A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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This week’s featured articles …
WEBINAR SUMMARY: Collaborative governance in the Delta
In the spring of 2022, the Delta Science Program hosted a series of lunchtime webinars focused on governance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The second webinar, held in April, focused on collaborative governance.
Click here to read this article.
DELTA LEAD SCIENTIST: Analyzing Delta fish data using multiple fish surveys
At the July meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council, Delta Lead Scientist Dr. Laurel Larsen presented the results of a synthesis study using multiple fish surveys, implementation of the 2022-26 Science Action Agenda, and peer review of the Sacramento River Water Temperature Modeling Platform.
Click here to read this article.
In California water news this week …
‘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
Using seismology for groundwater management
“As climate change increases the number of extreme weather events, such as megadroughts, groundwater management is key for sustaining water supply. But current groundwater monitoring tools are either costly or insufficient for deeper aquifers, limiting our ability to monitor and practice sustainable management in populated areas. Now, a new paper published in Nature Communications bridges seismology and hydrology with a pilot application that uses seismometers as a cost-effective way to monitor and map groundwater fluctuations. “Our measurements are independent from and complementary to traditional observations,” says Shujuan Mao PhD ’21, lead author on the paper. “It provides a new way to dictate groundwater management and evaluate the impact of human activity on shaping underground hydrologic systems.” … ” Continue reading at MIT News here: Using seismology for groundwater management
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
Report: Storing water for the environment: Operating reservoirs to improve California’s freshwater ecosystems
“Large reservoirs like those that rim the Central Valley are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate. They provide multiple benefits including water supply, hydropower, flood management, and recreation. However, construction and operation of these reservoirs have also imposed significant environmental costs, including native fishes’ loss of access to high-quality habitat above dams and degradation of freshwater ecosystems below them. Moreover, regulatory uncertainty for water users is rising as these ecosystems decline. California needs a new approach for managing environmental water in its large reservoirs, particularly as the climate warms and droughts become more intense. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: Report: Storing water for the environment: Operating reservoirs to improve California’s freshwater ecosystems
SEE ALSO: Policy Brief: Storing Water for the Environment, from the PPIC
Climate change projected to increase atmospheric river flood damages in the United States
“A research team at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has found that flood damages triggered by atmospheric river storms may triple from $1 billion a year to over $3 billion a year by the end of the century unless action is taken to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The damages could be limited to $2 billion a year if intermediate reductions in emissions are achieved, the researchers said. “The threat of a megaflood in the western United States is very real,” says lead author Tom Corringham, a climate economist at Scripps Oceanography’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E). “As atmospheric rivers become more intense, flood damages are on track to triple by the end of the century, but it’s not too late to limit the risk. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could significantly reduce projected damages.” … ” Read more from Scripps here: Climate change projected to increase atmospheric river flood damages in the United States
Dan Walters: California faces existential threat of a megaflood
“California had been a state for scarcely a decade and was home to fewer than 500,000 people when it was hammered in the winter of 1861-62 by the most powerful series of rainstorms in recorded history. “This event, which was characterized by weeks-long sequences of winter storms, produced widespread catastrophic flooding across virtually all of California’s lowlands — transforming the interior Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys into a temporary but vast inland sea nearly 300 miles in length and inundating much of the now densely populated coastal plain in present-day Los Angeles and Orange counties.” That description comes from a new study suggesting that due to climate change California is at ever-increasing risk of another disastrous chain of storms, one that would be devastating, both in human and economic terms, in a state with nearly 40 million residents. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: California faces existential threat of a megaflood
California drought: Why more than 530,000 acres of farmlands are now left barren
