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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets beginning at 9am. Agenda items include a legislative update; 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update – Tribal Engagement; 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update Risk Analysis Briefing; Folsom Dam Raise Modifications Project; and Lower San Joaquin River Feasibility Cost Share Agreement and Local Feasibility Cost Share Agreement Upcoming Study. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- Silicon Valley Water Summit from 9:30am to 11:30am. As our region endures the third year of a severe drought emergency, Valley Water is bringing together Silicon Valley leaders across the public and private sectors to discuss our current water supply challenges and how we can better partner together to find solutions. Water Summit 2022 will feature a panel discussion on how we can become more climate resilient. Regional experts will give presentations on a variety of topics including agricultural water use, sustainability for business, and updates on multiple Valley Water projects. Senator Alex Padilla will provide opening remarks to attendees via a pre-recorded video. Water Summit 2022 will be a hybrid event, streaming via Zoom and Facebook Live on Valley Water’s official page (www.facebook.com/SCVWD).
In California water news today …
‘We’re dwindling like the salmon’: the Indigenous nations fighting for water rights
“In the Bay-Delta, the watershed formed by the two mighty rivers at the heart of California’s water system – the Sacramento and the San Joaquin – signs of worsening climate conditions intensify year after year. … Much of the crisis is caused by climate breakdown, but decades of overuse have made issues worse as larger shares of water are diverted to supply agricultural land and urban consumption. California water authorities have been slow to implement key rules even though they are required by law to review the regulations every three years. Key updates have lagged for decades. Now, a coalition of Indigenous nations, frontline communities and environmentalists has come together, hoping to spur state water officials to secure not just their water rights but their civil rights. The two, they say, are inextricably tied. … ” Read more from The Guardian here: ‘We’re dwindling like the salmon’: the Indigenous nations fighting for water rights
California lawmakers urge Justice Department to investigate ‘drought profiteering’ as water prices soar to historic highs
“California lawmakers are ratcheting up calls for “urgent action” by the U.S. Justice Department to investigate potential water crimes as the state battles “dire” supply shortages and drought. The bipartisan group told U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland that, along with ongoing concern about possible “drought profiteering” and water theft, worry is building that “fraud and market manipulation” is constraining already severely limited water availability. “We believe this manipulation is causing water prices to spike, and may soon cause a spike in food prices,” four state lawmakers including Democratic Senator Melissa Hurtado and Republican Assembly Member Suzette Valladares wrote Wednesday in a letter to Garland. … ” Read more from Fortune here: California lawmakers urge Justice Department to investigate ‘drought profiteering’ as water prices soar to historic highs | Read via Bloomberg | Read via the OC Register
Drought conditions static in California as state’s reliance on groundwater grows
“Nearly 17% of the state remains in exceptional drought conditions with the majority being in the San Joaquin Valley. The weekly drought monitor showed no changes to conditions in California. The past month’s monsoonal moisture improved conditions in portions of the Sierra Nevada and desert regions, but the majority of the state slipped further into drought. As the drought drags into its third year, many look to reservoir and river levels to gauge the severity of the drought. However, California’s groundwater, our water “bank account,” is the true measure of water security in California according to supervisory hydrologist Claudia Faunt of the United States Geological Service. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Drought conditions static in California as state’s reliance on groundwater grows
California’s groundwater problems, explained | Q&A
“Drought in California means much more than rain and snow falling from the sky, or even reservoir levels. When reservoirs and surface water levels are low, the Central Valley turns to pumping water out of the ground to support its cities and agricultural industry. ABC10 spoke with Claudia Faunt, supervisory hydrologist for the United States Geological Survey, about the drought and it’s effects on groundwater availability, subsidence and water infrastructure. … ” Continue reading at ABC 10 here: California’s groundwater problems, explained | Q&A
Tracy Fish Collecting Facility: Moving water, protecting fish
