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Aquafornia
Water news you need to know

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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Please Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. Also, the headlines below are the original headlines used in the publication cited at the time they are posted here and do not reflect the stance of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial nonprofit that remains neutral.

Aquafornia news Salt Lake Tribune

As Lake Powell falls, artists in Moab explore the rise of Glen Canyon

What goes up must come down — perhaps even for things as massive as Lake Powell. That’s the topic of the Glen Canyon Institute’s March 15 event, “Glen Canyon Rises.” Featuring artists, musicians and writers, the event celebrates the re-emergence of the legendary canyon as the water table keeps dropping in the massive reservoir shrouding the canyon, Lake Powell. The Moab Times-Independent spoke with two of the event’s participants, writer (and former Salt Lake Tribune reporter) Zak Podmore and photographer Dawn Kish, about their work to document the return of the southern Utah canyon sometimes called America’s lost national park.

Aquafornia news KJZZ - Tempe

Arizona’s drought turns 30 this year. ‘Toilet to tap’ may be one way to help ease the water crisis

People born in 1994 will be turning 30 this year — and so will the drought in Arizona. Groundwater is the primary source of water for the state, along with allotments from the Colorado River. But due to a population that has nearly doubled since the drought began in 1994, groundwater is drying up. In response, Gov. Katie Hobbs put a moratorium on new housing developments last year unless developers can prove they have safe access to non-groundwater sources for 100 years before they can begin construction. Along with efforts to encourage home water use reduction, another solution being considered is a bit greener: direct potable reuse (DPR), known colloquially as “toilet to tap.” But the issue is far more complex than a catchy tagline.

Aquafornia news Stockton Record

Blog: Salmon fishing closures or restrictions are likely this year

The ocean and river salmon seasons in California are likely to be closed or severely restricted this year based on low abundance forecasts for Sacramento and Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon that were released by state and federal fishery scientists at the CDFW’s annual salmon information meeting via webinar on March 1. California representatives are now working together to develop a range of recommended ocean fishing season alternatives taking place now at the March 6-11 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Fresno. Final season recommendations will be adopted at the PFMC’s April 6-11 meeting in Seattle, Wash. Due to the collapse of fall-run Chinook salmon on the Klamath/Trinity and Sacramento River systems in 2022, all commercial and recreational salmon fishing on the ocean was closed in California and most of Oregon last year.

Aquafornia news San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Millions in the pipeline for San Gabriel Valley projects, Rep. Napolitano says

Nearly $20 million in federal community project funds for 14 San Gabriel Valley projects, and $1.67 billion for Southern California water infrastructure were a step closer to reality after a House of Representatives vote this week, according to the Rep. Grace Napolitano’s office. The $19.6 million was money Napolitano secured in this year’s congressional spending bills, she said. The 14 projects include: $5,500,000 for the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority’s San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund…

Aquafornia news Maven's Notebook

Nutrients from wastewater treatment plants may threaten coastal marine life―should California regulate them?

The State Water Resources Control Board is exploring regulating nutrients emitted from Southern California wastewater treatment plants into the ocean. The controversial move is prompted by concerns that these discharges may accelerate acidification and oxygen loss in the region’s coastal waters, harming nearshore marine life. The wastewater treatment industry says this nutrient regulation is premature. Environmentalists say it’s overdue. … Wastewater effluent from 23 million people is piped offshore in Southern California. The resulting acidity boost could be enough to start dissolving the shells of crabs and small snails called pteropods, which swim near the ocean surface and are a favorite food of many fish and whales. And the resulting oxygen depletion could deprive anchovies, which many commercial fish eat, of their habitat.

Aquafornia news PR Newswire

News release: Cadiz closes financing, secures development capital for water supply projects

Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI / CDZIP, the “Company”) announced today that it has completed a financing transaction that significantly strengthens its financial position and provides the Company with liquidity to accelerate development of its water supply projects in Southern California. The financing includes a new $20 million loan to fund operations and capital expenses associated with development of the Company’s water supply projects and extends all debt maturities to 2027.

