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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 Cal Coast News

SLO receives $6.6 million grant to clean up contaminated groundwater

The California State Water Resources Control Board issued a $6.6 million grant for a city of San Luis Obispo project intended to clean up contaminated groundwater. Presently, the city does not use groundwater for its drinking water supply. SLO’s potable water supply comes from Whale Rock Reservoir, Santa Margarita Lake and Nacimiento Reservoir.  City officials have sought to diversify the water supply in an attempt to achieve “greater drought and climate change resiliency.” Previously, contamination from tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, served as a barrier to doing so. PCE is a toxic chemical produced by dry cleaning and industrial activities, which took place in the city decades ago. The cleanup project will consist of the city building two new groundwater supply wells that are expected to be fully operation in 2026. 

Aquafornia news Fox 5 - San Diego

California State Senator Steve Padilla announces new bills to rein in companies contributing to South Bay sewage

A pair of new state bills are looking to crack down on some of the polluters fueling the cross-border sewage crisis that has hobbled access to San Diego County’s southernmost beaches for decades. Senate Bill 1178 and Senate Bill 1208, introduced on Monday by State Sen. Steve Padilla, add regulations to water discharges for large corporations, as well as prevent water authorities from issuing additional permits for waste releases into areas in the Tijuana River system.

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Environmentalists push to add burrowing owl to endangered list

This month, several wildlife conservation groups petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list these owls as endangered or threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. … [Chair of the environmental studies department at San Jose State University Lynne] Trulio’s speciality is urban species, and she’s contributed to the research that underpins Santa Clara County’s habitat conservation plan on burrowing owls. But before that she was also the lead scientist for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, one of the largest tidal wetland restoration projects on the West Coast. “One of the things that drove the effort was the fact that there were endangered species” in wetlands, said Trulio. She said it took years to change the perception of the wetlands as a dumping ground and to get a ballot measure to fund its preservation.

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Aquafornia news Fresno Bee

Cops: Missing woman swept away crossing California river

A search continues for a woman last seen being carried downriver in the Angeles National Forest, California sheriff’s officials said. The 59-year-old woman lost her footing while crossing a river near the Heaton Flats Trail at 9:51 a.m. Saturday, March 9, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Strong river currents swept her downstream, deputies said. She had been hiking with friends. … Some teams have been airlifted to search areas because of the rugged terrain and swift river currents, deputies said. The sheriff’s office encouraged hikers to use “extreme caution” when crossing rivers.

Aquafornia news USA Today

Monday Top of the Scroll: After another wet winter, is the West still facing a water crisis?

Time is running out for the West’s wet season, but recent storms have done wonders for the snowpack and the drought across much of the region, especially in California. ”The drought situation across the western U.S. has improved considerably as a result of a very wet winter,” Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist at Arizona State University, told USA TODAY. In fact, both California and Nevada are “essentially drought-free” at the moment, which is “really unusual,” he said. Elsewhere, the giant reservoirs of the Colorado River Basin, Lakes Mead and Powell, are now about one-third full. … Specifically, only about 25% of the western U.S. is currently in drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, which is down from 51% this time last year.

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Aquafornia news NPR

As a deadline approaches, Colorado River states are still far apart on water sharing

Ahead of a deadline next week, the seven states that share the Colorado River have revealed competing plans for how the river should be managed in the future. They’re split into two factions, with the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming on one side, and their Lower Basin counterparts—California, Arizona and Nevada—on the other. Those two camps have been at odds over water management many times over the past century. Now, with climate change shrinking the Colorado River’s supply, they’re under intense pressure to rein in demand. While the current guidelines for sharing the river don’t expire until 2026, the Biden Administration set a mid-March deadline for proposals for new guideline, in part because the upcoming election in November could bring a change of presidential administration that could complicate the implementation of new rules.

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Aquafornia news Bakersfield Californian

What once looked like a weak water year on the Kern River has grown stronger

What a difference a month makes. There has been some hand-wringing this winter regarding California’s 2024 water outlook, especially in the southern mountains and the Kern River Watershed. But new reports are pointing toward a much more favorable water year, including in the Kern River Basin, and by extension, Isabella Lake storage.