“Every two hours, a large, funnel-shaped container at the Tracy Fish Collecting Facility releases a torrent of water to reveal the latest batch of fish to enter the large holding area. Water cascades down on a table as personnel sort wriggling fish from clumps of aquatic weeds. The small, nondescript batch of buildings are situated about 7 miles northwest of where the bustling Interstate 205 connects the San Joaquin Valley to the Bay Area. Their modest appearance belies the important role of ensuring water is available to the C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant 2 miles downstream and fish loss caused by Jones’ export pumping is mitigated. Export pumping at the Jones Pumping Plant relies on the ability of the Tracy Fish Collecting Facility to salvage pump-entrained Delta fish. “Jones Pumping Plant export pumping ceases if the Tracy Fish Collecting Facility is unable to salvage fish, which affects the Central Valley Project’s mission of water conveyance,” said René Reyes, supervisory fish biologist at Tracy. ... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Tracy Fish Collecting Facility: Moving water, protecting fish
Construction crews race to build replacement canal as Central Valley sinks
“Amid worsening drought conditions statewide, part of the Central Valley has been sinking. Now, authorities are working towards a solution. The land there started sinking almost as soon as farmers started pumping water out of the ground, but in drought periods, subsidence only picks up speed, with some parts of the valley dropping as much as a foot per year. Canals have buckled, and in some spots they can only move water at a fraction of their original capacity. After decades of sinking, the bill is coming due, and the fix might help provide some long term help. “The perception is that the canal is just going down into a hole, but it’s a whole region around here that’s kind of settling in,” explained Chris Hickernell, General Superintendent of the Friant Water Authority. “A lot of people don’t really look at it that way, because the grapes aren’t any lower and the pistachios aren’t any lower. So, what?” … ” Continue reading at CBS News here: Construction crews race to build replacement canal as Central Valley sinks
Reclamation provides $1.2 million in grants to improve water modeling and forecasting to support water management
“The Bureau of Reclamation is investing $1.2 million in eight external applied science projects that will develop tools and information to support water management. The projects selected include the development of modeling and forecasting tools, hydrologic data platforms and new data sets to inform decision-making. “Having the accurate data and quality information is essential for water managers to make critical and timely decisions. We must ensure that we are supply smart,” said Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo. Projects selected include $55,000 for the Agua Caliente Band of the Cahuilla Indians to develop a geospatial data platform to assess and manage Tribal resources. The Coachella Valley Water District will also receive $200,000 to update the Coachella Valley Salt and Nutrient Management Plan in partnership with seven other agencies by developing water management tools to model and forecast nitrate and total dissolved solids. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation provides $1.2 million in grants to improve water modeling and forecasting to support water management
Arid West starts dreaming about piping in water from afar
“Even in the decades before the West plunged into a 22-year drought, the proposals to shift water from wetter states to more arid locations have never been in short supply. There was the submarine pipeline from Alaska to California. Towing Antarctic icebergs to make up for shortfalls in drinking water supplies. A pipeline from Lake Superior to Wyoming. And that one plan that more or less required an invasion of Canada. But those proposals — whether well-planned or bordering on fantasy — have never managed to gain traction. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Arid West starts dreaming about piping in water from afar
How climate change spurs megadroughts
“On an afternoon in late June, the San Luis Reservoir – a nine-mile lake about an hour southeast of San Jose, California – shimmered in 102-degree heat. A dusty, winding trail led down into flatlands newly created by the shrinking waterline. Seven deer, including a pair of fawns, grazed on tall grasses that, in wetter times, would have been at least partially underwater. On a distant ridge, wind turbines turned languidly. That day, the reservoir, California’s sixth-largest and a source of water for millions of people, was just 40% full. Minerals deposited by the receding waters had turned the reservoir’s lower banks white, like the rings on a bathtub. … Depending on how you look at it, California – and most of the American West – has either entered its third catastrophic drought of the past 10 years, or has been in a constant, unyielding “megadrought” since 2000. … ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections here: How climate change spurs megadroughts
24 states get $560M for high-priority cleanup of wells
