On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: California Water Plan: Climate Change at 10am. The workshop will provide details on the science, tools, and processes DWR has been developing and applying for climate resilience. There will also be information on how DWR’s work can support water-resource-related climate adaptation efforts. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
A water expert reveals how farmers could save U.S. Southwest cities from drought
““Are you going to run out of water?” is the first question people ask when they find out I’m from Arizona. The answer is that some people already have, others soon may and it’s going to get much worse without dramatic changes. Unsustainable water practices, drought, and climate change are causing this crisis across the U.S. Southwest. States are drawing less water from the Colorado River, which supplies water to 40 million people. But levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river’s two largest reservoirs, have dropped so low so quickly that there is a serious risk of one or both soon hitting a “dead pool,” a level when no water flows out of the dams. … ” Read more from Inverse here: A water expert reveals how farmers could save U.S. Southwest cities from drought
Column: You’re not saving enough water, Southern California
Teri Sforza writes, “Shame on you Colton and El Segundo, Torrance and Brea, Big Bear Lake and Coachella! Tsk, tsk, Desert Water Agency, Laguna Beach County Water District and Irvine Ranch! All told, 33 water agencies – of the Southland’s 144 eporting – used more water in May 2022 than they did in May 2020, according to the most recent state data. The governor, you may recall, has asked us to cut back 15% to deal with historic drought. Whoops. But kudos, fireworks and parades may be in order for the biggest water-savers in the Southland, who far surpassed the governor’s goal. … ” Read more from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune here: Column: You’re not saving enough water, Southern California | Read via the Riverside Press-Enterprise
Column: Proposed law allows extra regulation of wells
Jim Shields, editor and publisher of the Mendocino County Observer and district manager of the Laytonville County Water District, writes, “The governor of our state and the state legislature are getting into the act of exercising never-before-seen public control of privately owned groundwater wells. Assemblyman Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) and representatives from Community Water Center (CWC) are sponsoring legislation that would change the way new and expanded water wells are approved in California, and focusing on areas that are experiencing rapid decline in groundwater reserves. “New water wells and groundwater extractions are being approved without adequate analysis of their impact on the drinking water of disadvantaged communities,” said Bennett. “Approval without that analysis can cause significant negative impacts on over-drafted water basins and disadvantaged communities drinking water.” … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal here: Column: Proposed law allows extra regulation of wells
Unlocking how juvenile Chinook salmon swim in California rivers
“Despite years of study and thousands of research projects, some aspects of the biology of Chinook salmon remain altogether mysterious. One enduring question is how outmigrating salmon smolts behave and swim through our waterways to somehow find their way into the ocean. For example, it has long been noted that salmon ‘shoulder’ (hold on the river’s edge) at certain times along their oceanward journey, and that they tend to school and travel in packs alongside one another. Are they actively swimming through these habitats? Or merely drifting with the currents, akin to riding an innertube down the river. A better understanding of Chinook salmon swimming behavior could be helpful for managers. If salmon actively navigate, could we provide flows or otherwise manage water to promote salmon survival? ... ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: Unlocking how juvenile Chinook salmon swim in California rivers
Cache Slough Tidal Wetland Restoration – Update
Tom Cannon writes, “The Cache Slough Complex is in the lower (southern) Yolo Bypass in the north Delta region (Figure 1). It is the focus of the state’s tidal wetland restoration EcoRestore Program that spans 16,000 acres in the Cache Slough region of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The 53,000-acre Cache Slough Complex is located in the northwest corner of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Solano and Yolo counties (Figure 1). The Yolo Bypass receives inflow directly from the Sacramento River (Fremont Weir), the Colusa Basin Drain, Putah and Cache creeks, and agricultural and municipal discharges. The Cache Slough Complex exits the Yolo Bypass via Cache Slough, first connecting to the outlets of Miner and Steamboat Sloughs, before entering the tidal Sacramento River channel near Rio Vista. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries blog here: Cache Slough Tidal Wetland Restoration – Update
Why is the water so cold at California beaches?
