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Topic: Ecosystem

Overview April 24, 2014

Ecosystem

An ecosystem includes all of the living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living environments (air, water and soil).

Ecosystems are dynamic and are impacted by disturbances such as a drought, an extraordinarily freezing  winter, and pests. Longer-term disturbances include climate change effects.

Ecosystems provide a variety of goods and services upon which people depend. Ecosystem management emphasizes managing natural resources at the level of the ecosystem itself and not just managing individual species.

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. Congress followed suit in 1973 by passing the federal Endangered Species Act.

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Mercury News

Will this winter’s megastorms end the Bay Area’s toxic algae problem?

In recent years, thick layers of cyanobacteria—commonly known as blue-green algae—have closed popular local swimming spots Lake Anza and Lake Temescal for weeks at a time. Last summer, a toxic algae bloom in the San Francisco Bay killed thousands of fish. Although algae is always present in some quantity in lakes and the bay, higher temperatures, stagnant water, and excessive nutrient levels can cause the algae to multiply. If the particular species has toxins in it, such as blue-green algae or the Heterosigma akashiwo species that bloomed in the bay last summer, the water can become unsafe for humans and animals. Algae blooms and cyanobacteria have become state and nationwide problems. In the Bay Area, water managers were beginning to wonder if the extreme drought conditions of recent years had pushed the problem into a dangerous new phase in local waters.

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Estuary News Magazine

VA agreement highlights habitat questions

Restoring marsh and wetland habitat can have significant benefits for dozens of species throughout the Bay and Delta—that’s beyond dispute. But when it comes to saving the Estuary’s most imperiled fish, how much habitat improvements can help in the absence of dramatically increased freshwater flows is a question that has dogged and divided scientists and policy makers for years. As the State Water Resources Control Board considers the latest proposal from the State and water agencies for a flows agreement that would restore thousands of riparian and wetland acres—while dedicating less water to the environment than proposed under an alternative regulatory framework—critics argue that science doesn’t support its underlying assumptions. 

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 CBS News/Kaiser Health News

PFAS in clothing: Is what you wear dripping in “forever chemicals”?

There could be more than just fashion risks involved when buying a pair of leggings or a raincoat. Just how much risk is still not clear, but toxic chemicals have been found in hundreds of consumer products and clothing bought off the racks nationwide. Thousands of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, exist since the first ones were invented in the 1940s to prevent stains and sticking. PFAS chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing and firefighting foam. Their manufacture and persistence in products have contaminated drinking water nationwide. Also known as “forever chemicals,” these substances do not break down in the environment and can accumulate in our bodies over time. Drinking water is widely considered the greatest source of potential exposure and harm.

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Western Farm Press

Court sides with farmers in water cases

A California appeals court has upheld waste discharge requirements within the eastern San Joaquin River watershed that growers say are reasonable, rebuffing challenges from environmentalists. In its March 17 decision, the Third District Court of Appeal rejected all arguments brought by environmental groups and sided with the California State Water Resources Control Board, the California Farm Bureau and others related to the Central Valley’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. The court addressed three cases brought by environmental plaintiffs against the water board.

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Bakersfield Californian

Conservation agreement protects Walker Basin grazing land from development

The amount of grazing land being put off limits to development in the southern Sierra Nevada has expanded with a deal announced Wednesday adding 65 acres to a swath now 14 times that size that conservationists say will serve as a permanent corridor for local wildlife, among other key benefits. California Rangeland Trust announced the purchase of the property at Bufford Ranch, owned by Ernest Bufford, who with this latest addition has agreed to conserve 910 acres on the north side of Walker Basin. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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Aquafornia news March 30, 2023 Associated Press

Congress approves measure to reverse Biden’s water protections

Congress on Wednesday approved a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s protections for the nation’s waterways that Republicans have criticized as a burden on business, advancing a measure that President Biden has promised to veto. Republicans have targeted the Biden administration’s protections for thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, labeling it an environmental overreach that harms businesses, developers and farmers. They used the Congressional Review Act that allows Congress to block recently enacted executive branch regulations. The Senate voted in favor 53 to 43 Wednesday to give final legislative approval to the measure. Four Democrats and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona joined Republicans to vote in favor of the resolution.

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Aquafornia news March 29, 2023 NBC Bay Area

Oakland nonprofit fundraising to help Lake Merritt avert another fish die-off

The Lake Merritt Institute, a nonprofit that helps to clean and monitor the health of Lake Merritt in Oakland, says the recent rains in the Bay Area have sent lots of fresh water and pollution into Lake Merritt. The weather-related changes have also stoked fears that the fish die-off in the lake last summer could repeat this summer. The Lake Merritt Institute is ramping up fundraising efforts in hopes of curbing conditions that could fuel a repeat die-off. In the summer of 2022, thousands of dead fish washed up in Lake Merritt as a “red tide” algae bloom spread in the lake and across the surrounding San Francisco Bay. At Lake Merritt, visitors reported strong smells from all the dead fish, and crews had to scoop the dead fish up and out of the water. Visitors reported seeing striped bass, top smelt, crabs, and even bat rays among the dead wildlife.

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Aquafornia news March 29, 2023 The Hill

California’s desert trees can’t take the heat: study

A study in Functional Ecology offers evidence that desert ecosystems, long perceived as the most resilient to climate change, may be hitting their limits. Researchers at the University of California Riverside found that rising temperatures and protracted drought have driven piñon pines and juniper trees to seek refuge at higher elevations in the deserts north of Palm Springs. In the place of these slow-growing, iconic forests is rising an empire of weeds.  That is part of a wholesale transition in arid landscapes caused by the burning of fossil fuels, the scientists said. … While the piñon pines and junipers are often seen as hardier, they nonetheless depend on ready access to underground water. That’s in ever-shorter supply thanks to the West’s long drought, though this year’s record rainfall has provided a brief respite.

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Aquafornia news March 29, 2023 CalMatters

Opinion: Water supply benefits of Delta tunnel need closer look

The California Department of Water Resources is using the winter storms to claim that the proposed Delta Conveyance project would help ensure a more reliable water supply for the State Water Project in light of how climate change will alter seasonal patterns of rain and drought. In reality, the benefits of the conveyance project are speculative at best. The Delta Counties Coalition demonstrated for over 15 years that resources slated for the tunnel would be better spent on sustainable, resilient water infrastructure around the state (such as groundwater recharge, storage, recycled water expansion, desalination) instead of further increasing reliance on Sacramento River freshwater flows, which is in direct conflict with a Delta Reform Act requirement to reduce reliance on the Delta.
-Written by Oscar Villegas, chair of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors; and Patrick Kennedy, a member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and Delta Counties Coalition.

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Aquafornia news March 29, 2023 Union of Concerned Scientists

Blog: Repurposing cropland in California: a solution for everyone?

[A]gricultural practices, especially in California, must be updated to survive the future. One powerful change that is growing momentum is strategic cropland repurposing. Doing cropland repurposing right can benefit many, including landowners. … Cropland retirement has direct negative effects on agricultural revenues and farmworker employment, with ripple effects in other sectors that depend on agriculture (such as transportation and agricultural services). But cropland retirement also means a decrease in pesticide, synthetic fertilizers, and water use that can bring significant environmental and local public health benefits. How do we weigh these scenarios and decide if cropland repurposing makes sense?

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Aquafornia news March 29, 2023 The Sacramento Bee

It’s a bad year for California salmon. Here’s how it hurts the economy and environment

State officials were supposed to take a conservative approach to approving salmon fishing season this year — and they did. California’s fishing season had been scheduled to open April 1. Instead, as a result of low salmon projections, the season has been canceled. Salmon provides more to the state than meets the eye. … According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, salmon numbers are irregular during the three year life cycle. Data has shown that in years following wetter seasons fish stock has increased. Consequently there has been a decline in stock for years following drier seasons.

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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 Mercury News

Opinion: California must provide a global model for coastal resiliency

This winter’s atmospheric river storms, coastal flooding, erosion, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion into rivers, and sedimentation dumping thousands of tons of soil into the ocean were only the most recent of the state’s disasters. The year 2022 alone brought a massive red tide in San Francisco Bay, the continued die-off of 95% of northern California’s kelp forest between the Golden Gate and Cape Mendocino, and a spike of gray whale deaths along the entire coast. Climate impacts threaten communities, both human and wild, ranging from whales and their ice-dependent Arctic prey to the 26 million people living in the state’s 19 coastal counties that, as of 2021, generated around 85% of the state’s $3.3 trillion dollar GDP.
-Written by David Helvarg, author and executive director of Blue Frontier, an ocean conservation and policy group. 

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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 Napa Valley Register

Napa Water Forum looks at how nature, humans can both thrive

Ideas flowed at a recent forum on how to manage Napa Valley water, which is the lifeblood for local cities, world-famous wine country and the environment. Save Napa Valley Foundation — formerly Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture — and other groups put on the Napa Water Forum. It took place Friday, March 24 in the Native Sons of the Golden West building in downtown Napa. … [W]ater runs from local mountains in streams to the Napa River, giving life to fish and other aquatic life. The Napa River runs for about 50 miles from Mount St. Helena through the Napa Valley to San Pablo Bay. Some water is captured behind dams that form reservoirs for local cities. Some water seeps into the aquifer, becoming groundwater that feeds streams and the Napa River during the hot summers and provides well water for vineyards, wineries and homes.

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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 Water Education Foundation

Announcement: Latest Western Water article examining California’s effort to look for microplastics in drinking water among Foundation’s array of resources

Tiny pieces of plastic 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 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. Our latest Western Water article is among our array of resources available to keep up with the news and learn more about floods and drought, the Colorado River and more!

Related articles: 

  • Scientific Reports: New research - Identification of illegally dumped plastic waste in a highly polluted river in Indonesia using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery
  • Fox 10 – Phoenix: 170 trillion pieces of plastic are in the Earth’s oceans, study finds
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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 East Bay Times

Camp Pendleton is latest California agency to find PFAS chemical in drinking water

Camp Pendleton leaders on Monday sent a public notice to thousands of service members and civilians who live and work on the base’s north end alerting them that recent testing revealed their drinking water contained a higher-than-desired level of PFAS, a potentially carcinogenic chemical that has been found in much of Southern California’s groundwater supply. PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, can be found in cleaning products, water-resistant fabrics, grease-resistant paper and non-stick cookware, as well as in products such as shampoo, dental floss and nail polish. The state only set requirements to test for the chemicals in the last few years and has lowered the threshold for when their detection needs to be reported to the public by water agencies. Water districts throughout Southern California have been struggling to get PFAS levels down.

Related article: 

  • Inside Climate News: Environmentalists praise the EPA’s move to restrict ‘forever chemicals’ in water and wonder, what’s next?
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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Map shows unusual impact of California storms on the ocean

While the world’s oceans have hit a record high temperature, the Pacific Ocean off the California coast remains colder than average. In fact, in virtually no place in the world is the ocean so much colder than normal, according to a map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. … The stormy weather is clearly a factor. The winds associated with storms have pushed water from the north to the south. The weather has also brought upwelling, when frigid water from the depths is pulled to the surface. San Francisco Bay has also been unusually cool.

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Aquafornia news March 28, 2023 California Trout

Blog: Legal and policy director Redgie Collins selected for Department of Water Resources Drought Task Force

California Trout is proud to announce that Redgie Collins, CalTrout’s Legal and Policy Director, was selected to represent conservation interests in California Department of Water Resources Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners Collaborative (DRIP Collaborative).   This new entity will serve as a standing interagency task force to plan for and respond to drought and water shortages across the state.  Established by the Department of Water Resources in coordination with the State Water Board and other relevant state agencies, the DRIP Collaborative will facilitate proactive state planning and coordination for all stages of current and future drought across the state. This includes pre-drought planning, emergency response to drought, and post-drought management.

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Aquafornia news March 27, 2023 California WaterBlog

Blog: This drought is dead – long live the drought

Floods and droughts are not opposites and can occur simultaneously. This occurs often in California and is especially well-illustrated this year. Floods, droughts, and water scarcity are different. Floods are too much water at a place and time, and we would often pay to reduce the water present at that location and moment. Droughts and water scarcity represent too little water at a place and time, meaning we would often pay to increase its availability. We highlight these differences because people tend to view such conditions through an unrealistic zero-sum lens. This essay uses this year’s experience to examine how floods, drought, and water scarcity differ, can occur in the same year, and how droughts might end, but leave legacies. 

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Aquafornia news March 27, 2023 The Sacramento Bee

The cure for winter flooding might be in this swamp — if California actually funds it

In little pockets in the state, people like [Matt Kaminski, a biologist from Ducks Unlimited] are reworking the land yet again to bring back a version of California’s past, in service of the future. By allowing rivers to spread out, flows are diverted from downstream communities, replenishing groundwater and staving off unwanted floods. “These wetlands,” Kaminski likes to say, “act as a sponge.” And the state agreed. In September, the California Wildlife Conservation Board earmarked $40 million for the nonprofit River Partners to spend on similar projects in the San Joaquin Valley. But in the governor’s proposed budget released in January, that funding was axed.

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Aquafornia news March 27, 2023 Farm Progress

Work begins on Klamath dam removals

Proponents of the removal of four dams from the Klamath River in Northern California and Southern Oregon announced March 23 that work has begun on the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval last fall cleared the way for the the Klamath River Renewal Corp., which has been pushing removal of the dams for more than a decade to help endangered fish, to team with California and Oregon in accepting transfer of the project license from energy company PacifiCorp and start the dam removal process. … The project is funded by $200 million from PacifiCorp and $250 million from a California water bond passed in 2014. The three larger dams are to be removed next year with removal of all four dams completed by the end of 2024; however, the restoration of the 38 mile reach of river impacted by the dams will take longer.

Related articles: 

  • Courthouse News Service: Hoopa Valley Tribe fails to block winter flow project on Trinity River
  • Mendocino Voice: Potter Valley Project - Russian River Water Forum forms to advise on decommissioning, Scott Dam spillway to remain open
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Historic investments to benefit Klamath Basin refuges for future generations 
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Aquafornia news March 27, 2023 Mercury News

Point Reyes tule elk herds recover after die-off during drought

Tule elk herds in the Point Reyes National Seashore rebounded this winter following a significant die-off during the drought, according to new National Park Service data. The seashore, which is the only park in the country with tule elk, has three herds. The largest, located in a fenced reserve on Tomales Point, increased from 221 elk in 2021 to 262 elk, an increase of nearly 19%. The Limantour herd, which is one of two free-roaming herds, increased from 151 elk to 170 from 2021 to 2022. Park staff said they were unable to conduct a count of the other free-roaming herd, the Drakes Beach herd, this winter because of weather conditions and staffing limitations.

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 Los Angeles Times

BREAKING NEWS: Newsom rolls back California drought restrictions after remarkably wet winter

On the heels of one of California’s wettest winters on record, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that he will roll back some of the state’s most severe drought restrictions and dramatically increase water supplies for agencies serving 27 million people.

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 Mono Lake Committee

Blog: Committee’s presentation at the State Water Board’s Mono Lake virtual public workshop

In December the Mono Lake Committee asked the State Water Board to take emergency action to deliver more water to Mono Lake due to the lake’s perilously low level. We were specifically concerned about the increasing risk of coyotes accessing the islands in Mono Lake where California gulls nest. As it turns out, Mother Nature took immediate action, surprising us all with six weeks of memorably wet weather in December and January. The wet winter means the lake will rise this year, and we recognize changed circumstances reduce the need for action before April 1. At the same time, we have all seen this movie before. After the wet winter of 2017 the lake rose multiple feet, but the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) continued its water diversions and those gains in lake level were lost in subsequent years, returning us to the crisis we are here to discuss.

