On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include a summary of the work accomplished by the 19 water quality programs in the Region over FY 2021/22, and objectives for the upcoming year, and Consideration of New General Waste Discharge Requirements for Maintenance Dredging Operations. Click here for the full agenda.
- MEETING: Delta Independent Science Board from 9am to 5pm. Agenda items include discussion and potential action: Anticipating California Delta futures workshop series; science needs assessment; Delta ISB work plan; Future reviews and next steps on the current and completed reviews; Delta Plan ecosystem amendment update; and Delta Conveyance Project environmental impact report. Click here for the full agenda.
- PUBLIC WEBINAR: SAFER Affordability Workshop #1 from 10am to 12pm. The State Water Resources Control Board, in partnership with the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, will hold three public webinar workshops to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute towards the enhancement of the drinking water Affordability Assessment, a component of the Drinking Water Needs Assessment. Workshop 1: Potential Affordability Indicators: Overview of affordability in the Needs Assessment; · Review of previous approaches to measuring affordability; and Discussion of how the Affordability Assessment can be refined for 2023 and beyond. Click here for the full workshop notice.
In California water news today …
Seven stats that explain the West’s epic drought
“It’s difficult to capture the scale of the drought facing the western U.S., the worst the region has seen in 1,200 years. The dry period began around 2000 and shows no signs of slowing down, with tens of millions Americans facing shrinking reservoirs and potential power outages amid extreme heat. The most-affected area stretches from Texas to Oregon. Here are seven statistics to put help put this drought in perspective. ... ” Read more from The Hill here: Seven stats that explain the West’s epic drought
Water usage in California regions drops
“The California Waterboards showed a state-wide drop in water usage and some regions of the state exhibited a drop of up to 17%. The waterboard said at a statewide level in June of 2014 California residents used 131 gallons per capita daily (GPCD) compared to June of 2022 residents used 101 GPCD. In June of 2021 California residents used 112 GPCD. Kern County uses water provided by the California Water Service Company Bakersfield from the Tulare Lake hydrologic region, and the California Water Service Company Antelope Valley, which uses the South Lahontan hydrologic region, according to the waterboard. … ” Read more from Fox 5 here: Water usage in California regions drops
SEE ALSO: Interactive: How water is used in California and how conservation efforts vary, from ABC 7
Amid drought, some California communities are forced to rely on hauled-in or bottled water. This map shows where
“Many small and rural communities across California are vulnerable to drought and water shortages as they lack the diverse water sources and infrastructure of big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. In some cases, these communities are forced to rely on bottled water or water hauled in from elsewhere, which experts say is costly and unsustainable. Data from the state water board’s 2022 “Drinking Water Needs Assessment” shows that nearly 90 water providers across the state, including six in the Bay Area, have had to resort to bottled or hauled-in water to fully meet their communities’ drinking water needs in the past three years. The report finds that California’s ongoing drought played a role in straining supply for some of these providers. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Amid drought, some California communities are forced to rely on hauled-in or bottled water. This map shows where
Almond orchards may be key to water storage: Flooding orchards with winter runoff to recharge groundwater is research subject
“The next “big thing” in California water development may not be soaring 300-foot high dams. Instead, it may be intentionally diverting winter storm runoff to flood almond orchards northeast of Ripon and vineyards near Manteca and similar permanent cropland throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Proactive recharging of groundwater using California’s immense acreage of permanent crops such as almond orchards and grape vineyards could emerge as a pivotal and critical component of a plan to meet water demands as well as address hydrology patterns expected to be modified by climate change. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Almond orchards may be key to water storage: Flooding orchards with winter runoff to recharge groundwater is research subject
Farmers can save water with wireless technologies, but there are challenges – like transmitting data through mud
” … The Internet of Things is a network of objects equipped with sensors so they can receive and transmit data via the internet. Examples include wearable fitness devices, smart home thermostats and self-driving cars. In agriculture, it involves technologies such as wireless underground communications, subsurface sensing and antennas in soil. These systems help farmers track conditions on their land in real time, and apply water and other inputs such as fertilizer exactly when and where they are needed. In particular, monitoring conditions in the soil has great promise for helping farmers use water more efficiently. Sensors can now be wirelessly integrated into irrigation systems to provide real-time awareness of soil moisture levels. Studies suggest that this strategy can reduce water demand for irrigation by anywhere from 20% to 72% without hampering daily operations on crop fields. … ” Read the full article at The Conversation here: Farmers can save water with wireless technologies, but there are challenges – like transmitting data through mud
