In California water news today …
Dan Walters: Can Newsom finally win long Delta water conflict?
“Will the fifth time be the charm for California’s decades-long effort to replumb the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta so that more Northern California water can be transported to Southern California? Don’t count on it. Last week, the state Department of Water Resources released a draft environmental impact report on the latest iteration of the 57-year-long effort to change the Delta’s role in water supply, a 45-mile-long tunnel officially named the “Delta Conveyance.” The 3,000-page document immediately drew the responses that have accompanied past versions — big municipal and agricultural water agencies were in favor of it because it would, they hope, increase water deliveries south of the Delta, and environmentalists were against it, saying it would further damage the Delta’s already bruised ecosystem. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: Can Newsom finally win long Delta water conflict?
As our climate permanently changes, how is California fighting aridification?
“Climate change has had a major impact across the world, specifically in California, one example of it has been the increasingly disastrous wildfires and drought issues we see today. With aridification, or the gradual change to a drier climate, changing the state, it does leave many wondering what can be done to limit its effects on Californians. The stricter statewide regulations on water, the state has shown a willingness to take the situation seriously–but the recent resignation of a California drought official did put into question just how urgent California officials are viewing aridification. Today on AirTalk, we discuss the state’s handling of aridification with State Water Resources Control Board chair, E. Joaquin Esquivel and Peter Gleick, co-founder & senior fellow at the Pacific Institute.” Listen at KPCC here (18:46): As our climate permanently changes, how is California fighting aridification?
‘We are the salmon and the salmon are us’ | A Northern California tribe’s journey to bring back the salmon
“For the seventh year in a row and led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, California Native Americans, activists, and allies embarked on Run4Salmon, a 300-mile Prayer Journey to restore salmon to the Mount Shasta area. “The importance of the run for salmon is that we are bringing back that connection that we have with our waterways,” said Desirae Harp, a lead organizer for the Run4Salmon prayer journey. “And something that we always say is that we are the salmon and the salmon are us. And so in the same way, that the prayers are being laid out there, for the salmon to come home, the salmon are also helping us to remember our connection with these waters.” ... ” Read more from Channel 10 here: ‘We are the salmon and the salmon are us’ | A Northern California tribe’s journey to bring back the salmon
Listen: The severe impact of SGMA could effect tree nut growers
“Roger Isom and president and CEO of the Western Processors Association and the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association. He noted severe impacts on San Joaquin Valley towns and cities when the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act takes away water.” Listen at Cal Ag Today here: Listen: The severe impact of SGMA could effect tree nut growers
Some Californians are ripping out their lawns as the state’s drought continues to worsen
“California is in the midst of its driest period in at least 1,200 years, according to a recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change. And, climatologists say early predictions point toward yet another below-average rainy season in the coming months that would only worsen the already extreme drought conditions. Governor Gavin Newsom has called for water conservation but the state has struggled to meet the recommended targets. One move some cities are making to speed up water-saving efforts is to target the areas that produce the most waste. On the residential front, which makes up about 10% of water use in the state, this means lawns. ... ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Some Californians are ripping out their lawns as the state’s drought continues to worsen
Bay Area entrepreneur envisions new purposes for land, ways to save planet
“James Levine is a civil engineer. He’s also an entrepreneur, environmental consultant, a developer and someone who figures out how to solve multiple problems simultaneously in a way that he hopes benefits all. One day while he was looking out at the bay from his Emeryville office, Levine was struck by the steep unnatural riprap shoreline surrounding most of the bay that discourage wildlife from gathering there. He also thought about the many tons of sediment that needed to be dredged from the bay so that big ships could pass — and what he could do with that fill to encourage wildlife habitat elsewhere. … Thus was born the Montezuma Wetlands Project in Solano County, a private initiative begun in the early 2000s that addresses two problems: the historic loss of wetlands and how one can responsibly dispose of millions of cubic yards of sediments dredged annually from San Francisco Bay Area ports, harbors and channels. ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Bay Area entrepreneur envisions new purposes for land, ways to save planet
Video: Panel: Gov. Newsom, CA lawmakers or state water board? Who’s to blame for nearly a million Californians living with unsafe drinking water?
