On the calendar today …
- EETING: Department of Food and Agriculture from 10am to 2pm. Agenda items include a presentation on an Economic Impact Study, and local updates on SGMA implementation. Click here for the full agenda.
- PUBLIC WEBINAR: SAFER Affordability Workshop #3 from 10am to 12pm. This webinar will cover affordability assessment methodology & threshold setting, explore options for affordability indicator thresholds and the affordability assessment, and explore options for incorporating affordability indicators into the risk assessment for state small water systems and domestic wells. Click here for the full workshop notice.
- PUBLIC WORKSHOP: 2023 Nonpoint Source Grant Program Workshop from 10:30 to 11:30am. The State Water Resources Control Board is accepting proposals for the 2023 Nonpoint Source Grant Program. The State Water Resource Control Board will host a virtual workshop to answer questions about the program, and to explain eligibility and application requirements, funding timelines, instructions on the online application system, scoring criteria and more. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Solar Development in the San Joaquin Valley from 11am to 12:15pm. To balance the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater basins, hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the coming decades. Utility-scale solar development—already an attractive option for landowners—could help keep these lands economically productive, but it faces some obstacles. Can solar overcome these challenges and help support the region as a whole? Join us for an expert panel discussion. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: County Drought Plan Requirements for State Small Water Systems and Domestic Wells (SB 552) from 1pm to 3pm. This is the third of four webinars to inform and solicit input from stakeholders on the development of a guidebook to support the preparation of County Drought Plans which focus on state small water systems and domestic wells as required under SB 552. During this third workshop, DWR will review and solicit input on the following draft chapters of the Guidebook: Chapter 4: Long-Term Mitigation Actions and Chapter 5: Short-Term Response Actions.Register in advance for this meeting: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrdu2uqzgsEt0SD_iBc4jTDIqGbAJVI3BF
- WEBINAR: Water equity, affordability & climate change in California from 6pm to 7pm. Water is a human right. Yet, California’s water affordability crisis is growing rapidly as water rate increases outpace inflation, rising 45% between 2007 and 2015 alone.Changes in climate are expected to further drive up costs and impact water affordability but that outcome isn’t inevitable. Improved water efficiency, better planning and more equitable rate structures are key steps to ensure water in California is more affordable for everyone. Guest speakers: Heather Cooley, Director of Research at the Pacific Institute, and Laura Feinstein, Sustainability and Resilience Policy Director at SF Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Organization (SPUR) Click here to register.
In California water news today …
First significant snowstorm of the season hits Tahoe. Has winter come early?
“After a week of will-they-won’t-they, the global weather models finally locked in on the track of California’s first substantial storm of the wet season. The storm’s cold front will ride an atmospheric river of moisture as it sends round after round of heavy rain showers to Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino counties. These rains will then turn to snow as they climb the steps of the southern Cascades. By Tuesday afternoon, the cold front will sweep south and east and bring rain to most of the Bay Area. As for the Sierra, snow showers will roll into the Tahoe area and eventually make it as far south as Yosemite. The stage is set for a wintry mix of weather from this upcoming storm. Its effects will be felt across Northern California today and Wednesday. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: First significant snowstorm of the season hits Tahoe. Has winter come early?
CW3E AR Update: 31 October 2022 Outlook
“An upper-level shortwave trough will interact with the remnants of the first AR, bringing the first significant snowfall of the season to the Sierra Nevada. A stronger AR is forecast to make landfall over Washington on Thursday and gradually move southward into Oregon and California.” Read the full update from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes here: CW3E AR Update: 31 October 2022 Outlook
SEE ALSO: Rain and snow will hit California in November. Will stormy weather be enough to squash drought?
