In California water news today …
Adapting to California’s “Weather Whiplash” with Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations
“California already has one of the most variable climates in the United States, and it’s getting more extreme. Our “weather whiplash,” as it’s becoming known, is increasingly marked by long periods of warm, dry conditions punctuated by stronger and wetter atmospheric river storms. What’s more, research suggests that atmospheric rivers are becoming more intense. By now, we know that atmospheric river storms provide approximately half of our state’s annual precipitation but have also caused more than 90 percent of the floods in Northern California, resulting in staggering financial costs. Unfortunately, in Yuba County, those costs are all too familiar. Parts of our economy still haven’t recovered from devastating floods in 1986 and 1997. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association here: Adapting to California’s “Weather Whiplash” with Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations
Sierra Snow Lab: ‘Weather whiplash events’ will not break drought’s tight grip
“In terms of snowfall, the Sierra is off to a good start this year, but the big question remains — will the momentum continue and give California what it needs to make a dent in the drought. Tucked away deep in the woods in the Sierra, there is someone who has a theory of how this winter will play out. His name is Andrew Schwartz, and he’s the lead scientist and station manager of the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. This year, he hopes Mother Nature proves his theory wrong. “This winter is looking a lot like last winter,” he told KPIX. … ” Read more from CBS News here: Sierra Snow Lab: ‘Weather whiplash events’ will not break drought’s tight grip
Here’s the Thanksgiving holiday weather forecast — and what it means for your travels
“The atmospheric kitchen is cooking up everything from fire weather to rain and snow for California’s holiday weekend. Each part of the state will get a chance to taste one or more of these weather dishes as they build up on the platter over the next few days. This hodgepodge of weather is being stuffed into the state by two competing weather systems. The first will be a dry, high-pressure system that will raise temperatures, winds and fire concerns for parts of California on Thanksgiving Day. The second will be a low-pressure system that will dip into Northern California on Saturday night and into Sunday, potentially creating a slick, rainy situation for travelers trying to get back home. Some holiday travelers may even wind up dealing with snow before all is said and done. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Here’s the Thanksgiving holiday weather forecast — and what it means for your travels
Rain and snow expected in the Sacramento area after a windy and dry Thanksgiving, NWS says
“Despite a relatively warm Thanksgiving, an unsettled weather pattern is expected to bring rain in the Central Valley and snow in the Sierra Nevada after the holiday across Northern California, according to the National Weather Service. According to the NWS, from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, north-to-east winds will occur across areas of Northern California. … On Sunday, following the Thanksgiving holiday, an unsettled weather pattern will continue through the rest of the week. … ” Read more from KTXL here: Rain and snow expected in the Sacramento area after a windy and dry Thanksgiving, NWS says
A massive effort – restoring the San Joaquin River
“The San Joaquin River is a vital source of water for agriculture and the environment and it is also home to a unique program that hopes to restore native fish runs. It is a complex program and SJV Water was fortunate to take advantage of a tour offered through the Water Education Foundation Nov. 2-3 that helps break down the various aspects of restoration efforts. The restoration program is a nearly one billion dollar endeavor to restore spring-run Chinook salmon to the river which went extinct there after Friant Dam and other obstructions were built. The 366-mile-long San Joaquin River starts high in the Sierra Nevada mountains east of Fresno. It travels north through the valley to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and, ultimately, flows into the San Francisco Bay. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: A massive effort – restoring the San Joaquin River
What is a flash drought? An earth scientist explains
