Aquafornia

House Republicans push to sell thousands of acres of land in Utah, Nevada

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:51:00 +0000

House Republicans added a provision to their sweeping tax cut package authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists who called it a betrayal that could lead to drilling, mining and logging in sensitive areas. Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee adopted the land sales proposal early Wednesday morning. The initial draft had not included it amid bipartisan opposition. The land sale provision was put forward by Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah. The parcels could be used for economic development, mining and infrastructure projects such as the expansion of an airport and a reservoir in Utah, according to local officials and plans for the areas.

Other public land news:

NPR: House Republicans approve amendment authorizing the sale of federal lands

Politico: Committee approves sale of public lands to help finance megabill

California Trout: Blog: Navigating the noise and standing up for our public lands

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NOAA will stop tracking billion-dollar weather disasters

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:32:00 +0000

Federal scientists will no longer update a list of weather disasters that cause billions of dollars in damage, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. The list had been growing dramatically in recent years, a sign of both extreme weather and increasing development across the country. It is on a growing list of scientific datasets that NOAA says scientists will no longer update or that the administration will decommission entirely. The agency said the existing disaster records, stretching from 1980 through 2024, will remain accessible. Without updates to the database, it could become harder for the country to assess the ways climate change, building patterns and population trends are exposing Americans to weather hazards.

Related articles:

The New York Times: U.S. government to stop tracking the costs of extreme weather

The Guardian (London): NOAA to stop tracking cost of climate crisis-fueled disasters: ‘Major loss’

E&E News by Politico: NOAA database will stop tracking most expensive disasters

CBS News: NOAA ending its “billion-dollar disasters” database

Bloomberg: Why Trump’s plan to stop tallying weather losses matters to the insurance industry

9News (Denver, Colo.): NOAA ‘retires’ billion-dollar disaster database, raising concerns in Colorado

Lookout Santa Cruz (Calif.): Opinion: Let’s tell Congress not to cut NOAA’s work – including national marine sanctuaries, fisheries and weather

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SRP installs new dredge at Granite Reef Dam, clearing canal water

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:30:00 +0000

Above the shimmering waters of Salt River Project’s Granite Reef Diversion Dam, a scenic view of Red Mountain is on full display, but below the surface, a dirty problem grows. As the key piece of infrastructure diverts water from the Verde and Salt Rivers into the region’s canal system, sand and sediment continually build up until they spill into the canals. SRP now has a new tool for cleaning the dam: a state-of-the-art dredge to suck up the piles of sand. The dredge acts like a pool cleaner, stirring up the underwater sediment before vacuuming it to the surface. By removing the sediment, the dredge ensures that water can be delivered cleanly and efficiently into SRP’s canals, which provide water to about 2.5 million Phoenix-area residents. Without removal, the sediment can spill into the canals, increasing water treatment costs and leading to canal closures.

Related article:

Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Photos: SRP’s new dredge cleans Granite Reef Dam, allowing efficient water flow into the Valley

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Long Beach oil field to be restored to public wetlands

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:24:00 +0000

A Long Beach oil field will soon be restored to roughly 156 acres of public wetlands. City leaders and oil operators came together Thursday at the groundbreaking ceremony on the Synergy Oil Field, where privately owned oil operations have been ongoing for over 60 years. “We are shutting down an oil field that’s been here since the late 20’s and we are doing a complete wetlands restoration project, to about 156 acres,” John McKeown, CEO, Synergy Oil & Gas said … with publicly accessible wetlands, walking trails, habitat restoration, and a nature center focused on environmental education. … It’s part of a broader effort to restore the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Another 103 acres are set to be restored through the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project in Seal Beach—led by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.

Related article:

Press Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.): Long Beach’s Los Cerritos Wetlands to get new life with 150-acre restoration project

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EPA research center shutters lab activities

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:18:00 +0000

EPA’s political leaders have hedged on reorganization plans for its stand-alone research office, but the office’s managers are already warning staff of halting lab research and reassigning key duties. In an email sent Thursday morning to all staff in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, one of the Office of Research and Development’s four research centers, center Director Wayne Cascio and deputy Kay Holt wrote, “Lab research will wind down over the next few weeks as we will no longer have the capability to acquire supplies and materials.” … CPHEA oversees multiple research divisions, from climate science to pollutant assessments. One of its divisions is the embattled Integrated Risk Information System, or IRIS, which conducts chemical risk assessments that industry lobbyists have for years challenged for overstating the dangers of certain substances.