“On a bright summer day in California, locals and tourists pack the beach, setting up on the sand and making sure to use lotion or the shade of an umbrella to protect from the sun’s powerful rays. But on that same beach, it’s not uncommon to see kids shivering as they run out of the water, or a surfer wearing a partial wetsuit as they jog out for a session. California’s ocean water is pretty cold, even in the summer, and it often catches visitors off-guard. What causes this phenomenon, and why do water temperatures on the West Coast differ so much from the ocean at a beach in say, Florida? ... ” Read more from Channel 5 here: Why is the water so cold at California beaches?
NASA grant to go toward UCI-led project studying beach, dune loss
“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has tapped researchers at UC Irvine and the University of Houston to develop a means of monitoring local beaches and dunes by satellite. University officials in Irvine announced earlier this month that researchers have received a $675,000 grant from NASA that will be divided between both universities. Approximately $350,000 will go to the Irvine campus for what is expected to be a three-year project to support graduate students, researchers and the cost of some of the equipment used in the study. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: NASA grant to go toward UCI-led project studying beach, dune loss
Why have all the trees been dying?
Tim Hauserman, a freelance writer and nearly a life-long resident of North Lake Tahoe, writes, “Once the snow started melting around Lake Tahoe and the hiking and biking season began I suddenly came to the realization that there has been a huge increase in the number of brown trees in the forest around Lake Tahoe. Many ridges that were once a wave of green, are now mottled with swaths of brown dead trees. Even around my own house a half dozen trees have turned from vibrant green to brown in just the last six months. Why the sudden increase in tree death, and what does it mean? I decided to find out by talking to a few of our local forest experts. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Ally here: Why have all the trees been dying?
Is burying power lines fire-prevention magic, or magical thinking?
“With the West stricken by rising temperatures, deepening drought and blasting winds, often all that’s needed to ignite a fire is a spark. Increasingly, power lines strung through expansive wildlands to sprawling Western communities provide the flashes that grow into megafires. Burying electrical distribution lines prevents nearly all such ignitions, and the related power outages, but prices of up to $4 million or more for each mile of “undergrounding,” and difficult logistics have prevented widespread adoption of the practice. Power lines shouldn’t be sparking wildfires anymore, said Paul Chinowsky of Resilient Analytics, an engineering consulting firm in Boulder, Colorado that focuses on adaptation to climate impacts. “This should be one of the top priorities that’s going on in the West,” Chinowosky said. “If we want to minimize wildfires, if we want to minimize the risk to our reliability, start undergrounding.” … ” Read more from Inside Climate News here: Is burying power lines fire-prevention magic, or magical thinking?
Wildfires followed by severe rain will become more common
“Climate change tends to bring out the worst in the weather, be it extreme cold or heat, rain or fire. A new study found that the warming atmosphere increases the likelihood that a wildfire in the Western U.S. will be followed by intense rainfall. This confluence of events raises the risk of landslides and flash floods. “Once you’ve had a wildfire burn through, you kill off all the vegetation, and you don’t have any root structures there holding the soil in place, so it’s a lot more vulnerable,” says University of California, Santa Barbara, climate scientist Samantha Stevenson, who was a co-author on the study. The fires aren’t causing the storms, but the same rising temperatures that lead fires to become more severe allow the atmosphere to carry more moisture, causing rain events to dump more water quickly. “We’re talking about superstrong rainstorms, the 99.9th percentile,” Stevenson says. … ” Read more from Scientific American here: Wildfires followed by severe rain will become more common
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Yurok Tribe envisioning river after dam removal
“Oregon State University researchers will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use and the aquatic food web will look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled. “We want to fill in gaps in the Western science as well as gaps in how we make equitable decisions based on both ecological science and Indigenous knowledge,” said OSU’s Desiree Tullos, professor of water resource engineering and the project’s leader. “Our partnership with the Yurok Tribe aims to bring together multiple and complementary ways of understanding and making decisions about the Klamath system.” … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: Yurok Tribe envisioning river after dam removal
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe clarity didn’t improve last year. Wildfires may have played a role.