Bill would provide relief to farmworkers in drought-stricken California
“About a quarter of the nation’s food is produced in California’s Central Valley. And for decades, people have come to the region to find jobs in agriculture. State senator Melissa Hurtado says her parents immigrated there from Mexico. “They came to the Central Valley in search of the American dream. What they had heard is that the Central Valley was the place where you can make that happen,” she says. “And this region provided that to them.” But as climate change brings hotter, drier conditions, the American dream is getting harder to achieve in the Valley. ... ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections here: Bill would provide relief to farmworkers in drought-stricken California
Valadao, McCarthy, Newhouse lead Calif. GOP in questioning review of water opinions
“U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) led the California Republican delegation and Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) in questioning why the U.S. Department of the Interior is reinitiating consultation on biological opinions for water projects in California adopted during the Trump administration. “The process appears to be a highly irregular departure from common practice, provoking many questions,” the members wrote in an Aug. 8 letter sent to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Specifically, we are concerned that outside entities may have exerted undue influence on the decision to begin this reconsultation and on the ensuing process.” … ” Read more from the Ripon Advance here: Valadao, McCarthy, Newhouse lead Calif. GOP in questioning review of water opinions
Judge blasts ‘mitigation’ that would imperil both orca and salmon
“A federal judge has rejected the National Marine Fisheries Service’s “mitigation” for allowing continued “maximum” commercial harvests of the endangered Chinook salmon the imperiled Southern Resident killer whales need to survive — among the mitigations, that the agency will figure out better mitigations before the orcas go extinct. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones accepted a magistrate judge’s recommendation for summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by Wild Fish Conservancy in 2020. The recommendation revealed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries agency violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act by authorizing commercial salmon harvest at levels that are pushing protected both wild Chinook salmon and Puget Sound orcas to extinction. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Judge blasts ‘mitigation’ that would imperil both orca and salmon
How wildfires affect snow in the American West
“Fresh powder does more than support winter sports. Snowmelt flows into streams, where it helps sustain agriculture, supports natural ecosystems, and provides drinking water. But wildfires are threatening snowpacks, and research on wildfire’s impact on snow water equivalent generally focuses on localized areas, with varying methods and conflicting results. Now, Giovando and Niemann set about rectifying this situation with data from the Snow Telemetry system, or SNOTEL, which uses automated sensors to measure snow depth and other aspects of weather at hundreds of sites around the western United States. The researchers compared 45 burned SNOTEL sites to similar unburned sites. They found that when burned regions were at their snowiest, they obtained, on average, 13% less water from snow than their unburned counterparts. Snow melted completely 9 days earlier in burned regions compared to unburned areas. … ” Read more from EOS here: How wildfires affect snow in the American West
Life gradually returns a year after fire chars Sierra Nevada
“The flames fade away. Firefighters extinguish the last embers. A final curl of smoke uncoils in the wind. A wildfire in the California wilderness has come to an end, and what’s left behind is a blackened landscape of skeletal pines and leafless oaks, scorched meadows and ashen stumps where saplings once stood. Then, slowly, life returns. One year after a wind-whipped wildfire charged across a craggy mountainside above Lone Pine, California, flashes of new growth are emerging in this still-charred corner of the Inyo National Forest, a hiking, camping and fishing playground about 350 miles (563 km) southeast of San Francisco. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Life gradually returns a year after fire chars Sierra Nevada
How dry lightning could impact California’s wildfires
“A study released Monday showed that nearly half the lightning strikes in California from May through August over the period from 1987-2020 are what’s known as dry lightning, which occurs in an area with under a tenth of an inch of rainfall. The research team, led by Dmitri Kalashnikov, hoped to increase dry lightning forecast accuracy in an effort to aid wildfire suppression. Dry lightning occurs when a thunderstorm develops or moves over an area with a deep, dry layer from the surface to several thousand feet, which causes most of the rain to evaporate before reaching the ground. Even though the rain might not be reaching the ground, cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are still possible. ... ” Read more from The Weather Channel here: How dry lightning could impact California’s wildfires
