conservation actions under Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans. … ” Continue reading this press release here: Press release: State Water Board adopts emergency water conservation regulation
In an era of drought, an obscure water contract is pitting California farmers against each other
“This summer is not going to be easy for Matt Watkins. The 39-year-old farmer runs a citrus operation in Tulare County, on the southeast side of California’s Central Valley, and he irrigates his trees using water from a federal canal system. Earlier this year, the federal government informed farmers in his area that it would be delivering only 15 percent of a typical year’s water allotment, thanks to a severe regional drought that has sapped the reservoirs and rivers that are supposed to replenish the canals. … About 100 miles away, on the northwest side of the Central Valley, the situation could not be more different. Even during an unprecedented drought, the almond and pistachio farmers around the city of Los Banos will get around 75 percent of a normal year’s water, far more than almost any other group of growers in California. These farmers grow many of the same crops as the farmers on the southeast side, and the water they use comes from the same canal system. Yet while Watkins has almost no water, these farmers have plenty. … ” Read more from The Grist here: In an era of drought, an obscure water contract is pitting California farmers against each other
‘Everyone loses’: Sacramento Valley struggles to survive unprecedented water cuts
“Standing on the grassy plateau where water is piped onto his property, Josh Davy wished his feet were wet and his irrigation ditch full. Three years ago, when he sank everything he had into 66 acres of irrigated pasture in Shasta County, Davy thought he’d drought-proofed his cattle operation. He’d been banking on the Sacramento Valley’s water supply, which was guaranteed even during the deepest of droughts almost 60 years ago, when irrigation districts up and down the valley cut a deal with the federal government. Buying this land was his insurance against droughts expected to intensify with climate change. But this spring, for the first time ever, no water is flowing through his pipes and canals or those of his neighbors: The district won’t be delivering any water to Davy or any of its roughly 800 other customers. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: ‘Everyone loses’: Sacramento Valley struggles to survive unprecedented water cuts
Paper: Lessons from California’s 2012–2016 Drought
“California’s 5-year drought has ended, even as its aftermath lingers. From 2012–2016 much or all of California was under severe drought conditions, with greatly diminished precipitation, snowpack, and streamflow and higher temperatures. Water shortages to forests, aquatic ecosystems, hydroelectric power plants, rural drinking water supplies, agriculture, and cities caused billions of dollars in economic losses, killed millions of forest trees, brought several fish species closer to extinction, and caused inconvenience and some expense to millions of households and businesses. The drought also brought innovations and improvements in water management, some of which will better prepare California for future droughts. This paper summarizes the magnitude and impacts of the 2012–2016 California drought. The paper then reviews innovations arising from the drought in the larger historical context of water management in California. Lessons for California and for modern drought management are then discussed. … ” Read paper at the American Society of Civil Engineers here: Paper: Lessons from California’s 2012–2016 Drought
Water Commission’s white paper on groundwater trading programs emphasizes safeguards for vulnerable water users
“The California Water Commission [last Wednesday] approved a white paper that contains its findings and the potential next steps for State engagement in shaping well-managed groundwater trading programs with appropriate safeguards for vulnerable water users: natural resources, small- and medium-size farms, and water supply and quality for disadvantaged communities. The white paper will be shared with the Secretaries for Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Food and Agriculture, who requested the Commission’s engagement on this topic. The paper will guide the continued work on Water Resilience Portfolio Action 3.6 by the California Departments of Water Resources, Fish and Wildlife, and Food and Agriculture, and the State Water Resources Control Board. … ” Read more from the California Water Commission here: Water Commission’s white paper on groundwater trading programs emphasizes safeguards for vulnerable water users
State funding to retire valley farmland could more than double under Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget
“A state program aimed at retiring and repurposing farmland could get $60 million – more than doubling its current funding – under Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget. The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program was created with $50 million from the 2021 state budget. … A state law has taken effect and will curb groundwater usage to bring aquifers back to sustainable levels by 2040. But for that to happen, some estimates are that nearly one million acres of farmland in the valley will need to come out of production. The California Department of Conservation oversees the repurposing program, meant to incentivize growers to retire farmland and help transition it to other uses. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: State funding to retire valley farmland could more than double under Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget
Delta water crisis linked to California’s racist past, tribes and activists say
“Tribes and environmental groups are challenging how the state manages water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a major source for much of California, arguing the deterioration of the aquatic ecosystem has links to the state’s troubled legacy of racism and oppression of Native people. A group of activists and Indigenous leaders is demanding that the state review and update the water quality plan for the Delta and San Francisco Bay, where fish species are suffering, algae blooms have worsened and climate change is adding to the stresses. The tribes and environmental groups submitted a petition to the State Water Resources Control Board demanding the state change its approach and adopt science-based standards that ensure adequate flows in the Delta to improve water quality and sustain imperiled fish, including species that are at risk of extinction. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Delta water crisis linked to California’s racist past, tribes and activists say
Press release: Tribes and environmental justice groups link Bay-Delta collapse to water rights from California’s racist past
“Today, a coalition of California Tribes and Delta-based environmental justice organizations (standing in front of the HQ of the California State Water Resources Control Board) announced the filing of a “Petition for Rulemaking Review.” The coalition, represented by the Environmental Law Clinic of Stanford Law, took this formal action today to demand the California State Water Resources Board update and enforce the Bay-Delta Plan as required by law. The State Water Board and the Governor’s Office have made numerous commitments to centering environmental justice, and tribal consultation in public decision-making. The California Legislature codified many of these commitments into law. “This petition gives the Board an opportunity to make these promises real by updating Bay-Delta water quality standards through the robust, participatory public process required by law, centering the interests and participation of tribes and other impacted communities,” said Stephanie L. Safdi, Environmental Law Clinic, Mills Legal Clinic, Stanford Law. ... ” Read the full press release via Maven’s Notebook here: Press release: Tribes and environmental justice groups link Bay-Delta collapse to water rights from California’s racist past
Proposed water tunnel puts Delta under scrutiny
“A Delta advisory panel is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify historic and culturally significant properties along the waterway that may need protection if the proposed water tunnel gets approval to move forward. In 2019, after years of effort from Rep. John Garamendi and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Congress passed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. Passage of this act made the creation of the Sacramento-San Joaquin National Heritage Area – California’s first designated National Heritage Area (NHA) – possible. NHAs are grassroots, community-driven areas to heritage conservation and economic development. The Delta Protection Commission (DPC), the panel working with the Engineers as the local coordinator, proposes initiatives such as bolstering public engagement, working with diverse partners to coordinate heritage projects and programs, and providing funding and support to local agencies who are implementing programs that preserve the Delta and teach the public about its importance in their lives. … ” Read more from The Press here: Proposed water tunnel puts Delta under scrutiny
Bill could lead to higher flows on Modesto-area rivers. Local lawmaker is fighting it
“Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, is maneuvering against a bill that seeks higher flows on local rivers. Assembly Bill 2639 would set a Dec. 31, 2023, deadline for the State Water Resources Control Board to complete its plan for tributaries to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They include the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers. The decision would follow decades of wrangling over whether fish should get more water on the lower rivers at the expense of farms and cities. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Bill could lead to higher flows on Modesto-area rivers. Local lawmaker is fighting it
SEE ALSO: Sounding the alarm on sneaky legislation threatening Stanislaus-area water, editorial by the Modesto Bee
California proposes requiring tiremakers to consider safer alternative to chemical that kills coho salmon
“Companies manufacturing motor vehicle tires for sale in California will have to evaluate safer alternatives to 6PPD, a chemical that readily reacts to form another chemical known to kill threatened coho salmon, under a new regulation proposed by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Manufacturers use 6PPD to reduce tire cracking and extend the useful life of tires. If approved, the regulation would compel tiremakers to look for ways to reduce the use of 6PPD without affecting the functionality or performance requirements of their products sold in the state. The loss of coho salmon in California has significantly impacted Native American tribes who have traditionally relied on fish as an important food source. The confirmed presence of 6PPD-quinone in California’s waterways threatens the state’s remaining coho salmon populations, which are endangered or threatened, and may jeopardize the recovery of this species. ... ” Read more from the Department of Toxic Substances Control here: California proposes requiring tiremakers to consider safer alternative to chemical that kills coho salmon