Hoopa Valley Tribe sues US over California water contracts
“The Hoopa Valley Tribe alleged in a lawsuit Monday that the federal government is violating its sovereignty and failing to collect money from California farms that rely on federally supplied water to pay for damages to tribal fisheries. The tribe, which has a reservation in northwest California, says in its lawsuit against the Biden administration that the Trinity River that it relies on for food and cultural purposes has been decimated by decades of the federal government diverting water. The suit alleges the U.S. Department of the Interior has failed to follow laws that require the contractors who use that water to pay money for habitat restoration projects. It says those contractors owe $340 million for environmental restoration work along the Trinity River and other places damaged by water diversions. … ” Read more from the Associated Press here: Hoopa Valley Tribe sues US over California water contracts
Conservation groups prompt federal review of San Joaquin River exchange contract for first time in 54 years
“Defenders of Wildlife applauded a decision by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to request a renegotiation of a decades-old use contract for the San Joaquin River that could spark stronger protection for wildlife and drought management. Defenders and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) urged the Bureau of Reclamation to reform its water supply contract with the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority before the conclusion of the renegotiation period. On Oct. 14, the Bureau sent a letter to the Exchange Contractors, four days before the deadline, with its intent to renegotiate. Though the contract may be reviewed every five years, it has not been reviewed since 1968. … ” Read more from Defenders of Wildlife here: Conservation groups prompt federal review of San Joaquin River exchange contract for first time in 54 years
He was accused of stealing huge amounts of water over 23 years. Here’s why no one noticed
“California’s water police struggle to track where water is flowing and whether someone is taking more than they’re supposed to. A criminal case unfolding in the San Joaquin Valley underscores how the federal government seems to have similar problems. Prosecutors say they uncovered a massive water theft that went on for 23 years without anyone noticing. Earlier this year a federal grand jury indicted Dennis Falaschi, the former general manager of the Panoche Water District in the western San Joaquin Valley, on charges of conspiracy, theft of government property and filing false tax returns.According to prosecutors, Falaschi engineered a brazen scheme to steal $25 million worth of water from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, operator of the Central Valley Project. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: He was accused of stealing huge amounts of water over 23 years. Here’s why no one noticed
How are California’s cities managing the drought?
“The 2022 water year just ended, and the numbers confirm our suspicions: The 2020–22 drought has been the driest three-year period on record. The drought has harmed California’s freshwater ecosystems, dried up thousands of drinking water wells in small communities, and led to fallowing of hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland. Cities, however, have fared better: As in the 2012–16 drought, they have avoided major supply disruptions. But you wouldn’t know this from the news, where the main story is that urban water agencies have failed to meet Governor Newsom’s July 2021 call for a 15% voluntary reduction in water use. So are cities failing to manage the current drought? Or are we focusing on the wrong metrics? … ” Read more from the PPIC here: How are California’s cities managing the drought?
This city paid $1.1M to keep faucets running through March as the price of water skyrockets in California
“Miles of brittle, uprooted almond trees lay dead on their sides on parched farmland in Coalinga, California, as an intensifying drought, new restrictions and skyrocketing water prices are forcing farmers to sacrifice their crops. Roadside signs warn against watering front lawns as residents brace for higher water bills as the precious resource disappears. This is what a city on the brink of running out of water looks like. “We can’t continue this. It’s not sustainable for our community,” Coalinga city councilman Adam Adkisson told CNN. … ” Read more from CNN here: This city paid $1.1M to keep faucets running through March as the price of water skyrockets in California
Wineries embrace worms in the fight to conserve water
“Laura Díaz Muñoz, winemaker and general manager at Ehlers Estate in Napa Valley, is passionate about worms. They factor deeply into the notable focus on sustainability at Ehlers, a 130-year-old, certified-organic, family-owned property. It all begins with water. “We’re installing a new water treatment system that uses worms to process the wastewater, and I’m really excited about it,” Díaz Muñoz says. “It will allow us to treat all the wastewater we use in our facility without chemicals and produce water that’s clean enough to irrigate the vineyards and the landscaping.” … ” Read more from Wine Enthusiast here: Wineries embrace worms in the fight to conserve water
Drought, fire risk to stay high during 3rd La Niña winter in western states, weather officials say
“Drought and wildfire risks will remain elevated in the western states while warmer than average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter, federal weather officials said Thursday. La Niña, a weather pattern characterized by cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, is returning for a rare third winter, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. That means December, January and February are likely to bring drier than average conditions across the southern states and wetter than average weather for areas including the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest. … ” Read more from ABC 7 here: Drought, fire risk to stay high during 3rd La Niña winter in western states, weather officials say
Waterlogged wheat, rotting oranges: five crops devastated by a year of extreme weather