The Sunday Morning Matters panel with Diane Pearce and Phil Arballo weigh in on the shocking audit of the state’s water board failing water systems that has the potential of causing major health problems for nearly a million Californians, a majority of them living in the Central Valley.
SEE ALSO: Video: Exclusive: Local state senator spearheads shocking audit of CA’s failure to clean up contaminated water systems, majority in the Valley. “It’s horrible, our health is at risk!”, from Your Central Valley
August used to be the perfect month for California’s High Sierra. It’s all different with climate change
“August, my grandparents said, was the best month to visit the High Sierra. The 12,000-foot passes were finally free of snow, the mosquitoes had vanished, and the risk of freak fall snowstorms, they reasoned, was still a month or more away. And so, in August in the 1980s, we often headed to the mountains for pack trips — 10-day journeys to the backcountry with family and friends. Mules lugged our gear to a remote spot. From there, we scrambled up rocky peaks, ate lunch beside remote lakes, dodged afternoon thunderstorms, raced cups down creeks and sang by the campfire at night. It was wonderful. And then the climate changed. Suddenly August was right in the heart of wildfire season. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: August used to be the perfect month for California’s High Sierra. It’s all different with climate change
What is fossil water? Geology and renewability
“Fossil water refers to underground reservoirs formed during the last glacial ice age. Also known as petrowater or paleowater, fossil water borrows its name from paleontology. Like a traditional fossil, fossil water is trapped in rock—sometimes for millennia. These aged aquifers acquired their water from melting ice and prehistoric lakes that pooled into subterranean layers of water-porous rocks, silt, and sand. Over time, those layers were covered with more sediment, effectively sealing off the water from Earth’s surface for tens of thousands of years. Just 70 years ago, farmers began drilling into fossil aquifers, pumping water to previously dry climates worldwide. Today billions of people rely on fossil aquifers for their drinking water and as irrigation to grow staple food crops. … ” Read more from Treehugger here: What is fossil water? Geology and renewability
On second chances: the southern sea otter’s return to ecological relevance
“People traveling on California’s newly built Highway 1 in 1937 saw something astonishing. Far below their vantage point at the edge of the rugged Big Sur cliffs, tossed on rough waters, was a cluster of buoyant, dark forms. On June 20, 1938, Life magazine published a photo of what it called “one of the rarest sights on earth”—a large raft of sea otters near Bixby Bridge, south of Monterey. Its headline proclaimed, “The ‘extinct’ sea otter swims back to life.” The sea otter’s brush with extinction began far away from those rocky shores, in the Russian Far East. Aboard the ship Svyatoy Petr (Saint Peter), Vitus Bering’s second Kamchatka expedition foundered in storms and wrecked near an uninhabited island, later named after Bering himself, who was buried there. From the moment Bering’s men returned home to Russia with sea otter pelts, the species was in mortal danger. It was 1742. With more hairs per square inch than those of any other mammal, the thick, lush furs fetched enormous sums. … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service here: On second chances: the southern sea otter’s return to ecological relevance
The Great Lakes and invasive species
This week’s CaliforniaWaterBlog post is an excerpt (Box 1) from a recent Delta Independent Science Board report on non-native species and the California Delta. This excerpt summarizes the experience of the Great Lakes, and how its physical and ecological management has led to waves of profoundly disruptive species invasions, resulting in a sequence of “novel” ecosystems. This sequence of invasions seems likely to continue to shape the Great Lakes. This history is a wake-up and warning for policymakers and those working on California’s Delta. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: The Great Lakes and Invasive Species
In commentary today …
Food choices are the real drivers of water usage
Patsy Ouellette, longtime environmental advocate, writes, “Until we know what uses most of California’s water, it’s impossible to evaluate what the solution should be. On July 8, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Californians to voluntarily cut water usage by 15 percent. On June 23, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation ordered seven western states to come up with an emergency water plan in 60 days. If they miss the deadline, the authorities will step in and impose cuts. John Entsminger, head of Southern Nevada water authority, believes “all sectors should share in the pain, which includes the biggest water users: farming and ranching.” … ” What is the most telling piece of information, though? It turns out, states Oppenlander, “60 to 70 percent of California water goes to livestock and crops to feed them.” What does this mean for us? … ” Continue reading at the Bakersfield Californian here: Food choices are the real drivers of water usage
