Since World War II and a booming state population that
increasingly sought out the great outdoors to relax, the state’s
water-based recreational activities have continued to grow more
popular and diverse, occurring in a multitude of sources –
from swimming pools and spas to beaches, reservoirs, natural
lakes and rivers.
Public water supply projects, such as the State Water Project,
have helped to provide additional recreational opportunities for
Californians. In some cases, reservoir releases can contribute to
downstream recreation benefits by improving fisheries or by
creating whitewater rafting opportunities that would not be
possible in the absence of reservoir regulation. However, there
are conflicting values and needs for the same river system.
A developer’s proposal to build a surfing lagoon in the
Coachella Valley desert has been rejected by the city of La
Quinta after residents raised concerns about noise, lighting
and the resort’s substantial water footprint in a time of
severe drought. The City Council’s five members voted
unanimously Wednesday night against a zoning change that would
have allowed the developer to build the resort and surf
park. … The wave basin would have stretched across
12 acres and required 18 million gallons to fill. … The
uproar parallels a larger debate over how the Coachella Valley
— with its 120 golf courses, artificial lakes and developments
filled with thirsty grass — should adapt to worsening water
scarcity.
The Environmental Defense Center (“EDC”) reached a final
settlement with the City of Lompoc over ongoing violations of
the federal Clean Water Act caused by the City’s operation of
its municipal wastewater treatment facility. Evidenced by the
City’s own reports, EDC discovered that the City has been
discharging water contaminated with toxic pollutants for over
twenty years into the San Miguelito Creek and the Santa Ynez
River. These discharges threaten public recreation
opportunities and impact downstream water quality and the
health of the Santa Ynez River ecosystem, which is important to
snowy plovers and other shorebirds, along with endangered
steelhead that travel through the River estuary to the ocean
and back upstream to spawning grounds as part of their
lifecycle.
Plans for a large development in La Quinta that would include
hundreds of houses, a hotel and a high-tech surf wave basin
— a centerpiece that’s drawn strong opposition from some
residents and climate experts — were unanimously rejected
by the city council Wednesday night following a
lengthy meeting in a room packed with both opponents and
supporters of the project. The vote marks a major defeat for
the current plans for Coral Mountain Resort, a roughly $200
million private development mapped for 386 acres of vacant land
on the southwest corner of 58th Avenue and Madison Street. …
[C]oncerns have largely centered on whether the wave basin
would be an appropriate use of water amid a historic drought
across California that experts say has been fueled by climate
change.
On a windswept morning, dozens of volunteers scattered along
the rocky shores of the Oakland estuary, donning yellow safety
vests and wielding orange trash grabbers. Others pushed kayaks
into the water, paddling to nearby beaches with trash bags
stuffed into life jackets. They came to collect the forgotten
remnants of people’s lives: plastic Easter eggs, cannabis
containers, the rusted skeleton of a bicycle and hundreds of
plastic bottle caps washed up on the shoreline. Saturday
marked California’s 38th Coastal Clean-Up Day, which
brought nearly 30,000 volunteers to the state’s shorelines to
pick up the trash that ends up here. This year, residents
collected over 220,000 pounds of trash and an additional 29,702
pounds of recyclable materials statewide.
Thousands of dead fish have washed up on shores across the Bay
Area in recent weeks. A red tide is killing everything from
anchovies to sharks. Preventing a similar disaster may cost the
region billions of dollars. In late July, Mary Spicer noticed
that the water lapping around her kayak started to turn red. A
few weeks later it was dark brown. … Jon Rosenfield,
senior scientist with environmental group SF
Baykeeper, says Heterosigma may be killing fish in two
ways: It can produce a toxin that is deadly to fish, but it can
also result in low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which
can be deadly.
In a part of the Coachella Valley where exclusive neighborhoods
wrap around lush golf courses and ponds, a stretch of open
desert could be transformed into a new sort of artificial oasis
… a 12-acre pool where surfers could take off on
sculpted lines of peeling waves. A group of residents has
organized to fight the proposed wave pool, and one of their
primary concerns is water. They argue that, with the Colorado
River in a shortage and the Southwest getting hotter and drier
with climate change, the area can’t afford to have millions of
gallons of precious water filling the giant water feature.