The cost of climate change: Study examines impact of rising global temperatures on economic growth
“From crop damage to cooling failures at cloud-based data centers, climate change affects a wide variety of economic sectors. It’s unclear whether a country’s economy can bounce back each year from these impacts or if global temperature increases cause permanent and cumulative impacts on the market economy. A study from the University of California, Davis, published today by IOP Publishing in the journal Environmental Research Letters, addresses this fundamental question, which underlies the costs and benefits of climate change policy. The research uses an empirical approach to revisit the effect of rising global temperatures and climate change on gross domestic product, or GDP. … ” Read more from UC Davis here: The cost of climate change: Study examines impact of rising global temperatures on economic growth
Amid fight with oil industry, Newsom makes a last-minute pitch to harden California’s climate goals
“Gov. Gavin Newsom this week urged California lawmakers to harden the state’s climate and energy goals, releasing a five-point legislative plan that promises to intensify the governor’s clash with the state’s powerful, billion-dollar oil industry.The proposal calls for lawmakers to enact more aggressive targets on state laws that reduce greenhouse gases and increase the use of renewable energy. Newsom also called for a new law that would establish health and safety buffer zones around new oil and gas wells, restrictions his administration is trying to adopt though the state’s slow-moving regulatory process. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Amid fight with oil industry, Newsom makes a last-minute pitch to harden California’s climate goals
In commentary today …
Editorial: Delta decision needs more alternatives, time
The Livermore Independent editorial board writes, “Last week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released its 3,000-page draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) of the Delta Conveyance Project with an October deadline to comment. That’s roughly the equivalent of reading nine books on an incredibly complex topic days before Halloween. There isn’t enough time. We need to consider the alternatives for statewide water storage before lightly skimming the material and charging forward with a possibly flawed decision. “We are too close to a water crisis to allow all energies to be directed toward what will become a mostly dry, expensive, and frequently empty tunnel, financed by water ratepayers and California taxpayers,” Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla of Restore the Delta stated. “Would a myriad of localized water projects better prepare California’s climate-changed water system?” We agree. In tandem with the Delta Conveyance Project, we need to explore smaller water projects statewide. ... ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Editorial: Delta decision needs more alternatives, time
For water conservation, lawmakers should okay ‘decoupling’
Roberto Barragan, the executive director of the California Community Economic Development Association, writes, “With climate change, our boom and bust cycle of rainy vs dry years will mean fewer rainy years and longer, more frequent dry years. We’ve all been doing our part to conserve water during this drought, but according to figures provided by state water regulators, it’s not enough. We urge the legislature to pass and Gov. Newsom to sign SB 1469 which offers water providers a powerful tool to help encourage customers to save water and fight the drought. SB 1469 makes permanent a program called decoupling which sounds technical but is really a very simple concept to conserve water. When water customers pay their water bill, they are paying for maintenance of our water infrastructure as well as the cost of the water. Decoupling changes the water utility business model from selling to conserving water by severing the link between water sales and everyday system operations. It eliminates an incentive for water providers to sell more water. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: For water conservation, lawmakers should okay ‘decoupling’
Today’s featured articles …
Now at the California Water Library … A Century of Delta conveyance plans
Gavin Newsom’s Delta tunnel plan is out. The debate resumes about sending Sacramento River water south to California’s largest cities and richest farms. How should we update old plumbing that is inefficient, hard on fish, and obsolescent in the era of climate change? How much water should continue to be moved? To inform the discussion, environmental historian John Hart reviews one hundred years of big plans, little plans, impassioned arguments, improvised solutions, unmet promises, changing attitudes, and ecological decline.
Click here to read A Century of Delta Conveyance Plans
New at Maven’s Notebook … The Basics on the Delta Conveyance Project 2022
What is it? How will They Build it? Can they Keep the Fish Out?
In late July, the California Department of Water Resources released an environmental impact report for construction of a 45-mile-long tunnel – or “conveyance” — that will divert high quality water from the Sacramento River, downstream of the state capital, and deliver it to pumps on the southern edge of the Delta for export. The following offers a short review of the basics behind this ambitious and complicated project. The review was produced by Estuary News Group for Maven’s Notebook, written by John Hart, Dianna Bautista, and Robin Meadows, and edited by Ariel Rubissow Okamoto.