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 Point Blue

Blog: Restoring wetlands – a strategy to address climate, biodiversity, and water

No matter where you live, you’re likely to have a wetland somewhere nearby. Wetlands include any land that is saturated with water at least some of the time, like marshes and mangroves along our coasts, floodplains and wet meadows along rivers and streams, and vernal pools and prairie potholes. And all of these wetlands touch our lives in many ways you may not realize. In a new report produced by Point Blue Conservation Science and the Natural Resources Defense Council, we compiled evidence for a wide range of benefits wetlands provide us every day. Across all types of wetlands, we found evidence for a broad array of benefits, but what became clear is that wetland restoration is an important strategy for addressing three major challenges we face here in California and around the world: climate change, biodiversity conservation, and water management.

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 Los Angeles Times

Scientists uncover high amounts of pure DDT off L.A. coast

First it was the eerie images of barrels leaking on the seafloor not far from Catalina Island. Then the shocking realization that the nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT had once used the ocean as a huge dumping ground — and that as many as half a million barrels of its acid waste had been poured straight into the water. Now, scientists have discovered that much of the DDT — which had been dumped largely in the 1940s and ’50s — never broke down. The chemical remains in its most potent form in startlingly high concentrations, spread across a wide swath of seafloor larger than the city of San Francisco. … With a $5.6-million research boost from Congress, at the urging of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), numerous federal, state and local agencies have since joined with scientists and environmental nonprofits to figure out the extent of the contamination lurking 3,000 feet underwater. 

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 California Department of Fish and Wildlife

News release: CDFW launches immediate efforts to save Clear Lake hitch

Prompted by urgent calls for action from Tribal leaders and community members, a coalition of Tribal, local, state and federal entities is taking immediate steps to support the long-term survival of the Clear Lake hitch. A large minnow found only in northern California’s Clear Lake and its tributaries, the hitch, known as Chi to local Tribal members, migrates into the tributaries to spawn each spring before returning to the lake. Historically numbering in the millions, Clear Lake hitch now are facing a tough fight to avoid extinction. Today, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced a list of commitments designed to protect spawning and rearing areas, provide appropriate stream flows, remove barriers to migration and reduce predation. 

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 KTLA - Los Angeles

California, Oregon face Pacific salmon fishing ban

As drought dried up rivers that carry California’s newly hatched Chinook salmon to the ocean, state officials in recent years resorted to loading up the fish by the millions onto trucks and barges to take them to the Pacific. The surreal and desperate scramble boosted the survival rate of the hatchery-raised fish, but still it was not enough to reverse the declining stocks in the face of added challenges. River water temperatures rose with warm weather, and a Trump-era rollback of federal protections for waterways allowed more water to be diverted to farms. Climate change, meanwhile, threatens food sources for the young Chinook maturing in the Pacific. Now, ocean salmon fishing season is set to be prohibited this year off California and much of Oregon for the second time in 15 years after adult fall-run Chinook, often known as king salmon, returned to California’s rivers in near record-low numbers in 2022.

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Aquafornia news March 24, 2023 Eureka Times-Standard

Friday Top of the Scroll: Klamath dam removals, habitat restoration, begins

Crews have begun working on removing four dams on the Klamath River which tribes and other groups have lobbied to take down for decades. The early removal work involves upgrading bridges and constructing roads to allow greater access to the remote dams, which are expected to be fully down by the end of 2024. The dam removal on the 38-mile stretch of the river comes after an agreement between the last dam owner PacifiCorp, California, Oregon, the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe and a multitude of environmental organizations, with the goal of restoring salmon populations. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation held a news conference on Thursday giving an update on their work in dismantling the dams and restoring habitats.

Related articles: 

  • Lost Coast Outpost: Ground Has Been Broken on Klamath River Restoration, the World’s Largest-Ever Dam-Removal Project
  • Farm Progress: Work begins on Klamath dam removals
  • Read more
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Aquafornia news March 23, 2023 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Federal researchers say two widely used pesticides harm many endangered fish species

Federal researchers have found that two widely used pesticides significantly harms endangered Northwest salmon and steelhead species. The opinion could lead to a change in where and how the pesticides can be used. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a draft of its biological opinion Thursday concluding that continued use of insect-killing chemicals containing carbaryl or methomyl likely jeopardizes dozens of endangered fish species — including Chinook salmon, coho salmon, sockeye, and steelhead in the Columbia, Willamette, and Snake rivers. Carbaryl and methomyl are insecticides commonly used on field vegetables and orchard crops. Both are used on agricultural land across the Willamette Valley, the Columbia River Gorge, and southeastern Washington, according to federal data.

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Aquafornia news March 23, 2023 KCRW - Los Angeles

LA is drowning in stormwater. Here’s how much we’ve captured

Los Angeles County is on track to capture enough stormwater this year to quench the year-round water needs of more than a quarter of the county’s residents. It’s good news, but there is still a lot of work to do to meet local water use goals. [LA County’s principal stormwater engineer Sterling] Klippel says LA County gets about a third of its water from those [local] aquifers while the rest is imported either from Northern California or from the Colorado River. But the City of LA’s goal is to flip that equation by 2035, using two-thirds local water and cutting Southern California’s dependence on imported water. [Bruce Reznik, head of the nonprofit LA Waterkeeper] says the local infrastructure is just not set up for that yet.

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Aquafornia news March 23, 2023 Nature Communications

New research: Satellites reveal hotspots of global river extent change

Rivers are one of the most dynamic water cycle components of the earth surface and hold fundamental economic and ecological significance for the development of human societies, ecosystem sustainability, and regional climate. Yet, their natural balance has been threatened by a wide range of anthropogenic stressors and ongoing climate change. With increasing demands for economic and social development, human disturbances in the form of dam construction, aquaculture, and irrigation have resulted in large-scale and rapid transformations of river channels.

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Aquafornia news March 23, 2023 KVPR - Clovis

‘This is the community I grew up in.’ Lindsay mayor on managing floods in his city

The city of Linsday in eastern Tulare County is one of several in the region to experience extreme flooding during the recent storms this month. In the brief pause in rain, the city declared a state of emergency to prepare for a new storm this week. But for some residents, the damage is already done. In this interview, KVPR’s Esther Quintanilla spoke with Lindsay City Mayor Hipolito Cerros to hear how he’s leading his community through this time.

Related article: 

  • The Sacramento Bee: The Yolo Bypass is filled with water after some dry years. Here’s how often that happens 
  • Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: News release: California storm response and recovery update 
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Aquafornia news March 22, 2023 Bureau of Reclamation

News release: Keeping Folsom Reservoir’s cold water in the bank until it’s needed

California’s winter storms have blasted the Sierra Nevada with a thick blanket of snow. That ample snowpack has been subsequently pelted with rain, pushing some of it downhill as runoff through ravines, canyons, and creeks before feeding into the forks of the American River. The water eventually fills Folsom Lake to the delight of the people throughout the Sacramento metropolitan area who flock there in the heat of summer. Beyond water supply, power generation, instream flow needs, and yes, summertime fun, Folsom has a key role to play in keeping the water temperature in the lower American River hospitable to the fish that return each year to spawn. That means having cold water on demand when it’s needed.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2023 Active NorCal

Blog: PG&E to accelerate removal of Scott Dam due to its lack of seismic stability

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has raised concerns about the seismic stability of Scott Dam, and plans to restrict water flow to lower the water level in the reservoir. This will be an expedited measure to limit potential seismic instability of the dam. The decision has been influenced by a recent analysis by the utility’s engineering consultant, which shows that the proposed restriction will improve the dam’s expected stability and safety performance during a major earthquake.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2023 Northern California Water Association

Blog: Observations on a modern water rights system in the Sacramento Valley

With the discussions surrounding the modernization of our water system in California for both wetter and drier years, including the water rights system, we offer the following observations from the Sacramento Valley to help bring some focus to the conversations: California’s water rights system is foundational to our state’s water management system for cities and rural communities, farms, fish and wildlife, hydropower and recreation—thus our economy and environment are dependent upon the orderly exercise of the water rights system and we are all invested in its success. … California’s existing water rights structure and system are working in the Sacramento Valley to serve water for multiple benefits, including cities and rural communities, farms and ranches, fish and wildlife, recreation, and hydropower. 

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2023 Center for Watershed Sciences

Blog: New Lund endowment will support next generation of water management leaders

Jay Lund, Vice Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, and his wife Jean Lund have made a historic donation of $800,000 to the Center for Watershed Sciences. This large and generous gift will support graduate students to engage in interdisciplinary water research, pursue their own interests, and think creatively about how to tackle major water problems. Water management is a critical part of any society, and UC Davis is uniquely situated to address water challenges in California and across the globe. UC Davis is also an ideal setting for hands-on, collaborative learning, such that new generations of water professionals are trained across multiple disciplines and in novel ways.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2023 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Sites Reservoir’s novel approach to storing water for the environment

In 2014, Proposition 1 set aside $2.7 billion to fund the “public benefit” portions of water storage projects through the Water Storage Investment Program. Water storage for the environment played a crucial role in determining how much funding the projects would receive. One of these projects, Sites Reservoir, offers a novel approach to storing water to benefit freshwater ecosystems when they need it most. We talked to Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Project Authority, to learn more about plans for the reservoir and its ecosystem water budget.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2023 Hakai Magazine

Plastic bags are leaving their mark on the deep-sea floor

Plastic pollution is everywhere, from the tip of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Wherever it goes, plastic has unexpected effects: it transports pathogens, strangles wildlife, and, sometimes, becomes habitat. But on the bottom of the Philippine Trench, 10,000 meters deep, plastic is reshaping life on the seafloor. In 2021, Alan Jamieson, a marine biologist at the University of Western Australia, Deo Florence L. Onda, a microbial oceanographer at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, and their crew descended into the third-deepest trench in the world. The place was swarming with plastic bags. As the scientists watched, the deep-sea current was dragging plastic bags along the seafloor, scraping it with parallel lines like tire tracks.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2023 The Revelator

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are everywhere: Here’s what that means for wildlife

Images of starving polar bears staggering across the snow earned the species the dubious honor of being the “poster child” of climate change. But now another human-caused environmental danger threatens these apex predators: pollution from a class of 12,000 chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). And they’re not the only ones. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group analyzed hundreds of recent peer-reviewed scientific studies and found more than 120 different PFAS compounds in wildlife. Some 330 species were affected, spanning nearly every continent — and that’s just some of what scientists have identified so far.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2023 Western Water

Testing at the source: California readies a groundbreaking hunt to check for microplastics in drinking water

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.

Related articles: 

  • San Francisco Chronicle: Scientists found microplastics in Sierra snowpacks. Should we worry about Bay Area drinking water?
  • NBC – Bay Area: Microplastics Found in Sierra Snowpack
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Aquafornia news March 20, 2023 California WaterBlog

Blog: The rapid invasion of Mississippi silverside in California

The Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens[1]) is one of the most abundant fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and in the fresh waters of California in general. As the name indicates, it is not native to the state but was introduced into Clear Lake, Lake County, in 1967, from which it quickly spread widely, via the California aqueduct system and through angler introductions as a bait and forage fish (Moyle 2002). It is a small fish, 7-12 cm (3-4 inches) adult length but typically occurs in large schools. Its impact on native fishes is poorly understood but is most likely negative. This blog tells the story of how it came to be introduced, as a classic example of the Frankenstein Effect, where a well-intentioned, science-based introduction created an out-of-control monster.

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Aquafornia news March 17, 2023 The Revelator

Nature’s supermarket: How beavers help birds — and other species

Researchers in Poland have found another reason to love beavers: They benefit wintering birds. The rodents, once maligned as destructive pests, have been getting a lot of positive press lately. And for good reason. Beavers are ecosystem engineers. As they gather trees and dam waterways, they create wetlands, increase soil moisture, and allow more light to reach the ground. That drives the growth of herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, which benefits numerous animals. Bats, who enjoy the buffet of insects found along beaver ponds, are among the beneficiaries. So too are butterflies who come for the diversity of flowering plants in the meadows beavers create.

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Aquafornia news March 17, 2023 CNN

The plastic water bottle industry is booming. Here’s why that’s a huge problem

The bottled water industry is a juggernaut. More than 1 million bottles of water are sold every minute around the world and the industry shows no sign of slowing down, according to a new report. Global sales of bottled water are expected to nearly double by 2030. But the industry’s enormous global success comes at a huge environmental, climate and social cost, according to the report published Thursday by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, which analyzes the industry’s global impacts. Groundwater extracted to help fill billions of plastic bottles a year poses a potential threat to drinking water resources and feeds the world’s plastic pollution crisis, while the industry’s growth helps distract attention and resources away from funding the public-water infrastructure desperately needed in many countries, according to the report.

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Aquafornia news March 17, 2023 Patch - Lake Elsinore

Toxic algae reaches ‘danger’ level at Lake Elsinore

For the time being, it is not safe for pets or people to go into the water at Lake Elsinore, the city warned Tuesday. The reason is high levels of toxins from algae were found in the lake. … Lake users are advised to stay out of the water until further notice, including boating and other water recreation activities. People should also keep their pets out of the water and not eat fish caught in the lake, according to the city. The toxins are enough to kill pets and make humans sick, the city reported. In humans, symptoms of exposure include diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes and eye irritation. Pets may experience diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions and death, according to the notice.

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Aquafornia news March 17, 2023 California Trout

Blog: California salmon ocean fishing season cancelled to help fish recover

On March 10, officials in California made the difficult yet pragmatic decision to cancel … ocean salmon commercial or sport fishing off California’s coast until April 2024. In the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, Chinook salmon numbers have approached record lows due to recent drought conditions. … Right now, we believe that the commercial salmon fishing ban is what our salmon need to ensure population numbers do not dip to unrecoverable lows. As we look to future population resiliency, there are so many other things these fish need, and our teams are working hard to make them happen. CalTrout works from ridge top to river mouth to get salmon populations unassisted access to each link in the chain of habitats that each of their life stages depends on.

Related articles: 

  • ABC 7 – San Francisco: Canceled California salmon season becomes financial burden for fishers
  • KGW 8 – Portland: Imperiled Chinook salmon runs close ocean fishing off California, much of Oregon 
  • KALW – Bay Area: The Spiritual Edge: A Prayer For Salmon Ep. 6
  • California Trout: Field Note - Following Fish Migration Up the Pescadero Creek Watershed
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Aquafornia news March 16, 2023 Nevada Current

‘A very political little wildflower’ in danger of extinction in Southern Nevada

Like many deserts, lack of rainfall in the Mojave has pushed life to the furthest limits of adaptation, saturating the region with rare and unique species found nowhere else in the world. In fact, one-fourth of plant species growing in the Mojave Desert—the smallest of four major deserts in North America—are one of a kind. One of those plants is the white-margined penstemon, a small pink bell-shaped flower fixed on long hardy stems with waved oblong leaves. The highly adapted flower has carved a niche in the Mojave by occupying sandy desert washes, valley floors, and mountain foot-slopes where little else grows. … But the imperiled wildflower faces a number of threats to its survival, including urban sprawl, climate change, energy development, off-road recreation, and invasive grasses. 