As a 20-year drought creeps ever farther up the Colorado River
Basin and seven Western states vie for their fair share of
water under the century-old Colorado River Compact, [Flaming
Gorge Reservoir] on the Wyoming-Utah line is a new
flashpoint. Nobody disputes the root of the problem: The
agreement dates to a cooler, wetter time and is based on
assumptions about precipitation that simply no longer apply, in
part due to climate change. But as business owners like
[Tony] Valdez are finding out firsthand, recreation is just one
of many competing priorities while growing demand in the
basin’s more populous downstream states — California, Nevada
and Arizona — conflicts with dwindling supply from the more
rural states upstream — Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and
Wyoming.
Keeping Disneyland’s 17,000 trees green and 1,000 floral beds
blooming takes a mammoth effort by the Anaheim theme park’s
horticulture team that’s focused on reducing water consumption
during Southern California’s latest drought. Constant readings
from Disneyland’s weather station in the Toy Story parking lot
combined with a sophisticated irrigation control system have
allowed the horticulture team to cut water usage by 13%
compared to the same period last year, according to Disneyland
officials. … Disneyland is currently ahead of schedule
on its commitment to reducing irrigation usage by 11% under a
plan approved by the state, according to Disneyland officials.
In a new study in the journal Hydrology, a team of scientists
from DRI, Arizona State University (ASU), and the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), examined the irrigation water
requirements of three common types of urban landscapes. Then,
they compared air temperature, surface temperature, and wind
speed around the three sites to learn how differences in
landscape types impact their surrounding environment. The three
landscape types analyzed in the study were a “mesic” tree and
turf-grass landscape with water-intensive plants; a “xeric”
landscape consisting primarily of desert plants on drip
irrigation; and an intermediate “oasis” landscape type with a
mix of high-and low water use plants.
Starting this month, California’s tourism bureau is trying
something it’s never tried before: nudging travelers toward the
state’s tribal lands, many of which haven’t historically hosted
large numbers of sightseers, in hopes of benefiting from a
largely untapped resource of rich cultural history. A new
promotional campaign called “Visit Native California”
represents the bureau’s first effort to spotlight the cultural
heritage of some of the 109 federally recognized tribes here
and help them gain a foothold in the state’s immense tourism
market. It comes at a time when several tribes and Indigenous
communities are just beginning to build new tourism businesses.
Water-hungry lawns are symbols of Los Angeles’ past.
In this series, we spotlight yards with alternative,
low-water landscaping built for the future. … For decades,
[Susan and Steve] Matloff’s Windsor Square neighborhood
has been lined with stately homes bordered by sprawling lawns
and sidewalks wet from sprinkler overspray. You could argue
that the neighborhood is no different from others in Southern
California where lush, green lawns have traditionally been
a statement about pride of place. But the pervasive water
waste involved in tending to a lawn as drought in
California continues prompted the Matloffs to consider
their footprint, as well as L.A.’s future water independence.
Scuba divers who pulled 25,000 pounds of litter and junk out of
Lake Tahoe last year have just begun a similar cleanup in
Fallen Leaf, a small alpine lake adjacent to Tahoe, and they’re
already surprised by the amount of garbage they’re finding.
… After scouring one mile of the lake’s 7-mile shoreline
down to 25 feet of depth, the crew has pulled out 3,000 pounds
of refuse, including about 100 car tires. … Over three
days this fall, in addition to pulling up countless beer cans
and glass bottles, West’s crew of 16 volunteers also discovered
what they believe to be the remains of a 100-year-old Ford
Model T automobile: four narrow tires, a chassis and an engine
block resting on the silty lake bed.
A secluded stretch of beach near Torrance and Rancho Palos
Verdes was closed Wednesday morning after 5,000 gallons of
sewage spilled into nearby Malaga Creek, officials said.
Lifeguards with the Los Angeles County Fire Department walked
along RAT Beach, just south of Torrance Beach, warning people
to stay out of the water, said Kealiinohopono Barnes, a
spokesperson for the department. … The spill
occurred sometime Tuesday evening when a main sewer line in
Rancho Palos Verdes became backed up, possibly because of tree
roots, said Liz Odenhal, spokesperson for L.A. County
Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office.
Toxic algae that can make people sick have been found in
popular swimming and fishing spots all around California.