Other EPA news:

E&E News by Politico: Over 1,800 flock to EPA’s downsizing offer

National Association of Counties: Blog: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces actions to combat PFAS contamination

The National Law Review: Opinion: Setting the record straight: New chemical review needs scientists

FedScoop: EPA system for water, air and toxics data is vulnerable to threats

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Blog: Dam removal portion of the project complete

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:13:00 +0000

The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) finished the removal of the four lower Klamath hydroelectric dams in Fall 2024 and the dam removal portion of the Klamath River Renewal Project is now complete. … As the reservoirs drained in January 2024, native seed mix was applied to the reservoir footprints. This initial round of seeding was intended to stabilize sediments and improve soil composition. Following reservoir drawdown, the newly exposed lands were planted with more than 66,000 pounds of native seed, 77,000 bareroot, plug, and container plants, and more than 25,000 acorns. … The winter rain we received this year has provided ideal conditions to flush additional sediments down river as well as promoting the growth of native vegetation. Restoration crews are in the field performing another round of seeding, planting and weeding this spring.

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Heat, drought ravaging saguaros, new study finds

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:10:00 +0000

As saguaros across the Sonoran Desert suffer from the combined stresses of extreme heat and drought, researchers say these climate changes threaten the large saguaro forests we see across Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora. A new study finds that severely hot and dry weather dramatically increased saguaro mortality at two ends of the Sonoran Desert in 2020 and 2021 and that generally, the health of saguaros and other desert vegetation has declined significantly. The continued warming and drying threatens to irretrievably reduce the scale of and, in some cases, possibly eliminate the large saguaro forests, the researchers say.

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Mexico ‘not in full control of its water,’ ex IBWC commissioner says

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:06:00 +0000

Mexican diplomats say climate change has hindered them from settling a massive water debt to the United States, which is bringing economic hardship to South Texas farmers. But a former U.S. federal official on Thursday offered a different explanation. “One of the issues that we see is that domestic problems in Mexico are affecting what’s happening in the United States,” said Maria Elena Giner. “Water is owned by the (Mexican) government, yet they really don’t have good control of the reservoirs. The states are becoming much more active in opposing any water deliveries.” … Giner, who has followed Mexican politics since the Carlos Salinas de Gortari administration of 1988-1994, said Mexico has invested in developing agriculture but not in making water management more efficient.

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Bankruptcies show stress in farm economy

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 14:02:00 +0000

After a four-year downward trend, U.S. farm bankruptcies are on the rise again, and with uncertainties about the impacts of U.S. tariffs on export trade, there’s growing concern that the financial health of farms across the country will continue to falter. A total of 216 U.S. farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy last year, up 55% from 2023. With 17 filings, California led the nation. … Arshdeep Singh, a Fresno County citrus grower and director of the Punjabi American Growers Group, said there is no support for California farmers in the San Joaquin Valley who have been financially pummeled by impacts of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Some have filed for bankruptcy or are on the verge of it as their land value has plummeted and their equity has evaporated, with banks calling on their loans.

Related article:

Ag Info: California leads nation in rising farm bankruptcies

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How did SLO County Calif. find bacteria in drinking water?

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:57:00 +0000

A large swath of southern San Luis Obispo County was ordered to boil its drinking water last week after bacteria was discovered in Lopez Lake’s water distribution pipeline. Residents of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Oceano, Avila Beach and other unincorporated areas of the South County had to to boil drinking water for up to four days depending on where they lived. … The county discovered the bacteria at five routine testing sites in the Lopez water distribution system on April 29. After a second round of tests, the county issued a boil water notice on April 30 — which lifted for some residents on May 2 and others on May 3. … On Thursday, the county shared additional details of what led to the unprecedented boil water notice for Five Cities residents. Here’s what happened.

Related article:

County of San Luis Obispo: News release: Boil water notice summary and next steps

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California weather whiplash: Hottest days of the year so far could give way to rain

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:52:00 +0000

Friday and Saturday are shaping up to be the hottest days so far this year across much of Northern California. Just two days later, valley and coastal rain and Sierra Nevada snow could be back in the forecast. It’s part of an unsettled spring weather pattern that continues across the West Coast. … Rainfall totals will depend on the trajectory of the storm. If it moves inland quickly, little to no precipitation will fall in the Bay Area. If the storm remains over the ocean, it will pick up more moisture and could deposit a tenth to a half-inch of rain in parts of the Bay Area. This wet scenario may also yield a half-foot of snow in the northern Sierra.