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Aquafornia news March 16, 2023 North Coast Journal

Sport and commercial ocean salmon season closed statewide

The Pacific Fishery Management Council on March 10 provided three options for recreation and commercial salmon fishing from the California/Oregon border all the way south to the California/Mexico border. Unfortunately, but not surprising, all three options included the words “closed.” In an unprecedented decision, the PFMC was left with little choice but to close recreational and commercial salmon fishing this season statewide. Southern Oregon, which also impacts Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook, will also be closed from Cape Falcon south. The sport fishery had been scheduled to open off California in most areas on April 1. The closures were made to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook, which returned to the Central Valley in 2022 at near-record low numbers, and Klamath River fall Chinook, which had the second lowest abundance forecast since the current assessment method began in 1997.

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Aquafornia news March 16, 2023 Salt Lake Tribune

LDS Church to permanently donate thousands of acre-feet of water to the Great Salt Lake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the wealthiest and most influential institutions in Utah, plans to donate a pool of water to help save the Great Salt Lake. The Utah Department of Natural Resources, which helps manage the lake, announced the gift Wednesday morning. The donation amounts to about 20,000 acre-feet worth of shares that the church holds in the North Point Consolidated Irrigation Co. … Although the lake is the nation’s largest saline system, it has run a water deficit of about 1.2 million acre-feet in recent years. This winter’s substantial snowpack, however, will likely raise its elevation by at least a few feet. It currently sits at about 4,190 feet above sea level but needs to rise to around 4,200 feet to reach an elevation that’s sustainable for wildlife, recreation and lake-based industries like brine shrimp and mineral harvesting.

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Aquafornia news March 16, 2023 Northern California Water Association

Blog: Water is life! Exploring modern Water management from ridgetop to river mouth in the Sacramento Valley

Last summer Governor Newsom released California’s Water Supply Strategy–which calls for the modernization of our water management system. We know that the Sacramento Valley continues to modernize everything we do, from our farms, communities and businesses, to the way we approach water. These improvements include adopting improved water efficiency, irrigation systems, and tools to measure water use. We are planting new varieties that are more productive and produce more crop per drop. We are investing millions to improve water delivery systems for the environment as well as for farms, cities, and disadvantaged communities.

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Aquafornia news March 16, 2023 Los Angeles Times

Editorial: Restore California’s floodplains to capture more stormwater

The southern Sierra Nevada is covered with the deepest snowpack in recorded history, and the rest of the range is not far behind. When all that snow melts, where will it go? You can read the answer in the landscape of the Central Valley. To the eye it is nearly flat, covered by layers of gravel, silt and clay washed from the mountains over the eons by rain and melting snow. … The solution is shockingly simple, relatively cheap — compared with the cost of cataclysmic floods — and surprisingly non-controversial. We just haven’t yet done it on the scale that’s needed. California needs to restore its floodplains. Not the whole valley floors, and not as they were in the pre-development era. But it needs to have many more acres of land reserved for floodwater.

Related articles: 

  • Washington Post: How California is using recent floods to prepare for future drought
  • Sonoma Sun: Editorial – So much water. Why aren’t we trying to save it?
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Aquafornia news March 15, 2023 Jefferson Public Radio

After the dams: Restoring the Klamath River will take billions of native seeds

On the north shore of Iron Gate reservoir, Frank Henry, Jr. jams a heavy metal pole into the ground and twists. Once a hole is excavated, he grabs a stick from a five-gallon bucket. Water drips from the small tangle of roots at one end. The stick is Klamath plum; it will eventually grow into a shrubby tree that forms dense thickets and produces mauve-colored fruits. … Henry is part of a crew contracted by Resource Environmental Solutions, or RES, to restore the banks of the Klamath River in the wake of dam removal. Late last year, PacifiCorp transferred ownership of four hydroelectric dams—three in Northern California; one in Southern Oregon—to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, which is managing the dam removal. Drawdown of the reservoirs is scheduled to begin as early as next January.

Related article: 

  • Global Construction Review: Work gets under way on America’s largest-ever river renewal project
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Aquafornia news March 15, 2023 CalMatters

No California salmon: Fishery to be shut down this year

In response to crashing Chinook populations, a council of West Coast fishery managers plans to cancel this year’s salmon season in California, which will put hundreds of commercial fishermen and women out of work in Northern California and turn the summer into a bummer for thousands of recreational anglers. …The Pacific Fishery Management Council announced March 10 that it is choosing between three fishing season alternatives. Each would close the 2023 season, with the possibility of a reopening in 2024. The final decision will come during a session that begins April 1.

Related articles: 

  • Los Angeles Times: Salmon fishing banned along California coast as population plummets
  • HD Post: Fishery council proposes to cancel 2023 salmon fishing — salmon association argues water mismanagement
  • Sacramento Bee: California salmon season is canceled for the first time since 2009. Here’s what it means
  • Fox Weather: California cancels salmon fishing season amid ‘climate disruption‘
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Aquafornia news March 15, 2023 JDSupra

Blog: California court refuses to dismiss ESA challenge to Corps’ operation of Coyote Valley Dam on Russian River

Recently, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a concerned citizen against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) alleging Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations in connection with the Corps’ operation of the Coyote Valley Dam on the Russian River in Northern California. The court opined that federal defendants cannot avoid having to defend their prior actions simply by initiating the consultation process under section 7(a)(2) of the ESA, and the equities weighed against a stay of the litigation while the consultation process unfolds.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2023 Fairfield Daily Republic

Delta tunnel project up for Solano County board review

Solano County supervisors are scheduled Tuesday to receive an update on the latest Delta tunnel project. “The Delta Conveyance Project is the latest iteration of an isolated conveyance by the state Department of Water Resources to remove freshwater flows from the Delta for use in central and Southern California,” the staff report to the board states. “The (Delta Conveyance Project) includes constructing a 45-mile long, 39-foot diameter tunnel under the Delta with new diversions in the North Delta that have a capacity to divert up to 6,000 cubic feet (of water) per second and operating new conveyance facilities that would add to the existing State Water Project infrastructure.” 

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2023 Record Searchlight

Low Sacramento River salmon forecast to close ocean salmon fishing

Federal officials have proposed closing commercial chinook salmon fishing off the coast of California over concerns for expected low numbers of fall-run chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River this year. The Pacific Fishery Management Council announced its three alternatives for recreational and commercial fishing Friday. Ocean recreational fishing from the Oregon-California border to the U.S.-Mexico border will be closed in all three proposals, “given the low abundance forecasts for both Klamath and Sacramento River fall chinook.” the council said in a news release issued Friday. Commercial salmon fishing off the coast of California also will be closed, the council said. Ocean fishing restrictions were also announced for Oregon and Washington.

Related articles: 

  • Eureka Times-Standard: California salmon season likely to be canceled
  • The Hill: California cancels rest of salmon season over lingering drought issues
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Aquafornia news March 14, 2023 CalMatters

Opinion: California must intervene on Mono Lake water dispute with L.A.

Even with winter’s remarkable rainfall, Mono Lake will not rise enough to reduce unhealthy dust storms that billow off the exposed lakebed and violate air quality standards. Nor will it offset increasing salinity levels that threaten Mono Lake Kutzadika’a tribe’s cultural resources and food for millions of migratory birds. Any gain Mono Lake makes surely won’t last due to the [Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's] ongoing diversions….If DWP won’t voluntarily cooperate in finding a way to protect Mono Lake, then the State Water Board needs to step up and save Mono Lake – again.
-Written by Martha Davis, a board member for the Mono Lake Committee.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2023 NPR

Climate change is moving too fast for these trees to keep up

Some of the tall, stately trees that have grown up in California’s Sierra Nevada are no longer compatible with the climate they live in, new research has shown. Hotter, drier conditions driven by climate change in the mountain range have made certain regions once hospitable to conifers — such as sequoia, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir — an environmental mismatch for the cone-bearing trees. … Although there are conifers in those areas now, Hill and other researchers suggested that as the trees die out, they’ll be replaced with other types of vegetation better suited to the environmental conditions. The team estimated that about 20% of all Sierra Nevada conifer trees in California are no longer compatible with the climate around them and are in danger of disappearing. They dubbed these trees “zombie forests.”

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2023 Arizona Republic

Arizona rancher takes an old approach to growing crops on Gila River

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management approach with principles that date back to Indigenous farmers. Instead of letting the land fallow or repeating a cycle of planting water-intensive crops that cannot survive the harsh conditions along the lower Gila River, Hansen has worked to develop strategies to make less water go further. He has successfully introduced arid-adapted crops, integrated livestock on his land and used non-traditional farming methods to improve soil health and biodiversity. While regenerative agriculture has been a way to conserve water and grow healthier crops for centuries, the alternate farming method has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years as a way to potentially reverse the effects of climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity, resulting in both carbon drawdown and improvements to the water cycle.

Related article: 

  • Arizona Capitol Times: Paid not to farm? Expanded Colorado River program divides farm community 
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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 Arizona Republic

Cold water releases could thwart invasive bass in Grand Canyon

Federal dam managers are preparing a springtime assault against smallmouth bass on the Colorado River, possibly using cool water from deep in Lake Powell to keep the non-native fish from getting entrenched in Grand Canyon. Environmental and river recreation advocates hope the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will pair cold water with a rush of water from deep behind Glen Canyon Dam, both disrupting bass reproduction around Lees Ferry and restoring eroded sandbars farther downstream. That option, officially under study, is politically sensitive because it would cost hydropower production and move water out of a reservoir that has dropped to about a quarter of its storage capacity. The stakes for humpback chub and other native fishes are high. Young smallmouth bass, which grow into voracious warm-water predators, were found between the dam and Lees Ferry last year…

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 Ducks Unlimited

Blog: Ducks Unlimited’s California projects show why wetlands can help with floods

Before Californians built a network of levees and dams to keep cities from flooding, the rivers that formed the Central Valley each winter would spill out of their channels. In the wettest years, they’d flood to form a massive inland sea that stretched hundreds of miles from Redding to Bakersfield. In wet winters such as this one, those rivers keep trying to form that massive seasonal wetland again, testing the strength of the levees that protect communities built on the state’s floodplains. Along two of the state’s most flood-prone rivers, Ducks Unlimited has been working to create wetlands that use those natural flood patterns to create vital habitat for waterbirds and wildlife. The projects highlight why Californians should look to wetland expansion as one of the solutions to help reduce the risks from future floods.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 CalMatters

State water agency rescinds controversial Delta order that put fish at risk

As storms swell California’s reservoirs, state water officials have rescinded a controversial order that allowed more water storage in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while putting salmon and other endangered fish at risk. Ten environmental groups had petitioned the board to rescind its order, calling it “arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, and…not supported by substantial evidence.”  The reason for the state’s reversal, according to the State Water Resources Control Board, is that conditions in the Delta have changed as storms boost the snowpack and runoff used to supply water to cities and farms.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 Grid

The Great Salt Lake may turn into a toxic dust bomb. Can we stop it?

In many ways, Owens Lake — which dried up early last century when the city of Los Angeles began diverting the lake’s water supply to a major aqueduct — is a cautionary tale and a harbinger of disasters to come. Climate change is altering patterns of drought and rainfall across the world, and demand for water is growing. Just 500 miles from Owens Lake, Utah’s Great Salt Lake is drying rapidly and creating another stream of toxic dust. And while Owens Lake has finally managed to get its air pollution problems in check, it came at enormous cost. In a sense, it is lucky that there is such an example already out there, if only to demonstrate how important it will be to avoid a similar fate.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 SJV Sun

Suit seeks to block Forest Service use of fire retardant to combat wildfires

A Montana-based lawsuit against the United States Forest Service could bring sweeping changes to how forest fires are fought in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  Such changes could result in worse wildfire seasons in the future as the lawsuit aims to prohibit the use of aerial fire retardants. The backstory: … Chemical retardants that are used by firefighting agencies such as the USFS are tested and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Missoula Technology and Development Center. The big picture: Per the lawsuit, the FSEEE is attempting to require the USFS to obtain a Clean Water Act permit to use fire retardant from airplanes. 

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 SJV Sun

Valadao’s take on Biden’s Valley water grab: Where’s the beef?

The Biden administration’s move to throw out the Trump-era biological opinions that govern California’s water flow is nothing more than a political move to Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford).  In an upcoming interview on Sunrise FM, Valadao discussed the history of the biological opinions and the Congressional investigation into the Biden administration’s decision.  The backstory: The latest biological opinions which govern the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project were signed by President Donald Trump in 2019, capping the process of formulating the new opinions that started under President Barack Obama.  When President Joe Biden took office two years ago, his administration quickly began the process of removing the 2019 biological opinions to revert back to the previous opinions issued in 2008 and 2009.  

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2023 Sacramento Bee

Gavin Newsom waives permits to put California flood water underground

California’s severely depleted groundwater basins could get a boost this spring, after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order waiving permits to recharge them. State water leaders hope to encourage local agencies and agricultural districts to capture water from newly engorged rivers and spread it onto fields, letting it seep into aquifers after decades of heavy agricultural pumping. … To pull water from the state’s network of rivers and canals for groundwater recharge, state law requires a permit from the State Water Resources Control Board and Department of Fish and Wildlife. Many local agencies lacked the permitting during January storms, but this month’s atmospheric rivers and near record snowpack promises new opportunities to put water underground.

Related articles: 

  • SJV Water: Regs relaxed for storing flood water
  • Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom: Governor Newsom issues executive order to use floodwater to recharge and store groundwater
  • Community Water Center: New executive order allows groundwater recharge that may pollute sources of drinking water
  • Santa Clara News Online: Lots of rain but groundwater levels remain low
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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 Boston Globe

The toxic myth of the Gold Rush

One doesn’t have to visit bucolic Gold Rush towns like Coloma, where you can give panning for gold a try, to see the truth. Before 1975, there was no state or federal law mandating cleanup of mining operations. Today, California’s Department of Conservation estimates that there are at least 47,000 abandoned mines dotted across almost every county in the state. … And about 5,000 of these mines, according to state estimates, are also likely contaminated — leaching out harmful heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury that were dug up from deep underground or added to the environment in a desperate attempt to extract every nugget of gold.

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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 The Washington Post

Plastic pollution in the ocean is doubling every 6 years

Humans have filled the world’s oceans with more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic, dramatically more than previously estimated, according to a major study released Wednesday.  The trillions of plastic particles — a “plastic smog,” in the words of the researchers — weigh roughly 2.4 million metric tons and are doubling about every six years, according to the study conducted by a team of international researchers led by Marcus Eriksen of the 5 Gyres Institute, based in Santa Monica, Calif. That is more than 21,000 pieces of plastic for each of the Earth’s 8 billion residents. Most pieces are very small.  The study, which was published in the PLOS One journal, draws on nearly 12,000 samples collected across 40 years of research in all the world’s major ocean basins. Starting in 2004, researchers observed a major rise in the material, which they say coincided with an explosion in plastics production. 

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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 Daily Kos

Coalition issues intent to sue state water board over order to suspend water quality protections

A coalition of environmental groups – the California Water Impact Network, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and AquAlliance – have submitted a notice of intent to sue the State Water Resources Control Board unless it rescinds an order to suspend water quality and fish protections in California rivers and the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, according to a coalition press release. The Board’s order was issued following a decision by Governor Gavin Newsom to retain water in state reservoirs to ensure future deliveries for Central Valley agriculture. The order constituted an end-run around state and federal legal requirements to maintain adequate water quality and temperature conditions for salmon below dams.

