The Sacramento Valley, the northern part of the Central Valley,
spreads through 10 counties north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin
River Delta (Delta). Sacramento is an important agricultural
region, growing citrus, nuts and rice among many other crops.
Water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the region’s
two major rivers — the Sacramento and American – and west into
the Delta. Other rivers include the Cosumnes, which is the
largest free-flowing river in the Central Valley, the lower
Feather, Bear and Yuba.
The Sacramento Valley attracts more than 2 million ducks and
geese each winter to its seasonal marshes along the Pacific
Flyway. Species include northern pintails, snow geese, tundra
swans, sandhill cranes, mallards, grebes, peregrine falcons,
heron, egrets, and hawks.
The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday withdrew
an emergency drought regulation for the Sacramento–San Joaquin
Delta. Despite a dry January, board staff said the regulation,
known as a temporary urgency change petition (TUCP), would not
improve conditions if implemented as planned in February. They
found no potential benefits to Shasta and Trinity reservoirs,
which have the greatest need for water.
Dry conditions in California are traditionally a benefit for
construction companies looking to continue work through the
winter season. This year, however, drought-stricken California
received desperately needed rains and snowfall … in abundance.
That’s good news for the state, not so good for our crews
looking to continue work on the Natomas Reach B project.
December storms dropped so much water, that areas of Reach B’s
construction site have been turned into not just puddles, but
mini-lakes …
Whether emblazoned on California’s flag or described in myth,
the bear stands as a potent symbol of courage and strength — a
ferocious embodiment of the North American wilderness. In
reality, however, the bear is vulnerable. Nearly a century
after the California grizzly was hunted to extinction, its less
aggressive cousin, the black bear, is being killed in record
numbers on California highways, experts say. The
unprecedented surge in deadly vehicle strikes is likely the
result of bears fleeing massive wildfires in the Sierra Nevada,
as well as the effects of drought, according to biologists.
California Water Service announced it has begun a water
infrastructure improvement project in Marysville, which could
cause some disruptions for residents. The project includes the
installation of 1,221 feet of a new 6-, 8-, and 12-inch
ductile-iron water main and replacement of all existing
individual customer service connections, Cal Water said in a
news release. The utility company also said crews were
installing two new fire hydrants to improve access for
firefighters.
Sixth-generation rice grower Jeff Gallagher is perpetually
surrounded by birds on the Sutter County farm that has been in
his family since 1872. The soundtrack of his life is the din
caused by the itinerant visitors—nasal honks of wild geese,
hisses of sandhill cranes and other bird chatter at his
4,000-acre ranch in Rio Oso, a rice-farming region north of
Sacramento. … Gallagher is doing his part to preserve it
by enlisting in a new program to flood rice fields for
wildlife. It is designed to protect bird habitat in
California’s Central Valley over the next 10 years.
Since the Dec. 31 cutoff, nearly 250 parcel owners with dry
wells or water insecurity in and out of Orland have expressed
interest in connecting to the city’s waterline. The California
Department of Water Resources allocated considerable funding to
various water projects around the state last year to aid in
water insecurity. Glenn County, which has been facing multiple
dry wells, entered into a partnership with DWR as well as the
North Valley Community Foundation to identify solutions to the
issues.
The Bureau of Reclamation is working with managing partner
California Department of Parks and Recreation at Auburn State
Recreation Area on a 176-acre goat grazing project beginning
Friday. This project area was initially treated to establish an
expanded shaded fuel break through a partnership with Placer
County Resources Conservation District (PCRCD). Stakeholders
providing input to help lessen the threat of potential wildfire
include the City of Auburn Fire Department, CAL FIRE, Greater
Auburn Area Fire Safe Council, and Placer County Fire Safe
Alliance.