Other California water supply news:

KRCR (Redding, Calif.): Shasta Lake nears full capacity for third year, boosting local businesses this summer

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Residents in unincorporated neighborhood of Pleasanton left without water

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:39:00 +0000

Residents who live in the Remen Tract neighborhood — an unincorporated plot of land located within Pleasanton — have depended on temporary fire hoses connected to fire hydrants for months as their main source of water for their homes. These temporary connections, according to neighbors and a city spokesperson, were installed as a remedy for a main waterline that broke in August 2024. After previously notifying the residents, the city removed its fire hose connections last Wednesday — mainly due to safety concerns regarding the rest of the city’s water supply — leaving those six homes and residents without water. … And what was more surprising to … residents who live in that neighborhood was the city informing them it will not be fixing their waterline, leaving many scrambling to figure out how or if they should pay for those repairs.

Related article:

East Bay Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.): Unincorporated Pleasanton residents relying on hose water after line breaks

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Opinion: A water agency’s perspective on fighting wildfires

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:34:00 +0000

… Municipal water systems in cities and towns are carefully engineered to meet the daily needs of homes, businesses and public services, as well as emergency demands. In urban areas, fires are typically localized, such as a house fire, affecting only a small part of the community. … When the urban fire is extinguished, the system pressure returns to normal and hydrants are available for the next incident. However, wildfires are far larger in scale and are driven by natural factors like lightning or by human activities, such as campfires, discarded cigarettes or arson. … Urban water systems are not designed to combat catastrophic wildfires, especially those that recently impacted Southern California, where fire hydrants alone are insufficient. In such cases, alternative water sources—such as tanker trucks and aerial firefighting resources—become critical.
–Written by David McNair, general manager of Scotts Valley Water District.

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Newsom announces upgrades to 21 state fish hatcheries to boost salmon populations

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:17:00 +0000

Governor Newsom today announced that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is upgrading 21 fish hatcheries to boost the state’s salmon and trout populations and protect hatcheries from the impacts of climate change. The project helps build the California salmon and trout supply, which are central to the health of California’s biodiversity but also indigenous peoples, communities, and the state’s multimillion-dollar fishing industry. … The “Climate Induced Hatcheries Upgrade Project” launched today was first funded with $15 million in emergency drought funding in 2021. Since that funding was allocated, CDFW has been working with leading hatchery and hydrology consultants to identify specific concerns with regard to water quality and quantity, fish rearing and water supply infrastructure and operational inefficiencies at the hatcheries.

Other salmon news:

Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: News release: Governor Newsom announces upgrades to 21 state fish hatcheries to boost salmon populations

myMotherLode.com (Murphys, Calif.): Moccasin among fish hatcheries receiving upgrades

The Plumas Sun (Calif.): CDFW implements ‘significant shift’ in salmon strategy

Marin Independent Journal (Calif.): Opinion: Salmon fishing shutdown marks grim milestone, but we shouldn’t give up hope

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How did Folsom Lake’s 30-day golden mussel quarantine come about?

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:12:00 +0000

A letter California Asm. Josh Hoover posted to social media Thursday provides insight into how State Parks implemented their 30-day quarantine to eradicate the invasive golden mussel at Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and Auburn’s Lake Clementine. Two weeks ago, Hoover sent a letter to State Parks and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation saying both agencies were not prepared in their mussel response to balance the needs of boaters and businesses who rely on the recreation industry. California State Parks’ letter to Hoover on Monday says the state department received a letter (from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) March 31 to protect waterways by April 15.

