On the calendar today …
- EVENT: Drought to Flood Symposium: Building Resilience for California’s Climate Extremes from 9am to 12:30pm. The California Department of Water Resources is hosting an event centered on the impacts of climate change extremes in California. The agenda features speaker presentations and insightful panel discussions about how to build climate change resiliency in water resources and flood management. Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lWt42165SvS8RFSMBxzISw
- GRA WEBCAST: Downhole Geophysics for Groundwater and MAR from 12pm to 1pm. The borehole geophysics presentation will cover the use of geophysical well logs for hydrogeology applications, focusing on the practical: (1) which techniques are most appropriate for different applications and project needs and (2) how to understand and interpret the log results to provide valuable answers. Pertinent examples and case studies will be provided showcasing the integration of different logs for different groundwater applications including aquifer characterization, well design and cleanup, and recharge monitoring. Click here for more information and to register.
In California water news today …
Shasta Lake helped water California; now its dryness is a threat to the state
“Few places are more critical to the water supply in California than this immense northern reservoir in the foothills of the Cascade Range.Shasta Lake can hold enough water to meet the needs of six million people and one-third of California’s farmland. It also provides water for salmon and other threatened species and helps keep salt water at bay in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which serves as a hub for statewide water transfers. Until this century, Shasta successfully did all of that, helping California grow to more than 39 million people and the world’s fifth-largest economy. But a succession of ever-worsening droughts over the past two decades has made inflows into Shasta far less reliable. The current drought is the most severe on record, and Shasta’s water level is now 33% of its capacity. … ” Read more from the Wall Street Journal here: Shasta Lake helped water California; now its dryness is a threat to the state
If you don’t already live in a sponge city, you will soon
“Like anything else, water is great in moderation—urbanites need it to survive, but downpours can flood streets and homes. And as you might have noticed, climate change isn’t good at moderation. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, supercharging storms to dump more water quicker, which can overwhelm municipal sewer systems built for the climate of long ago. Thus you get the biblical flooding that’s been drowning cities around the world, from Zhengzhou, China, to Seoul, South Korea, to Cologne, Germany, to New York City. In response, urban planners are increasingly thinking of cities less as rain jackets—designed to whisk water away as fast as possible before it has a chance to accumulate—and more as sponges. By deploying thirsty green spaces and digging huge dirt bowls where water can gather and percolate into underlying aquifers, “sponge cities” are making rain an asset to be exploited instead of expelled. … ” Read more from Wired here: If you don’t already live in a sponge city, you will soon
Clean Water Act at 50: environmental gains, challenges unmet
“Lifelong Cleveland resident Steve Gove recalls when the Cuyahoga River symbolized shame — fetid, lifeless, notorious for catching fire when sparks from overhead rail cars ignited the oil-slicked surface. “It was pretty grungy,” said the 73-year-old, an avid canoeist in his youth who sometimes braved the filthy stretch through the steelmaking city. “When you went under those bridges where the trains were hauling coke from the blast furnaces, you had to watch for cinders and debris falling off.” It wasn’t the only polluted U.S. river. But outrage over a 1969 Cuyahoga fire — the latest in a series of environmental disasters including a 3-million-gallon oil spill off California’s Santa Barbara months earlier — is widely credited with inspiring the Clean Water Act of 1972. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Clean Water Act at 50: environmental gains, challenges unmet
As California plans for a new desalination plant, take a look at how these facilities work
“California, a state that has been facing devastating droughts and wildfires, approved a $140 million desalination plant on October 13 that would enable it to convert seawater into fresh water. It will join a cadre of 12 other facilities currently operating off the coast of California. While getting plans for the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project past the California Coastal Commission was a major regulatory hurdle that has since been cleared, the project will still need other state permits before construction can begin, according to Reuters. The proposed facility (estimated to be completed in 2027) will provide 5 million gallons of drinking water for 40,000 people in Orange County daily. This will reduce the district’s reliance on water imported from the State Water Project and the Colorado River by up to 70 percent and bolster the emergency supply, LA Times reported. … ” Read more from Popular Science here: As California plans for a new desalination plant, take a look at how these facilities work
California’s tomato farmers are getting squeezed by water crisis as growing costs continues to rise
“Take a summertime drive on Interstate 5 through the heart of the Golden State and it is nearly impossible to miss the truckloads of tomatoes being hauled straight from harvest to production. This year, however, fewer tomatoes were grown as rising interest rates, inflation and the crushing drought squeezed farmers who saw their margins sliced and diced. While the cost of growing tomatoes continues to rise, it’s ultimately hitting consumers in the wallet as well. California’s tomato growers produced less than hoped this season. In January, CTGA was targeting the production of 12.2 million tons of tomatoes. In May, that number was revised down to 11.7 million tons and now, as the growing season is coming to an end, Montna said the true number will be less than that. … ” Read more from CNN here: California’s tomato farmers are getting squeezed by water crisis as growing costs continues to rise
Will growers favor cotton over almonds?