On January 1, 1997, a massive storm ripped through Northern
Nevada and Northern California, causing intense flooding
subsequently causing major highways and roads to collapse and
burying entire cities (like Reno and Sparks) in a knee-deep
high pond of water. Ask anyone around at that time, and they’ll
tell you the story of that historic storm and the damage it
caused. Now 25 years later, at the start of 2022, we’ve had
some big storms come through … But nothing compares to the
storm of January 1997.
The proposed water pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael
Bridge will undergo standard environmental review, losing its
emergency exemption after recent rains spared Marin County from
the harshest impacts of the drought and assuaged the urgency of
the project. Marin Water, which had planned to start
construction on the pipeline next month, will soon begin a
review of the project under the California Environmental
Quality Act. It says the project will give the county’s largely
self-contained water systems more flexibility in the long
term.
After one of its driest summers in years, satellite images show
that Mount Shasta is blanketed in its signature snow once again
after December storms swept across Northern California. The
images show the mountain nearly entirely devoid of snow in
early September, after a very hot summer for the region
compounded the lack of snowpack after two severely dry winters,
dissipating the snowpack earlier than normal. Just four months
later, the mountain appeared transformed, covered in snow once
again.
The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Board of
Directors on January 5 adopted our Strategic Planning and 2022
Priorities. On behalf of the water leaders in this region, we
look forward to working with our many partners in 2022 to
cultivate a shared vision for a vibrant way of life in the
Sacramento River Basin. We will continue to re-imagine our
water system in the Sacramento River Basin as we work to
harmonize our water priorities with state, federal, and other
regions’ priorities and to advance ridgetop to river mouth
water management and our collective goal of ensuring
greater water and climate resilience throughout California for
our communities, the economy, and the environment.
Last week, the Marin Municipal Water District announced that it
was slowing down its plans to build an emergency water
pipeline. The district was initially moving quickly in its
timeline to consider building a pipeline under the bridge that
would carry third-party water sources to Marin. Typically,
projects like pipelines or any other construction that has the
potential to directly or indirectly physically change the
environment must undergo processes in the California
Environmental Quality Act.
The current drought in the West has likely had no greater
impact on other agricultural entities than on alfalfa,
according to Dan Putnam, the longtime extension forage
agronomist with the University of California in Davis. …
Regulatory curtailments of water supplies are also a major
concern. Putnam tends to take the path of evaluating the water
challenges and then looking for alfalfa opportunities. Said
another way, he’s a glass half-full individual. In 2021, about
50% of the alfalfa in the West was impacted by drought.
Irrigated alfalfa comprises almost 50% of U.S. alfalfa
production, and it’s often the highest water user in many of
the Western states.
After an atmospheric river unleashed a torrent of rain over
Northern California in October, the state saw another
moisture-rich system in November and then a parade of storms
across December. With a wet start this season, the rivers
are rushing, the waterfalls flowing and the reservoirs
beginning to rise. The snowpack is signaling a
remarkable turnaround after two dry seasons. The Hyatt Power
Plant is back online at Lake Oroville after it
was forced to shut down due to historic low
reservoir levels in August. … This is all
promising, but the drought is not over.
Californians live with the specter of the Big One, but many
don’t realize “The One” may not be an earthquake. One
hundred and sixty years ago, the biggest flood in modern
history wiped out California: 4,000 dead, one-third of all
property destroyed, a quarter of the state’s 800,000 cattle
drowned or starved. California went so utterly bankrupt that
its governor, Legislature and state employees didn’t draw a
paycheck for 18 months.
We are idiots. Or at least the politicians in Sacramento that
relentlessly sound the climate change alarm are. This is
because of a scene depicting an exercise in futility with
overtures of self-destruction that played out Monday just a
block off Powers Avenue in Manteca. A man was dutifully hand
watering an area of grass in his front yard that was yellow.