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Aquafornia news California WaterBlog

Blog: A functional flows approach for environmental flows in Chile

Countries, regions, and river basins globally are struggling to provide and manage flows in rivers for ecosystems. One approach, of many, is a Functional Flows approach, because it seeks to provide a range of streamflows over the year and between years to support fundamental functions of river ecosystems and the ecosystem services for society. … The approach also involves a process for balancing multiple human and ecological objectives for river systems through broad engagement of multiple interests. In their challenge to maintain riverine ecosystem services, Chile and California can benefit from this dynamic approach to managing instream flows.

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Aquafornia news Sacramento Bee

Opinion: Proposed CA water conservation rules put urban forests at risk

California officials are preparing new urban water conservation rules intended to help the state adapt to a drier future caused by climate change. In reality, the proposed restrictions are so great they could actually harm those adaptation efforts by sacrificing the tree canopy we have nurtured in our cities for generations. The “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” rule package, proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board, sets conservation targets unique to each urban water agency in the state. While conserving each and every year makes sense, so must the restrictions. A recent report by the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office found big flaws in the Water Board’s approach, describing the proposal as overly complex, expensive and unrealistic, with potential water savings amounting to a mere drop in the bucket statewide.
-Written by Jim Peifer, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Water Authority; and Victoria Vasquez, grants and public policy manager for California ReLeaf, which works to protect, enhance and grow California’s urban and community forests.​

Aquafornia news Eureka Times-Standard

Opinion: What happens when dams come down

In January, draining the reservoirs behind the Klamath Dams began. Iron Gate Reservoir, Copco Lake, and the Boyle Reservoir are now largely empty as blasts opened holes in culverts beneath Copco #1 and the John C. Boyle dams and the outlet tunnel below Iron Gate was opened. “The Klamath River flows free,” ran some headlines. Well not exactly. Keno and Link River dams in Oregon upstream near Klamath Falls will not be removed. Iron Gate, Copco #1, and J.C. Boyle still stand, although the reservoirs behind them are largely empty. Until the dams are completely removed (slated for this spring/summer), the flow is still impacted by the dam structures, causing erosion and ponding. Constriction and acceleration as the water flows through narrowed passageways can lead to cavitation. Cavitation occurs when irregularities in the bed lift the water. The resulting negative pressure causes bubbles of water vapor to form.
-Written by Lori Dengler, an emeritus professor of geology at Cal Poly Humboldt.

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Aquafornia news Mendo Fever

New water authority unites Ukiah Valley, Redwood Valley, and Millview to navigate the next era of water challenges

In what one Ukiah Valley water leader calls “the next big era of major water decisions,” the City of Ukiah has joined up with Redwood Valley and the Millview water district to form a new water authority. The aim is to qualify for state infrastructure grants to create a more reliable water supply for small communities. The new authority has around 8500 to 9000 water users, with about half of them in the city of Ukiah. That’s pretty small by state standards, but First District Supervisor Glenn McGourty, who is retiring this year, thinks the water authority will help smaller districts comply with ever-increasing state requirements.

Aquafornia news CalMatters

Displaced San Diego flood victims can get CalFresh benefits

Almost three months after a January storm and flash floods killed several people and displaced hundreds of San Diego-area residents, the state is offering one-time Disaster CalFresh benefits to help families recover. To be eligible for disaster food benefits, people must have lived or worked in storm-impacted areas on Jan. 21, the day record rainfall swelled creeks and rivers, deluging neighborhoods. About 600 people sought emergency shelter. California’s Department of Social Services said it will provide 30 days of food benefits to families who qualify. 

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Aquafornia news Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom

News release: California’s landmark plastic pollution law moves forward

California today took another step in implementing the nation’s most comprehensive measure to tackle the rise in plastic waste polluting our communities and ecosystems. Plastic waste is a major contributor to climate and trash pollution, with less than 9% of plastic recycled in California and the rest of the U.S. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) in 2022, which requires producers to cut single-use plastic waste and ensure the packaging on products they sell is recyclable or compostable. The state today released draft regulations for the measure, kicking off the formal rulemaking process.

Aquafornia news Golden State Salmon Association

News release: GSSA raises alarm about ongoing killing of protected steelhead by state water projects

On March 6, a coalition of environmental and fishing groups reiterated their request that a federal court modify federal agencies’ proposed interim plan for operating the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), in coordination with the State Water Project (SWP), to protect fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and California Endangered Species Act (CESA). That coalition includes the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, the Golden State Salmon Association, The Bay Institute, Defenders of Wildlife, and Natural Resources Defense Council. Coinciding with that filing has been a recent dramatic increase of protected steelhead dying at the projects’ water pumps.  The CVP and SWP are still largely operating under rules written in 2019 under the leadership of, among others, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for the powerful Westlands Water District. 