California Senate proposes $2 billion program to balance water supply and water rights
“The California Senate has proposed a $2 billion reconciliation framework to rebalance water supply and water rights, as part of proposed investments of $7.5 billion in state and federal funds spread over three years for climate resiliency. It is the most sweeping land retirement proposal since the landmark 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act. According to the May 10 report of the California Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy: The proposal includes $2 billion to rebalance state water supply and water rights, including ... ” Continue reading at California Water Research here: California Senate proposes $2 billion program to balance water supply and water rights
California’s drought has caused entire towns to sink nearly a foot in just one year. This map shows where
“The ground is sinking in parts of California as the continued drought strains reservoirs, increasing reliance on the state’s already precarious groundwater reserves depleted by years of well-pumping. In just one year, from October 2020 to September 2021, satellite-based estimates showed entire towns in the Central Valley, including in Kings and Tulare counties, sinking by nearly a foot. The maximum loss recorded during that time was 1.1 feet on the northwestern edge of Tulare County. The sinking, known as land subsidence, happens when excessive pumping dries out the water reserves underground and collapses the space where water used to be. Experts say it’s a century-old problem in California that regulators have tried to slow with sustainability measures. But with the changing climate, they face an uphill battle. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California’s drought has caused entire towns to sink nearly a foot in just one year. This map shows where
California drought could nearly halve hydropower output, boost electricity prices
“The extended drought in California could lead to hydropower producing 8% of California’s electricity generation compared with 15% under normal precipitation conditions, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday. In its supplemental outlook, the EIA expects that the dip in hydropower generation would lead to an 8% increase in electricity generation from natural gas, an increase in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 6%, and a roughly 5% increase in wholesale electricity prices throughout the West, it said in a press release. … ” Read more from US News & World Report here: California drought could nearly halve hydropower output, boost electricity prices
In commentary this week …
Will Gov. Newsom ever require mandatory water cuts?
The Mercury News editorial board writes, “The problem with empty threats is, after a while, people just stop listening. When it comes to water usage, Gov. Gavin Newsom is learning that lesson the hard way. Newsom on Monday urged Californians to cut water consumption or face mandatory water restrictions as the state heads into its third summer of severe drought. If you think you’ve heard that ultimatum before, you’re right. Newsom’s warning marked the fourth time in 11 months that he has threatened to impose mandatory water cuts. How have Californians responded? … ” Continue reading at the Mercury News here: Will Gov. Newsom ever require mandatory water cuts?
Gov. Newsom still agitating for urban water restrictions while ignoring 50% state’s water sent to the Pacific
Katy Grimes writes, “One year ago, May 21, 2021, the Globe reported “Facing Dry Year, CA State Water Board is Draining California Reservoirs.” And that was before the disastrous fires last year. It is 2022 and California’s reservoirs are still being drained by state officials, and we are still facing a tough fire season. California reservoirs were designed to provide a steady five year supply for all users, and were filled to the top in June 2019. We had 5-7 years of water in those reservoirs had the state not drained them, even in the face of a drought. Putting a relatable number on the crisis, Central Valley farmer Kristi Diener said: “In the last 14 days, 90% of Delta inflow went to sea. It’s equal to a year’s supply of water for 1 million people. #ManMadeDrought.” … ” Read more from the California Globe here: Gov. Newsom still agitating for urban water restrictions while ignoring 50% state’s water sent to the Pacific
California Jews, enough with your green, grassy cemeteries
Rob Eshman, national editor of the Forward, writes, “Jewish law has a lot to say about what’s supposed to happen when you die: your lifeless body must be washed and buried quickly, with a simple headstone to mark your grave. But nowhere, in 4,000 years of Jewish law, custom or tradition does it say you need to rest eternally under bright, green grass. As California struggles with the West’s longest megadrought in 1,200 years, emergency water conservation rules are set to take effect on June 1. Yet cemeteries in L.A., including the three largest Jewish ones, remain as grassy and green as a Scottish golf course. It’s not a good look. … ” Read more from Jewish News of Northern California here: California Jews, enough with your green, grassy cemeteries
Water woes a long time coming
