A collection of top water news from around California and the West compiled each weekday. Send any comments or article submissions to Foundation News & Publications Director Chris Bowman.
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California’s summer is off to a fiery start after an explosion
of wildfire activity across the state this week, with blazes
stretching firefighting resources thin, forcing evacuations and
scorching several homes, businesses and bone-dry hillsides.
Perilous weather conditions in the last days of spring before
Thursday — strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures —
fueled flames from Los Angeles County to Colusa County north of
Sacramento, with more than 30 wildfires igniting, including two
of the state’s largest this year that each surpassed 15,000
acres in a matter of hours, according to the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The early boom in
wildfires is casting new concerns about what the rest of 2024
will bring, especially with the hottest months ahead and
another heat dome forecast for interior California this
weekend.
Sand waves flow behind Jack Stauss, repeatedly rolling and
breaking near a debris-heavy section of the river as he
discusses sediment-related phenomena in Lake Powell. …Sand
waves are one of many sediment-related phenomena at Lake
Powell. They form in water containing a high percentage of
sediment when the river’s bottom isn’t perfectly flat.
… Created on the Utah-Arizona border with the 1963
construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, the nation’s
second-largest reservoir, could once hold almost 26 million
acre-feet of water. But, according to a 2022 report from
the U.S. Geological Survey, its capacity has since dropped
by nearly 7%, primarily due to sediment deposited by the
Colorado River’s tributaries and trapped by Lake Powell’s still
waters.
After years of work by the Tule River Tribe, a family of seven
beavers has been released into the South Fork Tule River
watershed on the Tule River Indian Reservation as part of a
multi-year beaver reintroduction effort done in partnership
with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Beavers play a critical role in the ecology and stewardship of
the land. They build dams that retain water on the landscape,
extending seasonal flows, increasing summer baseflows,
improving drought and wildfire resilience and better conserving
the Tribe’s drinking water supply, of which about 80% comes
from the Tule River watershed. CDFW wildlife biologists also
expect to eventually see better habitat conditions for a number
of endangered amphibian and riparian-obligate bird species,
including foothill and southern mountain yellow-legged frogs,
western pond turtle, least Bell’s vireo and southwestern willow
flycatcher.
Board members of Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainablity Agency
signed a deal with Self-Help Enterprises this week to respond
to dry or damaged drinking water wells. The deal may, or may
not, be extended throughout the Tule subbasin as part of a
larger effort by managers to revamp their groundwater plan and
submit it to the state Water Resources Control Board by July 1
to try and stave off state intervention. But if this one piece
of the larger puzzle is any indication, July 1 may be a pipe
dream for a cohesive plan as other water managers are
negotiating their own deals with Self-Help and questioning
Eastern Tule’s ability to pay for a well program long term.
Sun-kissed waters flowing south in the Friant-Kern Canal
provided a perfect backdrop on a hot summer morning for a
ribbon-cutting celebration that drew more than 100 people,
including a who’s-who of local, state and federal water
managers. An upbeat mood pervaded the gathering Friday,
June 21, which marked the completion of Phase I of the Middle
Reach Capacity Correction Project. As its name suggests, the
massive, $325 million construction project in the middle
portion of the 152-mile long canal adds room to the canal’s
carrying capacity. About 1,000 cubic feet per second, to be
exact.
As general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California, Adel Hagekhalil has overseen a public
agency that’s responsible for supplying the water that 19
million people drink. And he has been playing a leading role in
efforts to transform how Southern California manages water, one
of the most consequential issues the region faces as climate
change continues to upend the water cycle. His influence
in this critical sphere currently hangs in the balance. Earlier
this month, the water district’s board placed Hagekhalil on
leave as it investigates harassment allegations by his chief
financial officer that he denies. With him sidelined, some of
his supporters are concerned the policies he has been
pursuing could be affected.