“The Interior Department is giving 24 states a total of $560 million to start cleaning high-priority derelict oil and gas wells abandoned on state and private land, the department said Thursday. It said up to 10,000 wells could be dealt with as the government begins allocating $4.7 billion set aside to create an orphan well cleanup program under the bipartisan infrastructure plan approved late last year. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are more than 3 million abandoned oil and gas wells around the nation. The infrastructure law “is enabling us to confront long-standing environmental injustices by making a historic investment to plug orphaned wells throughout the country,” Secretary Deb Haaland said in a news release. … ” Read more from the Associated Press here: 24 states get $560M for high-priority cleanup of wells
In commentary today …
Now’s the time: Fair access to water, reliable supply, good jobs
Bruce Reznik, executive director of LA Waterkeeper, writes, “California is flush with cash and staring down a thirsty future. According to the EPA Needs Survey and Assessment, our state needs $50 billion in infrastructure improvements to ensure safe drinking water for everyone. Our unprecedented state budget surplus and drought-induced water use restrictions make it clear: Now is our chance to modernize our water systems, and we must act with urgency. Gov. Newsom acknowledged the need to act quickly to secure our state’s water supplies in his recent announcement of a plan for how to address the state’s drier future. But while many of the strategies he laid out would go a long way toward improving our state’s water resilience, the governor needs to put his money where his mouth is. Missing from his vision for California’s water future was a specific plan for how to pay for these improvements. ... ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Now’s the time: Fair access to water, reliable supply, good jobs
Doomsday or nuts: The H2O case for banning almond trees in California
Marshall Brain, a writer and contributor to WRAL TechWire, writes, “It is impossible to miss all the headlines talking about the water crisis happening (and worsening) in the American Southwest. This is a doomsday scenario affecting tens of millions of people. Lake Mead supplies their drinking water and has traditionally been a source of electricity for cities like Las Vegas.In California, with a population of 39 million people, the problem has the potential of becoming especially dire. The governor, Gavin Newsom, recently announced a $8 billion spending package which attacks California’s water scarcity problems from four different angles … It is an enormous amount of money to spend on California’s water scarcity problem. But what if all of these billions of dollars are ignoring the elephant in the room? What if there are several easy solutions that could save trillions of gallons of water per year? … ” Read more from WRAL TechWire here: Doomsday or nuts: The H2O case for banning almond trees in California
We have to think about water in a new way. Climate change demands it.
Amanda Leland, EDF’s executive director, and Darío Soto-Abril, executive secretary and CEO of Global Water Partnership, write, “Today, almost 800 million people don’t have access to clean water, and 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. Wherever we look, both too little and too much water is wreaking havoc across the world, and in some regions, pitting economic needs against human ones. … With climate change expected to increase the frequency, magnitude and impact of droughts, a complete overhaul of our approach to water consumption and management is needed if we are to avoid being trapped in continuous cycles of acute water stress. … ” Read the full commentary at the EDF here: We have to think about water in a new way. Climate change demands it.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
More than 4,000,000 gallons of water estimated used at illegal Klamath Co. grow site
“A search warrant in Klamath County is stopping more than 4,000 marijuana plants and more than 4,000,000 gallons of water usage. The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) says its deputies and Basin InterAgency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET) served a search warrant today at a property along Wood Duck Drive near Bonanza where deputies oversaw the destruction of an illegal marijuana production operation. KCSO says the search found several large greenhouses containing more than 4,500 illegal marijuana plants nearly ready for harvest or in the process of being dried. Deputies estimate the value at more than $22-million. … KCSO says illegal use of ground water to irrigate the marijuana is estimated at more than 4.1 million gallons of water illegally misappropriated for this grow site during the last several months. … ” Read more from Channel 12 here: More than 4,000,000 gallons of water estimated used at illegal Klamath Co. grow site
Irrigation Manager shares frustrations over order to stop delivering water to farmers