“The years-long drought and dwindling water supply are estimated to leave more than 531,000 acres of California farmlands unplanted without harvest this year — a 36% increase since August of last year. The new estimates on acres farmed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reflect the struggles of some California farmers to procure water to irrigate their crops as major government water projects supplying their water remain thirsty as drought continues for a third year. “It’s true that things are not great now,” Aaron Smith, professor of agricultural economics at UC Davis. The crops that are likely most affected by water shortages are water-intensive field crops, such as rice and cotton, which have been declining in the state. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California drought: Why more than 530,000 acres of farmlands are now left barren | Read via MSN News
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
Roadway runoff: Simple filtration columns along roads can remove toxic substances and save fish
“Stormwater runoff containing a toxic compound from automobile tires that washes into streams is lethal to protected coho salmon, Pacific steelhead, and Chinook salmon, according to new research published today. In contrast, sockeye salmon seem largely unaffected by the same compounds. The newly identified risk to steelhead and Chinook salmon could help inform mitigation efforts for construction and overhaul of highways on the West Coast to ensure that future runoff is less lethal to for salmon and steelhead. Some western states have already begun designing highways with inexpensive filtration measures shown to protect salmon. “There is good news for the fish. Biofiltration appears to remove a decent amount of the toxicity,” said Barbara French, a research scientist at NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. “As we learn more about the effects of roadway runoff on fish, we learn more about where these mitigation efforts are most warranted.” … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries here: Roadway runoff known to kill coho salmon also affects steelhead, chinook salmon
As Colorado River dries, the U.S. teeters on the brink of larger water crisis
“The western United States is, famously, in the grips of its worst megadrought in a millennium. The Colorado River, which supplies water to more than 40 million Americans and supports food production for the rest of the country, is in imminent peril. … Last week those states failed to agree on new conservation measures by deadline. … Meanwhile, next door, California, which draws from the Colorado, faces its own additional crises, with snowpack and water levels in both its reservoirs and aquifers all experiencing a steady, historic and climate-driven decline. I recently sat down with Jay Famiglietti, the executive director of the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan, to talk about what comes next and what the public still doesn’t understand about water scarcity in the United States. … ” Read more from Pro Publica here: As Colorado River dries, the U.S. teeters on the brink of larger water crisis
Water right conflicts flare up in Northern California …
Feds cut water off to Klamath farmers for remainder of season
“Federal officials announced on Thursday that water will be cut off to farmers in the Klamath Basin for the rest of the irrigation season. The announcement from the federal Bureau of Reclamation was addressed to three irrigation districts in the farming communities along the Oregon-California border. It marks the end of available water that can be diverted from Upper Klamath Lake, the large body of water that feeds farms and several National Wildlife Refuges along the state line. According to Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, residents are frustrated because of mixed messages about how much water they would get this year. … ” Read more from Oregon Public Broadcasting here: Feds cut water off to Klamath farmers for remainder of season
Oregon officials defy order to halt farmer water deliveries
“The Klamath Irrigation District in Southern Oregon plans to defy a U.S. government order issued last week for a halt to water deliveries to farmers in the drought-stricken basin. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation manages the Klamath Project, which includes Klamath Irrigation District and serves 266 square miles (689 square kilometers) of farmland around the Oregon-California border. A limited allocation of water was allowed for irrigators from Upper Klamath Lake this year because of extreme drought. The bureau has said the project is now out of water and ordered a shutdown last week, but irrigation district directors met Monday and authorized the district’s manager, Gene Souza, to continue operations, the Capital Press reported. … ” Read more from the AP here: Oregon officials defy order to halt farmer water deliveries
Klamath Irrigation District reverses course, will halt water deliveries to Oregon and California farmers
“The Klamath Irrigation District in southern Oregon has reversed course and now says it has complied with a U.S. government order to stop delivering water to farmers in the drought-stricken area. The district’s directors initially defied the federal government’s order to shut off water to the Klamath Project, but the Klamath Irrigation District has since closed a canal after federal officials threatened to withhold millions in drought assistance, the Capital Press reported on Wednesday. … The bureau has said the project is now out of water and ordered a shutdown last week, but irrigation district directors met on Monday and authorized the district’s manager, Gene Souza, to continue operations, arguing that the U.S. agency had not provided a legal justification. That prompted a letter from Alan Heck, acting area manager for the bureau, warning that unless the irrigation district reversed course, it would disqualify all lands served by the district from receiving $20 million in emergency drought funding. … ” Read more from OPB here: Klamath Irrigation District reverses course, will halt water deliveries to Oregon and California farmers