Indian Creek Reservoir, 30 miles southwest of Lake Tahoe, is
one such location where harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been
confirmed. The California Water Quality Monitoring Council has
also detected a red tide HAB in San Francisco Bay, as well as
“dangerous” levels of algal toxins in Clear Lake, Lake Crowley,
and Bridgeport reservoir.
If you’ve had your heart set on rescuing some of Truxtun Lake’s
struggling turtles – forget it. That opportunity has appeared
to have come and gone. Truxtun Lake – a manmade lake just off
the now-dry Kern River riverbed – is basically gone, and
outwardly devoid of significant wildlife, a victim of the
ongoing California drought. Just about the only sign of
life now at Truxtun Lake is bird tracks in this dried, cracked
mud.
When Yvonne Savio talks, savvy SoCal gardeners listen. And her
message for fall is big: Despite a long tradition of planting
during the “mild” days of September, her counsel this week is
to put off any planting — even starting seeds — until late
October or November, because folks, it’s just too darn hot
these days, especially with the drought-induced restrictions on
outdoor watering. … Even in the best of conditions,
transplanting is a shock to any plant’s system, and that stress
is much worse when it happens in high heat, even with plenty of
water — and nobody in SoCal has plenty of water these days.
In the desert near Agua Dulce, north of Los Angeles, hikers
along the Pacific Crest Trail who reached mile marker 502
encountered a cistern of water that smelled bad and tasted
worse, with a dead rat floating inside. They got out their
filters and refilled their bottles anyway. “Will update if I
get sick,” one wrote on a message board to those coming up
behind. The message was just one sign of how global warming is
affecting life along the trail, where, during a hot season
nearly devoid of rain, water tanks and caches were more
important than ever, the last line of defense against
dehydration. At least some hikers willing to take their
chances.
While much of the country has suffered extreme heat waves this
summer, California has in large part been spared. But that
reprieve is over. A weeklong scorcher is expected to bake much
of Central and Southern California from today to Labor Day.
Temperatures could reach up to 115 degrees in the Inland Empire
and 112 degrees in the San Fernando Valley and San Joaquin
Valley, while hovering just below triple digits closer to the
coast. The heat wave will probably have two peaks
… midweek; then temperatures will begin to drop before
shooting up again on Sunday and Monday to even higher levels
…
The three-year-long Control Methods Test (CMT) began this
summer in the Tahoe Keys. The projected mid-July reopening date
of closed waterways has come and gone and it may be several
more weeks until boaters, paddlers, swimmers, and pets can
access those closed areas. The reason for the delay is the need
for the double turbidity curtains to stay in place for
waterways treated with herbicides. Per their permit with
Lahontan Water Board, the Tahoe Keys Property Owners
Association (TKPOA) and those hired to do the tests cannot
remove the curtains until all herbicide residues from Triclopyr
get below 1 part per billion. It is currently hovering around 3
parts per billion according to the TKPOA interim General
Manager Mark Madison.
One of the Bay Area’s largest algae blooms in recent memory
could intensify with the arrival later this week of the
longest, most intense heat wave of the year — creating
pitch-perfect conditions for the toxic algae to potentially
kill even more fish across the San Francisco Bay, experts and
water regulators said Monday. The bloom — which is a chief
suspect in the killing of thousands of fish across the San
Francisco Bay over the last several days — appears to be
affecting everything from tiny yellowfin goby to sharks, bat
rays and possibly even green sturgeon, an already threatened
species.
Los Angeles County public health officials issued ocean water
warnings for four beaches Monday after recent tests found high
bacterial levels in the water. The Santa Monica Pier, Mother’s
Beach in Marina del Rey, inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and
Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu are covered by the Department of
Public Health advisory. Visitors to the beaches are advised to
avoid swimming and other activities because bacterial levels
exceeded state health standards when they were last tested.
Oakland residents woke up Sunday morning to find thousands of
dead fish lining the shores of Lake Merritt, in what scientists
say may be attributed to a sudden increase in the amount of
algae in the water that are toxic for some marine life. The
phenomenon — known as an algal bloom — is occurring throughout
the Bay Area, from Marin County up north all the way down south
to parts of Santa Clara County’s water sources. Algal blooms
occur when the nutrients from wastewater treatment plants,
including nitrogen and phosphorous, reach a threshold that
allows for uncontrolled algae growth.