Aquafornia news Marin Independent Journal

Marin water managers gain edge in weather science

Water management might look different in Marin County as agencies partner to understand extreme weather better. The North Marin Water District, the Marin Municipal Water District and Marin County joined the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes Water Affiliates Group in January. The group researches “atmospheric rivers” and other severe weather to improve water management, mitigate flood risk and increase water supply reliability. … The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says atmospheric rivers are storms that move most of the water vapor out of the tropics. According to the Water Affiliates Group, heavy rainfall from these flows of condensed water is responsible for almost 85% of floods on the West Coast.

Aquafornia news CBS - Sacramento

Helicopters map California groundwater basins with electromagnetic tech

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has mapped out the state over the last few years to gain a better understanding of its groundwater basins. The department has been using new technology combined with helicopters to create a database about what lies below. Out of sight, out of mind, many people might not think about the water that could lie below our feet, but the DWR knows groundwater is critical to California. The state has 515 basins that can hold up to five times more groundwater than all surface water combined. However, state officials need to learn more about these basins. With phase one of their airborne electromagnetic survey project done, they’re one step closer.

Related article: 

Aquafornia news The Associated Press

Thursday Top of the Scroll: States in Colorado River basin pitch new ways to absorb shortages but clash on the approach

The seven U.S. states that draw water from the Colorado River basin are suggesting new ways to determine how the increasingly scarce resource is divvied up when the river can’t provide what it historically promised. The Upper Basin and the Lower Basin states, as neighbors, don’t agree on the approach. Under a proposal released Wednesday by Arizona, California and Nevada, the water level at Lake Mead — one of the two largest of the Colorado River reservoirs — no longer would determine the extent of water cuts like it currently does. The three Lower Basin states also want what they say is a more equitable way of distributing cuts that would be a 50-50 split between the basins once a threshold is hit. 

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Aquafornia news CalMatters

The Klamath River salmon die-off was tragic. Was it predictable?

A recent large die-off of young salmon released into the Klamath River shocked and dismayed state biologists, reinforcing that human efforts to restore nature and undo damage can be unpredictable and difficult to control. The tiny Chinook salmon turned up dead downriver just two days after they were released from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s brand new Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, built to supply the Klamath River as it undergoes the largest dam removal in history. … No wild salmon were harmed. And the consequences aren’t expected to be catastrophic for the Klamath hatchery project.

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Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

Can the ocean save the Colorado River? San Diego thinks so.

Facing rising costs and rates, the leaders of San Diego’s water lifelines are looking to sell some of its most expensive supply: de-salted ocean water from a massive plant in Carlsbad. But, at the same time, they’re also trying to make more of it. Dan Denham, the San Diego County Water Authority’s new general manager, says he wants to expand seawater desalination not because he thinks San Diego needs more water, but because he thinks they can sell it and recoup at least a little of the massive investment local rate payers have made on the plant. … “We’re looking to expand the plant as an opportunity for users, whether that’s in southern California or the lower Colorado River basin,” Denham said.

Aquafornia news Water Education Foundation

Announcement: Upcoming workshops, tours and international conference to focus on groundwater

With National Groundwater Awareness Week approaching and 2024 marking the 10ᵗʰ anniversary of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California, upcoming Water Education Foundation tours and events will help you gain a deeper understanding of groundwater fundamentals. Join us April 5 for our annual Water 101 Workshop, which includes a session that will provide an overview of the state’s groundwater resources, its importance in the state’s water supply, its history of use and overuse and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Learn what other topics will be covered and register here. Workshop participants can also join the Groundwater Tour the day before the workshop. And in April, our three-day Central Valley Tour will have a strong focus on groundwater as it moves through the San Joaquin Valley.

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Global hot streak continues: February was warmest on record

The planet has experienced its ninth consecutive month of record-breaking warmth, with a simmering February rounding out the Northern Hemisphere’s hottest meteorological winter on record, international climate officials announced this week. The global surface temperature in February was 56.4 degrees — about 0.2 degrees warmer than the previous February record set in 2016, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. … While much of the Northern hemisphere, including the United States, experienced its warmest meteorological winter on record, parts of Southern California and Los Angeles saw temperatures below their historical average, according to a report from AccuWeather. The state ended the month with a major winter blizzard that dumped up to 10 feet of snow across portions of the Sierra Nevada.