Click here for the Delta Conveyance Project 2022 page at Maven’s Notebook.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Audio: Native teens practice first trip down dam-free Klamath River
“For now, the Klamath River dams stand secure. But their days upon the Earth are numbered, as plans for the removal of three dams in California and one in Oregon move ahead. When they are gone, the river will witness a flotilla of kayaks celebrating the open water. That’s the plan, anyway, and native teens from tribes up and down the Klamath recently completed a training session for the first post-dam navigation of the river. Save California Salmon is one of the groups involved in the project. We hear from SCS staffer Danielle Frank about the plans.” Listen at Jefferson Public Radio here: Audio: Native teens practice first trip down dam-free Klamath River
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe Conservancy provides $406,500 to fund planning for protecting Tahoe communities during wildfires
“The California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) is awarding a $406,500 grant to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) to update critical plans to reduce wildfire danger to Tahoe communities. Tahoe RCD will coordinate regional efforts to update Tahoe’s “pre-attack plans” and the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire and Protection Plan to reflect lessons learned from the 2021 Caldor Fire. “We look forward to working with our partners around the Basin to update these important plans,” said South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jim Drennan. “By using the latest technologies, these plans will be living documents, and more interactive, making them more effective tools with which firefighters and land managers can protect Tahoe communities.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Conservancy here: Tahoe Conservancy provides $406,500 to fund planning for protecting Tahoe communities during wildfires
Herbicides on target at Tahoe Keys
“Initial observations of the aquatic invasive species control methods test at Tahoe Keys shows promise but the test is far from over. The methods test, which will take place over three years, is two months under way. Scientists are testing several different methods to knock-back aquatic invasive species such as non-native pondweed and Eurasian milfoil. Applications of herbicides began May 25 and wrapped up May 31, the same day UV light treatments began. “Initial observations are encouraging,” said Dr. Lars Anderson, lead scientist. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat here: Herbicides on target at Tahoe Keys
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Working together to ensure drinking water in the Sacramento River basin in a dry year: North State Drinking Water Solutions Network
“This summer the typically verdant landscape of the Sacramento Valley has taken on the ochre color of the smoke from a forest fire. The landscape has far less water available this year, with farmland fallowed and the iconic waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway and threatened Giant Garter Snakes having far less food and safe haven in the ricelands and refuges than in most years as seen in an Unprecedent Dry Year in the Sacramento River Watershed. And water essential to human life is increasingly scarce for those who depend on small disadvantaged community systems or have a domestic well as their sole source of drinking water. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association here: Working together to ensure drinking water in the Sacramento River basin in a dry year: North State Drinking Water Solutions Network
NAPA/SONOMA
Facing legal challenge on well permits, Supervisors delay decision
“After more than three hours of deliberations, officials punted on a proposal significantly changing how the county issues permits for water wells, pushing any decision to September or October at the earliest. While added scrutiny is coming, the board ultimately felt there were too many variables and too little public input to move forward. The county is under legal threat over contentions that it approves groundwater wells with no meaningful study. Environmentalists contend those wells are reducing water levels in protected streams–and killing protected species. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media here: Facing legal challenge on well permits, Supervisors delay decision
BAY AREA
Marin Voice: Benefits of sea otter reintroduction make sense
Jerry Meral, former Deputy Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, writes, “Marin County needs to welcome back sea otters to San Francisco Bay and Drakes Estero in Point Reyes National Seashore. Sea otters are a “keystone” species. They have a large-scale impact on their environment, making them critical to an ecologically balanced coastal marine environment. Before the population was devastated by Russian fur hunters, between 150,000 and 300,000 sea otters inhabited the Pacific Coast from Japan, over to Alaska and down to Baja California. When sea otters received protection from the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1911, less than 2,000 individuals remained in 13 scattered colonies. California’s southern sea otter subspecies are descendants of about 35 individuals that survived off the Big Sur coast. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin Voice: Benefits of sea otter reintroduction make sense
Marin officials weigh planning changes to spur housing density
“Marin officials might amend the county’s general plan to permit denser housing in environmentally sensitive areas and areas lacking water and sewer service. The Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commissioners held a joint meeting Tuesday to discuss changes to the general plan to allow more housing. The county is under a state mandate to zone for 3,569 more residences in the unincorporated areas over eight years, beginning in 2023. The general plan allows development to occur only at the lowest end of the density range in the Ridge and Upland Greenbelt, the Baylands Corridor, areas with sensitive habitat and areas without water or sewer connections. “These policies have proven to be a constraint to housing development,” Tricia Stevens, a consultant with Berkeley-based MIG, told officials on Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin officials weigh planning changes to spur housing density
Update: Berkeley native is back home after 240-mile trek to East Bay’s water source
“Nina Gordon-Kirsch is back home in Oakland after her month-plus journey to the headwaters of the Mokelumne River, the source of most of the East Bay’s water. Upon arriving at Highland Lakes, after 32 days of going upstream, Gordon-Kirsch said she “felt like a salmon.” “My mom drank Mokelumne River water when I was in her womb, and I was created by this water,” she said. “To arrive there was like arriving at my birth place, my womb, home. It felt really powerful to be so humbled by these waters who gave me life, in a way like salmon do.” … ” Read more from Berkeleyside here: Update: Berkeley native is back home after 240-mile trek to East Bay’s water source
Video: Can San Mateo County’s water supply withstand a major earthquake? A new report raises serious concerns.