Look up, and lucky visitors to Big Bear Lake’s north shore this
summer might be able to spot the mountain community’s famous
trio of bald eagles. But in recent weeks, visitors have looked
down and seen some less natural things along the lake’s rapidly
expanding shoreline. There was a decaying torso from a
mannequin that popped up overnight. There were shotgun shells,
dock weights that looked to be decades old, and pull tabs from
soda cans that have been banned since 1980. The vintage
debris is not as shocking as the dead bodies that have emerged
from a shrinking Lake Mead. But the sightings are a sign of
just how low Big Bear Lake has become during this
record-setting megadrought.
It’s a beautiful March day out on Lake Tahoe, the sun is
shining, the air is still and there are few other boats on the
lake so the water looks like glass. The water is so pristine,
it’s hard to imagine there can be anything ugly in the water.
Looking into the water, schools of trout swim underneath a boat
and about 50 yards away, bubbles are rising from two scuba
divers below. However, when Seth Jones and Monique Rydel
Fortner, co-founders of Below the Blue, surface, they are
dragging with them a rusted engine block that had been used as
a makeshift buoy anchor. After only a few hours on the
lake, which is a short day for the two who can spend whole days
diving Lake Tahoe’s shores, they pulled up 650 pounds worth of
discarded items.
Workers at Lake Mead on Wednesday did something not seen in
many years. They actually raised a boat launch ramp. The ramp
at Hemenway Harbor was briefly closed as crews adjust the pipe
mat and dock for account for rising water level. You read that
right. As KLAS reported on Monday, Lake Mead has risen 2 feet 8
inches over the past four weeks. Bureau of Reclamation
officials said Monday that the lake has been rising because of
“recent storm events and runoff into the tributaries that enter
Lake Mead.”
A series of watershed cleanups is scheduled for next month in
Sonoma and Mendocino counties, and the organizers putting them
together are looking for volunteers. The cleanups are scheduled
during Creek Week, which is marked by some California cities
and environmental organizations during the fourth week of
September. The Russian River Watershed Association announced
the series of cleanups set to take place between Sept. 17 and
24, presenting opportunities for eco-conscious volunteers to
connect with the community while helping to protect the
drought-stricken Russian River watershed.
Large reservoirs like those that rim the Central Valley are
essential for managing water in California’s highly variable
climate. They provide multiple benefits including water supply,
hydropower, flood management, and recreation. … California
needs a new approach for managing environmental water in its
large reservoirs, particularly as the climate warms and
droughts become more intense.
A nearly half-billion-dollar investment in new sewage treatment
facilities in Tijuana could clean up perpetually polluted
beaches in San Diego, U.S. and Mexican officials say. Officials
from both countries signed a treaty through the International
Boundary and Water Commission that commits to funding new
sanitation projects during a ceremony at the Tijuana River
National Estuarine Research Reserve in Imperial Beach on
Thursday. The agreement pledges about $350 million in U.S.
spending and $144 million from the Mexican government to
replace failing sewage treatment facilities in Tijuana.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities are accused of using
too much water while the rest of us try to conserve. But water
resource officials say it’s not just the stars who are using
more than their fair share. Thousands are being warned about
using too much water. Since the Las Virgenes Municipal Water
District declared a drought emergency last year, apparently
some big names are not following the new water restrictions.
They’re some of the biggest names in Hollywood: Sylvester
Stallone, Kevin Hart and Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. They’re
also apparently some of the biggest water wasters in the Hidden
Hills neighborhood in Calabasas.
An unending drought has rendered many of the country’s “most
beautiful lakes” lists an asterisked affair, at least in
California and the Southwest. But Veranda.com’s take on the
planet’s most spectacular waterways is a splashy affair,
showcasing lakes and lagoons around the world, with nary a
whispered D word. The list highlights 20, from France’s
stunning, manmade Lac de Sainte-Croix to New Zealand’s
Lake Wakatipu, which comes complete with Maori lore. Lake
Wakatipu isn’t tidal, but its water levels rise and fall —
propelled, legend has it, by the heartbeat of a giant asleep
beneath the waves. Lake Tahoe makes the list …
The small, unassuming wall relief at the entrance to
“Confluence,” a modest but timely exhibition at Track 16 on the
theme of water issues related to the Los Angeles River, turns
out to be emblematic of what follows. For “L.A. River Paper,”
artist Emma Robbins gathered slight fragments of matted algae,
leaves and bird material from the water, then stitched the
fuzzy pieces together with reddish thread into an irregularly
shaped sheet. This is handmade paper that merges natural
formation and artistic intervention — a confluence, in other
words. The word describes both the general process of separate
things coming together and — notably — the specific junction of
two rivers.