“From Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, to flooding in eastern Kentucky and a record dry summer as the western US entered its 22nd year of a once-in-a-millennium megadrought, the US has already seen more than two dozen major climate disasters with losses exceeding $1bn (£864m). These five crops tell the story of the havoc the climate crisis is already causing. … ” California rice and processing tomatoes among the five crops. Read more from The Guardian here: Waterlogged wheat, rotting oranges: five crops devastated by a year of extreme weather
PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California
“PG&E Corp. formally asked federal regulators Monday to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, the last operating nuclear plant in California, as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to improve reliability of the electricity grid. The state’s largest utility announced it applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to renew Diablo Canyon’s license and postpone the planned 2025 shutdown of the San Luis Obispo County plant, which supplies about 9% of the state’s power. Newsom, reversing his earlier opposition to prolonging Diablo Canyon’s lifespan, signed legislation in September that would keep the plant open until 2030. The legislation also allows the state to loan PG&E as much as $1.4 billion to make upgrades needed to postpone the plant’s closure. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California
Drought, fire, insects destroyed nearly a third of southern Sierra Nevada forest in last decade
“In just 10 years, fires, drought, and insect infestations have devastated close to a third of forests in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, a new study finds. The region, which extends from Lake Tahoe in the north to the Sequoia National Forest in the south, has been hit by persistent drought, made more severe by climate change, which has left pines more vulnerable to wildfires and bark beetle infestations. From 2011 to 2020, 30 percent of conifer forests in the southern Sierra Nevada succumbed to these threats, according to an analysis of U.S. Forest Service data on tree cover, tree height, and the extent of recent wildfires. … ” Read more from Yale E360 here: Drought, fire, insects destroyed nearly a third of southern Sierra Nevada forest in last decade
Cal Fire adds new demonstration state forest
“The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) announced today the addition of a new demonstration state forest and more than 1,200 acres to its demonstration state forest system. Acquisition of these areas continue to increase opportunities for forest restoration, critical research, and public recreation, and build upon the valuable role of California’s demonstration state forest system to help answer critical questions about the important role that forest management serves in the era of climate change. … ” Read more from Sierra News Online here: Cal Fire adds new demonstration state forest
In commentary today …
Desalination will be key to California’s water future. It needs to improve first
Dr. Grayson Zulauf is a clean energy entrepreneur and CEO of Resonant Link, writes, “If the climate crisis is coming, the water crisis is already here. As rice fields were fallowed in California, Lake Mead water levels almost sunk so low that Hoover Dam could no longer generate power, and life-threatening toxic dust blew off the dried-up Salton Sea. Thirty percent of the world population will face water shortages of some kind by 2025. Things are only going to get worse. Climate change will cause the Colorado River, which supplies water for 40 million people, irrigates 6 million acres of farmland and underpins a quarter of the nation’s economy, to lose more than half of its flows by 2100. The depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Midwest threatens agriculture so radically that serious proposals have explored a water pipeline from Louisiana. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Desalination will be key to California’s water future. It needs to improve first
Dan Walters: Feds demand Colorado River water cutbacks
“One must wade through a thicket of bureaucratic jargon to find it, but on Friday federal officials issued what appears to be a serious warning to California and other states that use water from the highly stressed Colorado River: If they cannot agree on sharp reductions in diversions of the Colorado’s water, the feds will impose them unilaterally. It’s the latest wrinkle in decades of interstate squabbling over the river, which has become more heated as the river’s flows continue to decline and conditions in its two major reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, reach the crisis stage. The federal Bureau of Reclamation wants California, Arizona and Nevada to reduce diversions by at least 2 million acre-feet a year and as much as 4 million, but negotiations have been fruitless. California, which takes the most water from the river, by far, has offered just a 400,000 acre-foot reduction. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: Feds demand Colorado River water cutbacks
Senator Kelly is wrong on all counts concerning California and the Colorado River
The Desert Review editorial board writes, “Arizona Senator Mark Kelley wrote a letter October 25 to Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of Interior Secretary, asking her to punish the people and communities surrounding the Salton Sea, to punish the migratory birds and fish that depend on the sea for subsistence because he is in a fight for his political seat against a contender that could beat him. The tens of thousands of people living around the Salton Sea experience the highest rates of asthma in the State of California from the drying sea that leaves behind toxic waste which become airborne as winds kick up. As the sea dries, the water turns saltier, killing off fish and affecting migratory birds that depend on the Salton Sea as they journey north. Kelly asked the federal government in the letter to withhold promised funds for the Salton Sea that would mitigate these dire situations. He shows a careless disregard for life, fish, birds, and tourists. … ” Read more from the Desert Review here: Senator Kelly is wrong on all counts concerning California and the Colorado River
Today’s featured article …
MONTHLY RESERVOIR REPORT for November 1st
Written by Robert Shibatani
A month into the new 2022-23 WY, not much has changed hydrologically for CVP/SWP reservoir storage. No measurable precipitation has occurred across the State and the EOY numbers from last month have simply continued to deplete Statewide carryover.
