California has pioneered some of the
toughest state environmental legislation to address environmental
issues. For example, laws focused attention on “instream uses” of
water to benefit fish and wildlife, recreation, water quality and
aesthetics. Among water-related issues, in general, are
climate change, toxic waste disposal, pollution and loss of
wildlife and habitat.
Also, the California Legislature was the first in the country to
protect rare plants and animals through passage of the California
Endangered Species Act in 1970.
The Great Salt Lake is in the middle of its summer decline,
bringing its levels back down to a concerning section within
the state’s management plan. Its southern arm is now down to
4,192.2 feet elevation, losing about 1½ feet since its peak
this spring, while its north arm remains just below that, at
4,191.8 feet elevation, according to federal data. Levels begin
to create “serious adverse effects” on brine shrimp viability,
air quality, mineral production and recreation at 4,192 feet
elevation, the state plan warns. However, the lake is also
receiving a significant financial boost amid ongoing efforts to
get water back to the lake. Up to $53 million in grant funding
is now available for projects that support the Great Salt Lake
and its wetlands, state officials announced on Wednesday.
California officials have moved closer to their goal of
conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by the target year
of 2030, a revelation that arrives as the Trump administration
advances directives that could claw back areas that were set
aside. Nearly five years after the inception of the so-called
30×30 initiative, California has conserved 26.1% of its lands
and 21.9% of its coastal waters — or roughly 41,000 square
miles and 1,150 square miles, respectively — according to a
California Natural Resources Agency report released Monday. In
2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that set the
30×30 effort in motion. The initiative kicked off in earnest
two years later when officials released a detailed road map for
the plan. At that time, approximately 23.8% of lands and 16.2%
of coastal waters were conserved. The stated goals of the 30×30
initiative extend beyond conservation. The plan also seeks to
restore biodiversity, expand Californians’ access to nature and
help mitigate and build resilience to climate change.
The South Yuba River Citizens League, in partnership with the
U.S. Forest Service, is launching the Salmon & Packer Creek
Aspen Restoration Project, a major forest restoration effort
aimed at revitalizing quaking aspen habitat within the Tahoe
National Forest. The State of California’s Wildlife
Conservation Board granted SYRCL $1.7 million for this
Restoration Project. Spanning a total of 292 acres north of
Highway 49 and west of Gold Lakes Highway, this project
includes degraded quaking aspen stands along Packer and Samon
Creek in the Lost Sierra along Packer Lake Road. The primary
goal is to restore and enhance 116 acres of aspen habitat, a
critical but declining habitat in the Sierra
Nevada. … One highlight of the project involves
installing approximately 15 Beaver Dam Analogs
(BDAs) in Salmon Creek Meadow. These low-tech
structures, built from earthen materials and small conifer
saplings, mimic natural beaver dams to slow water flow, expand
wet meadow habitat, and promote fringe aspen growth.
Clear Lake is the heart of Lake County, a popular spot for bass
fishing and water sports about 2.5 hours north of San
Francisco. It is also, according to a recent letter sent
to the California Legislature, “choking on past pollution and
toxic blooms” and “exceedingly malodorous.” That description
comes courtesy of a coalition of stakeholders in Lake County
who are requesting upward of $15 million in state funds to
rehabilitate Clear Lake. In the warmer months, the lake turns
dangerous when toxic algal blooms and
cyanobacteria surge. Tests have found
cyanotoxins in 56% of homes that draw water from the lake,
posing health risks ranging from rashes to liver
damage. … In a joint letter to California
legislators dated June 17, members of the Blue Ribbon Committee
— including tribal leaders, a Farm Bureau representative and a
Lake County supervisor — sent a blunt message about the ancient
lake.
After nearly a century of people building dams on most of the
world’s major rivers, artificial reservoirs now represent an
immense freshwater footprint across the landscape. Yet, these
reservoirs are understudied and overlooked for their fisheries
production and management potential, indicates a study from the
University of California, Davis. The study, published
in the journal Scientific Reports, estimates that U.S.
reservoirs hold 3.5 billion kilograms (7.7 billion pounds) of
fish. Properly managed, these existing reservoir ecosystems
could play major roles in food security and fisheries
conservation.
California has unveiled an ambitious plan to help combat the
worsening climate crisis with one of its invaluable assets: its
land. Over the next 20 years, the state will work to transform
more than half of its 100 million acres into multi-benefit
landscapes that can absorb more carbon than they release,
officials announced Monday. … The plan also calls for
11.9 million acres of forestland to be managed for biodiversity
protection, carbon storage and water supply protection by 2045,
and 2.7 million acres of shrublands and chaparral to be managed
for carbon storage, resilience and habitat connectivity, among
other efforts.
Tiny pieces of plastic waste shed
from food wrappers, grocery bags, clothing, cigarette butts,
tires and paint are invading the environment and every facet of
daily life. Researchers know the plastic particles have even made
it into municipal water supplies, but very little data exists
about the scope of microplastic contamination in drinking
water.
After years of planning, California this year is embarking on a
first-of-its-kind data-gathering mission to illuminate how
prevalent microplastics are in the state’s largest drinking water
sources and help regulators determine whether they are a public
health threat.
Algal blooms are sudden
outbreaks of algae. Their occurrence is increasing in
California’s rivers, creeks and lakes and along the coast,
threatening the lives of people, pets and fisheries.
Only a few types of algae can produce poisons, but even nontoxic
blooms hurt the environment and local economies. When masses
of algae die and decay, they can deplete oxygen in the water to
the point of causing devastating fish kills.
Excess salinity poses a growing
threat to food production, drinking water quality and public
health. Salts increase the cost of urban drinking water and
wastewater treatment, which are paid for by residents and
businesses. Increasing salinity is likely the largest long-term
chronic water quality impairment to surface and groundwater in California’s Central
Valley.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water provides an
overview of the history of water development and use in Nevada.
It includes sections on Nevada’s water rights laws, the history
of the Truckee and Carson rivers, water supplies for the Las
Vegas area, groundwater, water quality, environmental issues and
today’s water supply challenges.
Stretching 450 miles long and up to
50 miles wide, the Sierra Nevada makes up more than a quarter of
California’s land area and forms its largest watersheds,
providing more than half of the state’s developed water supply to
residents, agriculture and other businesses.*
The California Environmental Quality
Act, commonly known as CEQA, is foundational to the state’s
environmental protection efforts. The law requires proposed
developments with the potential for “significant” impacts on the
physical environment to undergo an environmental review.
Since its passage in 1970, CEQA (based on the National
Environmental Policy Act) has served as a model for
similar legislation in other states.
This issue of Western Water examines that process. Much
of the information is drawn from discussions that occurred at the
November 2005 Selenium Summit sponsored by the Foundation and the
California Department of Water Resources. At that summit, a
variety of experts presented findings and the latest activities
from areas where selenium is of primary interest.