Tyler Ribeiro, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, writes, “Is drip irrigation the reason California is running out of water? I had that question posed to me the other day and it has stuck with me ever since. Water in California is getting more and more scarce, and everyone is starting to point fingers, blaming and criticizing neighbors for being the cause of the drought. It has been apparent, as of late, that as the water scarcity conversation rises to the surface, people want to simply blame one thing and not look at the whole picture. To fully understand where we are going, it is important to remember where we came from. For this conversation, let’s go back 150 years, back when times were simple, but the work was hard. … ” Read more from Hoard’s Dairyman here: Water woes a long time coming
Welcome to the real Hotel California where endless water use is a mirage
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “Leave the water running while you brushed your teeth this morning? If you didn’t open the faucet all the way and brushed your teeth thoroughly perhaps you sent a cup or so of water down the drain while you got the job done. No big deal, right? It is only a cup of water. But if every one of the 88,000 people in Manteca did the same you’re talking about 5,500 gallons a day. It happens to be the per capita water use in one day for about 140 people. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Welcome to the real Hotel California where endless water use is a mirage
Commentary: A drought of common sense and reasonable priorities
Andy Caldwell, the COLAB executive director, writes, “One of the key failures of government in the modern age is the principle of treating everyone the same, because that is the easiest and most effective means of control. Blanket prohibitions and mandates applied to one and all makes the bureaucrats’ and regulators’ job easy because they don’t have to use discretion and common sense to do their job — attributes that don’t come easy in that line of work to begin with. The latest example of this failure comes in the form of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-7-22 which is a shoot-first/ask-questions-later mandate having to do with conditions, provisions and regulations concerning new water wells on agricultural lands. Whereas water systems serving the public are being regulated by other executive orders that include severe fines and penalties for not reducing water usage, this order is aimed at agriculture. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: Commentary: A drought of common sense and reasonable priorities
On the Public Record: What it would have meant to take action in 2015.
On the Public Record writes, “I spent much of 2015 urging the State Board to issue a moratorium on planting new almonds (although I myself was too timid. I said to only restrict them in gw basins with declining water levels, although that is all of them so maybe that argues against my timidity). Yesterday I wrote that had they done that, they’d look prescient now. But in that counterfactual, I do not think we could have estimated the policy success. In 2015, CA almond acreage was 1,110,000 acres. (3.3MAF/year) In 2021, CA almond acreage was 1,640,000 acres. (4.9MAF/year. This is a low estimate, btw. I’ve seen ETAW up near 5af/acreyear for almonds in the south Valley.) … ” Read more from On the Public Record here: What it would have meant to take action in 2015.
The Abundance Choice, Part 6: Biased, hostile media
Edward Ring, a contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “You can say this for Michael Hiltzik, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Los Angeles Times, he doesn’t conceal his biases. When we talked back in late November 2021, his skepticism towards our initiative felt overt. And while that may have only been my subjective impression of our conversation, Hiltzik’s column, published as a “Perspective” piece by the Times on December 2, removed all doubt. Entitled “This proposed ballot measure would make you pay for the ag industry’s water inefficiency,” and featured on page two of the print edition’s front section, Hiltzik fired an 1,800 word salvo at our campaign, making assertions, starting with the title, that were designed from beginning to end to convince readers that we were pushing a terrible idea. In one of the opening paragraphs, Hiltzik wrote “In California, water is for scamming. … ” Read more from the California Globe here: The Abundance Choice, Part 6: Biased, hostile media
The Abundance Choice, Part 7: An environmentalist juggernaut
Edward Ring, a contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “Environmentalists in California, who constitute much of the vanguard of environmentalism in the world, have normalized extremism. The solutions they’ve proposed to supposedly save the planet, and the premises they’ve convinced millions of people to accept as beyond debate, constitute one of the greatest threats – if not the greatest threat – to modern civilization today. It is these environmentalists that are themselves the extremists, not the common sense skeptics who question their edicts, or the beleaguered citizens trying to survive their mandates. The power of the environmentalist juggernaut, or, to be more precise, what has become an environmentalist industrial complex, almost defies description. Their grip on the media, as we have seen in the previous installment, is near absolute. … ” Continue reading at the California Globe here: The Abundance Choice, Part 7: An environmentalist juggernaut
Our answers on groundwater leave more questions
Breanne Vandenberg, Merced County Farm Bureau Executive Director, writes, “In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order outlining the temporary strategies for California to manage the ongoing drought. Within this order, he outlined rules for counties, cities and other public agencies as it relates to new wells or alterations to an existing well. One rule requires farmers and ranchers to get written verification from their local groundwater sustainability agency that the new well or alterations “would not be inconsistent with any sustainable groundwater management program” for the area. The rule says any new well must be unlikely “to interfere with the production and functioning of existing nearby wells” or “cause subsidence that would adversely impact or damage nearby infrastructure.” … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Our answers on groundwater leave more questions