As of October 28th, total CVP reservoir storage was 3.36 million acre-feet (MAF), representing about 28% of total federal reservoir storage capacity. Relative to the 15-year average, however, current storage levels stand at 58%.
Click here to read the reservoir report.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Fewest number of invasive species found on the 5,800 boats inspected at Lake Tahoe in 2022
“As Lake Tahoe watercraft inspections shift to winter operations, inspectors report intercepting far fewer vessels this year with aquatic invasive species (AIS) onboard. They credit improvements to the program as part of the reason. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) announced today that out of 5,800 boats, jet skis, and trailers inspected since January, 56 were found to have AIS onboard and eight of those were carrying quagga or zebra mussels, making this one of the lowest years on record for intercepting the prolific invader. This was a marked reduction from 2021, which was one of the highest ever with inspectors intercepting 132 vessels with AIS and 28 of those carrying quagga or zebra mussels. The high number of discoveries triggered an expanded outreach effort to boaters nationwide. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now here: Fewest number of invasive species found on the 5,800 boats inspected at Lake Tahoe in 2022
Conservancy grants $5.2 million to Tahoe partners to restore forest resilience, reduce wildfire risk
“The California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) has awarded two grants, totaling $5.2 million, for work in the Lake Tahoe Basin (Basin) to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. Funding for these grants comes from the State of California’s 2021 wildfire package. These grants advance the goals of the 2020 Shared Stewardship Agreement between the State of California and the USDA Forest Service to increase treated acres of forest and rangelands in California. “I am excited for the Conservancy to be able to support our partners in these important efforts,” said Conservancy Board Chair and El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel. “The Caldor Fire showed how important it is for us to work together to improve the health of our forests and to speed up work that reduces wildfire risk to our communities.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Conservancy here: Conservancy grants $5.2 million to Tahoe partners to restore forest resilience, reduce wildfire risk
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Yuba Water Agency Board considers water sale extension
“Months after the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors approved the sale of excess water to other water districts in the state, the board will consider an extension of that approval at this morning’s board meeting in Marysville. On Dec. 7, 2021, the water agency’s board gave the OK to transfer at least 10,000 acre-feet of water to Contra Costa Water District and East Bay Municipal Utility District from its New Bullards Bar Reservoir to help in times of severe drought. Because of the 2008 Yuba River Accord, Yuba Water is able to “transfer water that is released into the lower Yuba River for fishery benefits after it reaches the confluence of the lower Yuba River and the Feather River,” according to staff. Officials with Yuba Water have stressed that any water sold to other districts is not water that would otherwise have been used by those in Yuba County. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here: Board considers water sale extension | Read via Yahoo News
NAPA/SONOMA
First ‘winterlike’ storm to hit Sonoma County, with up to half-inch of rain at higher elevations
“Pummeling surf Monday presaged the arrival of much-needed rain in the first sizable storm of the season for Sonoma County, where a quarter-inch was expected Tuesday in most places and double that for higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service. The storm front, which has been developing in the Gulf of Alaska and moving toward the West Coast, will bring intermittent showers through Wednesday, with the heaviest rain occurring between Tuesday morning and afternoon, said weather service meteorologist Brooke Bingaman. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Gazette here: First ‘winterlike’ storm to hit Sonoma County, with up to half-inch of rain at higher elevations
BAY AREA
Marin rainfall this week expected to dampen, not drench
“Marin County is due for rain this week — enough to dampen fire fuel in the short term, but not enough to bring fire season to a close, according to fire and weather experts. Most of the county is forecast to get between a tenth and a quarter of an inch of rain, with parts of western Marin forecast to get up to half an inch, according to the National Weather Service. A cold front is forecast to move in Tuesday, bringing one seriously wet day, followed by several cool days, and the possibility of more rain come the weekend. The weather system producing the rain is not wet enough, and is moving too quickly, to generate any prolonged rainfall over the region, but it will still be enough to calm down wildfire fuel, if only for a little while. … ” Read mroe from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin rainfall this week expected to dampen, not drench
Sea level rise: ‘It comes to race’: Marin City residents demand flood protections