Related article:

  • State Water Resources Control Board: News release: State Water Board rescinds suspension of  Delta water quality requirement​
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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 Audubon

Blog: Who gets harmed as the Colorado River changes?

National and regional media love a good fight, and lately a day doesn’t pass without a major news story or op-ed focused on Colorado River disagreements, particularly amongst the seven states of the Colorado River Basin (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming). Which state must bear the brunt of shortages needed as Colorado River flows decline? Which sector of water users takes the hit as climate change continues to diminish the river? Should urban water supplies be protected because that’s where all the people are? (Municipal water supply representatives will quickly remind us that if all urban uses of Colorado River water were cut off, there would still be a shortage). Should agricultural water supplies be protected because we all need to eat? 

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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 Associated Press

House GOP votes to overturn Biden administration water protections

The House on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s protections for thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, advancing long-held Republican arguments that the regulations are an environmental overreach and burden to business. The vote was 227-198 to overturn the rule. House Republicans used the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block recently enacted executive-branch regulations. The measure now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hope to attract Democratic senators wary of Biden’s environmental policies. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a frequent Biden antagonist, has already pledged to support the overturn of a rule he calls federal overreach. Biden said he would veto the measure if it reaches his desk.

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Aquafornia news March 10, 2023 Patch - Berkeley

UC Berkeley researchers present plan for freshwater conservation

The 30×30 initiative is a global effort to set aside 30% of land and sea area for conservation by 2030, a move scientists hope will reverse biodiversity loss and mitigate the effects of climate change. Now adopted by state and national governments around the world, 30×30 creates an unprecedented opportunity to advance global conservation. When it comes to the water side of 30×30, most programs focus primarily on conservation of oceans, but a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley argues that freshwater ecosystems must not be neglected. Published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, the paper urges policy makers to explicitly include freshwater ecosystems like rivers, lakes, and wetlands in 30×30 plans, and outlines how their conservation will be critical to achieving the initiative’s broader goals.

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Aquafornia news March 9, 2023 Greenbiz

Microplastics are everywhere. Here’s what we can do about it

While images of discarded plastic bottles and bags dominate news headlines, in reality most plastics contaminating Earth’s lands and waters are barely visible to the naked eye. And these microplastics (fragments less than 5 millimeters in diameter) have become a problem too big to ignore. They are ubiquitous, found in nearly every environment around the world, and threatening ecosystems and animals ranging in size from plankton to whales. They are also in drinking water, food and our bodies — posing serious questions about the long-term impacts to human and planetary health. From skin care products and paint to plastic containers and car tires, these microplastics originate from almost every industry. However, many people don’t realize that their clothing is also made from plastic. When we wash and wear synthetic textiles, they shed microplastics, called microfibers.

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  • Salon: Plastic pollution is filtering up into the fish that we eat 
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Aquafornia news March 9, 2023 KDRV - Medford

Construction preparation on Klamath River dams underway, removal complete by 2024

Construction to start the removal process of the Klamath River dams will start this month and all four dams are scheduled to be removed from the river by the end of 2024. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the $450 million dam removal project in November of 2022. It will be the largest dam removal project in American history.  The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), who took over ownership of the dams from Pacific Power, is leading the historic construction project. This month, construction preparation work is underway. Construction on the dams will begin this summer, starting with Copco 2.

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Aquafornia news March 9, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

How California storms have improved Lake Tahoe’s water clarity

Weeks of frigid air temperatures in the Sierra have caused Lake Tahoe’s water to “mix” for the first time since 2019, as cold water at the surface sinks to the lake’s 1,600-foot depths, bringing clearer water up. That means that the historically crystal-clear lake, which has grown murkier over the past several decades, is the clearest it has been in four years. The lake’s clarity, which is a sign of its overall health and typically drops to 60 or 70 feet deep, now goes down to 115 feet. … But it won’t last long, said Geoffrey Schladow, a professor and director of the UC Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center. … Water clarity in the lake was at an average depth of 61 feet in 2021, compared with 102 feet in 1968, when it was first studied by UC Davis. It also tends to be clearer in winter than summer, when there is more algae growth and sediment. 

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2023 Mercury News

Satellite photos: California landscapes change from brown to green and white

The Golden State has never looked so green and white: Images captured by NASA’s Earth Observatory and WorldView satellites over the past three months reveal what happens when nine record atmospheric rivers soak California in 32 trillion-plus gallons of water. Closer to ground level, some daredevils are kayaking off rooftops in South Lake Tahoe and down the mounds of snow cloaking their homes and leaping off second-floor balconies at Tahoe-area resorts into whiteout landscapes. Meanwhile, first responders and emergency workers continue unearthing mountain residents trapped by up to 16 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and at least 17 feet in the San Bernardino range. Oncoming atmospheric rivers are also raising flood concerns as they stream into the colossal snowpack later this month.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2023 KQED - San Francisco

Threatened coho salmon at risk due to federal mismanagement, groups allege

A few weeks ago, federally threatened coho salmon swam up the Klamath River, spawned and laid egg nests. But some of these nests, or redds, holding as many as 4,000 eggs, may never hatch, owing to reduced water levels in the river. It’s the result of a severe water management bungling, say critics, by the Bureau of Reclamation, which controls how much water flows from Upper Klamath Lake into the river. … Tribal nations and commercial fishing groups argue the agency violated the Endangered Species Act when it reduced river flows in mid-March below a minimum level set in a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biological opinion, a series of recommendations and requirements meant to help the salmon recover and ensure river management decisions don’t push the species to the brink of extinction…. The Bureau of Reclamation, which controls flows and water allocation on the Klamath, says it is caught between competing priorities.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2023 KRCR - Redding

$22.5M awarded to salmon and habitat projects across California

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has awarded $22.5 million to 19 projects that reportedly restore habitat for salmon and wildlife corridors. According to the CDFW, eight of the 19 projects address drought impacts on salmon and seek to repair unscreened water diversions. The largest salmon project will be led by the Yurok Tribe, which was awarded $3.9 million. Tribal officials will work within the Oregon Gulch area of the Upper Trinity River to reestablish the river’s natural flow after it was damaged by hydraulic mining. The tribe will also reportedly work on restoring overflow banks for Coho salmon.

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  • California Department of Fish and Wildlife: CDFW Announces $22.5 Million To Benefit Salmon And Support Critical Habitat Projects Statewide
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Aquafornia news March 8, 2023 KCRA - Sacramento

An explainer on when Lake Tahoe’s water has ‘mixed’

For the first time since 2019, the water in Lake Tahoe is fully mixed. When a body of water is “mixed,” cold water at the surface sinks all the way to the lake bottom. Water that was previously at the bottom rises to the top. This mixing phenomenon happens about every four or five years in Lake Tahoe. … This comes as a result of a much colder-than-average winter for the Tahoe Basin. Scientists with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center track Lake Tahoe’s water temperature each day. They say that right now, the temperature throughout the entire lake is pretty much the same, a sign that the water has indeed mixed from top to bottom.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: Flowing water is not wasted. How healthy rivers help people

It’s a familiar scenario: Rising rivers are pinched off from the flood plains that could have spread, slowed and stored the sudden abundance of water. Floodwaters break through levees and leave destruction and heartbreaking loss in their wake. Renewed frustration and fury enter the public dialogue about “wasted” water. … River managers use the term “environmental flows” to describe the water that’s allowed to stay in rivers to nurture the ecosystem, as opposed to water diverted or stored for farms, cities or hydropower. While I worked at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, we dove in deep on environmental flows, calculating an environmental flow management strategy for every major tributary to the San Joaquin River, which nourishes the valley that bears its name. 
-Written by Ann Willis, California Regional Director for American Rivers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting rivers across the country.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2023 FishBio

Blog: A deeper dive into thiamine deficiency

Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency complex (TDC) has become a widespread affliction in fisheries around the world. During the 2022 annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, a special symposium on TDC included presentations from researchers describing findings addressing the root causes of thiamine deficiency. TDC is not isolated to California’s Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) it also occurs in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the Great Lakes, and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Europe and in the northeastern United States, among other important fisheries. However, this symposium was not the first time scientists came together to understand TDC, as Dr. Dale Honeyfield – professor emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) – spoke about meetings sponsored by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission during the mid-1990s.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2023 Los Angeles Times

This magical garden in L.A. will make you rethink turf

As 5-year-old Stella Penn and her sister, Maxine, 3, enthusiastically play hide-and-seek in the backyard of their Eagle Rock home, the girls are accompanied by a merry band of lizards, butterflies and birds drawn to the yard’s low-water California natives, abundant fruit trees and the fragrance of Cleveland sage and Champaca trees. Oblivious to the rainfall on an overcast morning in Los Angeles, the sisters move to a chunky wood stump in the front yard where, unprovoked, they assemble a “pizza” with a large sycamore leaf and locally sourced bits of gravel, California buckwheat and blue bush acacia as toppings. … Soon after the two bought the property, Claire’s father came and laid sod in the backyard so that his granddaughters would have a place to run around. Although his heart was in the right place, the couple felt that it was “ridiculous” to try to keep the lawn alive in the face of California’s ongoing drought and eventual water restrictions.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2023 The New York Times

Mapping California’s ‘zombie’ forests

A warming climate has left a fifth of the conifer forests that blanket California’s Sierra Nevada stranded in habitats that no longer suit them, according to a study published last week by researchers at Stanford University. In these “zombie forests,” older, well-established trees — including ponderosa pines, Douglas firs and sugar pines — still tower overhead, but few young trees have been able to take root because the climate has become too warm and dry for them to thrive.

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  • The Hill: Western forests three times the size of Yellowstone could be transformed by midcentury
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Aquafornia news March 7, 2023 Mercury News

Opinion: Newsom made the right call on delaying Delta water flows

Over the past 10 years, California has seen two of the most severe droughts in a millennium separated by two of the wettest years on record. This erratic weather, volatile even by California standards, shattered heat records, killed millions of trees, fueled explosive wildfires and caused significant flooding. As California’s changing climate pushes us deeper into uncharted climate waters, past records are becoming a less reliable tool for predicting current and future weather patterns. That’s why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent decision to delay the release of 700,000 acre-feet of water, enough to supply nearly 7 million people for a year, from state reservoirs into the Sacramento-San Joaquin-River Delta was the right call. Snowpack from early storms can be lost to dry, hot weather later this spring.
-Written by Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council. ​

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2023 Newsweek

Invasive fish may swarm Colorado River as water levels decline

An invasive fish species could begin swarming more areas of the Colorado River, officials have warned. In a report released in February by the Bureau of Reclamation, concerns are raised that smallmouth bass—an invasive species established in Colorado River reservoir Lake Powell—could escape into other reaches of the river, below the dam. Lake Powell, formed by the Glen Canyon Dam, is seeing some of its lowest water levels ever. Officials are concerned that the low water levels will cause the smallmouth bass to escape past the dam, which has so far served as a barrier for the fish. When water levels are high, the report said it prevents the fish passing through.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2023 California WaterBlog

Blog: Hiding in plain sight – newly described freshwater fishes from the Los Angeles area and elsewhere in California

This blog is an announcement that the Santa Ana Speckled Dace exists, and now has an official name, which includes its new scientific name, Rhinichthys gabrielino (Moyle et al. 2023). Rhin-ichthys means “snout-fish” while gabielino honors the native peoples who lived comfortably with Santa Ana Speckled Dace for thousands of years. Today this fish is missing from about half its historic habitats in the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana rivers [see map below]. Because it now has an official name, it is more likely to gain the attention of conservation agencies, much like the Santa Ana Sucker (Pantoseus santannae), which is listed as a Threatened species under state and federal Endangered Species Acts. … Moyle et al. (2023) used genomic (DNA) analyses as a major basis for providing, not only a name for Santa Ana Speckled Dace, but for all dace populations in California.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2023 Courthouse News Service

Feds still on the hook for endangering California coast salmon

A Northern California man’s protest against the unlawful “taking” of endangered salmon by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lives another day, as a judge ruled against allowing either a dismissal or a stay on the matter on Friday. The defendants sought to either dismiss or stay the case that accused them of creating a hazardous habitat for Central California Coast steelhead, coho, and Chinook salmon, saying that the case should be deemed moot, considering recent action taken by the Army Corp to come into compliance with Endangered Species Act requirements. The Coyote Valley Dam, an earthen dam built seventy years ago, is currently managed by the Army Corp and lies above the city of Ukiah.

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  • Courthouse News Service: Judge lifts block on road construction along California’s last undammed river
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Aquafornia news March 6, 2023 Record Searchlight

Low fall-run chinook salmon expected on Sacramento, Klamath rivers

It’s going to be a bad year for Sacramento River chinook salmon. That was the message from this year’s annual Salmon Information Meeting attended by state and federal fisheries scientists. State and federal officials announced one of the lowest adult fall-run chinook salmon population estimates since 2008, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The fall-run chinook is considered the predominant species of salmon in freshwater and ocean fisheries, the state said. This year, the state forecast 169,767 adults in the population.

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  • Lost Coast Outpost: Facing Dismal Salmon Population Forecast, Fishermen’s Groups Call for Immediate Closure of Season, Request Disaster Assistance
  • National Fisherman: Fishing groups call to suspend California 2023 salmon season
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Aquafornia news March 6, 2023 Los Angeles Times

California’s antiquated water rights system faces new scrutiny

It’s an arcane system of water law that dates back to the birth of California — an era when 49ers used sluice boxes and water cannons to scour gold from Sierra Nevada foothills and when the state government promoted the extermination of Native people to make way for white settlers. Today, this antiquated system of water rights still governs the use of the state’s supplies, but it is now drawing scrutiny like never before. In the face of global warming and worsening cycles of drought, a growing number of water experts, lawmakers, environmental groups and tribes say the time has finally come for change. Some are pushing for a variety of reforms, while others are calling for the outright dismantling of California’s contentious water rights system.

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Aquafornia news March 3, 2023 Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management

Blog: Strengthening the Species Status Assessment process: The longfin smelt SSA provides instructive insights

In its evolving effort to meet Congress’s directive that determinations under the federal Endangered Species Act should be informed by the “best available scientific and commercial data” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses Species Status Assessments “to deliver foundational science” to support its decisions.  While this process does not typically garner much attention beyond that of the agency, the recent proposal to list longfin smelt as endangered has highlighted the SSA’s importance and brought to light some assessment elements that can be improved.  By way of background, the Service intends the Assessments to provide “focused, repeatable, and rigorous scientific assessment” that results in “improved and more transparent and defensible decision making, and clearer and more concise documents.”

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Aquafornia news March 3, 2023 UC Davis

Report on mass fish death released

An independent investigation has found that a catastrophic fish mortality event at the UC Davis Center for Aquatic Biology and Aquaculture in August 2022 was caused by accumulation of mineral deposits inside sealed piping carrying wastewater away from the facility. This blockage caused chlorine, added to effluent water as a disinfectant, to back up to a water line used to lubricate pumps at the well supplying the fish tanks, and thus contaminate the tanks. There was no forewarning of the problem and no individual or group of individuals can be singled out as responsible, wrote Anthony Farrell, professor emeritus of zoology at the University of British Columbia, who conducted the investigation at the invitation of UC Davis Vice Chancellor for Research Prasant Mohapatra.