… All of this begs the question: Why isn’t Sacramento
banning all lawns in the front yards of all new homes being
built in California and requiring the use of drought-tolerant
landscaping? -Written by Bulletin editor Dennis Wyatt.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has
announced the award of over $14 million in grant funding for
projects in the greater Sacramento area that advance drought
and climate resiliency. Over $4 million was awarded to a
coordinated application submitted through the Regional Water
Authority, which represents 20 water providers serving 2
million people in the Sacramento region. Funded projects
include planning for the Sacramento Regional Water Bank, and
groundwater wells for the Fair Oaks Water District and Orange
Vale Water Company.
As 2021 was shaping into the most challenging water year in
recent history—with the driest and hottest conditions anyone
could remember–water resources managers in the Sacramento
Valley developed a “roadmap” in May, outlining plans to
maximize habitat for fish in wildlife with the minimal water
resources that were available. At that time, water
managers in every part of the Valley knew they were going to
see substantial reductions in their water supplies and they
were developing and implementing drought plans to manage the
limited supplies available.
Sacramento-area residents reduced their water use by 22 percent
in November 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, according
to an analysis by the Regional Water Authority (RWA), which
represents 20 water providers serving 2 million people in the
greater Sacramento region. The findings come from reviewing
November water use data submitted to RWA and the State Water
Resources Control Board (State Water Board). November
reductions are in addition to a 13 percent decrease in regional
water use since the last drought.
With its reservoirs nearly refilled, the Marin Municipal Water
District is considering delaying a proposed $100 million
project to build an emergency water pipeline across the
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The district board was originally
set to vote on whether to construct the 8-mile pipeline as soon
as February. But now the district staff recommends the board
delay that decision by possibly more than a year in order to
conduct a full environmental analysis of the project.
Despite recent heavy rains, California is still experiencing
one of its worst droughts in history, so reminding the public
and policy makers that food does not grow without water is a
critical need for the state’s agricultural community. That’s
why Mike Wade and Farm Credit were excited to see the new SMUD
Museum of Science and Curiosity open recently. The $52 million
state-of-the-art science center in Sacramento contains dozens
of interactive exhibits that allows visitors to explore the
wonders of science, technology, engineering and math and
specifically address global and local issues relating energy,
water, health, nature, space and design engineering.
The Central Valley is known for oil and agriculture, but it’s
also a desired destination for more than 100 million birds.
That is because the wetlands that were here decades ago have
made this area part of their migration pattern. Because of city
growth, and climate change wetlands have almost all
disappeared, but could there be a solution now that several
state organizations are working to protect these bird habitats.
The value of the secure water supply delivered to Solano County
from Lake Berryessa has long been lauded by county leaders.
Many consider the decision to build Monticello Dam and to
develop the Solano Water Project as the most important action
in the county’s history. That value continues to rise as
various agencies certify the Solano Subbasin Groundwater
Sustainability Plan.
Sacramento officials hope to relocate [a community of homeless
people] to an adjacent riverfront property, owned by the Sierra
Health Foundation. City contractors would provide security and
help connect residents with longer-term housing, mental health
and addiction services. But residents on “the island,” as
they call the encampment, are worried about change. They say
the small patch of land might not be big enough — and could
flood.
Government officials warding off deadly diseases often praise
the lowly mosquitofish as a public health messiah. But some
environmentalists have dubbed it the “plague minnow” and the
“fish destroyer.” Today, nearly a century after the
finger-sized fish was first introduced to California in a
Sacramento lily pond, it’s arguably the most ubiquitous
freshwater fish in the world. But the mosquitofish also ranks
among the world’s worst invasive species. Balancing the
pest-control prowess and ecological destruction of the fish,
nearly every mosquito and vector control district in California
now deploys the creature with varying strategies.
Twenty-five years ago in Northern California, the New Year’s
flood of 1997 was a catastrophic event in which hundreds of
residents were displaced from their homes in Yuba City,
Marysville and surrounding areas that left many neighborhoods
underwater. Damages of the flood were estimated at $1.8
billion and eight casualties resulted in the disaster,
according to reports from KCRA-3. These floods were caused by a
winter storm’s intensity, water runoffs, large outflows from
reservoirs and levee breaks. However, today the region is more
prepared if such a storm were to occur again.