“The fight for water allocations is happening on the California and Oregon border where the government threatened to take away drought funding if a local irrigation district did not stop diverting water. Gene Souza is the Klamath Irrigation District manager which serves 266 square miles of farmland at the Oregon-California border. They are also dealing with drought. Earlier this week, the federal government ordered his district to shut off water to the Klamath Project. At first, they did not. … However, the federal government threatened to disqualify the district’s land from receiving $20 million in emergency drought funds. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Irrigation Manager shares frustrations over order to stop delivering water to farmers
Klamath Basin receives $26 million for drought relief
“The parched communities of Klamath Basin are finally able to whet their whistles this week as millions of dollars are being distributed to quench the thirst of the drought-stricken county. The Interior Department issued a news release Tuesday, Aug. 23, announcing the allocation of federal funding to the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery and ecosystem restoration projects in the amount of $26 million. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Klamath Basin receives $26 million for drought relief
Huffman announces $26 million for Klamath restoration, hatchery projects
“Building on months of close collaboration and engagement with Klamath Basin stakeholders, Tribes, and federal, state and local leaders, the Department of the Interior today announced that nearly $26 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been allocated for Klamath Basin restoration projects, including nearly $16 million for ecosystem restoration projects in the basin and $10 million to expand the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: Huffman announces $26 million for Klamath restoration, hatchery projects
Friends of the Eel River pushes Humboldt County to cease new well drilling
“A Eureka-based citizens’ group wants the county to stop drilling new wells and figure out how to better manage water in the lower Eel River. Friends of the Eel River sent Humboldt County a letter on Aug. 16 threatening legal action if the county is failing to take the Public Trust Doctrine into account when deciding how to allocate water resources from the Eel River, and that its recently submitted Groundwater Sustainability Plan appears to be an attempt to prevent regulation of groundwater pumping in the lower river, at the expense of Eel River fish,” the group’s executive director Alicia Hamann said in a statement. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Friends of the Eel River pushes Humboldt County to cease new well drilling | Read via MSN News
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Nonprofit thrust into spotlight after finding abandoned cable in Lake Tahoe
“It’s a beautiful March day out on Lake Tahoe, the sun is shining, the air is still and there are few other boats on the lake so the water looks like glass. The water is so pristine, it’s hard to imagine there can be anything ugly in the water. Looking into the water, schools of trout swim underneath a boat and about 50 yards away, bubbles are rising from two scuba divers below. However, when Seth Jones and Monique Rydel Fortner, co-founders of Below the Blue, surface, they are dragging with them a rusted engine block that had been used as a makeshift buoy anchor. … Jones and Fortner have been the watchdogs of the lake and have never wanted public attention or recognition for the work they do. They’ve always preferred to be behind the scenes or below the water, but when they discovered an abandoned lead phone cable which belonged to AT&T’s Pacific Bell Telephone Company they found themselves in the public eye. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Nonprofit thrust into spotlight after finding abandoned cable in Lake Tahoe
NAPA/SONOMA
Student-run organization gets permit to help dwindling trout population
“A long-sought permit recently obtained by United Anglers of Casa Grande will allow the organization to rescue fish directly from Petaluma’s watershed, which will help save the dwindling local steelhead trout population and allow its student-run hatchery to operate year-round. The organization, which this year celebrates 40 years of local environmental conservation and fish population restoration, was granted the federal permit this summer following a yearlong review process. Fish rescued by United Anglers from the local watershed will be transferred to the organization’s state-of-the-art hatchery — California’s only high school-run fish rehabilitation program — before being released back to their natural habitat. … ” Read more from the Petaluma Argus-Courier here: Student-run organization gets permit to help dwindling trout population
BAY AREA
Suisun wants input on climate change challenges
