Aquafornia

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) legislation to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for 10 years passed the Senate today. Cortez Masto’s legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and it would allow federal funds to continue maintaining the environment, supporting local jobs, and strengthening the tourism economy around Lake Tahoe. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives. “Sustainability programs in Tahoe must be able to keep up their operations so we can continue to keep the lake clean and support our local communities – not just today, but for future generations. That was the vision previous Senate leaders had for Lake Tahoe, and it is what I’ve been fighting for,” said Cortez Masto. “Passing the reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through the Senate is a huge step forward, and I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this vital bill into law as soon as possible.”

We live on a water planet, with vast amounts of water in the oceans, an extremely dynamic hydrologic cycle that brings renewable freshwater resources in the form of rain, snow, and river flows, and large stocks of groundwater. And because the Earth has pretty much the same amount of water today that it has had since the time of the very formation of the solar system more than 4 billion years ago, modern concerns about the so-called “scarcity” of water reflect not a change in the total amount of water, but the challenge of meeting the need for water and water services by growing populations and expanding economic demands. … The distribution and availability of water resources around the world are naturally highly variable, but climate change is making these variations worse. Addressing these water problems is one of the greatest challenges of our time. “Water scarcity” means different things to different communities, but in its simplest form, it can be defined as a shortage of water required to meet a specific water demand—such as clean freshwater for drinking, cooking, cleaning, or growing crops, to name just a few.

When Bill Keener started working at the Marine Mammal Center as a field biologist in the 1970s, there were no whales or dolphins in San Francisco Bay. The waters east of the Golden Gate Bridge were chock- full of life — sea lions and harbor seals galore — but not a cetacean to be seen. Starting in the late 2000s, things began to change. There are now four cetacean species living in or regularly visiting the busy waters east of the Golden Gate — harbor porpoises, gray whales, humpback whales and bottle-nosed dolphins. Yet Keener and other marine researchers aren’t sure if the animals’ presence is a sign of ecosystem health and rejuvenation or a portent of planetary disaster. And in each case, the story is a little different. Regardless of the cause for their return, they’re growing increasingly worried that as the numbers of these charismatic megafauna grow, so too does their risk of injury and death in these high-traffic waters.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating an outbreak of sores on rainbow trout in Eagle County waterways, with bacteria and stress the primary suspects. The rainbow trout have been reported by anglers and guiding companies in recent days, and CPW has engaged with those parties to collect samples of the affected fish, which were sent to the state’s Aquatic Animal Health Lab in Brush. While the results are not yet in, CPW aquatic biologist Kendall Bakich said she has seen similar lesions on fish in the Eagle River in the past, as well as other nearby water bodies. A case in Steamboat Lake showed a similar pathology in rainbow trout, Bakich said, occurring directly after the spawning season during warmer water temperatures.

… Shorelines are the backbone of any lake, pond, stream, or coastal zone. They provide the structure around the water and act as a zone of transition between the land and the water. … In Clear Lake, because the majority of the lake is a shallow basin or bordered by shallow-sloped shorelines and the lake water level can go from very full to very low within a couple years, the shoreline around the lake and the littoral zone share a lot of the same physical space and features. Sometimes the shoreline zone is inundated with water and sometimes it’s not. When you consider this variability, you realize that shorelines truly are special. They provide habitat for a unique and specific range of organisms, flora, and fauna. When shorelines are removed, converted, or become degraded, we can see significant species and biodiversity loss because of the specific niche habitat the shoreline provides.
—Written Angela De Palma-Dow, limnologist who lives and works in Lake County, certified lake manager with the North American Lake Management Society and current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science

This spring, the Bureau of Reclamation revealed damage to the river outlet works system of Glen Canyon Dam. While there is no structural risk to the huge dam on the Colorado River, the incident drew attention to the dam’s antiquated infrastructure and brought into question its ability to sustain water releases from Lake Powell at lower elevations. At risk are both the lower Colorado River Basin’s ecosystems—including the Grand Canyon—and the 30 million people who rely on the Colorado’s water.  The damage was caused by a High Flow Experiment Release in April, 2023, by cavitation, a process that happens when water passing through pipes at high velocity creates air bubbles that cause erosion. During the 2023 release, 3,500 CFS (cubic feet per second) of water was released through the outlet works pipes for 72 hours. The aim was to distribute sediment throughout the Grand Canyon to maintain healthy beaches and riparian habitats.

… While some [almond] growers and producers are optimistic the industry is turning around, others continue struggling. … In the last few years, state groundwater legislation known as SGMA began limiting landowners’ groundwater use, resulting in tough decisions about how much land growers can irrigate and which crops they can afford to keep alive. As a result, land prices have been shifting based on access to other water sources like irrigation canals. A recent report by land pricing company Acres, which crunches numbers based on publicly available data from land sales, shows that land values for almond orchards have been declining for years, regardless of water access.

For 31 straight days last summer, temperatures in Phoenix hit or topped 110 degrees, the longest such streak ever. That searing Arizona heat dehydrates crops and evaporates water the state needs to conserve. Creating shade is one way to combat the problem. By using solar panels, farmers can simultaneously protect their plants, save water and lower their energy bills – and some are doing just that with help from federal programs designed to encourage this sustainable method of growing. Photovoltaic panels are placed above the crops, harnessing the sun’s energy while providing valuable shade. 

Two college buddies who spent a day fly fishing on the Sacramento River came home with more than fish tales. For retired city planners Greg Collins and James Holloway, it prompted a new book, “Seven Generations: The Past, Present and Future of the Tulare Lake Basin,” published in May. This might beg the question, what does the Tulare Lake Basin have to do with the Sacramento River? On that fishing trip, Collins and Holloway wondered if the four rivers that feed Tulare Lake — the Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern — ever resembled the Sacramento with its lush green banks, abundant birdlife, and currents full of fish such as salmon and sturgeon. … The Tulare Lake Basin encompasses parts of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties. Collins and Holloway explore the region’s history, beginning with how Native American tribes lived off the land. They also discuss its future through environmental and economic lenses, offering point and counterpoint strategies indicative of their college degrees (biology and economics, respectively), lengthy careers in city planning, and volunteer roles.