“” Watch video from CBS Bay Area here: Video: Can San Mateo County’s water supply withstand a major earthquake? A new report raises serious concerns.
CENTRAL COAST
In a coastal California town, three iconic smokestacks are coming down. A community mourns
“In this foggy Central Coast fishing town, two icons tower above everything. One is Morro Rock, the 23-million-year-old plug of an ancient volcano, rising 576 feet out of the sea. The other is a trident of 450-foot concrete smokestacks, built half a century ago for a seaside power plant. Together, they give Morro Bay its nickname: Three Stacks and a Rock. Outsiders may see the humble smokestacks as industrial blight. But here, they became a cherished symbol of the town’s working-class ethos. … But times change. The planet warmed. The power plant became a relic in an era when California is moving toward renewable energy. It shut down eight years ago, and it’s not coming back. Soon, the smokestacks will come down. Many in the town are heartbroken. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: In a coastal California town, three iconic smokestacks are coming down. A community mourns
Tensions high at Cal Am community meeting
“No doubt many of the 80 to 100 people who attended California American Water Co.’s community meeting in Marina Tuesday night could feel the tension before even setting foot in the California State University Monterey Bay’s student union ballroom. Chants of “No Cal Am, save our water,” could be heard from the parking lot, as around 50 people representing or supporting the grassroots organization, Citizens for Just Water, protested outside the building before the meeting started. Tensions were equally high inside, as residents shouted over Cal Am representatives, criticizing them and the proposed desalination project. But despite the agitation, Cal Am’s Manager of External Affairs Josh Stratton said the public’s vocal frustration was exactly what the organization was expecting when they decided to hold the forum. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Tensions high at Cal Am community meeting
Paso basin continues decline as officials seek real-time well monitoring
“The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin lost another 81,800 acre feet (AF) of water storage this spring compared to last spring—the fourth consecutive recorded decline in aquifer levels since 2020 and a continued sign of drought and overpumping, according to SLO County Groundwater Sustainability Director Blaine Reely. “We’re pumping more groundwater, significantly more groundwater, out of the basin, especially in these drought years, than is being recharged,” Reely told New Times. The spring-over-spring snapshot is a first for SLO County, which typically does its Paso groundwater measurements in the fall of each year. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Paso basin continues decline as officials seek real-time well monitoring
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Valley residents to protest for clean drinking water. ‘This is a human right’
“Even though the state of California declared clean water as a human right a decade ago, some communities in rural California continue to face difficulties accessing water. That’s why Central Valley residents are traveling to Sacramento this week to protest. “We’re urging the governor to fund an affordable water program for our most vulnerable families,” says Pedro Calderon, a spokesperson for the Community Water Center, one of the event’s organizers. Protestors are supporting two bills. Senate Bill 222 would establish the Water Rate Assistance Fund in the state treasury to help provide water affordability assistance to low-income residents. Assembly Bill 2201 would build on the Groundwater Sustainability Act, and would prohibit new permits to drill groundwater wells or alterations to existing wells. … ” Read more from Valley Public Radio here: Valley residents to protest for clean drinking water. ‘This is a human right’
City of Coalinga says it’s being allocated too little water
“The City of Coalinga has tight water restrictions that went into play a few days ago. City leaders say green areas will no longer be watered like it once was. For several years, the City of Coalinga has dealt with dwindling water allocations, putting them in a tight spot. “The people of Coalinga have already sacrificed so much to stay within our water limits. They’ve conserved so much already. We’ve had restrictions in place since about 2014,” says District 1 Councilman Adam Adkisson. … ” Read more from ABC 30 here: City of Coalinga says it’s being allocated too little water
EASTERN SIERRA
Appellate Court rules Los Angeles did not violate CEQA when it reduced water allocations to agricultural lessees without environmental review