Other invasive species news:

Chico Enterprise-Record (Calif.): DWR places blockades around Thermalito Afterbay (Lake Oroville)

Mammoth Times (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.): Golden mussel could threaten Eastern Sierra

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Interior staff braces for impending layoffs

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Interior Department employees are preparing for notices of layoffs as soon as next week, as the Trump administration appears to ready further cuts at bureaus and agencies that have already seen hundreds of employees voluntarily leave their posts. Interior indicated in mid-April that it would pursue staff reductions — continuing efforts initiated by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to slash executive branch agencies — when it issued staffers a list of “competitive areas” that could be subject to cuts. … Interior declined to detail how many of its employees — which numbered more than 69,000 individuals in September 2024 — have already accepted early retirement offers or enrolled in the “deferred resignation program.” But according to individuals with knowledge of reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation, for example, reductions have reached as many as 25 percent of the agency, or 1,400 people.

Other Interior Department news:

The Hill: Heinrich raises concerns about DOGE-tied official’s (Tyler Hassen) role at Interior Department

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Friday Top of the Scroll: Trump proposes budget cut to Utah water project, potentially impacting millions

Jennifer Fergesen — Fri, 09 May 2025 12:56:00 +0000

The Trump administration is proposing a jaw-dropping $609 million cut to the massive Central Utah Project, which supplies water to millions of people in northern Utah. … “The Budget provides $1.2 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project. The Budget reduces funding for programs that have nothing to do with building and maintaining water infrastructure, such as habitat restoration. Instead, the Budget focuses Reclamation and the Central Utah Project on their core missions of maintaining assets that provide safe, reliable, and efficient management of water resources throughout the western United States,” the reduction item says.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

Utah News Dispatch: Funding for water and wildlife conservation in Utah now on Trump’s list of budget cuts

The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah): Despite strong start to winter and a ‘Miracle March,’ runoff into Lake Powell forecasted to be lowest in years

Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.): Lake Mead at risk of reaching crisis levels with new projections

E&E News by Politico: Reclamation strikes deal to conserve more Colorado River flows

Montrose Daily Press (Colo.): Colorado Public Works resumes Aquatic Nuisance Species sampling efforts in the Colorado River

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Opinion: A surge of salmon – and hope – after Klamath dams’ removal

Jennifer Fergesen — Thu, 08 May 2025 14:52:00 +0000

Last year, we watched as the last of four dams were removed from the Klamath River in a historic endeavor. Karuk and Yurok citizens sighed in relief, grateful that decades of tribal-led activism, scientific research and litigation had succeeded in reopening 400 stream miles of spawning habitat for salmon and other species. The tears of joy came just a few weeks later, when research cameras showed the first of more than 6,000 fish traveling past the first dam site. Spawning salmon were crossing into Oregon’s Spencer Creek, a tributary of the Klamath, for the first time in 112 years. The salmon had remembered the way, for it is embedded into their DNA just as it is in our ancestors’ – a testament of shared memory and spiritual connection between our people and the river.
–Written by Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe, and Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe.

Other Klamath River news:

KOBI (Medford, Ore.): White-water rafting on the ‘New Klamath’ River

IFLScience: Largest dam removal project in the world triggers return of salmon after years of campaigning

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News release: University researchers predict improved water yields after forest thinning

Jennifer Fergesen — Thu, 08 May 2025 14:16:00 +0000

Thinning of forests, generally undertaken to reduce dangers from wildfire and restore the forest to a more natural state, also can create more mountain runoff to mitigate drought effects in the central Sierra Nevada region that relies on snowpack. In fact, researchers from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno found that the quantity of additional water produced by thinned forests can be so significant that it might provide further incentive for forest managers to undertake prescribed burning or tree-removal using heavy equipment and hand crews with chainsaws. Water yields from thinned forests can be increased by 8% to 14% during drought years, found the study undertaken by Adrian Harpold … and recently published in Water Resources Research.

Other forest and water news:

Phys.org: Forest loss to farms and cities linked to declining drinking water quality

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Los Angeles wildfires: LADWP says it never ran out of water in Pacific Palisades during fire, so why did hydrants run dry?

Jennifer Fergesen — Thu, 08 May 2025 14:10:00 +0000

… Through a public records request, Eyewitness News obtained an email from January 9 sent by Erik Scott, the public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The email was sent to top officials in the department, writing in part, “We are experiencing challenges with water pressure while battling the Pacific Palisades Fire.” But in multiple interviews with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, officials maintain they never ran out of water. They said the problem was that demand reached four times the normal use. … According to LADWP, Los Angeles has a single water system, meaning the water supplied to your home is the same water that feeds fire hydrants. … The system is designed to put out house fires, not multiple neighborhoods on fire at the same time.

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