Why forest managers need to team up with Indigenous fire practitioners
Don Hankins, professor of geography and planning at Cal State Chico; Scott Stephens, professor of fire science at UC Berkeley; and Sara A. Clark, partner at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, a public interest environmental law firm, writes, “The forests of the Western United States are facing an unprecedented crisis, besieged by wildfires and climate change. There is a precedent for part of the solution, though: intentional burns such as those set by Indigenous peoples. Many of our forested ecosystems depend on fire. They evolved with frequent blazes touched off by humans or lightning. However, active stewardship was disrupted, first by the genocide and forced removal of Indigenous peoples, then by the criminalization of cultural burning activities, and finally by the misguided efforts of state and federal governments to immediately suppress all ignitions. We are left with significantly altered forest structures and dangerous fuel loads, both of which significantly contribute to the current wildfire crisis. Both Western science and Indigenous knowledge point to the need to return fire as a keystone process, as critical to ecosystem health as sunlight and rain. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Why forest managers need to team up with Indigenous fire practitioners
Today’s featured article …
MONTHLY RESERVOIR REPORT for August 1
With two months left in this water year (WY), California’s federal and State water systems will undoubtedly endure and avoid irreparable harm, all things considered. This WY, at least relative to past years, has thankfully not led to calamitous water news. That being said, our thoughts and prayers are with the brave people of Kentucky!
Currently, total combined federal reservoir storage remains around 60% of normal which may surprise a lot of people ensconced in drought rhetoric.
Click here to read the reservoir report.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘Pikeminnow up but salmon and steelhead juveniles are too’: Eel River Recovery Project
“The seventh annual Eel River Recovery Project pikeminnow survey of a key reach of the South Fork Eel River took place on June 28 and 29 and the population of this non-native predator remains high. However, there were a surprising number of salmon and steelhead juveniles and signs of ecological resilience. Once again, the University of California, Berkeley dive team proved strategic partners, including post-doctoral researcher Phil Georgakakos and undergraduates Michael Schweiker and Stella Stein. The two-day survey extends from the Hermitage at the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek to Standish Hickey State Park. … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt here: ‘Pikeminnow up but salmon and steelhead juveniles are too’: Eel River Recovery Project
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Decadeslong community favorite Courtland Pear Fair returns after 2-year pause
“After two years on pause, the Courtland Pear Fair returned, and with it new resources to Sacramento area delta communities. “It’s such a refreshing moment I mean it was a lot of work to get here we had to do a lot more than we normally have to bring the pear fair back,” said Emily Pappalardo, a Courtland resident and fair volunteer. The pear fair, created 50 years ago, originally helped fund the Lions Club International, a local rotary, and garden clubs, but now, in addition, students in local schools also benefit. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Decadeslong community favorite Courtland Pear Fair returns after 2-year pause
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County vintner, his business and DA’s Office reach $925K environmental damage settlement
“A Sonoma County wine executive and his business have reached a $925,000 settlement with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office following an environmental complaint that accused them of causing significant damage to streams and wetlands while constructing a vineyard in 2018 near Cloverdale, county District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced Friday. Deeply ripping apart the terrain, tearing down trees and pushing them down streams without permits under the county’s Vineyard & Orchard Site Development Ordinance, and lacking permits for grading roads and installing culverts were among acts that Hugh Reimers and Krasilsa Pacific Farms, LLC were accused of in August 2019. ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Sonoma County vintner, his business and DA’s Office reach $925K environmental damage settlement