“In an opinion published on July 27, 2022, the First District Court of Appeal considered the application of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to a public agency’s administration of annual water allocations pursuant to an established authority. The appellate court reviewed the grant of a writ petition filed by the County of Mono and the Sierra Club (collectively, “County”), who sought to require the City of Los Angeles (City) to comply with CEQA before reducing deliveries of irrigation water to certain lands leased by agricultural operators in Mono County. Reversing the trial court’s decision, the appellate court held that the City did not violate CEQA when curtailing deliveries of irrigation water to the Mono County lessees. County of Mono v. City of Los Angeles (June 30, 2022, No. A162590) ___ Cal.App.5th ___ 2022 Cal.App. Lexis 659] (Mono County). The decision is the first to address whether a water agency’s ongoing administration of water allocations constitutes a “project” under CEQA. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn here: Appellate Court rules Los Angeles did not violate CEQA when it reduced water allocations to agricultural lessees without environmental review
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Column: Did California give Boeing a pass on a major pollution cleanup?
Columnist Michael Hiltzik writes, “Back in 2007, the state of California reached an agreement with Boeing Co. requiring the company to clean up the polluted site of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, outside Simi Valley, to an exacting environmental standard. The site, on 2,850 acres 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles, had been used for six decades as a government-sponsored rocket and nuclear testing complex. When the activities ceased in 2006, what was left behind was soil and water contaminated by radioactive detritus, PCBs, heavy metals, tricholoroethylene “and a witches’ brew of other poisons,” as the Natural Resources Defense Council once put it. The site is “one of the most toxic sites in the United States by any kind of definition,” Jared Blumenfeld, head of the California Environmental Protection Agency, told me in 2020. “It demands a full cleanup.” ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: Did California give Boeing a pass on a major pollution cleanup?
Turning waterwater to drinking water: Conejo Valley water agencies holding event to showcase effort
“The Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, and the Triunfo Water & Sanitation District hope to have a full-scale operation by 2028. It’s easy to take for granted. You turn a knob, and there’s water. But, the drought has shown we need to think more about our water supply. Some agencies which serve part of the Conejo Valley are on the cutting edge of water recycling. The idea is simple: turn wastewater into drinking water. They have a demonstration facility on Las Virgenes Road where you can actually see the recycling in action. … ” Read more from KCLU here: Turning waterwater to drinking water: Conejo Valley water agencies holding event to showcase effort
Simi Valley reduces outdoor water use again to 10 minutes once a week
“Mandated by the Metropolitan Water District amid California’s drought, Simi Valley is further restricting outdoor water use from 15 minutes once a week to 10 minutes. And it may have to eliminate all outdoor watering at some point, according to a city report. The MWD might require it to do so if it determines such a ban is necessary, the report said. “The advice has been, ‘You better be ready to immediately enact zero-days-a-week,'” Joe Deakin, the city’s assistant public works director, said at Monday night’s City Council meeting. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Simi Valley reduces outdoor water use again to 10 minutes once a week
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
A Dead Sea: The history of one of North America’s most polluted bodies of water
“The United States’ century-old ambition to impound and divvy up every drop of water that could be wrung from its most arid stretches began with a flood. A private firm called the California Development Company (CDC) completed a canal in 1901 that zigzagged across the state’s border with Mexico in order to connect the Colorado River to a dry riverbed that aspiring farmers had already begun to section off for themselves, heeding the proclamation by the newly founded Imperial Valley Press that the region constituted “the most fertile body of arid land on the continent.”Only two years later, the CDC’s canal was filled with silt, and the customers who had paid up-front for rights to water that could no longer be delivered started filing lawsuits. The CDC dug a new ditch next to the original canal, but in its desperation to act quickly, the company neglected to build any means of controlling how much of the river was diverted into this new channel: If the Colorado flooded, the excess water had nowhere to go but toward the Imperial Valley. … ” Read more from The Nation here: A Dead Sea: The history of one of North America’s most polluted bodies of water
SAN DIEGO
Baja California officials tentatively agree to mitigation measures to prevent sewage leaks