“Many people are familiar with flash floods — torrents that develop quickly after heavy rainfall. But there’s also such a thing as a flash drought, and these sudden, extreme dry spells are becoming a big concern for farmers and water utilities. Flash droughts start and intensify quickly, over periods of weeks to months, compared to years or decades for conventional droughts. Still, they can cause substantial economic damage, since communities have less time to prepare for the impacts of a rapidly evolving drought. In 2017, a flash drought in Montana and the Dakotas damaged crops and grasses that served as forage for cattle, causing US$2.6 billion in agricultural losses. Flash droughts also can increase wildfire risks, cause public water supply shortages and reduce stream flow, which harms fish and other aquatic life. ... ” Read more from Salon Magazine here: What is a flash drought? An earth scientist explains
Continued drought conditions add billions in California agriculture losses, UC Merced report finds
“Losses to California’s ag industry have continued to mount as the state’s drought stretched into a third straight year, according to a report released Tuesday by researchers from the School of Engineering and the Public Policy Institute of California. The report, led by Professor Josue Medellín-Azuara, estimates direct economic impacts on farm activity of $1.2 billion this year, up from $810 million in 2021 — representing a 4.9% and 3.4% impact on crop value added, respectively. “Value added” is the contribution from a sector to the region’s gross domestic product. It includes profits, compensation and taxes. Beyond direct farm effects, impacts on food processing industries that rely on farm products were roughly $845 million in 2022, up from $590 million in 2021. Altogether these consequences total $2 billion in value-added losses this year alone (5.9% reduction with respect to 2019) and a loss of 19,420 jobs, the researchers calculated. But it could have been worse, the report shows. … ” Read more from UC Merced here: Continued drought conditions add billions in California agriculture losses, UC Merced report finds
Drought forces California farmers to idle vast growing areas, costing $1.7 billion
“In the fall, rice fields in the Sacramento Valley usually shine golden brown as they await harvesting. This year, however, many fields were left covered with bare dirt. “It’s a disaster,” said rice farmer Don Bransford. “This has never happened. Never. And I’ve been farming since 1980.” Bransford typically farms about 1,800 acres of rice. But the drought was so severe this year that water deliveries to area farms were drastically cut. Bransford, board president of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, didn’t plant a single acre. Many other farms went idle as well. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Drought forces California farmers to idle vast growing areas, costing $1.7 billion | Read via Lookout Santa Cruz
California’s lost rain and snow cuts deep into US food basket
“California has lost out on a full year’s worth of rain and snow since 2020, according to a state-funded study, leaving the most farmland idle in recent memory across a region that supplies a quarter of US fresh food. The most severe drought in a millennium led to well over a half million acres of idle fields in 2022, researchers said in the report looking at how California’s driest three-year period on record has impacted the US’s largest agriculture producer. Most of the unused land lies in the Central Valley, which produces about a fourth of the country’s food, including 40% of its fruits and nuts. Next year could see even more fallowed land throughout the state as the government tries to manage dangerously low water levels in the Colorado River, which flows into California. … ” Read more from Bloomberg here: California’s lost rain and snow cuts deep into US food basket
Audio: Agronomic Minute: Potential of on-farm groundwater recharge
“Drought conditions and the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) are putting a squeeze on California growers. Principal Analyst with the Almond Board of California, Jesse Roseman said efforts to improve statewide water storage and conveyance are underway. However, those are more long-term solutions to current water constraints. Implementing groundwater recharge projects in almond orchards presents a more immediate option for helping to address water issues in California. “In the shorter term, groundwater recharge is something that shows a lot of promise,” said Roseman. “If we can take the flood flows that we see in California periodically, because we are in this Mediterranean climate, and quickly take those and spread them out across these millions of acres that we’ve got in the Valley, we can recharge our aquifers and hopefully get our way through SGMA.” … ” Read more and listen at Ag Net West here: Agronomic Minute: Potential of on-farm groundwater recharge
Drought: Is there a way to have sustainability and a lawn?