Sonoma County proposes rule changes for well permits
“In response to evolving California case law that requires local governments to protect the health of rivers and other “public trust resources,” the Board of Supervisors will consider new standards for permit applications to drill wells in Sonoma County, according to a press release from Bradley Dunn, Permit Sonoma’s policy manager. The Aug. 9 board meeting will include a public hearing on the proposed amendment to the county’s well ordinance. The amendment would create a new framework that allows Permit Sonoma to evaluate environmental impacts while reviewing applications for permits to drill new or replacement groundwater wells. … ” Read more from the Kenwood Press here: Sonoma County proposes rule changes for well permits
Land use decisions key to agriculture growth, survival in Solano County
“Ian Anderson – like a lot of other concerned observers – is nervous about the Flannery Group. The mysterious group has purchased nearly 40,000 recorded acres in Solano County – mostly in the Montezuma Hills area and at times for a price much higher than the consensus value. That 40,000 figure is tracked by the Department of Resource Management. The Assessor’s Office sets the figure at 27,840, but there is about six months of ownership changes that have not been reviewed. What is not known is what Flannery intends to use the land for, allebit, it is possibly an investment strategy alone. The group’s intention, many believe, will come to light only when the county begins its General Plan revision, which is expected to start in the next few years. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Land use decisions key to agriculture growth, survival in Solano County
BAY AREA
Marin County farmers rush to save water as drought predicted to stretch into 2023
“With California and the U.S. West squared firmly in drought into November per federal authorities, one Marin County agricultural program is taking shape to help farmers deal with the consequences. On July 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report in which climate and fire weather experts said a persistent ocean current temperature pattern called La Niña lasting through the year will keep Western states, in particular the coastal region, in drought conditions. “Dangerous” heat will engulf the Pacific Northwest, and the West overall will face a 50-50 chance of above-normal temperatures through August. ... ” Read more from the North Bay Business Journal here: Marin County farmers rush to save water as drought predicted to stretch into 2023
Commentary: Cost of increasing Marin Municipal Water District water supply is expensive, no matter how it is sliced
Gaetan Lion, an independent researcher, writes, “How will a four-year water supply affect Marin Municipal Water District customers rates? We can’t yet precisely answer this question. Jacobs Engineering has shared extensive information with MMWD on the costs of water supply options to reach that target. But Jacobs has not formulated how we would pay for it. There are three competitive ways to reach it. The first one is a desalination plant that will generate 11,200 acre-feet per year (AFY). The second one is the pipeline connected to East Bay Municipal Utilities District supply that would generate 9,000 AFY. The third one is the combination of the EBMUD pipeline with a water reuse facility – generating 13,480 AFY. All three options would suffice to meet our four-year water supply target. The Marin County Civil Grand Jury report recommended 10,000 to 15,000 AFY to meet the target. But, in penciling it out, 9,000 AFY would suffice. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Commentary: Cost of increasing Marin Municipal Water District water supply is expensive, no matter how it is sliced
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Illegal marijuana grows threaten Antelope Valley’s way of life
Scott Wilk, current Senate Republican Leader and representative of the 21st Senate District, writes, “Illegal marijuana grows in the once-quiet Antelope Valley are a threat to California’s environmental goals and the safety of Californians. These operations have caused an increase in human trafficking, assaults, and robberies and are responsible for the murders of at least five people living in our high desert community. These dire circumstances have united public officials against a common enemy—illicit growers. Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, and I held a recent helicopter tour and roundtable discussion with Attorney General Rob Bonta, local law enforcement, elected officials, and representatives of water agencies to bring new light and collaboration to the issue. ... ” Read more from the LA Daily News here: Illegal marijuana grows threaten Antelope Valley’s way of life
Skid row homeless shelter pleads for water donations amid heat