“The city is seeking input about climate change and how it should address potential threats. A report compiled by the city, Sustainable Solano and The Nature Conservancy, which came out of a June community meeting, outlines the issues. It will be presented to the City Council on Sept. 6. “Recent events such as severe wildfires, extreme precipitation events, high winds, and extended heat waves have reinforced this urgency and compelled leading communities like the city of Suisun City to proactively collaborate on planning and develop actions that mitigate risks and enhance resilience across their municipality,” an overview of the report states. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Suisun wants input on climate change challenges
Fish-killing ‘red tide’ algae bloom in San Francisco Bay turns the water brown
“A toxic algae called “Heterosigma akashiwo” is blooming in San Francisco Bay, causing the water to look murky and brown and posing a danger to local marine life. The ongoing bloom could kill fish and shellfish with its toxins, but it does not contain the cyanotoxin that kills dogs and sickens humans, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “There are some physical factors that might have sparked this bloom, such as that it’s been relatively clear out, the winds have died down a little bit, we have warmer waters, however, it’s really hard to associate what causes this kind of bloom,” Ian Wren, a scientist with the nonprofit San Francisco Baykeeper, told KGO-TV, a San Francisco ABC affiliate. … ” Read more from the Washington Times here: Fish-killing ‘red tide’ algae bloom in San Francisco Bay turns the water brown
Bay Area development encounters the limits of the water supply
“According to unnamed experts cited in a paywalled article for the Mercury News by Ethan Varian, it’s possible to balance conflicting housing and water shortages in California—despite the numerous ongoing legal conflicts in the state that seem to suggest it’s one or the other. “When Contra Costa County supervisors last summer signed off on 125 new homes slated for 30 acres of grazing land in the oak-dotted Tassajara Valley, they were warned water was going to be an issue,” reports Varian. “Supervisors pushed ahead anyway, and the [the East Bay Municipal Utility District] promptly sued to halt development plans.” The development, called Tassajara Parks, is only one example of the challenges facing the Bay Area as it faces two crises: the persistent drought conditions, expected only to worsen as a result of climate change, and some of the most expensive, inaccessible housing prices in the entire country. … ” Read more from Planetizen here: Bay Area development encounters the limits of the water supply
Weekend forecast: With major temp drops on tap for the East Bay, is fall starting early?
“The last weekend of Fogust is here. Normally around this time of year we see fog recede in San Francisco and temperatures inch up in the Peninsula, but this weekend, the weather feels like a game of seasonal hopscotch. A low-pressure system stalling over British Columbia means the Bay Area will see a strong sea breeze and cooler temperatures today. West side San Franciscans will be socked in with another round of drizzle, fog and breezy winds this afternoon, while the San Francisco Bay will get another taste of cool, gentle winds that will keep temperatures comfortable in Tiburon, Napa and Richmond. And by Saturday, those winds will finally blow into the inland valleys of the East Bay. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Weekend forecast: With major temp drops on tap for the East Bay, is fall starting early?
CENTRAL COAST
$10.3 million federal grant boosts Pure Water Monterey
“Officials with the Department of the Interior have announced that Monterey One Water will receive more than $10.3 million to help fund the expansion of its Pure Water Monterey project. The grant, announced Wednesday, is one of 25 funded by the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for western states battling drought that is likely to only grow worse as climate change advances. Mary Ann Carbone, the chairwoman of the Monterey One board of directors, said the funding is timely as the region is addressing a number of challenges that impact the local water supply. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: $10.3 million federal grant boosts Pure Water Monterey
South San Luis Obispo County governments team up to create new sustainable water supply for residents
“Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, and SLO County’s Sanitation District are planning to create a sustainable water supply for South SLO County residents through a project called Central Coast Blue. It aims to build a new treatment facility to recycle water. “We all share the same groundwater basin, and we meet on a monthly basis for the management of that groundwater basin. So, it was just a natural extension of all the other work,” said Pismo Beaches’ Director of Public Works’ City Engineer, Ben Fine. … ” Read more from KCBX here: South San Luis Obispo County governments team up to create new sustainable water supply for residents
Ojai: Water lawsuit parties say they need more time