Monsoon rains are causing a flash flooding threat to linger
over a large swath of the Western U.S. following several
flooding events overnight. Flash flood events were reported
over the desert Southwest Saturday night into Sunday morning,
with Moab, Utah, experiencing flooding that spilled from
streets to businesses and mud piling up on storefronts. In
New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park, more than 100
people were evacuated after being stuck for hours due to
impassable roadways. More than 12 million people from
Arizona to Louisiana were under flood alerts on Sunday morning.
San Diego County has more than 70 miles of coastline, home to
hundreds of thousands of people as well as many wildlife
species. The highly urban area is also congested, and
conservation planning can be complicated. Through the vision,
expertise and dedication of multiple agencies, a recently
completed segment of the North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program
that included restoration of San Elijo Lagoon will improve
traffic flow, additional public recreation opportunities, and
breathing room for wildlife. San Diego County’s NCC Program is
a set of multi-year projects to increase capacity for
Interstate-5 (I-5), railways, and bike and pedestrian trails
between the cities of La Jolla and Oceanside.
Golf courses are highly managed landscapes, requiring constant
human intervention to maintain them in the form desired by
their users. But what would it take to convert a golf course
into a more natural state, one that is resilient to climate
change, benefits protected aquatic species, and meets the needs
of the human community of which it is a part? A former golf
course in Northern California’s Marin County is undergoing just
such a conversion, and the process is expected to result in the
restoration of critical habitat for imperiled fish species
while also providing a key link between multiple existing
preservation areas. Intensive hydrologic work will underpin
these efforts.
Looking out across the San Francisco Bay, you might notice it’s
looking a little murky. Experts say the reason is a potentially
harmful algae bloom that’s spreading in waters throughout the
Bay Area. It’s called Heterosigma akashiwo and it’s what’s
currently causing the water in the bay to look so dirty and
brown. … Scientists at San Francisco Baykeeper, including
[Ian] Wren and field investigator Aundi Mevoli, are studying
the algae closely. They’ve been taking water samples from
different parts of the bay and sending them to a lab in
Richmond to be analyzed. He said they have seen the algae
around San Francisco, Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley and
Richmond. It’s also been reported in other areas, including
Lake Merritt.
Summers in the Bay Area are an invitation to water. Kayaks
floating along the shoreline at Big Break, vacationers lounging
at Niles Beach, adventurers tubing the Russian River, and
fishers hanging lines off the pier at Lake Temescal. As the
1970 Mungo Jerry hit put it “In the summertime, when the
weather is fine, We go fishing or go swimming in the sea.” But
all of these recreational spots have had advisories for harmful
algal blooms (HABs) or toxic algal mats in July this year. HABs
are increasing in incidence, duration, and toxicity statewide
and so are their health impacts on humans, domestic animals,
and wildlife. Many reservoirs that store drinking water have
also been impacted.
The lower Colorado River has virtually every drop allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This event explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
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.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Silverton Hotel
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, NV 89139
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.
We explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop
of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad
sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and
climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs was the focus of this tour.
Hampton Inn Tropicana
4975 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118
This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River
where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand
is growing from myriad sources — increasing population,
declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs is the focus of this tour.
Best Western McCarran Inn
4970 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Water truly has shaped California into the great state it is
today. And if it is water that made California great, it’s the
fight over – and with – water that also makes it so critically
important. In efforts to remap California’s circulatory system,
there have been some critical events that had a profound impact
on California’s water history. These turning points not only
forced a re-evaluation of water, but continue to impact the lives
of every Californian. This 2005 PBS documentary offers a
historical and current look at the major water issues that shaped
the state we know today. Includes a 12-page viewer’s guide with
background information, historic timeline and a teacher’s lesson.
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.
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.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36 inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