“The long-neglected water system in Marin City, an unincorporated community about 5 miles north of San Francisco, is one of the most vulnerable to climate-driven flooding in the entire Bay Area. The neighborhoods of mostly one-story homes and apartments abut Richardson Bay, separated from the water by Highway 101 and a narrow bike trail. A single tidal gate allows water to escape into the bay, and it’s regularly filled with sand and debris. When atmospheric rivers dump rainwater, the water from the gate backs up into the channel under the freeway and floods the only road in and out of Marin City, rendering it impassable by car. “Marin City is like a bathtub with only one drain,” said Kristina Hill, director of the Institute for Urban and Regional Development at UC Berkeley. … ” Read more from KQED here: Sea level rise: ‘It comes to race’: Marin City residents demand flood protections
Solano Land Trust adds nearly 1,100 more acres into ag easements
“Russ Lester was about 5 years old, maybe 6, when he climbed up into a tree fort nested in an apple tree growing on the family farm in Santa Clara County. It was in that tree fort where Lester vowed to join his father’s fight to preserve agriculture as the “highest and best use” of prime farmland. Lester, on Monday, joined the Solano Land Trust and state conservation officials in celebrating the end of a nearly six-year journey to place his 913-acre Dixon Ridge Farms into a lifetime easement. “It’s a lifetime dream come true,” Lester said. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Solano Land Trust adds nearly 1,100 more acres into ag easements
CENTRAL COAST
Don’t be spooked! Desalination will provide reliable water for Monterey Peninsula
“This Halloween, don’t let opponents of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project (MPWSP) scare you with their trickery and spooky stories. Instead, let’s treat the region with a reliable water supply that is so desperately needed for drinking, housing and business. “Opponents to the MPWSP are doing their best to confuse and scare Monterey Peninsula residents, but the facts are the facts. We simply do not have an adequate water supply to meet the demand that our communities need,” said Ian Crooks, Vice President of Engineering at California American Water. “Rather than play tricks, it’s time to join together and look ahead to the future of the Monterey Peninsula.” …” Read more from Yahoo Finance here: Don’t be spooked! Desalination will provide reliable water for Monterey Peninsula
Water survey helicopters scheduled to fly over the Central Coast
“You may see low-flying helicopters over the Central Coast. Do not be alarmed, the California Department of Water Resources will be using helicopters to do a survey of groundwater basins. They will be doing electromagnetic surveys to support drought response. … ” Read more from KSBY here: Water survey helicopters scheduled to fly over the Central Coast
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
PG&E releasing more water from dam into San Joaquin River
“Pacific Gas and Electric has increased flows on a portion of the San Joaquin River by releasing more water from the Kerckhoff Dam in Fresno and Madera counties. PG&E advises the public to avoid entering the water during the high-flow event. ... ” Read more from KMPH here: PG&E releasing more water from dam into San Joaquin River
EASTERN SIERRA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Aging infrastructure may create higher flood risk in L.A., study finds
“Hundreds of thousands of people in Los Angeles could experience at least a foot of flooding during a 100-year disaster, a new scientific study has found, highlighting the hazards of aging infrastructure in America’s second-largest city. This is a much higher estimate of flood exposure in Los Angeles than the one produced by the federal government. That estimate classifies areas of the city containing about 23,000 residents as being at high risk in a 100-year event, or an event with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year. The discrepancy is explained, in part, because the new study takes a more realistic view of the city’s water infrastructure, said the report’s lead author, Brett F. Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: Aging infrastructure may create higher flood risk in L.A., study finds
Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study finds
“Flooding from a storm event so severe that it occurs only once every 100 years would cause far greater damage to life and property in the Los Angeles Basin than federal emergency officials have forecast, according to UC Irvine researchers who warn also that Black and low-income communities would be hardest hit by the disaster. “We found that nearly 1 million people are living within areas that could be threatened by a 100-year flood,” said Brett Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. “That’s roughly 30 times more people at risk than what the Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests.” … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study finds
Joshua Tree National Park could get new neighbor — a national monument
“An effort is underway to create a new national monument next to Joshua Tree National Park that would preserve almost 700,000 desert acres for recreation while protecting plants, animals and cultural and historic sites. The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument — named for the lizard found in the Sonoran and Mojave Desert and northwestern Mexico — would need a presidential order or a vote by Congress to become reality. “What’s really important in this case is we want the national monument to be a resource for the community,” said Colin Barrows, founding board member of CactusToCloud Institute, an organization that is part of the Protect California Deserts campaign that’s behind the proposal. ... ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: Joshua Tree National Park could get new neighbor — a national monument
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The lithium race takes shape in the Salton Sea