Reclamation and Sites Project Authority announce an extension
of the public comment period on the proposed Sites Reservoir
Project. Public involvement is an important part of the
environmental review process. The extension will allow for
additional opportunity to participate and help inform the
content of the project’s environmental analyses. On Nov. 12,
2021, Reclamation released a Notice of Availability announcing
the public review and comment period for the Sites Reservoir
Project Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and dates of virtual
public meetings.
The American West is facing a historic drought, so many Western
states like Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wyoming have
embraced cloud seeding as a way to hopefully keep crops alive
and maintain water supplies. The United Arab Emirates unleashed
a fleet of cloud-seeding drones this past summer to help
residents in Dubai beat the heat. China recently announced
plans to develop an expansive cloud-seeding system over the
next decade to produce artificial rainfall over 224,00 square
miles across the country.
Despite recent storms, Folsom Lake isn’t even two thirds full,
and California remains mired in a multi-year drought that’s
left its biggest reservoirs even emptier. Nonetheless, … the
federal managers of Folsom Dam began letting out a substantial
amount of water into the American River through Sacramento,
prompting warnings from local authorities to be mindful of
rapidly rising, swift-moving water. The dam’s operators say
there’s a good reason they’re keeping space in the lake instead
of letting it fill with water for the hot and dry months to
come.
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday decided to take no action
on a proposal from the County Administrative Office to consider
once again splitting the Water Resources Department off from
the Department of Public Works. County Administrative Officer
Carol Huchingson said she agendized the discussion because the
county is anticipating a “considerable amount of infrastructure
funding” in the next year or two thanks to the federal
infrastructure bill.
As thousands of cubic feet of water rush down California’s
American River every second, a problem murks the clear waters
of the stream, which cuts through the city of Sacramento.
Fecal contamination in the popular river, used recreationally
by thousands each year, has been studied for years but a new
study released Tuesday sheds more light on the cause of the
contamination.
The city has changed how it will put tax liens on properties
for delinquent water or sewer bills. If a bill is unpaid and
less than $200, the city will not put a lien on the property as
a consequence. The City Council met Dec. 14 to discuss putting
tax liens on 118 properties for delinquent water or sewer
accounts. As of Nov. 30, the combined total owed from all
the properties was $138,665.47. Due to the pandemic, the city
cannot shut off water services.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an $81
million loan to the Sacramento County Water Agency in northern
California to modernize the county’s water infrastructure and
help make the water supply more climate-resilient. … The loan
will help Sacramento County meet current fire protection
standards and water metering by financing a portion of the cost
to install 30 miles of new distribution pipeline, 260 fire
hydrants and 3,000 new water meters.
The atmospheric river storm that brought some rain and snow to
the parched state may serve as a reminder that California is
still waiting to build planned infrastructure for storing water
in wet years for use in dry years. The California Water
Commission last week took a key step forward on funding four
water storage projects. They now are eligible to receive funds
from $2.7 billion earmarked for public benefits of new projects
authorized through the Water Storage Investment Program.
The Sites Project Authority received criticism Thursday as it
conducted a public hearing and presentation on the history and
variations of the Sites Reservoir project planned for Colusa
County. … Once public questions and input began, almost all
of the speakers shared criticism for the project with many
asking that the group not go forward with the project in any
capacity. Two representatives from two different tribes
with land that would be used for the project spoke out against
the project.
Amid a severe drought, California regulators on Wednesday
advanced what could be the state’s first major new water
storage project in years despite warnings it would hasten the
extinction of an endangered salmon species while disrupting the
cultural traditions of some native tribes. The plan is to build
a new lake in Northern California that, when full, could hold
enough water to supply 3 million households for one year.