“While it remains early, weather models suggest yet another dry year for the West, meaning continued reductions of irrigation supplies for farmers. How much water California farmers have next summer for crops will depend on winter rain and snow in the Sierra and Cascade watersheds. Arizona farmers will fare worse as their promise of Central Arizona Project water was eliminated earlier this year. Groundwater will be their only source for irrigation. One dynamic to watch in 2023 will be the cotton and canning tomato rotation common with some California growers. Agronomic challenges in tomatoes and higher cotton prices will surely drive those who can, to favor Pima cotton. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Will growers favor cotton over almonds?
How Big Sur’s luxury resorts plan to protect themselves from the next big wildfire
“Fire response is especially tricky in Big Sur, a community sandwiched between 3,000-foot mountains to the east and the Pacific to the west, and spread across 70 remote miles of Highway 1. There is a volunteer fire department there, but the closest fire district is 30 minutes away in Carmel Highlands. Roads are narrow and winding. There is no municipal water system or gas utility provider. The 1,500 residents there are proudly self-reliant — some live completely off-grid — but wildfires are putting that lifestyle to the test.Now, a small group of prominent property owners is banding together to fortify two square miles of territory — steep forested terrain skirting the highway — against future fires. Marx, retired from a career in information technology and a stint volunteering with Big Sur’s volunteer fire department, was recently instated to coordinate fire prevention efforts for this informal coalition. Among other improvements, the group hopes to build its own custom fire suppression infrastructure, complete with massive water tanks and miles of distribution pipes. … ” Read more fromt he San Francisco Chronicle here: How Big Sur’s luxury resorts plan to protect themselves from the next big wildfire
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Lady of the Lake: About algae
“Dear Lady of the Lake, The lake is always green and there is so much algae, it’s everywhere. We are visiting another lake this weekend, will there be algae there too? How do we find out? Dear Asking, Thank you for asking this question, it’s timely and very important! There is also a lot of confusion around “algae” and what is commonly mistaken for algae. What you are probably concerned about is actually cyanobacteria. However, what you are noticing about your lake happens every summer, and not just in Clear Lake, but in other places around the state, around the Country, and around the world. Now it’s important to recognize that algae is not cyanobacteria, and cyanobacteria is not algae. … ” Read more from the Lake County News here: Lady of the Lake: About algae
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Spawning salmon face gauntlet of drought, aquatic invasive species
“Taylor Creek has recently been referred to as a parking lot by local fishing guide JD Richey in a recent Facebook post. On Oct. 2, Richey posted a video on Oct. 2 showing social media followers the aquatic invasive species project, the low levels of the creek and the “brutal gauntlet” the kokanee salmon face this spawning season. “This area has one of the highest concentrations of invasive species anywhere around the lake. Eurasian watermilfoil is the major plant species being released into the lake from these creeks,” according to the Tahoe Fund’s website. This project is part of a larger effort by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to restore one of the last natural wetlands in the basin. Tahoe Fund provided $100,000 to the project and hosts a video on their website explaining the extensive and collaborative effort that has been enacted to remove 17 acres of invasive plants in Taylor and Tallac creeks. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Spawning salmon face gauntlet of drought, aquatic invasive species
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Sacramento event stresses flood preparedness, but it’s the big trucks that steal the show
“With the Sacramento River levee rising above, children took turns Saturday blowing the horns of garbage trucks, posing for pictures in front of police helicopters and oohing at dump trucks that weighed tons more than the ones that fit in their hands. The city of Sacramento organized the Highwater Jamboree at Garcia Bend Park in Sacramento’s Pocket neighborhood to remind families to prepare for the possibility of flooding from the river on the other side of the levee, and plenty of people stopped by booths hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers, Farmers Insurance, the American Red Cross and the city’s flood experts. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Sacramento event stresses flood preparedness, but it’s the big trucks that steal the show | Read via MSN News
Putah Creek: Being patient and persistent with nature
Andrew Rypel writes, “In the coming weeks, fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) will appear in Putah Creek again to spawn. The fact that any salmon spawn in Putah Creek is a small miracle, and testimony to the resilience of salmon and a small army of people that worked tirelessly to restore and care for the ecosystem. UC Davis Emeritus Distinguished Professor Peter B. Moyle was one of the lynch pins in making this happen. Field data from the classes he taught at UC Davis were used in the legal proceedings to improve the creek in the late 1990s, partly because no one else studied the stream. Like many California rivers, flows are an organizing ecological factor, driving the assembly of native and non-native fishes in Putah Creek (Marchetti and Moyle 2001). Since the Putah Creek Accord in 2000, several changes to water management have proved beneficial to native fishes (Keirnan et al. 2012, Jacinto 2020). … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: Being patient and persistent with nature