“Located roughly a hundred miles east of San Diego, the Salton Sea is California’s largest landlocked body of water, for now. Measuring 5 miles across and 35 miles long in its current form, the lake was created by diverting water from the Colorado River into the region for agricultural purposes. Once a vacation destination renowned for its wildlife and wetlands, a series of environmental mishaps and mismanagement have left the lake toxically salty, shrinking and often malodorous. Conditions have gotten so bad that Palm Springs Life Magazine called the region’s transformation “the biggest environmental disaster in California history” in March of 2020. But against this unlikely backdrop, new life—or at least new industry—is scrambling to set up shop in the region. The Salton Sea, it turns out, is rich with lithium, an element that has taken center stage in the world’s transition to clean energy and its ever-growing demand for batteries. … ” Read more from dot LA here: The lithium race takes shape in the Salton Sea
SAN DIEGO
San Marcos, nearby communities restricted to watering twice a week
“Outdoor irrigation in San Marcos and nearby communities will be restricted to two days a week starting Tuesday, according to the Vallecitos Water District. The agency — which also serves parts of Carlsbad, Escondido and Vista, as well as the Lake San Marcos and other unincorporated communities — had limited watering of lawns and other landscaping to three days a week from June through October. Residents can choose the days they would like to water. The restrictions don’t apply to farmers with agricultural water accounts or nurseries. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Marcos, nearby communities restricted to watering twice a week
Along the Colorado River …
Senator Kelly is wrong on all counts concerning California and the Colorado River
The Desert Review editorial board writes, “Arizona Senator Mark Kelley wrote a letter October 25 to Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of Interior Secretary, asking her to punish the people and communities surrounding the Salton Sea, to punish the migratory birds and fish that depend on the sea for subsistence because he is in a fight for his political seat against a contender that could beat him. The tens of thousands of people living around the Salton Sea experience the highest rates of asthma in the State of California from the drying sea that leaves behind toxic waste which become airborne as winds kick up. As the sea dries, the water turns saltier, killing off fish and affecting migratory birds that depend on the Salton Sea as they journey north. Kelly asked the federal government in the letter to withhold promised funds for the Salton Sea that would mitigate these dire situations. He shows a careless disregard for life, fish, birds, and tourists. … ” Read more from the Desert Review here: Senator Kelly is wrong on all counts concerning California and the Colorado River
Dan Walters: Feds demand Colorado River water cutbacks
“One must wade through a thicket of bureaucratic jargon to find it, but on Friday federal officials issued what appears to be a serious warning to California and other states that use water from the highly stressed Colorado River: If they cannot agree on sharp reductions in diversions of the Colorado’s water, the feds will impose them unilaterally. It’s the latest wrinkle in decades of interstate squabbling over the river, which has become more heated as the river’s flows continue to decline and conditions in its two major reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, reach the crisis stage. The federal Bureau of Reclamation wants California, Arizona and Nevada to reduce diversions by at least 2 million acre-feet a year and as much as 4 million, but negotiations have been fruitless. California, which takes the most water from the river, by far, has offered just a 400,000 acre-foot reduction. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: Feds demand Colorado River water cutbacks
Feds to Colorado River states: reduce water usage, or we will do it for you
“In theory, the federal government can unilaterally cut water deliveries from the Colorado River’s two main reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which release more than 2 trillion gallons of water to farms and cities across the Southwest each year. In reality, this has never happened: Previous cuts have always been negotiated between the federal government and the seven states that use the river. Late last week, however, the federal government sent its strongest signal yet that it is willing to single-handedly impose water cuts on the Colorado for the first time in history, as the U.S. West stares down the consequences of a climate-change-fueled megadrought that has parched the river. … ” Read more from Grist here: Feds to Colorado River states: reduce water usage, or we will do it for you
SEE ALSO: Colorado River managers looking to release less water from Lake Powell, from the Colorado Sun
Trifecta of factors affect Southwest water demand
“A trifecta of factors affecting water demand in the Southwest will alter availability for agriculture and drive changes in irrigation and conservation practices. The combination of a mega drought that has lingered in the Western United States for the last 20 years, population growth that increased water demand, and a warmer atmosphere all contribute to water availability, says Mark Brusberg, chief meteorologist, USDA Agricultural Weather and Assessments Group. “The whole Western United States has been in drought to some degree for basically the last 20 years,” Brusberg says. A mega drought, he explains, is one that lasts 20 to 30 years, sometimes more. “That happens every few hundred years, especially in the Southwest,” he says. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Trifecta of factors affect Southwest water demand