A research study in the East River Basin, a small, mountainous
river basin in western Colorado, shows that groundwater will
fall in a warming climate — and it can take streams down with
it. These streams, including the East River, carry water
from their headwaters through tunnels, canals and pipes to
homes, farms and businesses in the overstressed Colorado River
Basin. Groundwater’s role in this process has often been
overlooked: Most of the water in Colorado’s mountain streams
comes from snowpack, and without a lot of data, it’s been
assumed that groundwater is not really a huge player.
That’s not the case, said Rosemary Carroll, the lead researcher
on a groundwater study published in May in the academic
journal, Nature Water. “Groundwater is there to buffer your dry
water years,” Carroll said. “If you had no groundwater, you
would have a system go dry.”
… Despite two wet years, California’s long drought continues
to impact where water is diverted and how salmon spawn. Salmon
like cold, clear, clean water. Industrialized water systems
such as canals, levees, and dams with low levels result in
water being diverted for macro level agriculture. The small
amount of water being allocated leaves little room for salmon
and fishermen. Last year’s closure cost California fishermen
approximately $45 million, with some sources saying that is
only a fraction of the loss.
California has an extensive and complex water system. Can many
people name all the waterways on this common California water
map (with the names removed)? Give it a try. No cheating
… People probably know more near where they live and
work, or places they have visited. Real California water wonks
might color in the rivers or reaches they have worked on, swum
in, sampled, modeled, or litigated (depending on your
proclivities).
… Perhaps it would be better to develop less water-intensive
developments. Recreation is certainly what were known for, but
at what cost? Each golf course uses approximately 1,000-acre
feet of water yearly (326,000,000 gallons of water).
Before the existence of the Salton Sea, the Colorado River
created ancient Lake Cahuilla many times over thousands of
years, making it the largest fresh water inland lake in
California. Now the Salton Sea is on the brink of a health and
environmental disaster that will impact all of Southern
California. We are currently all affected by the some of the
worst air quality in the nation. —Written by Kerry Berman, interpretive guide, I-naturalist,
author of “Enchanted Valley Palm Springs and Beyond”
Lake Hemet will be closed for swimming this summer due to toxic
algae that has bloomed at area lakes in recent months,
officials announced earlier this week. In a social media post,
Lake Hemet Campground said it received test results Tuesday,
June 18, showing that while there has been some improvement,
enough algae is present to keep swimmers out of the water even
as temperatures begin to climb. … Toxic algal blooms
pose a threat to people and their pets. The blooms of
cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, often look
like streaks of spilled paint, and can produce toxins that can
harm the liver, kidneys, brain, digestive system and skin.
The Marin Municipal Water District is revisiting the
possibility of constructing a desalination plant, this time
taking a closer look at the cost to produce drinking water
during a drought. The reason for the focused cost analysis is
because while a desal plant could provide a great supply, the
district has limited storage capacity … The district launched
a study into new water sources in 2022 after facing potential
reservoir depletion from the drought. Rains in late 2021 nearly
refilled the district’s reservoirs, giving the county’s largest
water supplier more time to study the costs and benefits of
potential new sources of supply. The resulting study is the
water supply roadmap that was approved last year. In addition
to desalination, the plan explores expanded recycled water
opportunities, conveyance and storage.
As people flock to the rivers to escape the sweltering heat,
Stanislaus County officials are advising people to stay out of
the rivers. John McManus with the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire
Department said that the “unsafe water levels” are due to water
releases to keep reservoirs from overfilling. “Higher water
levels create more current and as the water levels rise, trees,
undergrowth, all become obstructions that can be detrimental to
the safety of people who are enjoying the river,” he said. As
rivers run full and cold, they’re reminding people to wear life
jackets and avoid getting in too deep.
A 20-year conservation effort to restore the lower Siuslaw
River just got a big boost. A cattle farmer recently
transferred 245 acres of land to continue restoration of the
tidal estuary. The act will mean a lot for salmon. If the
Siuslaw River estuary were a puzzle, a good-sized piece of it
was just put back. The latest land deal helps expand more than
1,200 acres of existing conservation lands in the area. It took
the work of state and federal agencies and area nonprofits to
make it happen.