Editorial: California’s water shortage requires updates in technology, law — and mindset
The LA Times editorial board writes, “Californians responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for voluntary water conservation earlier this year by using more, not less. On Monday, Newsom said mandatory cutbacks could be coming. Already, residents face sharp new outdoor water restrictions June 1, and serious doubts over whether those limits will be enough to cope with a historic water shortage. It’s a good time to imagine the ideal California of the future, in which information technology and rational pricing make water conservation simple, understandable and a common way of life. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Editorial: California’s water shortage requires updates in technology, law — and mindset
Blog commentary: Over-summering spring-run chinook salmon in Mill Creek and Deer Creek
Tom Cannon writes, “In a recent research paper, authors Cordoleani, Phillis, and Sturrock describe what they call a “rare” life history of spring-run Chinook salmon in Mill Creek and Deer Creek, tributaries to the Sacramento River. The authors suggest that this life history is becoming increasingly important in our warming climate. … What the authors of this study are noting is the two dominant life history patterns of Chinook salmon: subyearling and yearling smolt production, or “ocean” type vs. “river” type Chinook. One type or the other often dominates in a particular river system, but often both types exist, providing for a diversity of life history that protects the species from extinction. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog here: Over-summering spring-run chinook salmon in Mill Creek and Deer Creek
Klamath Basin dam removal needs a science-driven oversight plan
Jeffrey Mount, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, and Peter Moyle, a distinguished professor emeritus and associate director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at the UC Davis, writes: “The Klamath Basin is on the cusp of the most ambitious dam removal effort ever attempted. If all goes to plan, efforts will get underway by next year to bring down the four aging hydropower dams that divide the basin in half. Are we ready for this? The ramifications of this dam removal effort are vast, affecting not only the river’s mainstem but ultimately all the tributaries where so much biodiversity resides. Removal of the dams will be an important first step — albeit with many steps to go — in improving salmon and steelhead stocks in the basin. A robust science and monitoring program is essential to ensuring the success of the project — and will help guide future similar dam removal projects around the world. Although more than $450 million has been allocated for the dam removal, to our knowledge, little has been allocated to fund the science needed to evaluate it. This is a mistake. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Klamath Basin dam removal needs a science-driven oversight plan
Predictions of Potter Valley Project’s demise are premature
David Taber, President of the Palomino Lakes Mutual Water Company, writes, “The Potter Valley Project is an essential source of water for residents, businesses and agriculture between Healdsburg and Ukiah, representing 30,000 people and 1,800 water-right holders. It also affects water supplies for another 500,000 people in Sonoma and Marin counties. For 100-plus years, the system has operated reliably and evolved to the point that our water hasn’t ran out for 70 years. Right now, it is holding 35 billion gallons of water for fire protection, and that’s in a dry year. While it is true that PG&E no longer wants to own and run the system, it is literally an irreplaceable asset. It needs to be invested in, not blown up. … ” Continue reading at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Predictions of Potter Valley Project’s demise are premature
Editorial: Sounding the alarm on sneaky legislation threatening Stanislaus-area water
The Modesto Bee editorial board writes, “A sneaky legislative attempt to swipe water from Stanislaus-area farmers and Modesto homes must be stopped, right now. The long and ongoing fight to prevent a so-called state water grab has been bad enough. At least that was put on hold while those who manage irrigation and drinking water from the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers try negotiating a fairer deal for our people. But Assembly Bill 2639 represents a cynical end run around those talks. The bill, expected to come to an Assembly floor vote sometime this week, would cut off those negotiations, harming our farmers and our economy as well as a drinking water source relied on by Modesto, Salida, Empire, Manteca, Lathrop and Tracy; Turlock and Ceres will, too, in a few years. ... ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Editorial: Sounding the alarm on sneaky legislation threatening Stanislaus-area water
California needs to keep Diablo Canyon Power Plant running