“Wildfire smoke is likely one reason why Lake Tahoe was a little murkier last year, with researchers saying clarity decreased slightly in 2021. The lake’s average annual clarity was 61 feet last year, compared to 63 feet in 2020. Geoffrey Schladow, the head of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, said the goal is to restore the lake’s clarity to its historic 97 feet. “This last year and the year before were dry years and we didn’t get the kind of improvement in clarity that we expected in decades past,” Schladow said. The lake has not fully recovered from a spike of fine particles that flowed into its waters after the extremely wet year of 2017, the report found, along with the impacts of the recent Caldor Fire. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Lake Tahoe clarity didn’t improve last year. Wildfires may have played a role.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
How severe is Sacramento’s drought? This interactive map shows the outlook is bleak
“It is unlikely the Sacramento area will receive a substantial amount of rain anytime soon, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasts for this weekend show temperatures climbing above the average for this time of year which is around 94 degrees, weather service spokesman Craig Shoemaker said. And it’s expected to remain dry in the area for awhile. This interactive map depicts drought status levels in Sacramento and throughout the country, using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: How severe is Sacramento’s drought? This interactive map shows the outlook is bleak
Rushing rivers cause dangerous swimming conditions across Sacramento region, authorities warn
“July is one of the most dangerous months of the year for water rescues, according to Sacramento-area fire departments. Over the last several days, multiple drownings across the region have fire crews urging the community to wear life jackets, especially as temperatures hit triple digits across Northern California. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to 14 water rescues along the American River on Saturday, 13 of the people who were rescued survived and one person died. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Rushing rivers cause dangerous swimming conditions across Sacramento region, authorities warn
NAPA/SONOMA
Health officials urge caution after toxic algae blooms found in Sonoma County
“In the North Bay, the drought conditions are not only a risk for fire danger, but it is also impacting water quality. Signs have been posted at beaches along the Russian River notifying the public to keep a look out for algae blooms. Certain algaes can be harmful and cause health issues for humans and pets. Along the Russian River, you’ll find “Check for Algae” educational signs like this one posted at area beaches. The water quality at Monte Rio Beach has the “Green Light” for swimmers to enjoy the water. … ” Read more from KRON here: Health officials urge caution after toxic algae blooms found in Sonoma County
BAY AREA
Sunol: Sand mining outfit fined for releasing untreated wastewater into Alameda Creek
“A company operating a sand mining facility in Alameda County must pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle allegations it discharged untreated wastewater into Alameda Creek last year, officials with the State Water Resources Control Board said Thursday. Mission Valley Rock Company must pay nearly the statutory limit after it allegedly discharged 41,000 gallons of untreated wastewater from its Sunol facility in March 2021. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly here: Sunol: Sand mining outfit fined for releasing untreated wastewater into Alameda Creek
Marsh Fire in eastern Contra Costa County caused smoke problems in Stockton
“A flare-up of a fire that has been burning for weeks along the Pittsburg marsh area waterfront in eastern Contra Costa County caused smoke that could be seen and smelled in Stockton on Saturday afternoon. The fire, dubbed the Marsh Fire by officials, has burned 200 acres. As of 7 p.m. Saturday, forward progress of the fire had been stopped. No structures were damaged and no firefighters were injured. Access to the fire was difficult, which contributed to the amount of smoke produced, according to reports. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Marsh Fire in eastern Contra Costa County caused smoke problems in Stockton
CENTRAL COAST
City of Madera awarded $5 million for sewer project
“California State Senator Anna M. Caballero’s office recently announced that millions of dollars were secured in this year’s budget to help support key projects statewide and in her district. Of the funding announced, $5 million was awarded to the City of Madera for the Avenue 13 (Pecan Avenue) Sewer Trunk Main Rehab Phase 1. “Funding for the Avenue 13 Sewer Trunk Main Rehabilitation Project comes at a crucial moment, as the project is essential to protecting the quality of life in Madera,” said Madera City Manager Arnoldo Rodriguez. … ” Read mroe from the Madera Tribune here: City of Madera awarded $5 million for sewer project
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In spite of drought, local water supplies are stable