Northern California ranchers defy state orders to cut water usage
“The Yurok and Karuk tribes have blown the whistle on ranchers in Northern California who are defying state orders to curtail water usage by diverting flow from the Shasta River, imperiling already endangered salmon of the Klamath tributaries. The tribes say the diversion led to a 37% decrease in Shasta River flows, from 58 cubic feet per second to 36 in two hours on Aug. 17. The Shasta River Water Association’s diversion came days after a fire-induced mudslide killed tens of thousands of fish in a 60-mile reach of the Klamath River. “The Shasta River Water Association is illegally dewatering one of the most important salmon nurseries in California,” said Karuk Chairman Russell Attebery in a statement Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Northern California ranchers defy state orders to cut water usage
The State Water Board takes enforcement action against Shasta River Water Association for illegal diversions
“As California heads into a fourth year of drought, the State Water Resources Control Board has continued to protect water supplies and the environment by imposing curtailments in multiple Northern California watersheds: Russian River, Scott and Shasta Rivers, Mill and Deer Creeks and the Delta. On August 17, the Shasta River Water Association, which is subject to curtailments, informed the State Water Board that it would begin diverting water from the Shasta River the same day. Before the association’s unlawful diversions began that day, the flow rate at the Yreka USGS gauge was 46.8 cubic feet per second (cfs). Since then, the river’s flow rate has dropped significantly, falling to as low as 11.7 cubic feet per second during the early morning of August 24. A minimum flow rate of 50 cfs is required per the board’s emergency regulation to help juvenile salmonids survive and to support the migration of mature fall-run Chinook and coho salmon, which is expected to begin in early September. … ” Continue reading this press release from the State Water Resources Control Board here: The State Water Board takes enforcement action against Shasta River Water Association for illegal diversions
In commentary this week …
Leave groundwater management to local water experts
Louise Lampara, executive director of the Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, writes, “Assemblymember Steve Bennett’s proposed Assembly Bill 2201, which would create a new permanent permitting process for groundwater wells, negatively affects local water districts, municipalities and California’s agricultural community. Despite recent amendments to the bill language, AB 2201 would force a strict new mandate on how groundwater sustainability agencies must operate. The bill removes the ability of locally based groundwater experts to decide for themselves what management options best address local conditions. Instead, the bill would require local experts to make specific findings and determinations for new and modified groundwater wells before they may be allowed. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Leave groundwater management to local water experts
Proposed budget doesn’t do justice to water storage
Assemblymember Vince Fong writes, “Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats had the opportunity to alleviate the state’s twin crises of drought and wildfire by including resources for ongoing funding, prescribed burning and water storage in this year’s budget. These solutions are not new, but they require political will. In light of the haunting memories of past catastrophic wildfires, this year’s budget will miss an opportunity. Sacramento failed to learn from its past mistakes. The proposed budget provides $258 million – a reduction from a proposed $1 billion – for wildfire prevention and response efforts and $3 billion for drought, but lacks any water storage commitment. Critical details are lacking, with discussions ongoing. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier here: Proposed budget doesn’t do justice to water storage
California’s water rights need to be upheld, but must adapt to meet new challenges
State Senator Anna Caballero writes, “The drought conditions in California are putting a severe strain on families and critical workers throughout our state. Many water districts have already imposed restrictions on personal water use, and there are likely mandatory statewide cuts in the near future. As the state senator representing much of the Central Valley, the agricultural capital of California and the United States, I am keenly aware that the ongoing drought and decreased water allocations are causing intense hardship for my constituents. Our agricultural community quite simply needs consistent, reliable water sources to survive. This includes everyone from farm workers facing reduced hours, to the grocers who were already operating on tight margins, to the consumers facing higher prices to feed their families. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: California’s water rights need to be upheld, but must adapt to meet new challenges