“Major parties in a water lawsuit involving thousands of Ojai Valley property owners say they need more time to complete ongoing mediation talks. During an Aug. 25 status conference in the Ventura River Watershed Adjudication case, attorney Shawn Hagerty, representing the city of Ventura, said the parties are “working hard” and “making progress,” but there’s still “a lot of work to be done.” “It is almost certain that if we want to complete this process, and complete it successfully, we will need more time,” Hagerty told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William F. Highberger. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News here: Ojai: Water lawsuit parties say they need more time
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
‘Monsoons’ don’t really help: Friant won’t get extra 5 percent
“It seems strange to say monsoons during a drought were hoped to provide at least a little bit of a respite from the extremely dry conditions, but that really wasn’t the case. Even in drought conditions it’s not uncommon for California to receive monsoonal rains in early August and that again happened this year. But while the monsoonal rains provided a brief improvement in overall water conditions, they really didn’t have an impact on overall water availability. The Friant Water Authority, which governs the Friant-Kern Canal and serves the Friant Division in the Southeast San Joaquin Valley, stated the monsoonal rains were good enough to increase the federal Bureau of Reclamation’s water allocation from 30 to 35 percent of normal. But the bureau stated there would be no increase in the allocation. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: ‘Monsoons’ don’t really help: Friant won’t get extra 5 percent
State grants funding for Tooleville, Exeter water connection
“After receiving funding from the Department of Water Resources, the city of Exeter can finally begin the process of connecting its water system to the community of Tooleville whose residents continue to struggle with water quality and supply issues. The city of Exeter has been awarded $7.2 million through The Small Community Drought Relief Program, to construct a new well and for an emergency intertie to consolidate water systems with the community of Tooleville. This new well and pipeline is just the start of the full consolidation project. According to Exeter’s city manager Adam Ennis, this phase will take around two years to complete. While working on the emergency intertie, Exeter can work on the other moving pieces moving closer to full consolidation. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: State grants funding for Tooleville, Exeter water connection
Raising a stink: A drained Truxtun Lake leaves hundreds of dead fish to rot
“Don’t be surprised if you find yourself driving past the now mostly empty Truxtun Lake and you smell the odor of rotting fish, hundreds of them lying dead and baking in the summer sun. …The lake and the water that was in it are owned and managed by the city of Bakersfield, and as the multiyear drought reduces municipal water supplies, the city made the difficult decision to let the lake go dry. “The city’s available water supplies are being prioritized to the water treatment plants for domestic usage: drinking water, shower, cooking, cleaning and general use for our large population in the greater Bakersfield area,” the city’s Public Information Officer Joe Conroy said in an email. “Therefore, Truxtun Lakes and lakes at The Park at River Walk have been cut back due to the severity of the drought,” he said. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Raising a stink: A drained Truxtun Lake leaves hundreds of dead fish to rot
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Water: Liquid gold in Burbank
“The city of Burbank does not have any rights to water. The water we use is purchased from Metropolitan Water District (MWD). MWD supplies Burbank with its water using two sources: the State Water Project (SWP) and the Colorado River. We are currently in year three of a severe drought. The State Water Project gets its water from snow melt annually. This year, the snowpack was only 38% of normal (levels?), severely limiting the amount of water that the SWP could deliver. In fact, January and February of 2022 were the driest months in recorded history for the watersheds that provide much of California’s water supply. … ” Read more from My Burbank here: Water: Liquid gold in Burbank
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea water managers await toxic algae bloom test results as drought intensifies problem
“As of today, it’s not clear if there’s a cause for concern over any toxic algae blooms at the Salton Sea. The California State Water Resources Control Board has yet to release test results from samples submitted by Imperial County Environmental Health officials this week. The state works with Riverside and Imperial counties to manage the Salton Sea, as the waterway spans across both counties. As of June 30 2022, there were “no new observations made of the bloom for 30 days”, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. … ” Read more from Channel 3 here: Salton Sea water managers await toxic algae bloom test results as drought intensifies problem
SAN DIEGO
Amid drought, Tijuana is paying California for Colorado River water