BAY AREA
This big Bay Area weather change is reducing wildfire danger in October
“Longtime residents know that autumn is usually the most dangerous time for wildfires in California. In most years, six months without considerable rain means October has the driest vegetation of the year. Combine that with strong seasonal winds that often blow from the land toward the ocean, and four of the five deadliest fires in recorded California history have occurred in October or early November, including the Camp Fire in 2018, the Oakland Hills Fire in 1991, and the Wine Country fires in 2017. But this year is different. October is half over and there are no major fires burning out of control anywhere in the state, despite the state being mired in the third year of a drought. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: This big Bay Area weather change is reducing wildfire danger in October
Excellence in Safety Award: Northern California Bel Marin Levee Construction
“This two-mile stretch of levee is the largest segment of the 2,600-acre Hamilton Wetlands Restoration Project on San Pablo Bay in Marin County. Once complete, the project allowed bay waters to eventually reclaim nearly 1,600 acres of former tidal marshes that had been diked and drained for agriculture and development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The project also provided flood control for nearby communities. To construct the levee, the team excavated and placed more than 1.4 million cubic-yards of earthwork utilizing a wide range of equipment including haul trucks and tractors. The team also constructed seasonal wetland ponds and an alkaline meadow to create additional wetland habitat. The team also partnered with a local nonprofit organization to replant the landscape for 45 acres of native plants. … ” Read more from Engineering News-Record here: Excellence in Safety Award: Northern California Bel Marin Levee Construction
Air quality monitored as East Bay peat fire, doused months ago, smolders again
“A stubborn fire in Contra Costa County wetlands that burned for weeks during the summer, periodically pushing acrid smoke across the region before it was finally extinguished by flooding the area, has started to smolder again, fire officials said Sunday. While air quality was in the “acceptable” range Sunday, county health officials said they were monitoring the situation and would alert residents if conditions changed. The Marsh Fire ignited in late May at a homeless encampment at Marsh Creek Road and Walnut Boulevard in Pittsburg. No injuries were reported, but the fire totally consumed the encampment and over the next six weeks burned into large amounts of peat and brush in an area mostly inaccessible to fire crews because of the unstable soil. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Air quality monitored as East Bay peat fire, doused months ago, smolders again
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
New state park in Stanislaus could open next year, plus other updates from Dos Rios
“A state park could open by summer 2023 at the Dos Rios Ranch riverside preserve, 10 miles southwest of Modesto. That update came Friday from Armando Quintero, director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. He was among numerous leaders celebrating 10 years of floodplain restoration where the Tuolumne River meets the San Joaquin. The 2022-23 state budget earmarked $5 million for park planning and some construction, such as trails, picnic tables, parking and restrooms. Future funding could bring a campground, boat ramp and other attractions, with a cost and timeline yet to be determined. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: New state park in Stanislaus could open next year, plus other updates from Dos Rios
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Warmer, drier weather on the way after weekend storm
“Warmer and drier weather is expected to return to Southern California in the coming days, after a weekend storm swept across the region on Saturday and forced a temporary evacuation of parts of San Bernardino County scarred by recent burns. As a low-pressure system that brought pockets of rain to Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties moved east and headed out of the region, evacuations in the areas included in the Apple and El Dorado fires burn areas were lifted early Sunday and a shelter was closed, with the fears of potential mud and debris flows eased. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Warmer, drier weather on the way after weekend storm
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The promise of lithium sparks a gold rush in Imperial Valley
“The geothermal plant established by San Diego-based EnergySource looks like a refinery, sitting on the flat desert land of the Imperial Valley. It was built in the township of Calipatria in 2006, and since then, it has produced geothermal energy by extracting searing, hot water that is found underground. But that underground lake has something more than just heat. The water is loaded with minerals ready to be mined, including manganese, zinc and lithium. It’s lithium that has spawned a flurry of construction and speculation as the demand for lithium car batteries rockets into the stratosphere. … ” Read more from KPBS here: The promise of lithium sparks a gold rush in Imperial Valley