“In some Phoenix neighborhoods, strolling families and dog walkers can be seen playing a game: real or fake? Guessing at this used to be laughably easy. Now artificial lawns are so convincing that it may take plucking and sniffing a wispy blade to discern if the lush green carpet outside a home is living flora or cunning plastic. Even dogs get confused. The snootier ones turn up their noses. In Los Angeles, the neighborhood game is more like an office pool, the goal of which is to guess how many months it will take homeowners who have ripped out their lawns in favor of government-subsidized native shrubs or cactus to reverse course and replant water-guzzling sod when they decide to sell or get a new cornhole set. … ” Read more from the Christian Science Monitor here: Drought: Is there a way to have sustainability and a lawn?
Another winter in La Niña’s grip? – November update to NOAA’s 2022-23 Winter Outlook
“While it’s a little intimidating to put on these oversized shoes, I’m forging ahead in an annual ENSO Blog tradition and giving you all the juicy details about NOAA’s Winter Outlook (1). Regular readers may remember that Mike Halpert of the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has been the blog’s winter outlook guru for years, but following Mike’s retirement earlier this year, I’ll be leading you on this year’s journey (Mike, I will try to make you proud!). And maybe my job will be pretty easy this time, given that we are expecting a third consecutive winter with La Niña conditions in the tropical Pacific. What will that mean for this winter? Let’s find out! … ” Read more from NOAA’s ENSO blog here: Another winter in La Niña’s grip? – November update to NOAA’s 2022-23 Winter Outlook
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Restoring rivers for a new generation of fishermen
“Jeff Schlecht has spent his lifetime fishing. Now he figures it’s time to help others have those same opportunities. “I have fished enough that I want to give back,” explains the 71-year-old retired educator and former principal at Ashland High School. “I want a place for my grandkids to wet a line.” Removal of the small dams was part of what Schlecht sees as a larger effort to “give back” by recreating a Klamath Falls chapter of Trout Unlimited, a national non-profit group with a slogan of “Fishing. Conservation. Community.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Restoring rivers for a new generation of fishermen
Inside the Karuk tribe’s cultural burning battle in Northern California
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Saving Lake Tahoe
“Lake Tahoe’s waters are world-famous for their clarity and beautiful Sierra setting—they also provide key environmental and economic resources to Northern California. But with climate change and other human impacts degrading both the lake and its surrounding basin, urgent action is needed to preserve this jewel of the Sierra Nevada. “There is only one Lake Tahoe,” said Geoffrey Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and professor of civil and environmental engineering. “It’s our job to keep this region as beautiful as it ever was.” … ” Read more from UC Davis here: Saving Lake Tahoe
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Fall-run chinook spawning concludes at Feather River Fish Hatchery
“The spawning of fall-run chinook salmon concluded at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in early November with millions of fish eggs now fertilized and incubated. For the second year in a row, the hatchery increased the amount of fall-run chinook salmon eggs collected to offset effects of California’s current drought now going on its third year. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Fall-run chinook spawning concludes at Feather River Fish Hatchery
NAPA/SONOMA
Napa Valley prepares for future drought
“Napa County’s drought-easing ideas include using highly treated wastewater for drinking, having communities with extra water help out those in need, and tapping into the planned Sites Reservoir in Colusa County. There are 22 proposals in all within the recently released Napa Valley Drought Contingency Plan. Those three rose to the top for further exploration. The plan, done for local agencies along with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, might not help much with the current drought, should this winter be dry. Most of the ideas would take time to become reality. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa Valley prepares for future drought
BAY AREA
Bay Area sports stars among hundreds fined for heavy water use. Here’s why their excess is bad
“More than 600 East Bay households were fined for exceeding limits on water use during the latest billing period — the second consecutive billing period in which fines have been issued — exhibiting behavior that water officials say is not only a violation of drought policy but bad for everyone in the region. Among the customers with heavy water consumption were 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew and retired Warriors basketball center Adonal Foyle, all of whom were also fined during last decade’s drought for using too much. None of the three could be reached for comment. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Bay Area sports stars among hundreds fined for heavy water use. Here’s why their excess is bad