A Sacramento County judge on Thursday ruled in favor of several
water districts and local governments over California’s planned
delta tunnel project that would divert water from Northern
California to the south of the state, saying that exploratory
work can’t continue until the state completes a necessary
certification process. The decision by Superior Court Judge
Stephen Acquisto is a win for the groups that had argued the
state Department of Water Resources hadn’t completed all
documentation required by the California Environmental Quality
Act and complied with the Delta Plan. The department had sought
to perform geotechnical work, like initial drilling and the
installation of monitoring equipment. … An attorney for the
groups argued at a May hearing that drilling holes, along with
other moves, did physically change the environment. That meant
it fell under the act’s purview, and the department didn’t yet
have the authority. On Thursday, Acquisto agreed.
The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a state-authored
settlement in the long-running legal battle over the waters of
the Rio Grande, siding with the Biden administration’s
objections to the deal. The court ruled 5-4 to rebuff the
proposed settlement among the three Western states named in
Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado over how to account for water
use in the Rio Grande Basin. Legal observers have suggested the
court’s decision could potentially grant the federal government
new power to control the flow of water in drought-stricken
regions — including the Colorado River Basin — by requiring
states to seek the agreement of federal water managers when
settling intra-basin disputes.
California is among nine U.S. states and territories selected
to receive $60 million in federal funding as part of a
significant effort to build a nationwide climate-ready
workforce. The investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will
support job development efforts in coastal and Great Lakes
communities around the country, including $9.5 million to
establish the Los Angeles County Climate Ready Employment
Council at Long Beach City College. … U.S. Secretary of
Commerce Gina Raimondo [said in a statement,] “Climate
change accelerates the need for a new generation of skilled
workers who can help communities address a wide range of
climate impacts including sea level rise, flooding, water
quality issues and the need for solutions such as renewable
energy.”
The state postponed the Kaweah groundwater region’s Nov. 5
probationary hearing until Jan. 7, 2025, according to an
announcement at a “state of the subbasin” event held June 19 to
answer questions about what probation would mean. … Managers
of the three groundwater agencies that cover the subbasin,
which covers the northern part of Tulare County’s flatlands,
have written a new plan they hope addresses the Water Board’s
concerns about the need to protect domestic wells, stop chronic
groundwater decline and work in a coordinated manner.
Incorporated in that new plan is a $5.8 million-a-year contract
with Visalia nonprofit Self-Help Enterprises to monitor and
respond to residential well problems. It was the first domestic
well agreement of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley.
More than a century has passed since members of the Shasta
Indian Nation saw the last piece of their ancestral home — a
landscape along the Klamath River where villages once stood —
flooded by a massive hydroelectric project. Now more than 2,800
acres of land that encompassed the settlement, known as
Kikacéki, will be returned to the tribe. The reclamation is
part of the largest river restoration effort in U.S. history,
the removal of four dams and reservoirs that had cut off the
tribe from the spiritual center of their world. … With the
decommissioning of the dams and draining of the reservoirs,
miles of river valley are visible once more, and the return of
free-flowing water has fueled hopes of reviving the salmon runs
that had sustained the valley’s tribes since time immemorial.
As the Bay Area’s drinking water is increasingly clouded with
particles from wildfires, atmospheric rivers, algae blooms and
chemical contaminants, the East Bay’s largest water district is
set to undertake the most ambitious infrastructure project in
the region to try to keep it clean. The East Bay Municipal
Utility District (EBMUD) is tackling nearly $1 billion in
infrastructure upgrades to help safeguard 1.4 million
residents’ drinking water supply. Officials hope to transform
the way it treats the Mokelumne River Watershed that feeds the
Pardee and Briones reservoirs. One of the biggest projects
began in fall 2021, when the 101-year-old agency began
conceptualizing a $420 million plan to add new pretreatment
facilities at its Walnut Creek Water Treatment Plant — and
smaller upgrades to the Lafayette plant nearby — to speed up
how quickly EBMUD can filter out the dirt, microorganisms,
algae, chemicals and other particles that are swept into
drinking water, 90% of which is sourced from Sierra Nevada
snowmelt.