Supporters need about $4 billion to build it. Wednesday’s vote
by the California Water Commission means the lake — named Sites
Reservoir — is eligible for about $800 million in taxpayer
money, or about 20% of the project’s price tag.
Reclamation District 2035 and the Conaway Preservation Group
are proposing a project to improve and optimize flood plain
rearing habitat, salmonid food production and permanent wetland
restoration for Sacramento Valley salmonids. The project would
involve nearly 5,775-acres of the Conaway Ranch in the Yolo
Bypass, as seen below looking south down the Sacramento Valley,
with the Tule Canal at left of photo.
After a six-year process, Bucks Lake now has protection via a
conservation easement courtesy of the Feather River Land Trust.
The lake is a PG&E-run reservoir in Plumas County that has
historically been used recreationally. A conservation easement
grants the site protection from land development while still
allowing for the public to access the body of water. A press
release issued Friday by the land trust said the final papers
were turned in Nov. 23 at the Plumas County Recorder’s Office
at which point the conservation easement was official.
This week’s winter storm in Sacramento comes just two months
after a bomb cyclone-atmospheric river combo broke records and
took the title of ”100-year storm.” And while the October storm
dropped significant amounts of water in just a day and a half,
this week’s storm — which started over the weekend and is
expected to last into Thursday — will spread precipitation over
several days. Here’s how the two Sacramento winter storms
compare, including storm characteristics, precipitation totals
and safety concerns:
The Marin Independent Journal reports the proposed plan would
deliver water from the Yuba River more than 100 miles before
pumping it over the bridge into Marin County. The operation
would also involve the cooperation of the East Bay Municipal
District and the Contra Costa Water District in transferring
and storing water destined for Marin. The proposed eight-mile
long pipeline would cost an estimated $100 million to
construct. There has been opposition to the pipeline from some
elected officials. Conservationists have filed suit to block
the project.
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.
To survive the next drought and meet
the looming demands of the state’s groundwater sustainability
law, California is going to have to put more water back in the
ground. But as other Western states have found, recharging
overpumped aquifers is no easy task.
Successfully recharging aquifers could bring multiple benefits
for farms and wildlife and help restore the vital interconnection
between groundwater and rivers or streams. As local areas around
California draft their groundwater sustainability plans, though,
landowners in the hardest hit regions of the state know they will
have to reduce pumping to address the chronic overdraft in which
millions of acre-feet more are withdrawn than are naturally
recharged.
The deadliest and most destructive
wildfire in California history had a severe impact on the water
system in the town of Paradise. Participants on our Oct. 2-4
Northern California
Tour will hear from Kevin Phillips, general manager of
Paradise Irrigation District, on the scope of the damages, the
obstacles to recovery and the future of the water district.
The Camp Fire destroyed 90 percent of the structures in Paradise,
and 90 percent of the irrigation district’s ratepayer base. The
fire did not destroy the irrigation district’s water storage or
treatment facilities, but it did melt plastic pipes, releasing
contaminants into parts of the system and prompting do-not-drink
advisories to water customers.
Get an up-close look at some of
California’s key water reservoirs and learn about farming
operations, salmon habitat restoration, flood management and
wetlands on our Northern California Water Tour Oct. 2-4.
Each year, participants on the tour enjoy three days exploring
the Sacramento Valley during the temperate fall. Join us as we
travel through a scenic landscape along the Sacramento and
Feather rivers to learn about issues associated with storing
and delivering the state’s water supply.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Sacramento and San Joaquin
rivers are the two major Central Valley waterways that feed the
Delta, the hub of California’s water supply
network. Our last water tours of
2018 will look in-depth at how these rivers are managed and
used for agriculture, cities and the environment. You’ll see
infrastructure, learn about efforts to restore salmon runs and
talk to people with expertise on these rivers.