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Aquafornia news California Department of Water Resources

News release: Understanding the underground – DWR completes first phase of innovative groundwater mapping program

National Groundwater Awareness Week is next week, and in the spirit of promoting groundwater knowledge, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is excited to announce that its innovative groundwater mapping project is complete and will provide critical information about our underground water supply. The Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey Project has now completed surveys in all high-and-medium-priority groundwater basins in California. AEM surveys use state-of-the-art helicopter-based technology to scan the earth’s subsurface to depths of up to 1,000 feet, like taking an MRI of the earth, to visualize the aquifer structures beneath our feet. You can see the AEM equipment in action in this DWR video: DWR’s Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys: The AEM Method (youtube.com).

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Aquafornia news State Water Resources Control Board

Notice: Department of Fish and Wildlife submits flow recommendations for Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks

The State Water Resources Control Board received a letter from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) submitting instream flow recommendations to inform a long-term flow-setting process to support anadromous salmonids and year-round ecological stream function on Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks. Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks are tributaries to the Sacramento River and provide aquatic habitat for several native fish species including Chinook salmon (spring-run, fall-run, and late fall-run), Steelhead, and Pacific Lamprey. Additional information will be forthcoming on the next steps in considering the recommendations. Additional information related to this matter can be found on the Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks – Flow Recommendations webpage.

Aquafornia news Mono Lake Committee

Blog: New project to study role of evaporation at Mono Lake

As an endorheic—or terminal—lake with no outlet, Mono Lake loses water naturally only through evaporation. Evaporation is a complex process, influenced by radiation, wind, temperature, and humidity. The rate of evaporation varies across seasons and over the lake’s surface. With no long-term observational data of evaporation at Mono Lake, the effect of evaporation on the water balance is not well understood. Longtime Mono Lake Committee hydrogeographer Peter Vorster studied evaporation here for a short period in the early 1980s. He determined Mono Lake loses nearly four vertical feet of water to evaporation each year. With a more current understanding of evaporation specifically at Mono Lake, the Committee can better estimate lake level fluctuation.

Aquafornia news KJZZ - Tempe, AZ

Some Cochise County residents blame Arizona Rep. Gail Griffin for blocking groundwater conservation progress

At a recent listening session hosted by Attorney General Kris Mayes, Cochise County residents called on state officials to do more to protect Arizona’s groundwater — and pointed the finger at one rural lawmaker for blocking progress.  Cochise County residents such as Anne Carl reported that mega farms, dairies and lithium mines are sucking the groundwater out of the earth and leaving it dry which causes the ground to shake and crack. … Residents blamed Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), the powerful chair of the House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee, for blocking bills that they say would protect their water rights. Mayes, a Democrat who’s spoken strongly against drill permits previously awarded to foreign-owned companies, suggested they vote her out and vowed to act if the Legislature will not. 

Aquafornia news SJV Sun

Valadao secures $55 million for 15 community project funding requests

Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) has secured $55 million in direct funding for community improvement projects.  Fifteen projects throughout Congressional District 22 will receive federal grants, per Valadao’s request. The big picture: The largest project on the list is $9 million to construct a new homeless shelter campus in Bakersfield. … Delano’s Well 42 project will receive $6 million to fund the creation of a new city well and treatment plant to provide clean and contaminant free water. … Here’s a look at the rest of the projects that Valadao secured funding for: … $1.75 million for the city of Lindsay to replace an old main pipeline to improve water quality. $3.25 million for the Arvin-Edison groundwater recharge project to reduce landowner’s groundwater pumping and provide in-lieu groundwater recharge.

Related article: 

Aquafornia news KJZZ - Tempe, AZ

Colorado has had water courts for 50 years. Meet one of the referees who helps make them work

As water supplies come under more stress across the West, some states are seeing increased legal activity related to water rights. Bloomberg has reported some states, including Utah, are setting up specific water courts, or judges who deal mainly in water law. Colorado has had this kind of a setup for more than 50 years. Holly Strablizky is a water referee for the Water Court in Colorado. The Show talked with her about what her job entails.

Aquafornia news Ag Alert

Growers scrap vineyards as market dims

A once-in-a-generation downturn in the wine market is reshaping California’s grape-growing regions as farmers tear out vines to rebalance supply with declining demand. Throughout this winter, bulldozers plowed through Lodi’s wine country, leveling vineyards and piling vines in mangled heaps on either side of Highway 99 in San Joaquin County. Thousands of acres in the region have been removed or are slated for removal, according to an ongoing survey of its members by the Lodi District Grape Growers Association.