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 Doug Beeman.
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Emily Higuera is an Environmental Programs Specialist for the
Colorado River Management Section. She participates on behalf
of the department in a number of programs, including the Glen
Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, which focuses on
environmental compliance upstream of Lake Mead to Lake Powell,
as well as the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation
Program, which provides compliance at Lake Mead to the Southern
International Boundary. Emily has always had a bird’s eye view
of the Grand Canyon, until her trip with the Glen Canyon Dam
Adaptive Management Group in June of 2022. That river
experience, she said, “truly encapsulated the depth and wonder
that is the Grand Canyon.”
We are thrilled to share that (de-)construction for removal of
the Klamath River dams is well underway. Copco 2, the first of
four lower dams slated to be removed, will be removed by the
end of September, according to Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath
River Renewal Corporation. How will Copco 2 be
removed? In a recent interview with KDRV, Bransom
explained that contractors will drill small holes into the
large concrete structure of the dam, pack those holes with
explosives, and then detonate them. This will enable crews to
break up larger pieces of concrete into smaller pieces that are
more easily managed by their equipment. When will the
other dams be removed? By the end of 2024, the remaining
three dams — Copco 1, Iron Gate Dam, and J.C. Boyle Dam — will
be removed.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are more
than 9 million lead pipes (which is a significant source of
lead contamination) in drinking water across the United
States. It’s a problem that gained a national spotlight
after the Flint, Michigan water crisis which began in 2014.
Shortly after, California became the first state in the country
to make a commitment to remove all of its lead service lines.
But the lead pipe problem still persists. That problem is
highlighted in a new report mandated by state law and focuses
on potential lead contamination in the drinking water of
state-licensed childcare facilities. The report revealed that
drinking water at almost 1,700 childcare facilities across
California (roughly 1 in 4) exceeded the amount of lead the
state allows in drinking water.
It’s something a lot of people have noticed around Southern
California lately: bugs. Bugs, bugs and more bugs, everywhere
you look. … It’s not just nuisance bugs and gnats but it’s
also mosquitoes and bees. It all adding up to a busy season so
far for pest control experts. “I’ve been real busy,” said Nick
Cappellano, who owns Allied Pest Control. “I average between 16
and 22 jobs a day, responding to all sorts of things: ants,
spiders, ear wigs, which are considered the pincher bugs that
end up in the house.” For those wondering why we’re seemingly
under attack this spring, experts say look no further than all
the record rain we received over the winter.
Before colonial and American expansion, California’s Delta
watershed was occupied by the original guardians of the Delta.
These were the Native Peoples of the numerous villages and
Tribes of the Bay Miwok, Coast Miwok, Plains Miwok, Maidu,
Nisenan, Ohlone, Patwin, Pomo, Wappo, Wintun, and Yokuts.
Today, those original villages and Tribes are represented by
many local tribal groups that still have a deep connection to
the Delta watershed from Mount Shasta to the Tulare Basin. As
the Council works towards its mission of achieving the coequal
goals, we must partner with Native American Tribes to ensure
their lived experiences and perspectives are heard and
reflected in our shared work to create a more resilient Delta.
This is why the listening session the Council held in April was
so crucial.
For months, California officials led by Gov. Gavin Newsom felt
like they were at the bottom of a multistate dogpile in the
closely-watched staredown over water rights across the American
West. … That all changed in a dramatic way on Monday,
when California went from the main villain over dwindling
Colorado River supplies to something of a surprise beneficiary.
The joint plan presented alongside Arizona and Nevada and
roundly viewed as a victory by California officials — as well
as environmentalists and business leaders alike. … It’s a
remarkable turnaround when many were expecting only the Biden
administration — and then, likely, the courts — to be able to
break the stalemate and enforce a lasting solution.
The fight to maintain water levels in Northern California
rivers for fish received a push after the Karuk tribe and the
Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations filed a
petition with the California Water Resources Control Board
seeking to permanently enforce minimum flows on the Scott
River. Located in Siskiyou County, California, the Scott River
is a 60-mile tributary of the Klamath River and home to several
trout and salmon species, including some of the last Southern
Oregon-Northern California coho salmon – a species listed as
threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1997.