“The sun was at its peak as the Midnight Mission began lunch service on San Pedro Street in skid row. Sweat dripped down the backs of the unhoused men and women who waited in line for something to eat — and to drink. The latter was becoming harder to procure as the summer heat settled across Los Angeles, the U.S. city with the largest unhoused population. For the Midnight Mission, which serves the swelling ranks of homeless people, this has meant a growing need for water donations. “Water isn’t a privilege; it’s mandatory,” said Georgia Berkovich, director of public affairs for the mission. “And even more so now, we’re seeing more and more people coming for water, and we’re seeing more heat-related illnesses on skid row.” … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Skid row homeless shelter pleads for water donations amid heat
Rowe: Funeral for the Poseidon Huntington Beach Desalination Half-Project
Kelly E. Rowe, a California-licensed engineering geologist/hydrogeologist water resources and environmental management consultant and member of the OCWD board of directors, writes, “Since the California Coastal Commission denied its coastal development permit on May 12th for the Poseidon Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project, everyone now assumes “Poseidon is Dead in Orange County”. This funeral is to assert it really is dead, and perhaps should never have been alive in the first place. Poseidon started marketing its most-expensive, last-resort, project to Orange County in 1999, 23-years ago. From the beginning to its end, Poseidon was told repeatedly by essentially all wholesale and retail water managers and technical professionals in OC that their desal water was too expensive and not needed, as there are many other cheaper sources of water available to OC. That did not stop Poseidon, however, as it reportedly spent over $100 million trying to sell its desal plant and site, located 5 feet above sea level, about four blocks from the beach. … Poseidon should have simply done their homework. … ” Read more from the Voice of the OC here: Rowe: Funeral for the Poseidon Huntington Beach Desalination Half-Project
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
When there’s arsenic in the water, but ‘we have nowhere to go’
“Three times a week, Pascual Campos Ochoa, 26, loads up a duffel bag with a brown fleece blanket and a plastic container of oatmeal. A van picks him up from the dusty trailer park where he lives — where stray dogs wander among the carcasses of old cars and working electricity is not a given — and takes him to a clinic for kidney dialysis. Still, it was not until recently, he said, that he considered that his health problems may be tied to the trailer he has shared with his family for 16 years at the Oasis Mobile Home Park — and the water tainted with high levels of arsenic that spewed for years from its aging pipes. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: When there’s arsenic in the water, but ‘we have nowhere to go’ | Read via Yahoo News
Along the Colorado River …
U.S. House approves bill to allow CRIT to lease water allocation
“A U.S. House version of S. 3308, a bill that would authorize the Colorado River Indian Tribes to lease a portion of its federal Colorado River water allocation, has been approved in a vote on the House floor. Arizona District 3 Congressman Raul Grijalva introduced the House legislation as part of a larger drought relief bill. It awaits passage in the Senate. It would then go to President Biden for his signature. The legislation would provide Arizona critical drought relief while upholding water rights for the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT). ... ” Read more from the Parker Pioneer here: U.S. House approves bill to allow CRIT to lease water allocation
Arizona farms stunted by megadrought, Colorado producers say the choice lies ahead between lawns and food is ahead
“Colorado River basin water has transformed Nancy Caywood’s fields in the desert southwest of Phoenix into carpets of green cotton and alfalfa for generations. But in June the alfalfa was expected to dry up and a vast majority of the cotton wasn’t even planted. The irrigation canal that serves her property was shut down amid a 22-year megadrought that has hurt growers across the seven states that comprise the basin. Vultures gathered around in the muddy pools of her canal, feasting on the dying fish, a week after her hay was cut in early June, likely for the last time this year. At the same time, the bills from Caywood’s irrigation district are going up to cover increased energy costs to pump water. ... ” Read more from Colorado Politics here: Arizona farms stunted by megadrought, Colorado producers say the choice lies ahead between lawns and food is ahead
In national water news today …
Flood maps show US vastly underestimates contamination risk at old industrial sites