Editorial: Give L.A. a little more money to help it take a lot less water
The LA Times editorial board writes, “California has $1.5 billion to distribute to cities and local water agencies to help the state cope with increasing aridity and less predictable rainfall. Should at least a third of it go to Los Angeles to boost a historic water recycling project? That’s an easy “yes.” $500 million in state funding would be a smart investment not just for residents of L.A. but for the entire state. .. Large-scale recycling would help the state immensely by reducing the need for water from the Sierras or the Rockies, more of which could be left in place for local use and to sustain and restore struggling creeks and rivers and the migrating fish and other wildlife they support. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Editorial: Give L.A. a little more money to help it take a lot less water
Questions about water for Governor Newsom: We may hope Gov. Newsom is prepared to go out on a limb to answer them all in the affirmative
Edward Ring, contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “Borrowing a page from the More Water Now campaign, which unsuccessfully attempted earlier this year to qualify a water funding initiative for the November 2022 ballot, Governor Newsom announced a new water supply strategy on August 11. Perhaps with the presidency in mind, or perhaps because he really means it, Newsom’s remarks were surprisingly accommodating towards those of us who have been fighting for more water supply infrastructure. For example, Newsom said “We have a renewed sense of urgency to address this issue head on, but we do so from a multiplicity of perspectives and ways. Not just from a scarcity mindset – so much of the water conversation in this state has been about conservation – but that is a relatively small component of the overall strategy we are introducing here today. What we are focusing on is creating more water, moving away from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance.” This shift in emphasis, if it is genuine, cannot come a moment too soon. … ” Read more from the California Globe here: Questions about water for Governor Newsom: We may hope Gov. Newsom is prepared to go out on a limb to answer them all in the affirmative
Newsom promotes ‘water abundance’—but the devil’s in the details
Edward Ring, contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “Standing on the site of a new desalination facility in Antioch, Calif., Governor Newsom recently announced a new water supply strategy. In his remarks, he introduced a disruptive and encouraging theme, one that injects long overdue and much needed balance into the discussion over how to address California’s water crisis. “So much of the water conversation in this state has been about conservation, a scarcity mindset,” Newsom said. “That’s a relatively small component of the overall strategy we are introducing here today … [Now], we are focusing on creating more water.” It would be premature to be cynical about the governor’s remarks. Sooner or later, California’s ruling elite will have to face an inescapable truth: During multi-year droughts, conservation alone cannot possibly balance supply and demand for water. The shortfall, or the required sacrifices, is simply too big. ... ” Read more from the Epoch Times here (Free registration may be required): Newsom promotes ‘water abundance’—but the devil’s in the details
Income producers should get priority for water in California amid drought
Pat Orr writes, “We have a large group of well-meaning bureaucrats and politicians who talk a good fight against the effects of “climate change” but enact few meaningful policies to alleviate one of the top problems we now blame on our changing weather patterns: lack of water. The news is chock full of ugly headlines regarding the future of farming in half the country and water supply cutbacks in all the western states. The federal government demanded the seven states that depend on the Colorado River (as well as Mexico) to reach an agreement on reductions by last week. Then the feds weakened in the face of a 2022 midterm election. Do we really want to enact harsh new cutbacks a few months before an election? It isn’t just the West that is suffering. … ” Continue reading this commentary at the Victorville Daily Press here: Income producers should get priority for water in California amid drought
Gov. Newsom tackles water, electricity
John Seiler, a veteran California opinion writer, writes, “You can learn a lot even from people whose policies you generally don’t like. A good example is Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose political skills continue to evolve. Newsom knows the two biggest issues in California are not the ones in the news most days, such as the economy, abortion, and climate change. The two biggest issues are water and electricity. Get those wrong and you’ll drown politically. Get them right and, although people might not notice, you will not be hammered because the lights went out for hours. Or they couldn’t water their lawns for years. I recently interviewed Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn, who’s running for the Assembly from District 71. He mentioned how both increased electricity and water prices are boosting charges to vintners in his area, the major wine region in Southern California. Higher Chablis costs will get the attention even of liberal activists. ... ” Continue reading at the Epoch Times here (free registration may be required): Gov. Newsom tackles water, electricity