The mysterious case of the SF Peninsula’s poop-polluted beaches
“It’s a foggy June morning in Pacifica and time is wasting for Noah Katz and his two colleagues, Nicole Schmidt and Cynthia Vazquez. The three water quality scientists point wearily to a sign, universally ignored, warning visitors not to swim at Pacifica’s surfer-friendly beach because of high bacteria levels. Then they get to work. Starting at the mouth of San Pedro Creek, between Soul Grind Coffee and Linda Mar Beach’s famous Taco Bell, the trio scoops a sample of creek water into a small vial and puts the vial into a cooler filled with ice, then moves on. … The work can be rough going, especially during or after rainfall when the creek swells with runoff, but Katz, who manages the RCD’s Water Quality Program, has been at it for years, oftentimes working solo, and says the goal is simple: to find out how much fecal bacteria, the kind that the sign on the beach warns about, are contaminating our local waters and emptying onto our beaches. … ” Read more from RWC Pulse here: The mysterious case of the SF Peninsula’s poop-polluted beaches
State of some Moraga storm drains cause alarm
“As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and the condition of some of the town’s storm drains speak volumes. There are “21 miles of publicly maintained storm drain infrastructure consisting of underground pipes, culverts at roadway under crossings, improved and unimproved ditches, and natural creeks within the Town’s Right of Way easements,” according to a Nov. 9 staff report by Public Works Director/Town Engineer Shawn Knapp and Senior Civil Engineer Farah Khorashadi. “The remaining 8 miles of the storm drain system are within private property, and maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner.” … ” Continue reading at La Morinda Weekly here: State of some Moraga storm drains cause alarm
Why this baker is obsessed with sourcing unadulterated spring water for his sourdough
“The Outer Sunset has an under-the-radar bread baker who may very well be the only one in the city using exclusively spring water for his loaves. Greg Harmon, an Outer Sunset local, runs the tiny outlet Bear Flag Bakery and a number of times a month loads his car up with dozens of gallons of water from Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties. A regular at the Outer Sunset farmer’s market, he bakes in the Dogpatch out of Schilling Co. and sells his baked goods such as squid ink-infused chili and cheese rounds and cinnamon bread at Upper Cut at Spark Social. Harmon’s love of local ingredients is very Californian. But his story of scouring the area for primo water is singular. “I thought it might be fun to do something with that,” Harmon says. “There’s great sourdough conditions all along the West Coast.” … ” Read more from Eater San Francisco here: Why this baker is obsessed with sourcing unadulterated spring water for his sourdough
CENTRAL COAST
Commentary: Public utilities adapting to climate change
Jared Lewis, San Jose Water Manager, Environmental Planning and Natural Resources, writes, “On a chilly fall afternoon this month, The Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Network enjoyed a guided adventure through the Santa Cruz Mountains Watershed with San Jose Water to discuss environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives for the area. The conversation covered the importance of public utilities taking accountability for environmental stewardship of the areas they serve because employing a science-based approach is key to mitigating climate impacts while building resilience to emerging climate realities, especially in California. Cyclical drought is a fundamental component of California’s Mediterranean climate, yet the past two decades have been the driest in over 1,000 years. Decreased precipitation and rising temperatures, coupled with environmental and social impacts, have resulted in what we now understand as a megadrought. The magnitude of this drought demands evolution to keep pace with population needs. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Commentary: Public utilities adapting to climate change
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Helicopter to be seen around parts of Valley for geological study
“The sight of a low-flying helicopter on the west side of the Valley has caused many people to pause. The US Geological Survey has a large hoop flying beneath the chopper. “On that hoop is a geophysical sensor,” says USGS Research Scientist Lyndsay Ball. “That sensor collects information about below-ground resistivity.” The current flows better if there is more salt in the water. Ball says not only is this high-tech survey monitoring oil and gas underground, but it is also measuring groundwater. … ” Read more from KFSN here: Helicopter to be seen around parts of Valley for geological study
EASTERN SIERRA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Column: Who’s cracking down on ‘water wasters’ in Orange County?