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Aquafornia news March 3, 2023 Provo River Delta

Blog: Provo River Delta Restoration Project

The Provo River Delta Restoration Project broke ground in June of 2020, and on March 2, 2023 we’ll reach a major milestone: the Provo River will run into the channels and ponds created over the past few years, connecting the river with a restored delta, and with Utah Lake. To mark this achievement, a brief celebration will be held onsite on Thursday, March 2 at 1:30 PM, as outlined in the event agenda. The celebration will be held just west of the Lakeshore Bridge Trailhead in Provo. Please refer to the map below for parking locations and walking routes to the event location. Given limited space and winter site conditions, people are encouraged to carpool, walk or ride to the event and to be prepared for potentially cold and wet weather.

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Aquafornia news March 3, 2023 Los Angeles Times

Declining salmon population could trigger ban on fishing

California Chinook salmon populations have fallen to their lowest levels in years, according to new estimates released by state and federal scientists — a decline that could trigger a shutdown of the commercial and recreational fishing season along the coast. … The department said scientists estimated that the number of 3-year-old fall-run Chinook likely to return to the Sacramento River this year to spawn would be fewer than 170,000, one of the lowest forecasts in 15 years. They also estimated that fewer than 104,000 are likely to return to the Klamath River, the second-lowest estimate since 1997. In its announcement Wednesday, the department said returning fall-run Chinook “fell well short of conservation objectives” in the Sacramento River last year, and may now be approaching a point of being declared overfished.

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  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Ocean salmon stock forecast for 2023 is grim; fishing could be curtailed or halted
  • Northern California Water Association: Blog - More Sacramento River salmon recovery projects underway 
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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 Quartz

US coastal wetlands are disappearing. Here’s how to save them

As the effects of heat-trapping pollution continue to raise sea levels, wetlands dotting American coastlines could drown — or they could flourish. Their fate will depend upon rates of sea-level rise, how quickly the plants can grow, and whether there’s space inland into which they can migrate. Climate Central modeled how American coastal wetlands will respond to sea level rise in an array of potential scenarios. It found that conserving land for wetlands to migrate into is a decisive factor in whether wetlands will survive or drown. Wetlands and development have long been in conflict, with ecological values weighed against waterfront economic opportunities. As seas rise, benefits of conserving areas inland for wetland migration are creating new tensions. And as climate change intensifies storms and elevate high tides and storm surges, the economic values of wetlands are growing.

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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 Jefferson Public Radio

$15 million announced for habitat restoration projects in the Klamath Basin

The $15 million in funding will come from the federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed by Congress in late 2021. “Anything that improves the ecological infrastructure of the Basin we’re interested in learning about,” said Matt Baun, the Klamath coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A total of $162 million was earmarked for the Klamath Basin over five years from the infrastructure law. This is the second year of funding. Organizations that are eligible include nonprofits, academic institutions, tribes and even community groups. Projects could range from fisheries restoration and water quality work to agricultural projects and efforts to improve waterfowl habitat.

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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 Mercury News

Pollutants were released into Guadalupe River, Coyote Creek from construction firm, lawsuit claims

A well-known Bay Area construction materials firm has unleashed harmful pollutants into Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek, threatening sensitive species of fish, frogs and salamanders, a newly filed lawsuit alleges. The Santa Clara County District Attorney claims that Graniterock, an over-century-old Watsonville-based corporation, has discharged stormwater from two of its San Jose facilities that contain above-level pH values, cement, sand, concrete, chemical additives and other heavy metals. Those pollutants have endangered steelhead trout, the California Tiger Salamander and the California Red Legged frog — animals that live in and around the South Bay waterways, the suit alleges. The complaint does not specify when or how much of the pollutants were apparently found discharged into the waterways.

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  • Marin Independent Journal: Marin environmental groups seek redo of Sausalito school creek plan 
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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: How California’s Big Ag wants you to think about all this rain

Despite the continued heavy winter rain and snow throughout California, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently extended his executive orders from 2022 that declared a drought emergency statewide. He also asked the state water board to waive water flow regulations intended to protect salmon and other endangered fish species, as well as San Francisco Bay and Delta estuary overall. Some viewed these moves as pragmatic steps to avoid “wasting” the bounty of California’s rains out to sea. Others saw them as a declaration of war against the health of the bay.  In fact, a war against the bay has been going on for decades. Newsom’s order was merely the latest skirmish. The war’s primary aggressors are agricultural interests in the Central Valley.
-Written by Howard V. Hendrix, the author of six novels as well as many essays, poems and short stories. 

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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 Reuters

Phytoplankton blooms see two-decade surge along world’s coastlines

Huge blooms of phytoplankton — microscopic algae floating on the ocean’s surface — have become larger and more frequent along the world’s coastlines, according to new research, bringing benefits to fisheries but also potentially causing harm. Between 2003 and 2020, coastal phytoplankton blooms increased by about 13% in extent, covering an additional 4 million square kilometres of the global ocean, the Nature study found. And the blooms occurred more often, up by 59% during that period. … [Phytoplankton can starve] the ocean of oxygen and leading to “dead zones” that wreak chaos on the food chain and fisheries. … While some regions saw weaker blooms over the past two decades, including the California Current, blooms strengthened in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the East and South China Seas. … Fertilizer runoff from agriculture can spike nutrient loads in the ocean, leading to blooms.

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Aquafornia news March 2, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday Top of the Scroll: California may bar commercial salmon fishing, first time since 2009

California commercial and sports fishers are bracing for the possibility of no salmon season this year after the fish population along the Pacific Coast dropped to its lowest point in 15 years. On Wednesday, wildlife officials announced a low forecast for the number of the wild adult Chinook (or “king”) salmon that will be in the ocean during the fishing season that typically starts in May. The final plan for the commercial and recreational salmon season will be announced in April. …Salmon are highly dependent on how much water is available in their native rivers and streams, especially when they are very young. Even though the state has gotten a lot of rain and snow this winter, the population that is now in the ocean was born in 2020, in the beginning of the state’s current record-breaking drought. … This year, there will be about 170,000 adult salmon in the ocean from the Sacramento River fall run Chinook population, the main group that is fished commercially in the state and the lowest number since 2008.

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  • Press Democrat: Poor outlook for king salmon could shut down California’s sport and commercial seasons
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  • Golden State Salmon Association: News release: Low 2023 salmon forecast likely to lead to fishery shutdown 
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Aquafornia news March 1, 2023 Law360

Feds say new Trinity River flows support fish populations

A new winter water flow management project implemented in California’s Trinity River is best for the region’s fish populations, the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Reclamation said … 

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2023 Division of Boating and Waterways

News release: Division of Boating and Waterways begins control efforts in the Delta for aquatic invasive plants

California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) announced today its plans for this year’s Aquatic Invasive Plant Control Program in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its southern tributaries. Starting tomorrow, March 1, DBW will begin herbicide treatments to control water hyacinth, South American spongeplant, Uruguay water primrose, Alligator weed, Brazilian waterweed, curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, hornwort (aka coontail), and fanwort. These aquatic invasive plants have no known natural controls in the west coast’s largest estuary, the Delta. They negatively affect the Delta’s ecosystem as they displace native plants. Continued warm temperatures help the plants proliferate at high rates. 

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2023 California Trout

Blog: Capitol corner – Bills, budget, brick & mortar, and the busy year ahead

This year, CalTrout is thrilled to co-sponsor three bills. The team will be collaborating with the legislative authors and our co-sponsors as the bills move through the legislature in the 2023-24 cycle. The first bill, AB 809, will establish a dedicated fund to support the long-term monitoring of California’s native salmon and steelhead trout populations. Next, AB 460, will empower the State Water Resources Control Board to act swiftly to prevent harm to the environment, public health, and water resources caused by illegal water rights violations. AB 1272 will lay the groundwork for creating a more climate-resilient future for native fish and for water supplies in coastal California. Keep scrolling to the bottom of this page for a deeper dive into each of the three bills.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2023 Mercury News

Editorial: Newsom takes page out of Trump’s water playbook

Clean water is California’s most vital need. Our lives and the lives of future generations depend on it. Yet when it comes to protecting the state’s supply, Gov. Gavin Newsom is failing California. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta provides drinking water to 27 million Californians, or roughly 70% of the state’s residents. On Feb. 15, the governor signed an executive order allowing the State Water Resources Control Board to ignore the state requirement of how much water needs to flow through the Delta to protect its health. It’s an outrageous move right out of Donald Trump’s playbook. Big Ag and its wealthy landowners, including some of Newsom’s political financial backers, will reap the benefits while the Delta suffers.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2023 Reuters

Extreme Yosemite rain eases drought but disrupts wildlife habitats

After a winter of epic storms in California, Yosemite National Park’s famous waterfalls are in full flow, its reservoirs are brimming, and the snowpack in the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains is well above average. In drought-stricken California, that is cause for celebration, but wildlife experts warn that weather extremes driven by climate change can also change habitats too quickly for wildlife to adapt. … [Beth Pratt, California regional director for the National Wildlife Federation] has been studying Yosemite Valley wildlife for 25 years, including the more than 400 species of vertebrates that call the 1,200 square-mile (3,100 square-kilometer) park home. … In his 27 years as a Yosemite park ranger, Scott Gediman has never seen so much winter snow and water in the park.

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2023 UC Santa Cruz

New research: Shrinking age distribution of spawning salmon raises climate resilience concerns

By returning to spawn in the Sacramento River at different ages, Chinook salmon lessen the potential impact of a bad year and increase the stability of their population in the face of climate variability, according to a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA Fisheries. Unfortunately, spawning Chinook salmon are increasingly younger and concentrated within fewer age groups, with the oldest age classes of spawners rarely seen in recent years. The new study, published February 27 in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, suggests changes in hatchery practices and fishery management could help restore the age structure of the salmon population and make it more resilient to climate change.

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2023 Fox 40 - Sacramento

Hundreds of pigeons dead from water born disease in Northern California

Reports of at least 200 sick or dead band-tailed pigeons throughout Northern California could be linked to an outbreak of avian trichomonosis, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). – Video above: Blizzard Conditions force closure of Interstate 80 Since early February, reports have been coming in from residents located along the Central Coast, the Bay Area and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The band-tailed pigeon is native to California and during the winter is often gathering acorns for the winter from central California to Southern California.

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2023 Courthouse News Service

Judge extends plan to manage flows to California delta and protect endangered fish

A judge has extended a temporary settlement of a long-running dispute over California water rights and how the Central Valley Project and State Water Project manage the Sacramento River flows. … The opinions address how the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources’ plan for operating the Central Valley and State Water Projects affects fish species. The opinions make it possible to send more water to 20 million farms, businesses and homes in Southern and Central California via the massive federal and state water diversion projects, and eliminate requirements such as mandating extra flows to keep water temperatures from rising high enough to damage salmon eggs. … A federal judge approved plans to allow the biological opinions to remain in effect over the next three years with added safeguards. 

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2023 California Trout

Blog: New study shows Eel River dam removal would benefit local economy

A new report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute details the beneficial local economic impacts that would be generated by the removal of Scott and Cape Horn Dams, two aging dams on the Eel River that are part of the hydroelectric Potter Valley Project. The report estimates dam removal would create between 1,037 and 1,332 local jobs and would boost the regional economy to the tune of $203 million to $278 million. In addition to boosting the local economy, dam removal is crucial for healthy fish populations, clean water, and Tribal cultural practices. Located on the Eel River 20 miles northeast of Ukiah, the Potter Valley Project includes two Eel River dams, a diversion tunnel that moves water out of the Eel River watershed and into the East Branch of the Russian River, and a powerhouse. 

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 California WaterBlog

Blog: Will more wildfire and precipitation extremes mussel-out California’s freshwater streams?

Apocalyptic scenes of wildfires and floods are now familiar to Californians. However, the ecological impacts from these events remain understudied in California and across the world. Gaps in awareness and understanding on the issue are especially intense for freshwater mussels, whose cryptic and sedentary life-histories belie their importance to freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity (see previous post on freshwater mussels). One difficulty in studying effects of wildfire on freshwater ecosystems is that there is often a “right time in the right place” factor to appropriately conduct the science. For example, researchers and biologists often need to be studying a population or ecosystem before a burn so effects afterwards can be quantified – ideally alongside nearby unaffected control sites. Yet such natural experiments are rare because we never know when and where major wildfires will strike.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 The New York Times

The Salton Sea, an accident of history, faces a new water crisis

The drought crisis on the Colorado River looms large in California’s Imperial Valley, which produces much of the nation’s lettuce, broccoli and other crops, and now faces water cuts. But those cuts will also be bad news for the environmental and ecological disaster unfolding just to the north, at the shallow, shimmering and long-suffering Salton Sea. “There’s going to be collateral damage everywhere,” said Frank Ruiz, a program director with California Audubon. To irrigate their fields, the valley’s farmers rely completely on Colorado River water, which arrives by an 80-mile-long canal. And the Salton Sea, the state’s largest lake, relies on water draining from those fields to stay full. But it’s been shrinking for decades, killing off fish species that attract migratory birds and exposing lake bed that generates dust that is harmful to human health.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 KNAU - Arizona

Federal officials propose plan to prevent invasive fish from spawning in Colorado River

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public input on a plan to prevent smallmouth bass from spawning downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. Officials say the historically low levels in Lake Powell result in warm water being released from the dam which creates ideal spawning conditions for the predatory invasive species. The bureau wants to prevent the bass from establishing in the Colorado River between the dam and the confluence of the Little Colorado River and could try to reduce the water temperature and change the flow velocity from the dam. Smallmouth bass are a major threat to native fish including the federally protected humpback chub that live at the confluence.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 UC Davis

Blog: The science of saving salmon as Klamath dams come down

The world’s largest dam removal in history is slated for 2023. Led by Indigenous tribes in partnership with organizations, lawyers, scientists and activists, the project will remove four dams, clearing the way for the lower Klamath River to flow freely for the first time in more than a century.  The Institute of the Environment’s monthly seminar series recently brought together a panel of experts intimately tied to the project to discuss the history and outlook for these changes. Participants on the Feb. 8 panel were Brittani Orona, assistant professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State University; Robert Lusardi of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences; Tommy Williams from NOAA Fisheries; Toz Soto, Karuk Tribe fisheries manager; Scott Williams, an attorney from Berkeley. 

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 CalMatters

This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades. What’s taking so long?

Last century, California built dozens of large dams, creating the elaborate reservoir system that supplies the bulk of the state’s drinking and irrigation water. Now state officials and supporters are ready to build the next one. The Sites Reservoir — planned in a remote corner of the western Sacramento Valley for at least 40 years — has been gaining steam and support since 2014, when voters approved Prop. 1, a water bond that authorized $2.7 billion for new storage projects.  Still, Sites Reservoir remains almost a decade away: Acquisition of water rights, permitting and environmental review are still in the works. Kickoff of construction, which includes two large dams, had been scheduled for 2024, but likely will be delayed another year. Completion is expected in 2030 or 2031.

Related articles: 

  • KQED – San Francisco: The California Report - Raising Shasta Dam could put sacred indigenous sites underwater
  • InMenlo: Stanford proposes improvements to Searsville Dam and Reservoir
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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Newsom cares more about almond growers than California’s salmon fishery

Gov. Gavin Newsom bills himself as a protector of wildlife, so you wouldn’t think he’d take water from baby salmon and give it to almonds. Or to pistachios, or cotton or alfalfa. Especially when California was just drenched with the wettest three-week series of storms on record and was headed into another powerful soaking of snow and rain. But Newsom and his water officials still contend we’re suffering a drought — apparently it’s a never-ending drought. So, they used that as a reason last week to drastically cut river flows needed by migrating little salmon in case the water is needed to irrigate San Joaquin Valley crops in summer.
-Written by columnist George Skelton. 