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
California is not prepared to protect the environment from drought during the ongoing climate crisis
Redgie Collins, Legal and Policy Director for Cal Trout, writes, “This past month was a major setback for California’s diverse freshwater ecosystems. Drought preparedness bill AB 2451, representing real hope for water scarcity, likely failed, and Governor Newsom introduced a Water Supply Strategy that is an important step but inadequate for the protection of freshwater ecosystems – especially in the face of the ongoing climate crisis. Here at CalTrout, we balance the needs of fish, water, and people. We recognize that the California we know and love is a functionally altered landscape. Our work and our vision support clean drinking water for all Californians, a thriving economy, while also allowing wild fish to thrive in our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and headwater habitats. However, this balance is not reflected in the Governor’s or the State’s drought preparedness, vision for the future, or policies. … ” Read more from Cal Trout here: California is not prepared to protect the environment from drought during the ongoing climate crisis
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.
If Newsom wants climate action, why dismiss a California clean energy plan as ‘fairy dust’?
Alex Jackson, director of the American Clean Power-California, and V. John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, write, “With only a few weeks remaining in the legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a multi-billion dollar climate package that could do a lot of good. But the proposals have a few glaring omissions. On one hand, Newsom pushed the Legislature to significantly expand California’s climate objectives, turning a statewide goal of carbon neutrality into law and increasing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets. On the other hand, he proposed something that would have been unthinkable even a few years ago: delaying the planned retirement of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant for up to 10 years. Newsom says it’s a necessary step to “keep the lights on” as the state transitions to a 100% clean power system. But that’s not the only unsettling element of the governor’s climate package. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: If Newsom wants climate action, why dismiss a California clean energy plan as ‘fairy dust’?
No, California doesn’t need Diablo Canyon to keep the lights on
Physicist Amory Lovins, an adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, and Ed Smeloff, who has worked in the energy industry for 25 years, write, “Under the past three governors, California has worked on mapping out a clear pathway to zeroing out greenhouse gases in the world’s fifth largest economy. Meeting this ambitious goal in a way that does not jeopardize electric reliability while maintaining reasonable costs across California’s economy has been the work of energy planners and economists both inside and outside of state government for the past 15 years. But a hasty push from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office to extend the operations of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant may jeopardize years of planning and add huge costs and risks. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: No, California doesn’t need Diablo Canyon to keep the lights on
Why mature and old forests are so important for climate mitigation and adaptation
Beverly E. Law, professor emeritus of global change biology and terrestrial systems science in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, and William H. Schlesinger, a biogeochemist and president emeritus and former director of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, write, “The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that we must substantially reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels and simultaneously increase removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by land and ocean reservoirs. A recent executive order recognizes the importance of mature and old-growth forests in limiting climate change and makes their conservation a national policy. It also sets ambitious goals for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including “to conserve our mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands and restore the health and vibrancy of our Nation’s forests.” … ” Read more from The Hill here: Why mature and old forests are so important for climate mitigation and adaptation
Return to topIn regional water news this week …
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
Napa County sees renewed focus on fish barrier removals
“A push has begun to remove or remediate fish barriers in Napa County. The Napa County Resource Conservation District and Water Audit California have come up with a list of 51 barriers that, if removed, would open up more than 250 miles of spawning habitat. The time is right to seek grants for these projects, the Resource Conservation District’s executive director Lucas Patzek said. “This seems to be an unprecedented time for the amount of funding available on the federal and state levels for habitat work,” he said. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa County sees renewed focus on fish barrier removals