Get an up-close look at some of
California’s key water reservoirs and learn about farming
operations, habitat restoration, flood management and wetlands in
the Sacramento Valley on our Northern California Water Tour
Oct. 10-12.
Each year, participants on the Northern California Water Tour
enjoy three days exploring the Sacramento Valley during the
temperate fall. Join us as we travel through a scenic landscape
along the Sacramento and Feather rivers to learn about
issues associated with storing and delivering the state’s water
supply.
More than a decade in the making, an
ambitious plan to deal with the vexing problem of salt and
nitrates in the soils that seep into key groundwater basins of
the Central Valley is moving toward implementation. But its
authors are not who you might expect.
An unusual collaboration of agricultural interests, cities, water
agencies and environmental justice advocates collaborated for
years to find common ground to address a set of problems that
have rendered family wells undrinkable and some soil virtually
unusable for farming.
New water storage is the holy grail
primarily for agricultural interests in California, and in 2014
the door to achieving long-held ambitions opened with the passage
of Proposition
1, which included $2.7 billion for the public benefits
portion of new reservoirs and groundwater storage projects. The
statute stipulated that the money is specifically for the
benefits that a new storage project would offer to the ecosystem,
water quality, flood control, emergency response and recreation.
Despite 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.
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.
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape as we 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. This year,
special attention was paid to the flood event at Oroville Dam and
the efforts to repair the dam spillway before the next rainy
season.
The Sacramento and San Joaquin are the two major rivers in the
Central Valley that feed the Delta, the hub of
California’s water supply network.
Our last two water tours of 2017 will take in-depth looks at how
these rivers are managed and used for agriculture, cities and the
environment. You’ll see infrastructure, learn about efforts to
restore salmon runs and talk to people with expertise on these
rivers.
Each year, participants on the Northern California Water Tour
enjoy three days exploring the Sacramento Valley during the
temperate fall. Join us as we travel along the Sacramento and
Feather rivers through a scenic landscape and learn about
issues associated with storing and delivering the state’s water
supply.
Protecting and restoring California’s populations of threatened
and endangered Chinook salmon and steelhead trout have been a big
part of the state’s water management picture for more than 20
years. Significant resources have been dedicated to helping the
various runs of the iconic fish, with successes and setbacks. In
a landscape dramatically altered from its natural setting,
finding a balance between the competing demands for water is
challenging.
ARkStorm stands for an atmospheric
river (“AR”) that carries precipitation levels expected to occur
once every 1,000 years (“k”). The concept was presented in a 2011
report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) intended to elevate
the visibility of the very real threats to human life, property
and ecosystems posed by extreme storms on the West Coast.
Less than 50 miles northeast of Chico, California, begins the
93-mile Butte Creek – a tributary of the Sacramento River. It is named
after Butte County, which was in turn named for the nearby
volcanic plateaus, or “buttes,” and travels through a massive
canyon on its way southwest to the Sacramento Valley.
As a watershed, it drains about 800 square miles, both for
agricultural and residential use. The upper watershed is
dominated by forests, while the lower watershed is primarily
agricultural.
A new era of groundwater management
began in 2014 with the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act (SGMA), which aims for local and regional agencies
to develop and implement sustainable groundwater management
plans with the state as the backstop.
SGMA defines “sustainable groundwater management” as the
“management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be
maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without
causing undesirable results.”
This handbook provides crucial
background information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management
Act, signed into law in 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown. The handbook
also includes a section on options for new governance.
This 24-page booklet traces the development of the
landmark Water Forum Agreement, signed in April 2000 by 40
Sacramento region water purveyors, public officials, community
group leaders, environmentalists and business representatives.
The publication also offers insight on lessons learned by
Water Forum participants.
This 24-page booklet details the conflict between
environmentalists, fish organizations and the Yuba County Water
Agency and how it was resolved through the Lower Yuba River
Accord – a unique agreement supported by 18 agencies and
non-governmental organizations. The publication details
the history and hydrology of the Yuba River, past and present
environmental concerns, and conflicts over dam operations and
protecting endangered fish is included.