Columnist Terry Sforza writes, “Who’s cracking down on water waste in O.C.? No one, really, as most everyone is conserving — but suffice to say that the far northern reaches of Orange County may harbor more busybodies than the south. Don’t let your hose leak in La Habra. The city clocked more than 1,600 reported “water waste incidents” in 2022 — approaching three times as many as much larger Anaheim (655) and Santa Ana (624), according to state data. We’ll note that La Habra is about as big as Newport Beach (which had just 141 water waste reports), and Fountain Valley (45), and Tustin (72). Exhibit similar caution in Brea. It clocked nearly 1,200 water waste reports. ... ” Read more from the OC Register here: Column: Who’s cracking down on ‘water wasters’ in Orange County?
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The troubled history—and uncertain future—of the Salton Sea
“When an irrigation canal was breached in the early 1900s, the resulting flood created Southern California’s Salton Sea. It was a rare event that quickly created a beneficial presence in the Imperial Valley, as the lake provided recreation opportunities, tamped down dust, and became a stopover for birds on the Pacific Flyway. But now, with inflows declining, this hundred-year-old sea is drying up, and that’s having a host of negative consequences for wildlife and air quality in the region. We spoke with Kurt Schwabe—professor of public policy at the University of California, Riverside and adjunct fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center—about some of the biggest issues facing the sea, as well as potential solutions. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: The troubled history—and uncertain future—of the Salton Sea
SAN DIEGO
Edison completes river excavation, sand replenishment in Del Mar
“Southern California Edison finished its excavation of the mouth of the San Dieguito River this week, moving an estimated 16,000 cubic yards of sand onto the beach in Del Mar. The two-week job is done every year or so to maintain tidal flushing of the San Dieguito wetlands, where Edison completed a four-year, $100 million restoration of about 150 acres in 2011 along the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Nearly all of the sand removed in the past two weeks came from deposits that had accumulated over the past year or longer in the river channel at the edge of the lagoon just east of the Camino Del Mar bridge. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Edison completes river excavation, sand replenishment in Del Mar
Along the Colorado River …
Water fact-finding trip takes officials to California
“Staff and board members from the Glenwood Springs-based Colorado River Water Conservation District, along with other water managers from across western Colorado, this month visited the lower basin states — Nevada, Arizona and California — on what they called a fact-finding trip. The tour took participants by bus from Las Vegas though the green alfalfa fields of the Fort Mohave Indian Reservation, past the big diversions serving the Central Arizona Project and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and to the hot, below-sea-level agricultural expanse of the biggest water user on the river: the Imperial Irrigation District. Among the about 50 participants on the three-day tour were Kathy Chandler-Henry and Steve Beckley, River District board representatives from Eagle and Garfield counties. Pitkin County representative John Ely did not attend. … ” Read more from the Grand Junction Sentinel here: Water fact-finding trip takes officials to California
The Colorado River Compact at 100: Can it survive another century?
“On November 24, 1922, representatives of the seven Colorado River basin states—Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming—gathered in Santa Fe, N.M., to sign the Colorado River Compact, cementing into law a regime for dividing the river’s water. Without exception, these men were newcomers to a region inhabited since time immemorial by Native American Tribes. Two of them represented states just a decade old, none represented states more than 75-years-old, and their purpose was to enable colonial settlers to establish a foothold through irrigation-driven economic development. On the centennial anniversary of the creation of that consequential document, as Colorado River reservoir levels have plummeted to historic lows, Native American Tribes remain deprived of access to water rightfully theirs, and we see degradation of freshwater-dependent ecosystems throughout the basin, it seems worth asking whether the Compact serves us well. … ” Read more from Audubon here: The Colorado River Compact at 100: Can it survive another century?