Alex Trembath, deputy director of The Breakthrough Institute, and Adam Stein, director of nuclear innovation at The Breakthrough Institute, write, “Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering extending a lifeline to the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California’s last operating nuclear power plant. He should do so. Diablo Canyon is the single-largest generator of zero-carbon energy in the state. The only thing the plant requires to continue operating is political leadership on the part of the governor. Institutional environmentalist groups, which came of age largely before climate change was widely recognized as a global threat, have been pressuring governments to shut down zero-emissions nuclear power plants for decades. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo allied with environmental groups to shut down the Indian Point power plant in 2020, which resulted in immediate increases in both carbon emissions and electricity costs. The Natural Resources Defense Council has led the activist movement to shut down Diablo Canyon. But some political leaders are bucking this trend and making real efforts to keep existing nuclear plants online. Newsom should follow their lead. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: California needs to keep Diablo Canyon Power Plant running
In regional water news this week …
Listen: How groundwater got mixed into restrictions on water use in the Scott and Shasta Rivers
“The ongoing drought forces some tough decisions on water allocations. On the California side, state regulators are working to protect streams in which threatened coho salmon live, including the Scott and Shasta rivers. Protection measures even include preventing some landowners from using groundwater for irrigation, because ground and surface water are so closely linked in the area. The temporary state regulations do not sit well with members of Scott Valley AgWA (Agriculture Water Alliance), a group of farmers and ranchers. We hear the concerns from Scott Valley AgWA organizers Theodara Johnson and Sari Sommarstrom.” Listen at Jefferson Public Radio here: Listen: How groundwater got mixed into restrictions on water use in the Scott and Shasta Rivers
Fishermen threaten to sue Bureau of Reclamation over Trinity River diversions
“A Trump era decision has further imperiled endangered fish species in the Trinity River, and commercial fishermen and local tribes are demanding the federal government take action. This week, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and its sister organization Institute for Fisheries Research sent the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation a 60-day notice of their intention to sue the federal agency for violating the Endangered Species Act. The amount of water the bureau is diverting from the Trinity River to the Central Valley Project has decimated the river’s salmon populations and the fishermen are demanding a new biological opinion on the conservation methods and measures that should be required to protect them. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Fishermen threaten to sue Bureau of Reclamation over Trinity River diversions | Read via Mercury News
Sustaining steelhead populations in the Bay Area’s backyard
“The sun is shining —a rare fog free day on the coast of San Mateo County, California. Patrick Samuel, CalTrout’s Bay Area Region Director, leads a group of CalTrout members and some staff, imparting us with his wealth of knowledge of this area. We are standing on ancestral Ohlone Tribal land in the parking lot of Pescadero State Beach with the wind rushing towards us from across the ocean. To our east, Pescadero Marsh lies resting in the sun. To our west, its water flows lazily out to sea via the mouths of Pescadero Creek and Butano Creek converging. This place is special for a number of reasons: it is one of the best remaining habitats for coastal steelhead in the Bay Area, it offers unparalleled opportunity for anglers, and is also beautiful enough to steal your breath. … ” Read more from Cal Trout here: Sustaining steelhead populations in the Bay Area’s backyard
A water-stressed valley needs to curb development
“In my drought- and fire-plagued home valley, 40 miles north of San Francisco, a debate has been simmering for decades over a massive development planned on state-owned property. The conflict is focused on nearly 1,000 acres of rural and wildland in Sonoma Valley. .. Now the state, working with Sonoma County’s planning staff, proposes to transform the former Center into a “vibrant, mixed-use community.” Its retail shops, offices, and some 900 new housing units would augment the valley’s wineries, tourism, manufacturing, and small businesses. But in a time and place of growing aridity, the proposal reads like a pipe dream. … ” Read more from Writers on the Range here: A water-stressed valley needs to curb development
Raising Mono Lake requires a new plan
“On the wall of the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore is a vertical blue tube representing Mono Lake’s level, with a yellow sliding arrow pointing to the present-day surface elevation. It is one of the first things visitors inspect because it answers the popular question; how’s the lake doing? We installed the display fifteen years ago and expected that, in the majority of years, we’d be bumping that display arrow upward to track the lake’s rising journey of recovery to the hard-won, state-mandated, ecologically sound level of 6392 feet above sea level. Raising Mono Lake, however, has not gone according to plan. As drier conditions settle on the West, amplified by climate change, we often have been pushing that arrow lower, tracking the lake’s decline. Today, years after it was expected to return to the required healthy level, the lake is only 30% of the way there. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee here: Raising Mono Lake requires a new plan