This 30-minute documentary, produced in 2011, explores the past,
present and future of flood management in California’s Central
Valley. It features stories from residents who have experienced
the devastating effects of a California flood firsthand.
Interviews with long-time Central Valley water experts from
California Department of Water Resources (FloodSAFE), U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, Central Valley Flood
Management Program and environmental groups are featured as they
discuss current efforts to improve the state’s 150-year old flood
protection system and develop a sustainable, integrated, holistic
flood management plan for the Central Valley.
This 30-minute documentary-style DVD on the history and current
state of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program includes an
overview of the geography and history of the river, historical
and current water delivery and uses, the genesis and timeline of
the 1988 lawsuit, how the settlement was reached and what was
agreed to.
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.
15-minute DVD that graphically portrays the potential disaster
should a major earthquake hit the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
“Delta Warning” depicts what would happen in the event of an
earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale: 30 levee breaks,
16 flooded islands and a 300 billion gallon intrusion of salt
water from the Bay – the “big gulp” – which would shut down the
State Water Project and Central Valley Project pumping plants.
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.
Fashioned after the popular California Water Map, this 24×36 inch
poster was extensively re-designed in 2017 to better illustrate
the value and use of groundwater in California, the main types of
aquifers, and the connection between groundwater and surface
water.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to Integrated Regional Water
Management (IRWM) is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication
that provides background information on the principles of IRWM,
its funding history and how it differs from the traditional water
management approach.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Groundwater is an in-depth,
easy-to-understand publication that provides background and
perspective on groundwater. The guide explains what groundwater
is – not an underground network of rivers and lakes! – and the
history of its use in California.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to
Flood Management explains the physical flood control system,
including levees; discusses previous flood events (including the
1997 flooding); explores issues of floodplain management and
development; provides an overview of flood forecasting; and
outlines ongoing flood control projects.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
explores the history and development of the federal Central
Valley Project (CVP), California’s largest surface water delivery
system. In addition to the project’s history, the guide describes
the various CVP facilities, CVP operations, the benefits the CVP
brought to the state and the CVP Improvement Act (CVPIA).
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Delta explores the competing
uses and demands on California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Included in the guide are sections on the history of the Delta,
its role in the state’s water system, and its many complex issues
with sections on water quality, levees, salinity and agricultural
drainage, fish and wildlife, and water distribution.
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.
The Pacific Flyway is one of four
major North American migration routes for birds, especially
waterfowl, and extends from Alaska and Canada, through
California, to Mexico and South America. Each year, birds follow
ancestral patterns as they travel the flyway on their annual
north-south migration. Along the way, they need stopover sites
such as wetlands with suitable habitat and food supplies. In
California, 90 percent of historic wetlands have been lost.
This issue of Western Water looks at the BDCP and the
Coalition to Support Delta Projects, issues that are aimed at
improving the health and safety of the Delta while solidifying
California’s long-term water supply reliability.
This printed issue of Western Water features a
roundtable discussion with Anthony Saracino, a water resources
consultant; Martha Davis, executive manager of policy development
with the Inland Empire Utilities Agency and senior policy advisor
to the Delta Stewardship Council; Stuart Leavenworth, editorial
page editor of The Sacramento Bee and Ellen Hanak, co-director of
research and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of
California.
This printed issue of Western Water examines the issues
associated with the State Water Board’s proposed revision of the
water quality Bay-Delta Plan, most notably the question of
whether additional flows are needed for the system, and how they
might be provided.
This printed copy of Western Water examines the challenges facing
small water systems, including drought preparedness, limited
operating expenses and the hurdles of complying with costlier
regulations. Much of the article is based on presentations at the
November 2007 Small Systems Conference sponsored by the Water
Education Foundation and the California Department of Water
Resources.