Arizona: Tribal leases don’t impact water costs much, but smaller deals might
“Arizona tribes don’t often part ways with water, excess water or water rights. Looking ahead, it’s unclear when that might happen again. At least five Arizona tribes with a presence in the Valley have made long- or short-term contracts with municipalities or water agencies, though none have done so recently. Municipalities, at one point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, were eager to lock in rates that came with long-term agreements with tribes that had excess water. While populations of most indigenous communities haven’t skyrocketed at nearly the same rate as the rest of the Valley and Arizona in general, the water needs of those communities is still rising. … ” Read more from the Daily Independent here: Tribal leases don’t impact water costs much, but smaller deals might
Hundreds of Arizona households set to be without water by end of year
“More than 500 households in the rural Arizona desert are set to be without running water starting January, 1 2023, as first reported by NBC News. The homes, located in Rio Verde Foothills—an affluent, unincorporated community in the state’s Maricopa County, were built without complying to Arizona’s usual 100-year water supply requirement. Rio Verde Foothills doesn’t have its own water system. Instead, people living in the arid locale rely on private wells or water trucked up from the nearby city of Scottsdale. However, in response to the ongoing and worsening megadrought, Scottsdale declared late last year that it would cease hauling water to communities outside the city limits on Jan 1, 2023 and encouraged Rio Verde Foothills to find an alternative. Now, with the set deadline fast approaching, residents haven’t found a solution. … ” Read more from Gizmodo here: Hundreds of Arizona households set to be without water by end of year
Utah is growing fast. Will there be enough water for everyone?
“Outside Stephanie Woolstenhulme’s office window, the first snowfall of the season has dusted the streets. She looks delighted, and not just because she’s a skier. Her community needs all the precipitation it can get to replenish the springs and aquifers that water its roughly 1,600 residents. “Water is gold here,” she says. Ever since European settlers crossed the Rockies, access to water has defined the development of the American West. Water irrigates farms, hydrates households, powers machinery. But a prolonged drought that began in 2000 has become the Southwest’s driest 22-year period in 12 centuries, according to analyses of tree-ring records. This cycle of dryness comes amid a population boom in drought-prone states like Utah. Its residents grew by 18% to 3.25 million from 2010 to 2020, faster than any other state, even before the work-from-home trend took hold. … ” Read more from the Christian Science Monitor here: Utah is growing fast. Will there be enough water for everyone?
In national water news today …
Water sector warns of ‘catastrophic’ rail strike
“The nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems are warning that a nationwide rail strike could snarl shipments of critical chemicals like chlorine and imperil their ability to provide safe drinking water and sewage services across the nation. The threat of a national freight rail strike spiked yesterday after the country’s largest rail union rejected a tentative deal with railroads that are critical to shipping chemicals needed for disinfecting drinking water and wastewater. A strike could begin as soon as Dec. 9, according to unions involved, unless an agreement is reached or Congress steps in. “All of the utilities would be impacted, every single one,” said Kevin Morley, manager of federal relations for the American Water Works Association. “The majority of that product moves by rail to a distributor, and if the distributor doesn’t get it, there’s nothing for 16,000 [publicly owned water systems] … or 50,000 community water systems.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: Water sector warns of ‘catastrophic’ rail strike
The next abortion fight could be over wastewater regulation
“Abortion opponents and their allies in elected office are seizing on an unusual strategy after suffering a wave of election defeats — using environmental laws to try to block the distribution of abortion pills. The new approach comes as the pills mifepristone and misoprostol, which people can take at home during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, have become the most common method of abortion in the U.S. and virtually the only option for millions of people in states with laws that have forced clinics to close since the fall of Roe v. Wade. The first salvo started last week with a petition asking the Food and Drug Administration to require any doctor who prescribes the pills to be responsible for disposing of the fetal tissue — which anti-abortion advocates want to be bagged and treated as medical waste rather than flushed down the toilet and into the wastewater.... ” Read more from Politco here: The next abortion fight could be over wastewater regulation