Along the Colorado River …
Another rubber tree plant offers hope for the water-starved West
“In Arizona, farmers are exploring how drought-resistant guayule can help agriculture survive – and sustain the region’s water supply The fundamentals of farming are simple – crops need water to grow. So what happens when unprecedented drought causes water shortages and mandatory cutbacks in water available for agriculture? It’s no longer a theoretical question in the Colorado River Basin. In Arizona, many farmers have already lost access to Colorado River water for irrigation, amid restrictions this year that cut the state’s supply by 20%. Will Thelander is one of them. … As climate change brings ever hotter and drier conditions in the West, the third-generation farmer is planting a new crop – guayule – that uses dramatically less water than corn, cotton, alfalfa and wheat. Little known outside the Southwest, guayule is a natural source of rubber that is seen as a potential alternative to rubber from trees in Southeast Asia. ... ” Read more from the Walton Family Foundation here: Another rubber tree plant offers hope for the water-starved West
A dusty tale in California and words of wisdom for Utah as the Great Salt Lake shrinks
“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began siphoning the waters of the 110-square-mile Owens Lake in 1913. Within 13 short years, the California lake went dry. The water helped build the then-fledgling city of Los Angeles, but left residents in the hills of Owens Valley choking on the dust left behind as the utility siphoned the waters from its tributaries and built a massive aqueduct. Winter storms whipped up that dust, laden with harmful metals, and soon put Owens Lake on the map for being the source of the nation’s worst dust pollution. The story of Owens Lake and its sister lake to the north, Mono, prompted a group of Utah media to travel to the area this summer to glean from the lessons, the failures along the way, and what the take home should be for the Great Salt Lake. … ” Read more from Deseret News here: A dusty tale in California and words of wisdom for Utah as the Great Salt Lake shrinks
SCOTUS decision could impact Arizona water ways
“The Supreme Court kicked off its new term earlier this month with a case which could impact Arizona’s water ways. Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency challenges a definition at the core of the Clean Water Act, what is considered a water of the United States (WOTUS). The 1972 law prevents the discharge of hazardous materials into the nation’s navigable waters. Conservationists fear the Supreme Court’s decision could yank Arizona water ways from federal protection, opening the door for developers and the mining industry, who have long argued the definition of WOTUS is too broad. “They are trying to weaken the Clean Water Act and make it so that it applies to fewer waters in many places including here in Arizona,” said Sandy Bahr, Chapter Director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. … ” Read more from Channel 4 here: SCOTUS decision could impact Arizona water ways
In national water news today …
Power and water: How can data centers be made genuinely sustainable?
“The growing issues regarding data center power usage are well know and have even led to moratoriums on new facilities in a number of key markets, not to mention rising political pressure for action. But following a hot summer across swathes of the northern hemisphere, a growing clamor of voices are beginning to warn about data center water usage, too. … But focusing on improvements to data center cooling systems could help solve both the power and water usage issues, believes Patrick Quirk, chief technology officer at Nautilus, while slashing carbon emissions, too. … ” Read more from Data Center Dynamics here: Power and water: How can data centers be made genuinely sustainable?
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
-
Lake Almanor by Jose and Roxanne California Drought: The reason why reservoir levels are kept low
- Some San Joaquin Valley towns pay hefty price to keep taps flowing
- La Nina firms up winter reservation in the Northwest
- A Delta Legacy: Zuckerman Family Farms
- Desalination plants: can they save California cities?
- Key facility’s fuzzy future
- California Fish and Game Commission holds hybrid meeting
- Soil survey reveals surprising information on the severity of the Mosquito Fire
- Photo gallery: Historic drought marks California’s parched landscape
- Dan Walters: California may reallocate shrinking water supply
- Editorial: The feds can curb a foolish California water giveaway
- Suppression of invasive pikeminnow populations could help native Eel River salmonids
- Resurrecting the Carmel River floodplain
- Coastal Commission approves plan to bury contaminated sediment in Newport Harbor
- How more Colorado River water cuts could affect farming and the economy
- More than 80 percent of the U.S. is facing troubling drought conditions
- And lastly … Highway 1 Road Trip: Six itineraries along California’s iconic coast
- And more …
And lastly …
The 5 most affordable cities in California
Sometimes, it’s what they don’t tell you … “California is known for Hollywood, surfing, Silicon Valley, giant sequoias, and a lot of other things. But an affordable cost of living isn’t one of them. In fact, the state has the second-highest average cost of living in the country, according to doxo. But that doesn’t mean that everywhere in the state is expensive. The five cities listed below offer surprisingly affordable rates on housing, utilities, and other common monthly bills, per doxo’s Regional Bill Comparison. … ” Read more from Nasdaq here: The 5 most affordable cities in California