Lance Eckahrt, general manager of the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency, and Heather Dyer, general manager, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, write, “Gov. Gavin Newsom has again called upon residents to ramp up water conservation or face mandatory restrictions. The situation is dire, and some areas of Southern California are already experiencing mandatory water cutbacks. Fortunately, water users in the San Bernardino Valley and San Gorgonio Pass region have a sure water supply that will remain stable throughout the summer and beyond. It is worth noting that this reliability is no accident; it is due to thoughtful planning, partnerships and past investments in our water supply system. Local water agencies – spanning the Valley and the Pass – have been collaborating for decades to prepare for exactly this challenge. The result? Our region has enough water in our groundwater basin “savings account” to continue meeting daily demand as well as future needs of the people we serve. Collaboration between San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) and San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (SBVMWD) dates to the 1960s, when the agencies began exploring ways to bring State Water Project (SWP) water to the area. … ” Read more from the Record Gazette here: In spite of drought, local water supplies are stable
SAN DIEGO
AWP proceeds with effort to take San Diego’s pump station
“The agency managing the East County Advanced Water Purification (AWP) program took another step toward legally confiscating a sewage pumping station that now belongs to the city of San Diego. Earlier this month, the Joint Powers Authority for AWP filed a complaint in San Diego Superior Court asking the court to grant the JPA eminent domain rights for the station, located at the western border of Santee, on Mission Gorge Road next to the west-bound ramp for SR 52. In May, the JPA, whose members are the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, the Helix Water District, the city of El Cajon, and the county of San Diego, took an initial legal step in declaring its intention of invoking its eminent domain powers, something rarely done when other government agencies are involved. … ” Read more from the East County Times here: AWP proceeds with effort to take San Diego’s pump station
Along the Colorado River …
AP PHOTOS: Withering drought shows Lake Mead boat graveyard
“An abandoned old power boat juts upright from the cracked mud like a giant tombstone. Its epitaph might read: Here lay the waters of Lake Mead. The largest U.S. reservoir has shrunken to a record low amid a punishing drought and the demands of 40 million people in seven states who are sucking the Colorado River dry. The megadrought in the U.S. West has been worsened by climate change. Wildfire season has become longer and blazes more intense, scorching temperatures have broken records and lakes are shriveling. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: AP PHOTOS: Withering drought shows Lake Mead boat graveyard
A 150-year-old San Luis Valley farm stops growing food to save a shrinking water supply. It might be the first deal of its kind in the country
“Farmers and ranchers across the San Luis Valley face a deadline: Their underground water source is drying up from a combination of overuse and a decades-long drought driven by climate change. To restore a balance of supply and demand, farmers and ranchers across the valley need to drastically cut how much water they pump out of the ground, according to the Colorado Division of Water Resources. If they don’t, the state has threatened to step in and shut off hundreds of wells, which local water managers say would devastate the valley’s agriculture-driven economy. … Putting the farm out of production will keep about 358 million gallons of water beneath the San Luis Valley, which is desperately needed. Local leaders have been working to save the dwindling aquifer in other ways, including paying farmers and ranchers to temporarily fallow fields or try less water-intensive crops and more advanced irrigation systems. … ” Continue reading at Colorado Public Radio here: A 150-year-old San Luis Valley farm stops growing food to save a shrinking water supply. It might be the first deal of its kind in the country
Arizona to spend $1.2 billion on water security
“Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed B1740 yesterday, investing $1.2 billion over three years to fund projects that will bring additional water to the state to secure Arizona’s water future, improve existing water infrastructure and implement effective conservation tools. The projects will help ensure that Arizona families, businesses and agriculture continue to have adequate long-term water supplies. Western Growers staff worked with stakeholders, legislators and the Governor’s office to ensure current water resource allocations are protected for existing agricultural uses and agriculture will be represented during the selection process for future projects. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Arizona to spend $1.2 billion on water security
Commentary: Let’s find practical and immediate solutions to water crisis
Mike Carran, co-leader of the Tucson chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, writes, “Facing dramatic water shortage, the Arizona Legislature passed, and Gov. Ducey signed, a $1.2 billion allocation to identify new sources of water. Two proposed ideas are building a desalination plant in Mexico to convert ocean water to fresh water or a pipeline to capture and transmit flood water from the Mississippi River. Neither of these solutions would be immediate or practical ways to alleviate water shortage. Better solutions exist. Importing Mississippi flood water has been proposed and studied before. Pipeline completion would take years as court challenges slowed construction across state lines. Construction and delivery costs would be enormous, and the delivered water would not be adequate to address Central Arizona Project water shortfalls. … ” Read more from Tucson.com here: Commentary: Let’s find practical and immediate solutions to water crisis