How Tucson, Arizona is facing up to a 1,200-year drought
“Over the past 15 years or so thousands of residents across Tucson, a mostly parched desert city where barely 12 inches (30cm) of rain falls in an average year, have turned to rainwater harvesting to meet some of their household needs. They joined the city’s drive to embrace the practice as part of its suite of water conservation initiatives.As a growing number of towns and municipalities in the western United States and around the world are faced with rapidly dwindling freshwater supplies, experts say Tucson’s rainwater push may hold valuable lessons about how a city can balance the water budget and increase resilience. … ” Read more from the BBC here: How Tucson, Arizona is facing up to a 1,200-year drought
In national water news today …
Worsening drought in deep south seen as spurring legal friction
“The West’s drought is expected to expand through the Deep South all the way to Georgia over the winter, and legal experts are watching for new and longstanding water wars to flare up in a region known for swamps, hurricanes, and wet weather. Drought conditions are forecast to persist or develop through the end of the year between the already-dry Mississippi River to the Savannah River, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Severe or extreme drought conditions have stricken Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas intermittently for most of 2022. The Mississippi River—running about 14 feet below its low stage at Memphis—is running so low that dredge work and cargo-barges running aground have caused shipping bottlenecks on the river. The low river threatens drinking water supplies downstream as Gulf of Mexico salt water intrudes upriver. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: Worsening drought in deep south seen as spurring legal friction
Conduit hydropower capacity could add 1.4GW to US grid
“Conduit hydropower, which uses water from structures such as water supply pipelines and irrigation canals, has the potential to add 1.41GW of electricity to the US power grid. This was found in a unique analysis performed by the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The study looks at how to use existing hydro infrastructure to harvest otherwise wasted energy. To harness conduit hydropower, existing tunnels, canals, pipelines and aqueducts, etc. that carry water are fitted with power generating equipment. The water channel must have sufficient water flow and hydraulic head to be utilised and according to ONRL researchers, there are millions of kilometres of pipelines and conduits available for use. … ” Read more from Power Engineering International here: Conduit hydropower capacity could add 1.4GW to US grid
Where does global warming go during La Niña?
“Here at the ENSO blog, we’ve been talking about La Niña (the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern) for going on three years now. People have started to ask us whether all these La Niñas could offset global warming. The short answer is no, La Niña is no match for global warming. (Footnote 1) The simplest evidence is that global average temperature during recent La Niña years is warmer than for El Niño years in earlier decades! In fact, the La Niña year of 2020 tied 2016—a year that started with a major El Niño—as the all-time-record-high global surface temperature. … ” Read more from the ENSO blog here: Where does global warming go during La Niña?
Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
“In the 1960s and early 1970s, Congress passed a series of laws that profoundly affected Western ecosystems and human relationships to them. The Clean Air Act, designed to reduce air pollution, led the way in 1963, and in 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act, sometimes called the Magna Carta of environmental protection, created a review process for federal projects. In 1972, the Clean Water Act established requirements for the restoration and maintenance of waterways, and one year later, the Endangered Species Act created protections and required recovery plans for fish, wildlife and plants deemed threatened or endangered. Conservation finally seemed to have a solid legal foundation. Six decades later, that foundation is in serious need of retrofitting. Though the West has the nation’s highest concentration of areas permanently protected for biodiversity, it also has some of the highest concentrations of species at risk of extinction. Rising temperatures, precipitation extremes and larger, more destructive wildfires, all driven by climate change, are complicating pre-existing — and increasingly pressing — conservation problems such as habitat loss. … ” Read more from the High Country News here: Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
New report provides a science roadmap for natural climate solutions
“Natural climate solutions, such as reforestation and wetland restoration, can help slow climate change and increase resilience in the face of climate impacts we can’t avoid. These approaches have substantial and growing support from bipartisan lawmakers, the private sector and environmental nonprofits. However, big questions remain: Where are these strategies most effective? To what extent can they meaningfully remove and reduce greenhouse gases? How will increased drought, fire and pest outbreaks impact their ability to stave off climate change? … ” Read more from EDF here: New report provides a science roadmap for natural climate solutions
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Certifications of consistency filed for American River Watershed Common Features project