“Tijuana is paying California for more water than it has in recent years as the city faces a growing population coupled with blistering drought that’s gripping the entire West. Northern Baja is entitled by treaty to 1.5-million-acre feet of Colorado River water per year, which is Tijuana’s primary water source. But for years the amount that goes to Tijuana hasn’t been enough to quench demand. That’s been the case since at least 1972 when the U.S. and Mexico first let Tijuana pay for water from California during a serious drought, before it had an aqueduct to carry river water through the Mexicali Valley. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego here: Amid drought, Tijuana is paying California for Colorado River water
Along the Colorado River …
‘We built a house of cards:’ Deal or not, Colorado River states stare down major cuts
“Major Colorado River cuts must be made, one way or another. The only looming questions are when and on what terms, with negotiators scheduled to resume interstate meetings this week.For months, federal officials prepared the public to expect an announcement on large-scale cuts to Colorado River use by mid-August. But that target date came and went last week without any new action being taken or the seven states within the Colorado River basin agreeing to a consensus-based plan for water reductions in 2023. … Yes, some cuts went into effect for Nevada, Arizona and Mexico. Yet it’s important to note that these cuts were already planned for, accounted for and agreed to in several deals struck over the past 15 years. The cuts are not negligible … ” Read more from the Nevada Independent here: ‘We built a house of cards:’ Deal or not, Colorado River states stare down major cuts
Commentary: Arizona has taken the heaviest Colorado River water cuts. Other basin states must step up
Terry Goddard, president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, and Lisa Atkins, the board’s immediate past president. writes, “There was a lot of Colorado River news last week. But what really happened? Not nearly enough. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that the Colorado River will be in a Tier 2a Colorado River shortage in 2023 under the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) adopted in 2019. This was expected, and we at the Central Arizona Project are prepared. It means Arizona will be conserving even more water in Lake Mead than we did this year. But something much bigger was supposed to happen last week – and it didn’t. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Commentary: Arizona has taken the heaviest Colorado River water cuts. Other basin states must step up
Column: Helping farmers is key to easing the Colorado River crisis
Columnist writes, “The Rev. William Dodd was not above making the occasional fraudulent loan application, which is how he wound up in London’s Tyburn Prison in 1777 under sentence of death. An unusually eloquent plea for mercy, supposedly of his own composition, failed to save his life. Later, the great English writer Samuel Johnson, who had secretly written the appeal, tried to insist that Dodd was capable of such elegant prose. After all, Johnson reasoned, “when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” By the same logic, I optimistically predict a great leap forward in water conservation strategies arising from the parched American West. Such metropolitan areas as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas, along with some of the world’s most productive farmlands, face strangulation at the end of an empty water hose. … ” Continue reading at the Washington Post here: Column: Helping farmers is key to easing the Colorado River crisis
Western drought funding pushes feds and states to cooperate
“The climate and social spending package boosted funding levels for Western drought mitigation projects to an unprecedented level — one that water advocates in the region say the U.S. may never see again. But how the Interior Department decides who gets what water from the dwindling resources in the West, particularly in the Colorado River Basin that is facing a drought crisis, could make or break the historic funding, experts say. The budget reconciliation bill signed Aug. 16 by President Joe Biden provides $4 billion for Western drought and water projects. The money must be spent or locked into specific grants, contracts or financial agreements by Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation by Sept. 30, 2026. That boosts total funding for drought relief to $12.3 billion after the bipartisan infrastructure law provided $8.3 billion. … ” Read more from Roll Call here: Western drought funding pushes feds and states to cooperate
Don’t call it a ‘drought’: Climate scientist Brad Udall views Colorado River crisis as the beginning of aridification