… The petition filed Monday is not unlike the
tribe’s petition filed in 2021, which spurred the state’s water
board to adopt drought-related emergency regulations that set a
minimum flow standard for the same river.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on May 19 a plan to build out
California’s clean and green future faster, but some local
leaders aren’t thrilled with what it could mean for the
controversial Delta Tunnel project. Newsom and the state
Department of Water Resources have shown support for the $16
billion project to convey water from the Delta down to southern
California, a concept tossed around since the 1980s. The
current iteration downsizes the project from two tunnels to
one. The governor hopes to speed up construction, expedite
court reviews, streamline permitting and California
Environmental Quality Act processes and start a climate
projects financing program — all to expedite clean
infrastructure projects across the state.
Our Headwaters
Tour June 21-22 will take you
into the Sierra Nevada to explore the impacts of this
year’s historically large snowpack, reported at well over
200% of average. Remaining seats are limited so don’t miss
your chance to examine water issues happening upstream that
have dramatic effects throughout the state. What exactly is an
‘average’ snowpack and how is it measured? How are those
measurements then translated into forecasts of California’s
water supply for the year, and is climate change making
our reliance on historical patterns as a predictor
obsolete? You’ll get an opportunity to learn about
these topics directly from experts including Sean
de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water
Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting
Unit.
Californians can expect hotter-than-average temperatures this
summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) predicts that the weather for June, July and August will
be warmer than normal. The temperature map shows that in
California, especially in northern parts of the state, there
will be a 33% to 50% probability that temperatures will be
above average. The rest of the U.S. — with the exception of a
few Midwestern states — can also anticipate a warmer summer.
The map is color-coded and the darker the color, the higher the
likelihood that it’ll be hotter than normal. No portions
of the country can expect below-normal summer temperatures.
For much of the last few decades, when the sky didn’t produce
enough water for his cows and crops, Dino Giacomazzi — like
most farmers in California’s southern Central Valley — pumped
it from the earth. Underground aquifers, vast bank accounts of
stored water, were drained. Now, after a historically wet
winter, Giacomazzi and the state of California want to put some
of that water back. “It is a no-brainer, win-win, multi-benefit
opportunity,” said Giacomazzi, standing on his Central Valley
farm, which depends on groundwater to grow almonds, lettuce and
tomatoes for pizza sauce. More water stored underground means
fewer flooded farms, and more water available to farmers like
him during the next inevitable drought.
As California’s famous Hetch Hetchy Reservoir celebrates its
100th birthday, the fight to get rid of it is alive and well.
Spreck Rosekrans is with Restore Hetch Hetchy, a group
dedicated to draining the reservoir and restoring it to its
original state. … But like most things, it’s not that
simple. Hetch Hetchy provides around 97 percent of drinking
water to San Francisco. Jenn Bowles is with the Water
Education Foundation, an impartial organization that doesn’t
have an official stance on the issue. She said San Franciscans
are very particular about their water, which is considered
especially pure and soft. … Past efforts to remove the
reservoir have failed, but Rosekrans still has hope. He said he
thinks the undamming of Hetch Hetchy is something he’ll see in
his lifetime.
“Produced water” is water that returns to the surface as
wastewater during oil and gas production. The water typically
contains hydrocarbons from the deposit as well as naturally
occurring toxic substances like arsenic and radium, salts and
chemical additives injected into the well to facilitate
extraction. These additives include carcinogens and numerous
other toxic substances that have the potential to harm human
health and contaminate the environment. … In California,
a local water board allows oil companies to sell their
wastewater to farmers for irrigation, claiming the practice is
safe. But an Inside Climate News investigation found
that the board relied on scant evidence produced by an oil
industry consultant and never reviewed long-term impacts on
plants, soil, crops and wildlife.