Tahoe Summit explores highs, lows of progress on the lake
“The 26th annual Tahoe Summit brought together local government, public agencies, activism groups and local residents to discuss the progress and challenges that are happening in the Lake Tahoe Basin and the surrounding forests. The event was hosted Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Sand Harbor by Nevada Sen.Jackie Rosen. The event was put together by a multitude of agencies and featured booths throughout the Sand Harbor parking lot with representatives ready to share their knowledge and promote their organizations, providing informational handouts and freebies aimed at reducing waste in the basin. “I just want to take a moment to thank the many organizations, agencies, and advocates who work tirelessly to make sure that Lake Tahoe remains the beautiful and spectacular place that it is,” Rosen said. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Tahoe Summit explores highs, lows of progress on the lake
Is SF hoarding water? One environmental group wants the city to get real about its planning
“An environmental group is arguing that the city’s water agency is taking too much water from the Sierra Nevada, and that its drought planning will wind up hoarding water unnecessarily and hurting vulnerable river ecosystems. The group, Tuolomne River Trust, says its pleadings have fallen on deaf ears up until now. But with the state mulling the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan, a plan that would reduce the city’s rights to water from the Tuolomne River, the question of whether San Francisco controls more than its fair share of water is back up for discussion and spilled over into a meeting of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Standard here: Is SF hoarding water? One environmental group wants the city to get real about its planning
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
San Luis Obispo County’s proposed Paso basin ordinance draws backlash from agriculture
“Paso Robles agricultural stakeholders have been concerned for nearly two years about a revised set of county rules for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin coming down the pike. At first, concerns centered on a proposed five-fold increase in the amount of water each basin landowner could pump from their properties without restriction, and how that could impact the aquifer. But since May’s release of a draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the policy, farmers’ list of concerns has grown well beyond that. In public comment letters submitted to the county in response to the EIR, ag groups panned the new ordinance and warned that the package of new rules and mitigation measures it creates for farmers would be “unprecedented.” … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: San Luis Obispo County’s proposed Paso basin ordinance draws backlash from agriculture
‘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
A major earthquake could cripple vital SoCal water supply. The drought makes fixes urgent
“As drought, global warming and chronic overuse push the Colorado River to perilous new lows, water officials are hoping to prevent an earthquake from severing a critical Depression-era aqueduct that now connects millions of Southern Californians to the shrinking river. Recently, officials from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California celebrated as crews lowered a section of earthquake-resistant pipeline into a portion of the Colorado River aqueduct — the 242-mile system of pumps, tunnels, pipelines and open canals that carry water from Lake Havasu to Southern California. The upgrade is just the latest instance of state and federal water managers struggling to maintain a complex and aging water conveyance system that is not only beset by drought, but also challenged by sagging canals, leaking pipes and the looming threat of wildfires and earthquakes. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: A major earthquake could cripple vital SoCal water supply. The drought makes fixes urgent | Read via MSN News
These celebrities are accused of drought restriction violations
“They’re among the biggest names in entertainment and sports: Sylvester Stallone, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Hart, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. And as Southern California struggles with a third year of punishing drought and unprecedented water restrictions, they may be among the biggest names in water waste in the tony San Fernando Valley enclaves of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, documents obtained by The Times show. The celebrities were among more than 2,000 customers who recently were issued “notices of exceedance” by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, indicating that they had surpassed 150% of their monthly water budgets at least four times since the agency declared a drought emergency at the end of last year. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: These celebrities are accused of drought restriction violations
Return to topAnnouncements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE: August 23 Weekly Update on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
TRAINING: Interagency Ecological Program Fall 2022 In-Person Training Opportunities
EVENT: Invitation to Fall DSP Workshop: Advancing Interdisciplinary Research
ANNOUNCEMENT: Salmon Tag Recovery Request
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