“A tentative agreement has been reached with Baja California officials to begin mitigation measures to prevent raw sewage from leaking into the Pacific Ocean. Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina told KPBS Midday Edition he met Tuesday night with Kurt Honold, Baja California’s secretary of economy and innovation, and Jose Armando Fernandez, secretary of water for Baja California. He said they agreed to a tentative plan for emergency mitigation measures at the San Antonio de las Buenos sewage treatment plant in Tijuana, to lessen the impact of sewage leaks until planned upgrades are made at the plant. … ” Read more from KPBS here: Baja California officials tentatively agree to mitigation measures to prevent sewage leaks
Along the Colorado River …
An active monsoon will not end the drought, but it’s good for Arizona’s wildlife
“Experts agree that the active monsoon is not going to end the drought or raise water levels at Lake Powell. But the rain does have a lot of benefits. Although reservoir levels in northern Arizona remain low, high country streams are healthy, which can be good for wildlife. It’s also good for small ponds and reservoirs. ... ” Read more from KJZZ here: An active monsoon will not end the drought, but it’s good for Arizona’s wildlife
Lake Powell will be dry in the decades to come, experts say
“Lake Powell is in trouble. Weather, climate change and low snowpack is all coming together against the lake. “Based on the best climate data that’s available, it’s really unlikely that this reservoir is going to be around in the decades to come,” said Eric Balken with the Glen Canyon Institute. That climate data, and the fate of the lake, should concern the millions of people downstream. … ” Read more from Channel 12 here: Lake Powell will be dry in the decades to come, experts say
DRIED UP: Lakes Mead and Powell are at the epicenter of the biggest Western drought in history
“Nowhere is the Southwest’s worst drought since the year 800 more evident than Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the pair of artificial Colorado River reservoirs whose plunging levels threaten major water and power sources for tens of millions of people. Already, the region is being forced to adapt to the sweeping effects of climate change, and the lakes and their surrounding area are nearing an environmental point of no return. … Lake Mead is projected to get down to 22 percent of its full capacity by year’s end, while Lake Powell is expected to drop to 27 percent, according to estimations from the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Both now sit at record lows. … ” Read more from The Hill here: DRIED UP: Lakes Mead and Powell are at the epicenter of the biggest Western drought in history
In national water news today …
The Bureau of Reclamation’s $4 billion drought question
“On the morning of August 4, Patrick Dent, the Central Arizona Project’s assistant general manager for water policy, briefed his board, updating the water supply agency’s caretakers about basin-wide discussions to reduce Colorado River water use. Near the end of his remarks, Dent mentioned an idea circulating among farm districts in southern Arizona and California to help protect depleted reservoirs upstream. The farmers, holding some of the largest, most secure rights to the waning river, proposed forgoing a portion of their allotments in exchange for cash compensation. The numbers were just a sketch, but the dollar figures in play were in the billions. “That kind of funding is not readily apparent in the moment,” said Dent, who stated that a compensation package of that magnitude would not be possible without federal contributions. A few hours later — and a few thousand miles eastward — that funding suddenly materialized. … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue here: The Bureau of Reclamation’s $4 Billion Drought Question
National Academies urge EPA to study sunscreen risks
“Some of the country’s most powerful scientific advisers want regulators to take a closer look at the risks sunscreen products pose for aquatic environments. Members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine are concerned about ultraviolet filters, the key active ingredient in sunscreen and a persistent contaminant that has cropped up in aquatic environments. In a report released today, the National Academies called on EPA to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to better understand the risks they may be posing. Such an assessment is needed not only to protect aquatic life, the authors argued, but also because sunscreen is critical for staving off cancer and other sun-related diseases in people.“An ecological risk assessment will help inform efforts to understand the environmental impacts of UV filters, and potentially clarify a path forward for managing sunscreens,” said Charles Menzie, chair of the committee behind the report. “At the same time, it is clear decisionmakers need more information as they navigate protecting both the environment and human health.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: National Academies urge EPA to study sunscreen risks