EPA and State partners announce major improvement in Clean Water Act permit compliance
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has achieved major improvement in compliance with Clean Water Act (CWA) permits over the past five-year period. In FY 2018, EPA and 47 states agreed to collaborate on a goal to reduce significant noncompliance among facilities permitted under the Clean Water Act by 50 percent over five years. EPA is now announcing that this collaborative effort has achieved its goal – the national significant non-compliance (SNC) rate has been reduced from 20.3 percent at the start of 2018 to 9.0 percent today. This reduction in violations advances EPA’s strategic plan goal to ensure clean and safe water for all communities. This tremendous improvement in CWA compliance will produce substantial benefits for public health and the environment. “Five years ago, EPA set an ambitious goal for cutting the rate of significant noncompliance with Clean Water Act permits in half,” said Larry Starfield, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today I’m pleased to announce that we have met and exceeded that target achieving a historically low rate of 9 percent. This notable achievement speaks to what EPA and the states can accomplish together to improve compliance and reduce Clean Water Act violations.” … ” Read more from the EPA here: EPA and State partners announce major improvement in Clean Water Act permit compliance
Water shortages open spigot for creative design opportunities
“Droughts have been a growing problem for much of the U.S. for years. They’re the cause of sweeping wildfires and drinking water shortages and the driver behind Las Vegas’ recent ban on most home lawns, which goes into effect just a few years down the road. They’re also a unique challenge for builders, pushing traditional, lush landscaping to the wayside and ushering in a more creative, climate-focused approach to beautifying new-home communities. “In the last decade, drought-tolerant and sustainable landscaping has become essential in the design process for new homes,” says Casey Case, president at landscape architecture firm Gates + Associates. “Where new homes used to receive a tree and lawn in the front yard, the industry has moved toward a palette of drought-tolerant planting, lawn alternative ground covers, and efficient drip irrigation systems as standard.” … ” Read more from Builder here: Water shortages open spigot for creative design opportunities
Brain-eating amoeba infections keep spreading to new areas across the US
“In 2022, deadly brain-eating amoeba infections were recorded in states that had not seen the water-borne pathogen before. The amoeba Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm freshwater — mostly lakes and rivers, but it’s also been found in public splash pads. If inhaled up the nose, the microscopic creature can cause a devastating brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). In past years, this has meant that health officials in southern states spend their summers on the lookout for reports of mysterious brain infections. However, the amoeba’s geographic footprint has expanded as temperatures warm across the US. ... ” Read more from Insider here: Brain-eating amoeba infections keep spreading to new areas across the US
Western states ponder regional grid as renewables grow
“As temperatures on the West Coast soared into the triple digits in early September, power demand threatened to reach record levels — and utilities braced for grid problems. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) warned of potential blackouts. Idaho Power Co., already hobbled by a pair of generator outages, prepared to cut power to some customers in Boise. Utilities in the desert Southwest expected surging demand to strain their grids. But no major blackouts occurred during the multiday heat wave. The Pacific Northwest sent much-needed power to California, which in turn was able to send electricity to Boise. And desert states didn’t see dire conditions, allowing them to send power to California. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Western states ponder regional grid as renewables grow
And lastly …
Behold Carrot, the 67-pound goldfish caught in France
“An angler has caught a goldfish weighing almost 70 pounds — a carp so big-bellied that some on social media have branded her “a monster,” while others likened her to “a big lump of gold” or a flame-colored beauty.“Carrot,” as the goldfish is affectionately nicknamed, was reeled in by British angler Andy Hackett at Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France, earlier this month and became a bit of a celebrity Tuesday as broadcasters in the United Kingdom went for the story hook, line and sinker. … ” Read more and check out the picture at the Washington Post here: Behold Carrot, the 67-pound goldfish caught in France
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: November 22 Weekly Update on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
ANNOUNCEMENT: 2022 California Water Data Challenge