Aquafornia news LAist

LA has big plans to turn a landfill into a wetland, but delays are jeopardizing the project

… Los Angeles desperately needs to become more like a sponge. That will help to capture more stormwater locally when rain does come and lessen devastating flooding, said Edith de Guzman, a UCLA water equity and climate adaptation researcher. … The Rory M. Shaw Wetlands Park Project will turn a 46-acre landfill formerly used for materials such as concrete and gravel into an engineered wetland that can boost local water supply and alleviate local flooding. It’ll also become a 15-acre park with a lake and walking paths. … But now, the biggest barrier to completing the project is funding, said Mark Pestrella, the director of L.A. County Department of Public Works, which is spearheading the project (after it’s constructed, the city of L.A. will take over maintenance). The new goal is to complete it by 2028 or 2029.

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Aquafornia news The Associated Press

A Saudi business is leaving Arizona valley after it was targeted by the state over groundwater use

Arizona officials said a Saudi-owned company they targeted over its use of groundwater to grow forage crops is moving its farming operation out of a valley in the Southwestern state’s rural west. Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona State Land Department announced late Thursday that Fondomonte Arizona is officially no longer pumping water in the Butler Valley groundwater basin. Some residents of La Paz County had complained that the company’s pumping was threatening their wells. A statement by Hobbs says an on-site inspection had confirmed that Fondomonte was moving to vacate the property. Fondomonte has several other farms elsewhere in Arizona that are not affected by the decision.

Aquafornia news Aspen Journalism

In dry years, Colorado’s Crystal River runs at a trickle — but why?

In 2012, one of the driest years in Colorado in recent memory, the Crystal River practically dried up. Ken Neubecker, a now-retired Colorado projects director at environmental group American Rivers and former member of the Pitkin County Healthy Rivers board, recalls the stream conditions. … These extremely low-water conditions returned in the drought years of 2018, 2020 and 2021, with river flows near the fish hatchery just south of Carbondale hovering around 8 to 10 cfs — not enough to support aquatic life and nowhere near the 100 cfs that the state of Colorado says is the minimum needed to maintain a healthy stream. 

Aquafornia news San Francisco Chronicle

Toxic water, sea level rise latest challenges in S.F. shipyard cleanup

A report released by the Navy confirmed concerns that for years have been hanging over the radiological cleanup of San Francisco’s Hunters Point Shipyard: that rising seawater levels, and other environmental factors resulting from climate change, could cause toxic materials that have long been buried at the site to surface.  The study, called Climate Resilience Assessment, was included in an ongoing review process that the Navy must undertake every five years to evaluate its remediation plan for the former shipyard, which has long been a designated Superfund site. The shipyard is also slated for redevelopment into a new neighborhood, with cleaning efforts by the Navy and its contractors underway for more than a decade to prepare it for reuse.  The report is the first time that the Navy has studied the impacts of climate change in relation to the shipyard, which spans hundreds of acres and contains radioactive waste and other contaminants.

Aquafornia news Newsweek

Time lapse shows California ‘ghost lake’ suddenly disappear

Anew time-lapse video shared on social media shows Tulare Lake, California’s ghost lake, disappear after re-forming last year. A series of atmospheric rivers hit California last year during an abnormally wet winter season and caused the lake to reemerge in the San Joaquin Valley. The original lake was once much larger than Lake Tahoe and was known to be the largest freshwater lake in the West, but it began to dry up in the late 1800s and fully disappeared 80 years ago when water was diverted and the land was repurposed for agricultural uses. Atmospheric rivers are a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Aquafornia news YubaNet

Lake Spaulding powerhouse #1 offline after leak discovered

NID released a notice informing the public of cuts to the Bear River water flows yesterday afternoon. The district cited “unexpected maintenance work in the headwaters” in their release. We can now confirm a shutdown of PG&E’s Spaulding #1 powerhouse is the cause of what could be a prolonged outage in water flows. According to a PG&E spokesperson: During a routine inspection at PG&E’s Spaulding 1 powerhouse on March 6, a leak was discovered adjacent to a pressure relief valve. On March 7 a more detailed inspection was made of the PRV [pressure relief valve] and PG&E determined that repairs would need to be made before the powerhouse could be returned to service. The estimated return to service date is April 30.