A warm spell has hastened the melt-off from Yosemite National
Park’s nearly unprecedented snowpack and brought minor flooding
to Yosemite Valley. Over the past week, the Merced River has
periodically spilled onto the valley’s roads, trails and
campgrounds, and more on-and-off flooding is expected through
the Memorial Day weekend. Yosemite Valley closed for two days
in late April because of the flood risk, but park officials say
they don’t expect to go that route this time. They’re advising
visitors to be mindful of high water on roads and caution
against getting too close to rivers and creeks. Already, two
people caught in the swift currents of the Merced River had to
be plucked out by rescue crews.
Dairy operators in Tulare and Kings counties say they are
thankful to return to the normal rhythms of feeding, milking
and calving after historic flooding in March burst levees and
forced dairies to rapidly evacuate their cows. The resumption
of dairy activities is welcome news in two neighboring counties
where milk and milk products are top commodities. Tulare County
is the state’s leading milk and milk products producer. Kings
County ranks fourth. Peter de Jong, owner of Cloverdale Dairy
in Hanford, evacuated 5,000 cattle over two days in pouring
rain in March, a feat he and his staff say they never want to
repeat.
Look inside my pantry any given week, and you’ll see rice paper
for summer rolls, rice noodles for my slapdash version of pad
Thai, a few packets of rice ramen, sake, rice wine vinegar, and
rice cakes that the teenager likes to smear with peanut butter.
There’s a bag of arborio for an occasional herby risotto, brown
rice for rainy day khichdi, a basmati from Bryce Lundberg’s
farm in Northern California, and a red rice that Anna McClung,
a plant breeder, developed from a variety considered a weed. In
the freezer now, there’s a tub of dosa batter, made of rice
flour and lentils, from my local Indian grocer.
Droughts can be good for trees. Certain trees, that is.
Contrary to expectation, sometimes a record-breaking drought
can increase tree growth. Why and where this happens is the
subject of a new paper in Global Change Biology. A team of
scientists led by Joan Dudney at UC Santa Barbara examined the
drought response of endangered whitebark pine over the past
century. They found that in cold, harsh environments — often at
high altitudes and latitudes — drought can actually benefit the
trees by extending the growing season. This research provides
insights into where the threats from extreme drought will be
greatest, and how different species and ecosystems will respond
to climate change.
The state’s new czar overseeing all things Great Salt Lake has
a lot of work ahead while an environmental time bomb continues
to tick. Last week, Gov. Spencer Cox tapped Brian Steed to fill
a new slot as lake commissioner. If confirmed by the Senate,
Steed will coordinate the many state agencies overseeing the
Great Salt Lake’s water supply, water quality, wildlife and
industries, all while preparing a strategic plan on how to keep
the lake from shriveling up, and delivering it to lawmakers by
November. That’s no small feat for any state employee, and
Steed’s also going to juggle it with his current job as
executive director of the Institute for Land, Water and Air at
Utah State University. Record-breaking snowpack may have bought
Steed a little breathing room — it has already raised the
lake’s elevation more than four feet from its record low in
November.
Spring is in the air in the foothills around Placer County,
meaning Rob Hyde’s property in Applegate needs yardwork. He
isn’t the only one who knows it’s lush and green in the
foothills. … While bear sightings in the foothills aren’t
new, executive director of the Bear League, Ann Bryant, who
helps rescue and educate the public about bears in Tahoe, said
the lower-elevations are seeing more bears than normal because
the many bears around Tahoe woke to a heavy snowpack that is
still persisting, forcing them down the mountains.
… Bryant said bears getting into bird feeders and
unsecured trash of people who aren’t used to them have been the
bulk of the calls. She worries the easy food and a snowpack
that isn’t melting quickly will have lasting effects on the
bears that are usually at higher elevations.
Melissa Sevigny’s new book, published Tuesday, will make
readers yearn for the adventure and natural beauty of a
Colorado River rafting trip at the same time that it fires them
up over sexism in science and media. Drawing on the detailed
diaries of two botanists who became the first white women to
“Brave the Wild River,” as the book is titled, the
Flagstaff-based author guides us through the rough waters and
peaceful moments of a story about facing fears and bucking
norms to pursue scientific passions for the benefit of future
generations. At a time when the Colorado River is making
headlines like never before, due to drought conditions and
tense negotiations between states over dividing up the
fluctuating water supply, Sevigny takes us back.