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2023 CBS News

Will Utah’s Great Salt Lake disappear?

Utah’s Great Salt Lake doesn’t look so “great” these days. This place where tourists once bobbed up and down like corks in water far saltier than the ocean is now quite literally turning to dust. … Climate change and the West’s historic megadrought certainly haven’t done the lake any favors, but it’s the diversion of water away from the lake that Romney says is less than divine: “The water in this area helped us bloom like a rose, as the Scripture says. And yeah, we’ve got trees and beautiful lawns. But some of that’s gonna have to change.” Most of the lake’s water is spoken for long before it gets there. It’s not just those green lawns for Utah’s exploding population; 70% of the water goes to agriculture. And then there’s the billion-dollar-a-year mineral extraction industry. It uses the lake’s water, too.

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Aquafornia news February 24, 2023 Phys.org

Fungi that causes pine ghost canker detected in southern California trees

Fungal pathogens that cause die-back in grape, avocado, citrus, nut and other crops has found a new host and is infecting conifer trees causing Pine Ghost Canker in urban forest areas of Southern California. The canker can be deadly to trees. Scientists from University of California, Davis, first spotted evidence that the pathogens had moved to pines during a routine examination of trees in Orange County in 2018. Over four years, they found that more than 30 mature pines had been infected in an area of nearly 100 acres, according to a report in the journal Plant Disease.

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Aquafornia news February 24, 2023 Red Bluff Daily News

Tehama County man fined by EPA

An error in paperwork proved to be a costly mistake for Justin Jenson, who was fined around $30,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the EPA, Jenson, in November 2021, conducted bank stabilization activities on his residence along the shoreline below the ordinary high water mark, impacting 90 linear feet of the Sacramento River without a CWA Section 404 permit. … [T]he Corps permit application was pending because the Corps was in consultation with relevant federal agencies regarding potential impacts to endangered or threatened species and their critical habitats. Those species included Sacramento River Winter-run Chinook Salmon, Central Valley Spring-run Chinook Salmon, California Central Valley Steelhead, and the Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American Green Sturgeon. 

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Aquafornia news February 24, 2023 Grist

Here’s why a California beach town just banned balloons

Celebrations in a beachside California city will soon have to take place without an iconic, single-use party favor: balloons. The city council of Laguna Beach, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, voted Tuesday to ban the sale and use of all types of balloons, citing their contribution to ocean litter as well as health and safety risks from potential fires when they hit power lines. Starting in 2024, people using balloons on public property or at city events could incur fines of up to $500 for each violation. … Balloons, especially those filled with helium, often become ocean pollution after just a few hours of use. Those made of latex — a kind of soft, synthetic or natural material that may take decades to break down — can be mistaken for food by marine animals and birds. When ingested, latex can conform to birds’ stomach cavities, causing nutrient deficiency or suffocation. 

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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 Courthouse News Service

Ninth Circuit restores Trump-era gut of Clean Water Act rule

A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday revived a Trump-era Clean Water Act regulation, finding the lower court lacked authority to vacate the rule without finding it unlawful. In 2021, U.S. District Judge William Alsup vacated a Trump administration revision of the “Clean Water Act 401 Certification Rule,” which narrows what issues state and tribal governments can consider when determining whether a project, particularly one discharging pollution into a waterway, complies with state water quality standards. The rule affected the permitting and relicensing process for thousands of industrial projects, including natural gas pipelines, hydroelectric plants, wastewater treatment facilities and construction sites near sensitive wetlands. Beginning September 2020, states could no longer consider a project’s effects on air emissions and road traffic congestion.

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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 Phys.org

Climate change, urbanization drive major declines in L.A.’s birds

Climate change isn’t the only threat facing California’s birds. Over the course of the 20th century, urban sprawl and agricultural development have dramatically changed the landscape of the state, forcing many native species to adapt to new and unfamiliar habitats. In a new study, biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, use current and historical bird surveys to reveal how land use change has amplified—and in some cases mitigated—the impacts of climate change on bird populations in Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

Related article: 

  • NOAA: West Coast Species on the Move as Climate Change Drives Ecological Shifts, Analysis Shows
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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 Weather.com

How beavers help fight wildfires

What might beavers have to do with wildfire mitigation? Quite a lot, as it turns out. I talked about it with Dr. Emily Fairfax, an environmental scientist at California State University-Channel Islands who studies (among other things) how beaver dams impact the landscape around them. Here’s part of our conversation, edited for brevity. Tell me, what do beavers have to do with wildfires? Beavers are ecosystem engineers that can rapidly transform simple streams in thriving wetland ecosystems. In doing so, they also massively increase the surface water storage and soil water storage of landscapes. During wet periods, the earth around beaver ponds fills up with water like a great big sponge. 

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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday Top of the Scroll: California farms, cities to get big jump in water from feds after storms

California farms and cities that get their water from the Central Valley Project are due to receive a large increase in water allocations this year after snowpack and reservoirs were replenished in winter storms, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Wednesday. Most recipients of the Central Valley Projects are irrigation districts that supply farms, and some are cities, including those served by the East Bay Municipal Utility District and Contra Costa Water District in the Bay Area. Farms that received zero initial water allocations last year, in the third year of the state’s historic drought, are due to receive 35% of their allocation this year, the most they’ve gotten since 2019. Others, including the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, large shareholders with senior water rights, will receive 100% of their contracted water supply.

Related articles: 

  • Los Angeles Times: On eve of storms, California water authorities boost State Water Project allocation to 35%
  • Sacramento Bee: California boosts state water allocation again, as heavy snow returns to the mountains
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Reclamation announces initial 2023 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project contractors
  • CA Department of Water Resources: DWR Announces Modest Increase in State Water Project Allocation
  • Porterville Recorder: Bureau of Reclamation officially announces 100 percent water allocation
  • CNBC: California water officials raise State Water Project allocation after storms
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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 Northern California Water Association

Blog: The supershed approach

I often tell people in Placer County that the Sacramento Valley is a national leader in delivering high quality water to farms, wildlife refuges, and all of our residents in a sustainable way.  But what does this really mean in practice?  I was recently asked to author an article for the American Water Resources Association’s IMPACT magazine to give an example to our ridgetop to river mouth “Supershed” approach.  I am sharing the article with you today, which discusses why it is so important to our collective future to make sure we take a broad view of water and natural resource management in our respective watersheds. 

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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 WBUR

Future of the Salton Sea is tied to fate of imperiled Colorado River

A shortage on the Colorado River has put tremendous pressure on the water supply that serves more than 40-million people in the Western United States. But a punishing drought and the over allocation of the river have also created an urgent problem for California’s Salton Sea. The 340-square-mile lake was formed in 1905 when a canal carrying river water to farmers in the Imperial Valley ruptured. The flood created a desert oasis that lured tourists and migratory birds to its shore. A century later, the Salton Sea — California’s largest lake — is spiraling into an ecological disaster. At 223 feet below sea level, Bombay Beach occupies a low spot on the map. Many of the shoreline community’s trailer homes are rusting into the earth and tagged with graffiti. Artists have created large pieces of public sculpture, including a vintage phone booth that stands on the shoreline as a tribute to a bygone era.

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Aquafornia news February 23, 2023 CalMatters

Water board waives Delta rules that protect salmon

California’s water board decided Tuesday to temporarily allow more storage in Central Valley reservoirs, waiving state rules that require water to be released to protect salmon and other endangered fish. The waiver means more water can be sent to the cities and growers that receive supplies from the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta through the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The state aqueduct delivers water to 27 million people, mostly in Southern California, and 750,000 acres of farmland, while the Central Valley Project mostly serves farms. The flow rules will remain suspended until March 31. Environmentalists reacted with frustration and concern that the move will jeopardize chinook salmon and other native fish in the Delta that are already struggling to survive…. But water suppliers applauded the decision, saying the water is needed to help provide enough water to cities and farms. 

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 KLCC

Water managers could withhold Klamath County drought permits this year

Not issuing the drought permits could have a significant impact on agriculture in the region if farmers don’t have access to irrigation water. …The department usually issues 40 to 50 drought permits per year. A spokesperson for the Klamath Water Users Association, which lobbies for the basin’s agriculture community, did not respond to an interview request. Groundwater levels in the Klamath Basin have declined significantly in recent years. OWRD said the water level dropped by 20 to 30 feet over the last three years alone, so additional access is unsustainable. Emergency drought declarations have been made in Klamath County in 16 of the past 31 years.

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 Mono Lake Committee

Blog: DWP’s “new water war” even bigger than LA Times suggests

Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times article, “LA’s new water war: Keeping supply from Mono Lake flowing as critics want it cut off,” on the State Water Board’s Mono Lake workshop left readers and workshop attendees, well … wondering. Print space and attention spans are always tight, but the article missed information key to understanding the issue at Mono Lake, the diversity of voices calling Mono Lake protection, and the water supply solutions that are right at hand for Los Angeles. The State Water Board’s five-hour workshop was attended by 365 people, and 49 of the 53 public commenters spoke in support of raising Mono Lake. 

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 California Sportfishing Protection Alliance

Blog: Water quality, fish and wildlife protection – It’s all voluntary

The future is now. Governor Newsom’s February 13, 2023 Executive Order ordering the State Water Board  to consider modifying flow and storage requirements for the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP) is his blueprint for the Bay-Delta estuary and every river that feeds it.  When requirements to protect water quality, fish, and wildlife are inconvenient, water managers can ignore them. It’s all voluntary. For ten-odd years, California’s water managers have promised “Voluntary Agreements” to replace the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.  They could never figure out the details of what to propose.

Related article: 

  • California Fisheries Blog: Smelt Status – Winter 2023
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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 Chemical and Engineering News

Podcast: California confronts monitoring challenges for microplastics in drinking water

Researchers reported finding microplastics in drinking water nearly 5 years ago, prompting California lawmakers to require monitoring of the state’s drinking water for the tiny particles. But in 2018, there were no standard methods for analyzing microplastics. So California regulators reached out to chemists and toxicologists from all sectors to develop those methods. They also sought assistance in developing a health-based limit to help consumers understand what the monitoring results mean for their health. In this episode of Stereo Chemistry, we will hear from some of the scientists leading those groundbreaking efforts.

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 Stockton Record

CA salmon webinar announced as fisheries in Sacramento, Klamath drop

As salmon runs on the Sacramento and Klamath River systems continue to plummet, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold its annual Salmon Information Meeting via webinar next week. The session is schedule 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Wednesday, March 1. This meeting is one of the most important meetings of the year for anglers to attend. It will feature the outlook for this year’s sport and commercial ocean salmon fisheries, in addition to a review of last year’s salmon fisheries and spawning escapement, according to the CDFW.

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2023 SJV Water

Bakersfield to take a deep dive on the Kern River – supplies, demands and rights

The Bakersfield City Council at its meeting Wednesday will likely approve a $288,350 contract to conduct a detailed study of the city’s water supplies and demands with a strong focus on Kern River operations. Though the proposed study, on the consent agenda, isn’t in direct response to a lawsuit filed last year against the city by Water Audit of California over the river, the study could answer some questions posed in the lawsuit. The Water Audit suit alleges the city has been derelict by not considering the public in how it operates the river. The lawsuit doesn’t demand money. Rather it seeks to stop water diversions from the river temporarily while the court orders the city to study how river operations have affected fisheries, the environment and recreational uses.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 Press Democrat

This spawning season could save the Clear Lake hitch from extinction, but not everyone agrees on how to help

The time is fast approaching when a native fish species known as the Clear Lake hitch should begin their yearly run up tributaries around the lake to produce a new generation of young. Pomo elders and old-timers say the hitch, or “chi,” as they are known by the region’s Indigenous people, once spawned in such abundance that people could practically walk across their backs in the creeks. For the region’s tribal members, the spawning time was cause for celebration — a reason for tribal folk from all around to gather, collect food for the year and visit. But all that was before expanding development and agriculture, declining water quality, gravel mining, invasive species, habitat loss and extended drought took a toll on the hitch, a species of minnow found nowhere else on earth.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 Press Democrat

Benefits of rainstorms in Sonoma County far outweighed damage they caused

When atmospheric rivers drenched the North Bay in December and January, the Lockharts greeted those heavy rains with open arms and undisguised relief. Daunting and destructive as those storms were — causing widespread flooding, downed trees and mudslides — they brought a bounty that soaked a parched landscape, easing stress and strain on a wide range of flora and fauna. Joining the Lockharts’ chorus of hallelujahs were farmers and ranchers, anxious water supply experts and — if they could sing — coho salmon and steelhead trout now migrating up the recharged Russian River and its now-swollen tributaries, to spawn.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: Gavin Newsom just declared war on San Francisco Bay

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order this week declaring war on California’s water scarcity takes a note from the Bush playbook. The decision to extend his drought emergency declaration — despite the recent record rains and flooding — gives carte blanche to state agencies to eviscerate essential water quality and environmental protections in perpetuity. Meanwhile, his administration continues to press for the same kinds of projects and management strategies that helped create the state’s water problems in the first place. The results will be catastrophic for the health of San Francisco Bay. The bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form one of the planet’s great estuaries, where salt water and fresh mix, and the estuarine ecosystem is highly dependent on the amount of fresh water that flows into it from the watershed.
-Written by Gary Bobker, program director at the Bay Institute.

Related articles: 

  • SJV Sun: Opinion – Calif.’s drought cure starts with adapting to changing circumstances 
  • Milk Producers Council: Complicated, but Significant Positive News on the Water Front
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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 KRCR - Redding

20 rock, tree structures going into Sacramento River for fish habitat

A coalition of farmers, water managers and local, state and federal agencies will be installing 20 unique, natural structures known as ‘rockwads’ in the Sacramento River to increase the likelihood that young salmon will be able to grow in size and strength to prepare for their journey to the Pacific Ocean. … The effort, led by the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and the Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation (SAVER), includes the installation of 20 structures, made of large tree roots and canopies bolted to boulders, near the South Bonnyview Bridge and boat ramp in Redding.

Related articles:

  • Capital Public Radio: Salmon surveys happening now in Sacramento will help future generations of fish survive
  • Marin Independent Journal: Marin surveyors find few salmon, steelhead eggs after storms 
  • Western Water Rewind: When Water Worries Often Pit Farms vs. Fish, a Sacramento Valley Farm Is Trying To Address The Needs Of Both
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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 Los Angeles Times

L.A.’s new water war: Keeping supply from Mono Lake flowing as critics want it cut off

With its haunting rock spires and salt-crusted shores, Mono Lake is a Hollywood vision of the apocalypse. To the city of Los Angeles, however, this Eastern Sierra basin represents the very source of L.A.’s prosperity — the right to free water. For decades, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has relied on long-standing water rights to divert from the streams that feed this ancient lake as part of the city’s far-flung water empire. But in the face of global warming, drought and lawsuits from environmentalists, the DWP is now facing the previously unthinkable prospect of ending its diversions there. In the coming months, the State Water Resources Control Board will decide whether Mono Lake’s declining water level — and the associated ecological impacts — constitute an emergency that outweighs L.A.’s right to divert up to 16,000 acre-feet of supplies each year.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2023 High Country News

Are the feds risking endangered salmon for fries and potato chips?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation … announced last week that it will cut flows on the [Klamath] river to historic lows, drying out the river and likely killing salmon farther downstream. … The basin has more than 200,000 acres of irrigated farmland, between 10,000 and 14,000 of which are dedicated to potatoes, an Indigenous food originally engineered from a toxic wild root by Andean horticulturists. Roughly three quarters of the basin’s potato yield go to companies like Frito Lay for potato chips, and In-N-Out Burger for fries, according to the Klamath Water Users Association.