New Paso basin water regulations would ‘exacerbate overdraft’
“A new set of proposed Paso Robles Groundwater Basin rules would result in more vineyards and a spike in basinwide pumping, which would “exacerbate” the aquifer’s overdraft, according to a draft environmental impact report (EIR) released on May 20. The draft EIR, commissioned by San Luis Obispo County, analyzed the impacts of a proposed new groundwater ordinance pushed forward by the Board of Supervisors last year, which would supersede a current moratorium on expanded irrigated agriculture over the parched basin. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: New Paso basin water regulations would ‘exacerbate overdraft’
Santa Barbara Supes tighten rules for approving new water wells
“It’s one thing for Governor Gavin Newsom to issue an executive decree ordering tougher rules for issuing new water wells permits; it’s quite another for the county supervisors to craft a new emergency ordinance making it happen. But that happened at the Tuesday, May 24, board meeting. Supervisors Bob Nelson and Steve Lavagnino worried that the proposed language they were considering at this board meeting was too restrictive, especially for farmers; Supervisor Das Williams worried that the language was too loose, allowing multinational corporations to continue to suck dry the already badly depleted groundwater basins of the Cuyama Valley. Despite such seemingly irreconcilable differences, the supervisors unanimously backed a new emergency ordinance that will require the county’s Department of Environmental Health, which is responsible for issuing well permits, to take additional steps to ensure that new wells are not allowed to negatively impact the production of nearby wells — defined as within 1,000 feet of each other — or cause subsidence of the ground. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent here: Santa Barbara Supes tighten rules for approving new water wells
Why trees are not part of LA’s two-day outdoor watering restrictions
“Two-day-per-week outdoor watering restrictions are set to begin June 1 in Los Angeles. But there’s an important exception to the rule in place to reduce water use during the region’s dry spell. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that the water restrictions do not apply to tree watering. The mayor said the region needs its trees to keep things from getting worse. Trees can capture stormwater, improve water quality and reduce flood risk, along with helping air quality and the impacts of heat waves. … ” Continue reading at NBC LA here: Why trees are not part of LA’s two-day outdoor watering restrictions
Why swimming pools are getting a break despite unprecedented water restrictions
“As millions of Southern Californians brace for new drought restrictions coming June 1, one big, blue question mark remains: How will the rules apply to swimming pools? As with nearly every other facet of the rollout, the agencies affected by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s urgent call for conservation are each taking a slightly different tack as they implement water conservation plans. While most are limiting outdoor watering to one or two days a week, many said the rules governing pools will remain largely unchanged — at least for the time being. That’s left some residents scratching their heads and others complaining of mixed messaging during a time of worsening drought. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Why swimming pools are getting a break despite unprecedented water restrictions | Read via Yahoo News
Desert farmers concerned, prepared for extreme drought
“Currently, no water is running through pipes and canals for some farmers in Northern California. It’s not even June. Farmers there have experienced this before, but the concern of that happening is starting to trickle into the Coachella Valley. “To answer your question, yes, I certainly am concerned,” George Tudor shared. Tudor is the owner of Tudor Ranch in Mecca. He has been around farming his entire life, but knowing that water isn’t available for some farmers in California is a cause for concern. … ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs here: Desert farmers concerned, prepared for extreme drought
Imperial Irrigation District schedules public workshops on Equitable Distribution Plan
“The IID Board of Directors has initiated a process to develop an Equitable Distribution Plan (EDP), according to a recent IID press release. The previous EDP instituted by the IID was stopped in 2017 when Judge Brooks Anderholt ruled in favor of El Centro farmer Michael Abatti declaring the IID did not have the authority to decide on water quantities to individual growers based on past water history usage. The IID appealed the decision eventually having the California Appellate Court rule in the District’s favor that it did have the authority to regulate water usage. … ” Read more from the Desert Review here: Imperial Irrigation District schedules public workshops on Equitable Distribution Plan
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE: Advance notice of probable curtailments under standard water right Term 91
NOTICE: May 24 Weekly Update on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
NOTICE: No-Cost Leak Detection Surveys for Small Water Systems
NOTICE of Public Workshop – Changes in the Credit/Financial Guidance Appendices
NOW AVAILABLE: Draft EA-IS for Sites Reservoir now available for public comment
NOTICE of Petition for Temporary Transfer/Exchange per Various Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation License and Permits
NOTICE: Petitions for Temporary Transfer of Water under South Feather Water & Power Agency Permits 1267 and 2492