“Climate science is clear: Floodwaters are a growing risk for many American cities, threatening to displace not only people and housing but also the land-based pollution left behind by earlier industrial activities. In 2019, researchers at the U.S. Government Accountability Office investigated climate-related risks at the 1,571 most polluted properties in the country, also known as Superfund sites on the federal National Priorities List. They found an alarming 60% were in locations at risk of climate-related events, including wildfires and flooding. As troubling as those numbers sound, our research shows that that’s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. … ” Read more from The Conversation here: Flood maps show US vastly underestimates contamination risk at old industrial sites
Senate approves Water Resources Development Act package
“The Senate last week approved its 2022 version of the Water Resources Development Act, biennial legislation that authorizes a variety of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects and studies. The Senate’s amended version of H.R. 7776 passed by a tally of 93–1, and it will now be used to negotiate a final water resources package with the House of Representatives. The Senate-approved WRDA bill would authorize 36 new Army Corps feasibility studies. Earlier this summer, the House of Representatives approved its own WRDA proposal that carried authorizations for 72 feasibility studies, among other provisions. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: Senate approves Water Resources Development Act package
3 issues to watch as heat strains the grid
“From the Pacific Northwest to coastal New England, millions of Americans have endured sweltering temperatures in recent weeks, driving record energy consumption and offering a snapshot of emerging risks facing the nation’s power system. While grid operators say the electricity system has largely held up so far this summer, Texas — where the grid remains under close watch after blackouts last year — saw record-breaking power demand during the latest heat wave and issued two conservation alerts to energy consumers in July. In some parts of the country, heat has also been linked to drought, creating challenges for hydropower and thermal plants that rely on water for temperature control. “Many forms of thermoelectric generation, like coal and nuclear, that utilize water for cooling, can be heavily impacted by drought and hot water temperatures. The efficiencies of the plant also decrease if they’re not sufficiently cooled,” Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said in an email. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: 3 issues to watch as heat strains the grid
Commentary: 96% of U.S. climate data is corrupted
Anthony Watts, a senior fellow for environment and climate at The Heartland Institute, writes, “A new study, Corrupted Climate Stations: The Official U.S. Surface Temperature Record Remains Fatally Flawed, finds approximately 96 percent of U.S. temperature stations used to measure climate change fail to meet what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) considers to be “acceptable” and uncorrupted placement by its own published standards. The report, published by The Heartland Institute, was compiled via satellite and in-person survey visits to NOAA weather stations that contribute to the “official” land temperature data in the United States. The research shows that 96% of these stations are corrupted by localized effects of urbanization – producing heat-bias because of their close proximity to asphalt, machinery, and other heat-producing, heat-trapping, or heat-accentuating objects. … ” Continue reading at the Heartland Institute here: 96% of U.S. climate data is corrupted
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
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Mount Shasta. Image by Resa Infinite from Pixabay With conservation trending in the right direction, Governor Newsom rallies local water agencies to do more
- Biggest environmental issues facing California? Drought, wildfires and climate change, according to new PPIC survey.
- Interactive: How to conserve water at home amid California’s worsening drought
- House approves bill to help West fight wildfires, drought
- How compost is helping farmers save water, survive drought
- Two California fires in the Sierra Nevada have very different outcomes. Why?
- Editorial: Delta tunnel plan raises more questions than it answers
- California should build infrastructure, not shame water users
- Two new decisions on the Potter Valley diversion from the Eel River
- Murky, muddy mystery in Oakland Estuary water
- State regulators deny request for more water for Monterey Peninsula housing
- Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority enters agreement to plan water import pipeline
- Column: Beneath parched L.A. is a sea of water. It bubbles up in places, but can it quench our thirst?
- EPA preps cyber rule for water sector
- And more …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Groundwater Protection Targets