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Kronick

Blog: Federal agencies redefine Clean Water Act’s reach over wetlands and other U.S. waters

A new definition of “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) will help drive the regulatory reach of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or Clean Water Act (“CWA”), starting March 20, 2023. The term WOTUS is used to determine the extent to which the CWA applies to different types of water bodies, such as rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and other water resources. Redefining WOTUS changes the scope of CWA programs imposing water quality standards, allocating total maximum daily loads of pollutants to impaired waters, certifying CWA Section 401 compliance, regulating the discharge of pollutants through National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, and regulating the discharge of dredged or fill material under CWA Section 404 permits.

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Coastal View

More than 400 sign petition to end debris transportation to local beach

A Change.org petition asking the city of Carpinteria and Santa Barbara County to stop moving rock and sand from local basins onto the Carpinteria beach has amassed over 400 signatures, quickly gaining traction across local social media channels since its launch late last week. The petition – created by Carpinteria resident Michelle Carlen – urges the city, the county and First District supervisor Das Williams to “stop using (the area) as a dumping ground.” … The debris removal began in January, through the Santa Barbara County Flood Control, following the rough storms where debris and other items flooded nearby debris basins. Workers began clearing out the Arroyo Paredon, Santa Monica and Toro Canyon debris basins, removing rocks and sediments to Carpinteria beach near Ash Avenue.

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 California Trout

News release: CalTrout sponsors bill for coastal watershed climate resilience

The California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition, a partnership comprised of California Trout, The Nature Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited, welcomes the introduction of AB 1272, which will lay the groundwork for creating a more climate-resilient future for native fish and water supplies in coastal California. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), would direct the State Water Resources Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to work together to develop principles and guidelines for the diversion and use of water in coastal watersheds during times of water shortage, for the purpose of enhancing drought preparedness and climate resiliency. 

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Envirotech Online

Blog: How do we monitor the pollutants produced by desalination?

Monitoring the pollutants that result from desalination is critical for ensuring that the process is carried out in an environmentally sustainable manner. There are several instruments that are commonly used to monitor pollutants in the marine environment, including chemical sensors, optical sensors, and biological indicators.  Chemical sensors are used to measure the concentration of various pollutants in the water, including heavy metals, organic matter, and pathogens. These sensors can be deployed in real-time, providing continuous monitoring of water quality, and can be used to detect changes in water quality over time. Some chemical sensors are also capable of measuring multiple parameters simultaneously, which can help to provide a more comprehensive picture of water quality. 

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Barrons

The world’s plastic use is getting worse. ‘It’s a recipe for disaster.’

The world thrives on plastic—one of the most enduring, versatile materials ever invented. It’s in our coffee pods, clothes, cars we drive to work, and tech devices we can’t live without. Extracting ourselves from plastic-land is tough. Buy strawberries in a clamshell box, and you’re fueling the plastic economy. The cost seems negligible—a penny in a $20 takeout order. But a global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental catastrophe, challenging goals to curb greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce the 385 million tons of waste that’s landfilled or incinerated, or that drifts out to sea, each year.

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 KCRA - Sacramento

Trees can help shade Sacramento from climate change, but which are most likely to survive?

A team of researchers at UC Davis this year will study 10 different species of trees in Sacramento to determine which have the best chance of thriving as global average temperatures rise. On a hot summer day, highly populated cities can be much hotter than surrounding rural areas. Suburban neighborhoods tend to have far more shade-producing trees, which act as natural air conditioners. Multiple studies have shown that communities with a healthy tree population can be anywhere from 5 to 12 degrees cooler than more exposed urban centers. As climate change threatens to make our hottest days even hotter in the years ahead, scientists want to make sure that people living in cities have trees that are strong enough to withstand the challenges of heat waves and intensifying drought.

Related article:

  • Redlands Community News: Save our trees – Designate Joshua trees as an endangered species and work harder to protect our forests
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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Utah Public Radio

Utah legislature considers changing approach to saving Great Salt Lake

A bill that will be introduced in the Utah State Legislature will task one person with overseeing efforts to save the Great Salt Lake. The position, currently titled the “Great Salt Lake Commissioner,” will coordinate with government agencies, environmental, tribal and industry groups and come up with a master plan for the future of the lake. … The bill is expected to be made public in the Utah State Legislature soon. It would be a significant change in approach to how the state is responding to the lake shrinking to historic lows and the environmental catastrophe it presents with toxic dust storms, reduced snowpack and harms to wildlife and public health.

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 U.S. Geological Survey

News release: Federal scientists assess unusual river-erosion disaster in Ecuadorian Amazon

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation traveled to rural Ecuador to work with scientists from the Corporacion Electrica del Ecuador (CELEC) in assessing an unusual and catastrophic geohazard: the collapse of a 132-meter-tall (433 foot) lava dam on the Rio Coca, which triggered massive erosion along the river that has damaged critical infrastructure (roads, buildings, pipelines) and cut off transportation corridors to local communities.  Before 2020, the Rio Coca cascaded over a lava dam as the famous San Rafael waterfall, Ecuador’s tallest. Over several months, a large sinkhole formed just upstream of the waterfall. The river re-routed through the sinkhole on February 2, 2020, undercutting the lava dam (which collapsed in 2021) and triggering major retrogressive erosion that has been migrating upstream for the past three years…

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Aquafornia news February 17, 2023 Los Angeles Times

Newsom seeks to waive environmental protections in delta

As January’s drenching storms have given way to an unseasonably dry February, Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking to waive environmental rules in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in an effort to store more water in reservoirs — a move that is drawing heated criticism from environmental advocates who say the action will imperil struggling fish populations. …The agencies are requesting an easing of requirements that would otherwise mandate larger flows through the estuary. The aim is to hold back more water in Lake Oroville while also continuing to pump water to reservoirs south of the delta that supply farmlands as well as Southern California cities that are dealing with the ongoing shortage of supplies from the shrinking Colorado River.

Related articles: 

  • SJV Sun: After flushing stormwater, Newsom signs order to boost water flow to Valley
  • LA Times: Editorial – Newsom’s drought order amid wet winter threatens iconic California species
  • CBS – Sacramento: California water debate reignites following January’s massive precipitation
  • Read more
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Tour October 12, 2022 - 7:30am - October 14, 2022 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Northern California Tour Explores Water Resources Across Sacramento Valley to Shasta Dam

Northern California Tour 2022
Field Trip - October 12-14

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
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Western Water November 19, 2021 By Alastair Bland

SIDEBAR: Creating A Floodplain Buffet for Salmon Smolts

Biologists have designed a variety of unique experiments in the past decade to demonstrate the benefits that floodplains provide for small fish. Tracking studies have used acoustic tags to show that chinook salmon smolts with access to inundated fields are more likely than their river-bound cohorts to reach the Pacific Ocean. This is because the richness of floodplains offers a vital buffet of nourishment on which young salmon can capitalize, supercharging their growth and leading to bigger, stronger smolts.

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Western Water August 27, 2021 Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River Delta Water-Starved Colorado River Delta Gets Another Shot of Life from the River’s Flows By Gary Pitzer

Water-Starved Colorado River Delta Gets Another Shot of Life from the River’s Flows
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Despite water shortages along the drought-stressed river, experimental flows resume in Mexico to revive trees and provide habitat for birds and wildlife

Water flowing into a Colorado River Delta restoration site in Mexico.Water is flowing once again to the Colorado River’s delta in Mexico, a vast region that was once a natural splendor before the iconic Western river was dammed and diverted at the turn of the last century, essentially turning the delta into a desert.

In 2012, the idea emerged that water could be intentionally sent down the river to inundate the delta floodplain and regenerate native cottonwood and willow trees, even in an overallocated river system. Ultimately, dedicated flows of river water were brokered under cooperative efforts by the U.S. and Mexican governments.

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Western Water July 28, 2021 California Water Map By Gary Pitzer

Long Troubled Salton Sea May Finally Be Getting What it Most Needs: Action — And Money
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: California's largest lake could see millions in potential funding to supercharge improvements to address long-delayed habitat and dust suppression needs

A sunset along the shoreline of California's Salton Sea.State work to improve wildlife habitat and tamp down dust at California’s ailing Salton Sea is finally moving forward. Now the sea may be on the verge of getting the vital ingredient needed to supercharge those restoration efforts – money.

The shrinking desert lake has long been a trouble spot beset by rising salinity and unhealthy, lung-irritating dust blowing from its increasingly exposed bed. It shadows discussions of how to address the Colorado River’s two-decade-long drought because of its connection to the system. The lake is a festering health hazard to nearby residents, many of them impoverished, who struggle with elevated asthma risk as dust rises from the sea’s receding shoreline. 

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Tour October 14, 2021 - 2:30pm - 5:30pm Nick Gray Jenn Bowles

Northern California Tour 2021
A Virtual Journey - October 14

This tour guided participants on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries and learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

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Western Water October 23, 2020 Layperson's Guide to the Delta By Gary Pitzer

Is Ecosystem Change in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Outpacing the Ability of Science to Keep Up?
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: Science panel argues for a new approach to make research nimbler and more forward-looking to improve management in the ailing Delta

Floating vegetation such as water hyacinth has expanded in the Delta in recent years, choking waterways like the one in the bottom of this photo.Radically transformed from its ancient origin as a vast tidal-influenced freshwater marsh, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem is in constant flux, influenced by factors within the estuary itself and the massive watersheds that drain though it into the Pacific Ocean.

Lately, however, scientists say the rate of change has kicked into overdrive, fueled in part by climate change, and is limiting the ability of science and Delta water managers to keep up. The rapid pace of upheaval demands a new way of conducting science and managing water in the troubled estuary.

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Western Water July 17, 2020 Colorado River Bundle Long Criticized For Inaction At Salton Sea, California Says It’s All-in On Effort To Preserve State’s Largest Lake Gary Pitzer

Long Criticized For Inaction At Salton Sea, California Says It’s All-In On Effort To Preserve State’s Largest Lake
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Dust suppression, habitat are key elements in long-term plan to aid sea, whose ills have been a sore point in Colorado River management

The Salton Sea is a major nesting, wintering and stopover site for about 400 bird species. Out of sight and out of mind to most people, the Salton Sea in California’s far southeast corner has challenged policymakers and local agencies alike to save the desert lake from becoming a fetid, hyper-saline water body inhospitable to wildlife and surrounded by clouds of choking dust.

The sea’s problems stretch beyond its boundaries in Imperial and Riverside counties and threaten to undermine multistate management of the Colorado River. A 2019 Drought Contingency Plan for the Lower Colorado River Basin was briefly stalled when the Imperial Irrigation District, holding the river’s largest water allocation, balked at participating in the plan because, the district said, it ignored the problems of the Salton Sea.  

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Western Water February 6, 2020 Water Education Foundation

ON THE ROAD: Cosumnes River Preserve Offers Visitors a Peek at What the Central Valley Once Looked Like
Preserve at the edge of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta includes valley oak forests and wintering grounds for cranes

Sandhill cranes gather at the Cosumnes River Preserve south of Sacramento.Deep, throaty cadenced calls — sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands, farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the Cosumnes River Preserve, 46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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Western Water August 8, 2019 Colorado River Basin Map Gary Pitzer

A Rancher-Led Group Is Boosting the Health of the Colorado River Near Its Headwaters
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: A Colorado partnership is engaged in a river restoration effort to aid farms and fish habitat that could serve as a model across the West

Strategic placement of rocks promotes a more natural streamflow that benefits ranchers and fish. High in the headwaters of the Colorado River, around the hamlet of Kremmling, Colorado, generations of families have made ranching and farming a way of life, their hay fields and cattle sustained by the river’s flow. But as more water was pulled from the river and sent over the Continental Divide to meet the needs of Denver and other cities on the Front Range, less was left behind to meet the needs of ranchers and fish.

“What used to be a very large river that inundated the land has really become a trickle,” said Mely Whiting, Colorado counsel for Trout Unlimited. “We estimate that 70 percent of the flow on an annual average goes across the Continental Divide and never comes back.”

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Western Water April 25, 2019 California Water Map Gary Pitzer

California’s New Natural Resources Secretary Takes on Challenge of Implementing Gov. Newsom’s Ambitious Water Agenda
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Wade Crowfoot addresses Delta tunnel shift, Salton Sea plan and managing water amid a legacy of conflict

Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Secretary.One of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first actions after taking office was to appoint Wade Crowfoot as Natural Resources Agency secretary. Then, within weeks, the governor laid out an ambitious water agenda that Crowfoot, 45, is now charged with executing.

That agenda includes the governor’s desire for a “fresh approach” on water, scaling back the conveyance plan in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and calling for more water recycling, expanded floodplains in the Central Valley and more groundwater recharge.

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Western Water April 11, 2019 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map Gary Pitzer

Bruce Babbitt Urges Creation of Bay-Delta Compact as Way to End ‘Culture of Conflict’ in California’s Key Water Hub
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Former Interior secretary says Colorado River Compact is a model for achieving peace and addressing environmental and water needs in the Delta

Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt gives the Anne J. Schneider Lecture April 3 at Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum.  Bruce Babbitt, the former Arizona governor and secretary of the Interior, has been a thoughtful, provocative and sometimes forceful voice in some of the most high-profile water conflicts over the last 40 years, including groundwater management in Arizona and the reduction of California’s take of the Colorado River. In 2016, former California Gov. Jerry Brown named Babbitt as a special adviser to work on matters relating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Delta tunnels plan.

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Western Water March 14, 2019 Colorado River Basin Map Gary Pitzer

‘Mission-Oriented’ Colorado River Veteran Takes the Helm as the US Commissioner of IBWC
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Jayne Harkins’ duties include collaboration with Mexico on Colorado River supply, water quality issues

Jayne Harkins, the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission.For the bulk of her career, Jayne Harkins has devoted her energy to issues associated with the management of the Colorado River, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and with the Colorado River Commission of Nevada.

Now her career is taking a different direction. Harkins, 58, was appointed by President Trump last August to take the helm of the United States section of the U.S.-Mexico agency that oversees myriad water matters between the two countries as they seek to sustainably manage the supply and water quality of the Colorado River, including its once-thriving Delta in Mexico, and other rivers the two countries share. She is the first woman to be named the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission for either the United States or Mexico in the commission’s 129-year history.

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Western Water January 4, 2019 Douglas E. Beeman Douglas E. Beeman

Women Leading in Water, Colorado River Drought and Promising Solutions — Western Water Year in Review

Dear Western Water readers:

Women named in the last year to water leadership roles (clockwise, from top left): Karla Nemeth, director, California Department of Water Resources; Gloria Gray,  chair, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Brenda Burman, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner; Jayne Harkins,  commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. and Mexico; Amy Haas, executive director, Upper Colorado River Commission.The growing leadership of women in water. The Colorado River’s persistent drought and efforts to sign off on a plan to avert worse shortfalls of water from the river. And in California’s Central Valley, promising solutions to vexing water resource challenges.

These were among the topics that Western Water news explored in 2018.