“The generous monsoon season along the Upper Basin of the Colorado River has been a relief to those who remember recent summers suffocated by wildfire smoke in the American West. But according to Brad Udall, senior water and climate research scientist at the Colorado Water Institute and director of the Western Water Assessment at Colorado State University, the relief we’re feeling now is a sign of bigger problems for years to come. “Next year’s runoff will be really interesting to see what happens, it will be a test of this theory of depleted soil moisture,” Udall told a packed room at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Education Center on Aug. 19. The theory he referenced examines how the recent precipitation affects the trending drought conditions, drying reservoirs and the lowering state of the Colorado River, which is the primary source of water for over 40 million people spread across seven Western states, over thirty Native American tribes and into Mexico. ... ” Read more from the Steamboat Pilot & Today here: Don’t call it a ‘drought’: Climate scientist Brad Udall views Colorado River crisis as the beginning of aridification
The Colorado River drought is a cautionary climate tale
“There’s something familiar about the high stakes water use drama playing out in the U.S. Southwest. The mighty Colorado River serves as an economic artery of the region, powering massive hydroelectric dams and supplying water to farmers and rapidly growing cities across the region. But continued overuse during a massive yearslong megadrought—the driest stretch the area has experienced in more than a millennia—has caused water reservoir levels to fall to unprecedented lows, imperiling water supplies and the operation of crucial power plants. Seven states rely on water from the Colorado River: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada. … ” Read more from Time Magazine here: The Colorado River drought is a cautionary climate tale
No more winter vegetables? Upcoming Yuma water cuts to threaten entire US food system, experts say
“If you want to reach San Diego’s sparkling blue ocean from Phoenix, you will first have to navigate a sea of brown shades along Interstate 8. Desert dust the color of Dad’s weekend khaki cargo shorts. Rocks covered in dark brown desert varnish. Trees dried out to the bleached-out brown of a Kansas wheatfield. The beige landscape has occasional dots of green where dry streams have coursed wet. Until you hit Yuma Valley: an Emerald City. Yuma County’s farms are known as the “Winter Salad Bowl Capital,” producing a majority of the country’s lettuce, spinach and cabbage crops during the cold months. The area isn’t some kind of mythical Eden; the crops need a sizable water supply to stay crisp and fresh in Arizona’s arid heat. … ” Read more from Channel 12 here: No more winter vegetables? Upcoming Yuma water cuts to threaten entire US food system, experts say
In national water news today …
Climate change: spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere
“Records from the last five decades show that spring snow cover is disappearing earlier in the year than it did in the past. The area of snow-covered ground is declining most rapidly in June, a month when, historically, Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada remained partially snow covered. Across the Northern Hemisphere, the total area covered by snow during March and April—the end of the snow season for much of the mid-latitudes—has also shrunk over time. Natural patterns of climate variability such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation can affect the total amount of snow that falls each year. In different phases of these climate patterns, some regions receive abnormally large or small amounts of snow. Despite this yearly variability, the long-term trend in the Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover is negative. … ” Read more from Climate.gov here: Climate change: spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere
The world’s rivers, canals and reservoirs are turning to dust
“Rivers across the globe are disappearing. From the US to Italy to China, waters have receded, leaving nothing but barren banks of silt and oozing, muddied sand. Canals are empty. Reservoirs have turned to dust. The world is fully in the grip of accelerating climate change, and it has a profound economic impact. Losing waterways means a serious risk to shipping routes, agriculture, energy supplies — even drinking water. Rivers that have been critical to commerce for centuries are now shriveled, threatening the global movement of chemicals, fuel, food and other commodities. … ” Read more from Bloomberg here: The world’s rivers, canals and reservoirs are turning to dust
Dangerous heat predicted to hit 3 times more often in future
“What’s considered officially “dangerous heat” in coming decades will probably hit much of the world at least three times more often as climate change worsens, according to a new study. In much of Earth’s wealthy mid-latitudes, spiking temperatures and humidity that feel like 103 degrees or higher — now an occasional summer shock — statistically should happen 20 to 50 times a year by mid-century, said a study Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. By 2100, that brutal heat index may linger for most of the summer for places like the U.S. Southeast, the study’s author said. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Dangerous heat predicted to hit 3 times more often in future
National water and climate report …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
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