In national water news today …
When SCOTUS meets WOTUS
“A famously messy 2006 Supreme Court ruling on the reach of the federal Clean Water Act over wetlands and isolated waterways is headed once again to the high court this fall. At issue: the “significant nexus test” that let federal regulators cast a wide net over wetlands and waterways. Legal experts say the high court’s conservative majority will adopt a more restrictive interpretation of EPA’s Clean Water Act authority in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in West Virginia v. EPA, which curbed the agency’s authority to regulate emissions from the power sector. … ” Read more from E&E News here: When SCOTUS meets WOTUS
CRS REPORT: Redefining Waters of the United States (WOTUS): Recent Developments
“Congress established the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), to restore and protect the quality of the nation’s surface waters. The CWA protects “navigable waters,” defined in the statute as “waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.” The CWA does not further define the term waters of the United States (WOTUS), which determines which waters are federally regulated. Thus, in implementing the CWA, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the two agencies that administer the statute—have defined the term in regulations. However, Congress’s intent as to the meaning of WOTUS has been debated and litigated for more than four decades. ... ” Read the report from the Congressional Research Service here: CRS REPORT: Redefining Waters of the United States (WOTUS): Recent Developments
Pacific Institute launches new water and climate equity strategy for US
“Throughout the world and in the United States, water insecurity and climate change both disproportionately affect frontline communities—those who are impacted first and worst from climate change. Historically disadvantaged and marginalized communities, including rural communities, low-income communities, and communities of color, often suffer the most from environmental injustices related to climate change and lack of safe and reliable water from household and community water systems. However, the intersection of these challenges—the impacts of climate change on our ability to equitably meet the needs for water in overburdened and underserved communities moving forward—is not well documented or broadly understood. Today, the Pacific Institute formally launched its new Water and Climate Equity (WCE) strategy designed to address community and decision maker needs by focusing research and outreach efforts on the nexus of water insecurity, climate change, and social inequity. ... ” Read more from the Pacific Institute here: Pacific Institute launches new water and climate equity strategy for US
June 2022: U.S. dominated by remarkable heat, dryness
“June kicked off a very warm and dry start to meteorological summer for the U.S., according to experts from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The year so far also brought nine separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters to the nation — including tornado outbreaks, damaging hail and extreme drought. Below are more highlights from NOAA’s U.S. monthly climate report for June ... ” Continue reading at NOAA here: June 2022: U.S. dominated by remarkable heat, dryness
The silver lining for EPA in Supreme Court climate ruling
“The Supreme Court’s decision last week may still allow EPA to write meaningful climate regulation, even as it consigned to the scrap heap any future ambitions to use the Clean Air Act to transform the nation’s power grid. The West Virginia v. EPA ruling, and the legal process that led up to it, delivered some important wins for climate advocates, even as it limited the scope of future rulemakings. It confirmed that EPA has the authority to regulate power plant carbon, set power plant emissions limits and do more with a future rule than tinker with heat-rate improvements at existing facilities. “While the petitioners are touting this as a win for them in their deregulatory agenda, it is not everything they hoped for,” said Tom Lorenzen, a former Justice Department official and current attorney at Crowell & Moring LLP. … ” Read more from E&E News here: The silver lining for EPA in Supreme Court climate ruling
More news in the weekend edition …
This weekend in California water news …
-
Image by David Mark from Pixabay Property owners and officials find ways around century-old laws as the West runs out of water
- Californians are starting to save water. Finally. And not much
- Tracking the California drought
- Extended lack of atmospheric rivers driving California drought
- Friant Water Authority announces allocation increase to 20 percent
- Bay Area ‘Water Always Wins’ author surveys world for water solutions
- CA allocates nearly $3 billion to address drought, water conservation efforts in state budget
- There’s a simple way to cut your water use — but many Californians don’t even know about it
- CDFW awards first funds from qualified cultivator grant program
- 9 surprising sources where microplastics can be found
- A devastating look at the impacts of wildfires beyond the burn
- And more …
Click here for the weekend Daily Digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Independent Scientific Peer Review Panel Meeting: USBR’s Water Temperature Modeling Platform (WTMP)