We’re already planning a full slate of stories for 2019. You can sign up here to be alerted when new stories are published. In the meantime, take a look at what we dove into in 2018:

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Western Water November 16, 2018 California Water Map Layperson's Guide to the State Water Project Gary Pitzer

As He Steps Aside, Tim Quinn Talks About ‘Adversarialists,’ Collaboration and Hope For Solving the State’s Tough Water Issues
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Tim Quinn, retiring executive director of Association of California Water Agencies

ACWA Executive Director Tim Quinn  with a report produced by Association of California Water Agencies on  sustainable groundwater management.  (Source:  Association of California Water Agencies)In the universe of California water, Tim Quinn is a professor emeritus. Quinn has seen — and been a key player in — a lot of major California water issues since he began his water career 40 years ago as a young economist with the Rand Corporation, then later as deputy general manager with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and finally as executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. In December, the 66-year-old will retire from ACWA.

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Western Water October 19, 2018 Klamath River Watershed Map Layperson's Guide to Groundwater Gary Pitzer

California Leans Heavily on its Groundwater, But Will a Court Decision Tip the Scales Against More Pumping?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Pumping near the Scott River in Siskiyou County sparks appellate court ruling extending public trust doctrine to groundwater connected to rivers

Scott River, in Siskiyou County. In 1983, a landmark California Supreme Court ruling extended the public trust doctrine to tributary creeks that feed Mono Lake, which is a navigable water body even though the creeks themselves were not. The ruling marked a dramatic shift in water law and forced Los Angeles to cut back its take of water from those creeks in the Eastern Sierra to preserve the lake.

Now, a state appellate court has for the first time extended that same public trust doctrine to groundwater that feeds a navigable river, in this case the Scott River flowing through a picturesque valley of farms and alfalfa in Siskiyou County in the northern reaches of California.

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Tour October 2, 2019 - 7:30am - October 4, 2019 - 6:30pm Nick Gray Northern California Tour Explores Water Resources Across Sacramento Valley to Shasta Dam

Northern California Tour 2019
Field Trip - October 2-4

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour participants got an on-site update of Oroville Dam spillway repairs.

  • David Guy Presentation
  • Willie Whittlesey Presentation
  • Kevin Phillips Presentation
  • Mark Oliver Presentation
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Western Water October 5, 2018 Douglas E. Beeman Douglas E. Beeman

What Would You Do About Water If You Were California’s Next Governor?
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Survey at Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit elicits a long and wide-ranging potential to-do list

There’s going to be a new governor in California next year – and a host of challenges both old and new involving the state’s most vital natural resource, water.

So what should be the next governor’s water priorities?

That was one of the questions put to more than 150 participants during a wrap-up session at the end of the Water Education Foundation’s Sept. 20 Water Summit in Sacramento.

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Western Water September 7, 2018 Colorado River Basin Map Layperson's Guide to the Colorado River Gary Pitzer

Can Steadier Releases from Glen Canyon Dam Make Colorado River ‘Buggy’ Enough for Fish and Wildlife?
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Ted Kennedy, U.S. Geological Survey aquatic scientist

U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist Ted Kennedy collects aquatic invertebrates in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam.Water means life for all the Grand Canyon’s inhabitants, including the many varieties of insects that are a foundation of the ecosystem’s food web. But hydropower operations upstream on the Colorado River at Glen Canyon Dam, in Northern Arizona near the Utah border, disrupt the natural pace of insect reproduction as the river rises and falls, sometimes dramatically. Eggs deposited at the river’s edge are often left high and dry and their loss directly affects available food for endangered fish such as the humpback chub.

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Western Water September 7, 2018 Enhancing California’s Water Supply: The Drive for New Storage Is California's Water Supply Resilient and Sustainable? Water Education Foundation

ON THE ROAD: Picturesque Northern California Valley Could Become the State’s Next Major Reservoir
Sites Reservoir site is a stop on our Northern California Tour Oct. 10-12

The proposed Sites Reservoir is in a rural cattle-grazing area west of the Sacramento Valley town of Maxwell. An hour’s drive north of Sacramento sits a picture-perfect valley hugging the eastern foothills of Northern California’s Coast Range, with golden hills framing grasslands mostly used for cattle grazing.

Back in the late 1800s, pioneer John Sites built his ranch there and a small township, now gone, bore his name. Today, the community of a handful of families and ranchers still maintains a proud heritage.

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Western Water August 24, 2018 California Water Map Gary Pitzer

When Water Worries Often Pit Farms vs. Fish, a Sacramento Valley Farm Is Trying To Address The Needs Of Both
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: River Garden Farms is piloting projects that could add habitat and food to aid Sacramento River salmon

Roger Cornwell, general manager of River Garden Farms, with an example of a refuge like the ones that were lowered into the Sacramento River at Redding to shelter juvenile salmon.  Farmers in the Central Valley are broiling about California’s plan to increase flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems to help struggling salmon runs avoid extinction. But in one corner of the fertile breadbasket, River Garden Farms is taking part in some extraordinary efforts to provide the embattled fish with refuge from predators and enough food to eat.

And while there is no direct benefit to one farm’s voluntary actions, the belief is what’s good for the fish is good for the farmers.

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Western Water June 1, 2018 Space Invaders Gary Pitzer

It’s Not Just Nutria — Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has 185 Invasive Species, But Tracking Them is Uneven
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Delta science panel urges greater coordination, funding of invasive species monitoring

Water hyacinth choke a channel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.For more than 100 years, invasive species have made the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta their home, disrupting the ecosystem and costing millions of dollars annually in remediation.

The latest invader is the nutria, a large rodent native to South America that causes concern because of its propensity to devour every bit of vegetation in sight and destabilize levees by burrowing into them. Wildlife officials are trapping the animal and trying to learn the extent of its infestation.

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Western Water June 1, 2018 Water Education Foundation

ON THE ROAD: Cosumnes River Preserve Offers Visitors a Peek at What the Central Valley Once Looked Like
Preserve at the edge of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta includes valley oak forests and wintering grounds for cranes

Sandhill cranes gather at the Cosumnes River Preserve south of Sacramento.Deep, throaty cadenced calls — sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands, farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the Cosumnes River Preserve, 46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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Western Water April 20, 2018 Jenn Bowles Jennifer Bowles

EDITOR’S NOTE: Assessing California’s Response to Marijuana’s Impacts on Water

Jennifer BowlesAs we continue forging ahead in 2018 with our online version of Western Water after 40 years as a print magazine, we turned our attention to a topic that also got its start this year: recreational marijuana as a legal use.

State regulators, in the last few years, already had been beefing up their workforce to tackle the glut in marijuana crops and combat their impacts to water quality and supply for people, fish and farming downstream. Thus, even if these impacts were perhaps unbeknownst to the majority of Californians who approved Proposition 64 in 2016, we thought it important to see if anything new had evolved from a water perspective now that marijuana was legal.

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Western Water April 6, 2018 California Water Bundle Gary Pitzer

Statewide Water Bond Measures Could Have Californians Doing a Double-Take in 2018
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Two bond measures, worth $13B, would aid flood preparation, subsidence, Salton Sea and other water needs

San Joaquin Valley bridge rippled by subsidence  California voters may experience a sense of déjà vu this year when they are asked twice in the same year to consider water bonds — one in June, the other headed to the November ballot.

Both tackle a variety of water issues, from helping disadvantaged communities get clean drinking water to making flood management improvements. But they avoid more controversial proposals, such as new surface storage, and they propose to do some very different things to appeal to different constituencies.

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Western Water March 23, 2018 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

ON THE ROAD: Park Near Historic Levee Rupture Offers Glimpse of Old Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Big Break Regional Shoreline will be a stop on Bay-Delta Tour May 16-18

Visitors explore a large, three-dimensional map of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. Along the banks of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Oakley, about 50 miles southwest of Sacramento, is a park that harkens back to the days when the Delta lured Native Americans, Spanish explorers, French fur trappers, and later farmers to its abundant wildlife and rich soil.

That historical Delta was an enormous marsh linked to the two freshwater rivers entering from the north and south, and tidal flows coming from the San Francisco Bay. After the Gold Rush, settlers began building levees and farms, changing the landscape and altering the habitat.

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Western Water February 23, 2018 Gary Pitzer

SPOTLIGHT: Putah Creek, Yuba River and environmental water for fish
Two legal settlements are cited as examples where water was set aside for environmental needs

Lower Yuba RiverDespite the heat that often accompanies debates over setting aside water for the environment, there are instances where California stakeholders have forged agreements to provide guaranteed water for fish. Here are two examples cited by the Public Policy Institute of California in its report arguing for an environmental water right.

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Western Water February 23, 2018 Layperson's Guide to Water Rights Law Gary Pitzer

Does California’s Environment Deserve its Own Water Right?
IN-DEPTH: Fisheries and wildlife face growing challenges, but so do water systems competing for limited supply. Is there room for an environmental water right?

Sunset in Sacramento-San Joaquin DeltaDoes California need to revamp the way in which water is dedicated to the environment to better protect fish and the ecosystem at large? In the hypersensitive world of California water, where differences over who gets what can result in epic legislative and legal battles, the idea sparks a combination of fear, uncertainty and promise.

Saying that the way California manages water for the environment “isn’t working for anyone,” the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) shook things up late last year by proposing a redesigned regulatory system featuring what they described as water ecosystem plans and water budgets with allocations set aside for the environment.

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Tour October 10, 2018 - October 12, 2018 New Stop Announced for Northern California Tour: Salmon Rearing Structures in the Sacramento River

Northern California Tour 2018

This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour participants got an on-site update of repair efforts on the Oroville Dam spillway. 

  • David Guy
  • Christopher Williams
  • Carson Jeffres
  • Curt Aikens
  • Kelly Peterson
  • Mark Oliver
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Aquapedia background August 7, 2017 Layperson's Guide to the Delta

Estuary

Suisun Marsh, part of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, is the largest contiguous brackish water marsh on the West Coast of North America.Estuaries are places where fresh and salt water mix, usually at the point where a river enters the ocean. They are the meeting point between riverine environments and the sea, with a combination of tides, waves, salinity, fresh water flow and sediment. The constant churning means there are elevated levels of nutrients, making estuaries highly productive natural habitats.

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Aquapedia background September 8, 2016

Zooplankton

Examples of zooplanktonZooplankton, which are floating aquatic microorganisms too small and weak to swim against currents, are are important food sources for many fish species in the Delta such as salmon, sturgeon and Delta smelt.

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Aquapedia background August 25, 2016

Tributaries

A tributary of the Feather River.A tributary is a river or stream that enters a larger body of water, especially a lake or river. The receiving water into which a tributary feeds is called the “mainstem,” and the point where they come together is referred to as the “confluence.”

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Aquapedia background August 25, 2016

Diamond Valley Lake

With a holding capacity of more than 260 billion gallons, Diamond Valley Lake is Southern California’s largest reservoir. It sits about 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles and just west of Hemet in Riverside County where it was built in 2000. The offstream reservoir was created by three large dams that connect the surrounding hills, costing around $1.9 billion and doubling the region’s water storage capacity.

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Aquapedia background August 25, 2016 Layperson's Guide to California Water California Water Map

Headwaters

Sierra Nevada headwaters streamHeadwaters are the source of a stream or river. They are located at the furthest point from where the water body empties or merges with another. Two-thirds of California’s surface water supply originates in these mountainous and typically forested regions.

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Western Water Excerpt October 21, 2014 Jenn Bowles

Finding the Right Balance: Managing Delta Salinity in Drought
September/October 2014

In wet years, dry years and every type of water year in between, the daily intrusion and retreat of salinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a constant pattern.

The cycle of ebb and flood is the defining nature of an estuary and prior to its transformation into an agricul­tural tract in the mid-19th century, the Delta was a freshwater marsh with plants, birds, fish and wildlife that thrived on the edge of the saltwater/freshwater interface.

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Publication August 18, 2014

Looking to the Source: Watersheds of the Sierra Nevada
Published 2011

This 28-page report describes the watersheds of the Sierra Nevada region and details their importance to California’s overall water picture. It describes the region’s issues and challenges, including healthy forests, catastrophic fire, recreational impacts, climate change, development and land use.

The report also discusses the importance of protecting and restoring watersheds in order to retain water quality and enhance quantity. Examples and case studies are included.

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Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (20 min. DVD)

20-minute version of the 2012 documentary The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages. This DVD is ideal for showing at community forums and speaking engagements to help the public understand the complex issues related to complex water management disputes in the Klamath River Basin. Narrated by actress Frances Fisher.

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Video May 27, 2014

The Klamath Basin: A Restoration for the Ages (60 min. DVD)

For over a century, the Klamath River Basin along the Oregon and California border has faced complex water management disputes. As relayed in this 2012, 60-minute public television documentary narrated by actress Frances Fisher, the water interests range from the Tribes near the river, to energy producer PacifiCorp, farmers, municipalities, commercial fishermen, environmentalists – all bearing legitimate arguments for how to manage the water. After years of fighting, a groundbreaking compromise may soon settle the battles with two epic agreements that hold the promise of peace and fish for the watershed. View an excerpt from the documentary here.

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Video May 27, 2014

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

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Video May 22, 2014

Shaping of the West: 100 Years of Reclamation

30-minute DVD that traces the history of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and its role in the development of the West. Includes extensive historic footage of farming and the construction of dams and other water projects, and discusses historic and modern day issues.

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Video May 21, 2014

Two Sides of a River (60-minute DVD)

California’s little-known New River has been called one of North America’s most polluted. A closer look reveals the New River is full of ironic twists: its pollution has long defied cleanup, yet even in its degraded condition, the river is important to the border economies of Mexicali and the Imperial Valley and a lifeline that helps sustain the fragile Salton Sea ecosystem. Now, after decades of inertia on its pollution problems, the New River has emerged as an important test of binational cooperation on border water issues. These issues were profiled in the 2004 PBS documentary Two Sides of a River.

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Video May 21, 2014

Two Sides of a River (60-minute DVD Spanish)

$25.00

Spanish version of the 60-minute 2004 PBS documentary Two Sides of a River. DVD

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

San Joaquin River Restoration Map
Published 2012

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, features a map of the San Joaquin River. The map text focuses on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, which aims to restore flows and populations of Chinook salmon to the river below Friant Dam to its confluence with the Merced River. The text discusses the history of the program, its goals and ongoing challenges with implementation. 

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Klamath River Watershed Map
Published 2011

This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, displays the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas and Indian reservations within the Klamath River Watershed. The map text explains the many issues facing this vast, 15,000-square-mile watershed, including fish restoration; agricultural water use; and wetlands. Also included are descriptions of the separate, but linked, Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement, and the next steps associated with those agreements. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Carson River Basin Map
Published 2006

A companion to the Truckee River Basin Map poster, this 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, explores the Carson River, and its link to the Truckee River. The map includes Lahontan Dam and Reservoir, the Carson Sink, and the farming areas in the basin. Map text discusses the region’s hydrology and geography, the Newlands Project, land and water use within the basin and wetlands. Development of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Lahontan Basin Area Office.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Invasive Species Poster Set

One copy of the Space Invaders and one copy of the Unwelcome Visitors poster for a special price.

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Maps & Posters May 20, 2014

Unwelcome Visitors

This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, explains how non-native invasive animals can alter the natural ecosystem, leading to the demise of native animals. “Unwelcome Visitors” features photos and information on four such species – including the zerbra mussel – and explains the environmental and economic threats posed by these species.

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Publication May 20, 2014

Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law
Updated 2020

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law, recognized as the most thorough explanation of California water rights law available to non-lawyers, traces the authority for water flowing in a stream or reservoir, from a faucet or into an irrigation ditch through the complex web of California water rights.

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