Tag Archive for: Climate Change

Record Growth, Record Heat, Record Drought: How Will Las Vegas Weather the Climate Crisis?

/in , , /by /The Guardianby Gabrielle Canon

Away from the lights and fountains of the Las Vegas Strip, bulldozers are working overtime as the suburbs of Sin City are bursting out of their seams.

Las Vegas is growing at a staggering rate. Clark county, where the city is located, is home to roughly 2.3 million people, but forecasts predict the population could go beyond 4 million by 2055.

Attracted by the lure of cheaper costs of living, lower taxes, and newly built homes, more than half a million people are expected to flock to southern Nevada in just the next 15 years.

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California Drought Now in Third Year

/in , , /by /Water News Networkby Ed Joyce Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

California officials have urged residents to prepare for a third year of drought and urged people to conserve water.

“With only one month left in California’s wet season and no major storms in the forecast, Californians should plan for a third year of drought conditions,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth.

California drought-snowpack survey-DWR-snow survey

California Drought Now in Third Year

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California officials have urged residents to prepare for a third year of drought and urged people to conserve water.

“With only one month left in California’s wet season and no major storms in the forecast, Californians should plan for a third year of drought conditions,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. “A significantly below-average snowpack combined with already low reservoir levels make it critical that all Californians step up and conserve water every day to help the state meet the challenges of severe drought.”

The DWR conducted the third snow survey of the season March 1 at Phillips Station.

Following a January and February that will enter records as the driest documented in state history, the manual survey recorded 35 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 16 inches, which is 68% of average for this location for March, according to the DWR. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide, the snowpack is 63% of average for this date.

Water conservation “a way of life” in San Diego County

“As we enter a third year of drought, we encourage residents and businesses in San Diego County to increase their water conservation efforts,” said Jeff Stephenson, water resources manager with the San Diego County Water Authority. “While the Water Authority and its 24 member agencies have worked to create multiple sources of water supply for the region, there are still opportunities, including rebates, to save more water.”

In San Diego County, the website, watersmartsd.org, provides sources of residential and business rebates, including indoor and outdoor incentives, agricultural programs, and free landscape makeover classes.

Stephenson added that the region has reduced its reliance on imported water supplies, including from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta, which means more of that source is available for other parts of California.

Governor Gavin Newsom has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15% compared to 2020 levels. Regionally, the Northern, Central, and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 59% to 66% of average for this date, impacting watersheds across the state, according to the DWR.

“As the world continues to warm, precipitation is pushing toward extremes,” said Jeremy Hill, Manager of DWR’s Hydrology and Flood Operations Branch. “Even when we see large storms producing a lot of snow early in the season, all it takes is a few dry weeks to put us below average. This new pattern challenges forecasting efforts that have relied on historical patterns, so DWR has led the charge to adopt new technologies and utilize the best available science to manage water in real time and use forecasts that give us time to make decisions to get the most benefits and minimize the hazards.”

California Drought

Dry year-drought-DWR-snow survey-California drought

An extremely dry January and February have wiped out an early season surplus and brought the February snowpack below average. With no storm relief in sight, Californians should prepare for drought conditions to continue, the DWR tweeted March 1. Graphic: California Department of Water Resources

Dry times in the Golden State

Although early season storms helped alleviate some drought impacts, a lack of storms in January and February heightens the need for conservation. The Governor has asked all Californians to cut back water use at least 15 percent compared to 2020 levels. Regionally, the Northern, Central, and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 59 percent to 66 percent of average for this date, impacting watersheds across the state.

“With below average precipitation and snowpack up until this point, our latest statewide snowmelt forecasts are only 66 percent of average,” said Sean de Guzman, Manager of DWR’s Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit. “That is not enough to fill up our reservoirs. Without any significant storms on the horizon, it’s safe to say we’ll end this year dry and extend this drought a third year.”

Cascading Climate Calamities Target West’s Water, Legal System

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Bobby Magill

A dire United Nations climate change report confirms what water lawyers in the West have known for a long time—that drought is becoming the norm in the region, and adaptation is essential.

“Every time we see it written down, it gets a little more real,” said William Caile, a water lawyer who is of counsel at Holland & Hart LLP in Denver, referring to the report’s forecasts of water scarcity.

The report, released Monday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is a 3,675-page deep-dive into what the latest scientific research says about what’s at risk as fossil fuels continue to warm the planet. Water scarcity amid rising air and streamwater temperatures will afflict much of North America, exacerbating biological diversity losses, agricultural productivity decline, and wildfire, the report found.

The Southwest is among the regions that the IPCC says will soon be profoundly different. The Colorado River, which provides water to 40 million people from Denver to Los Angeles, courses through the increasingly arid Southwest, which is approaching a “tipping point” at which long-term water scarcity conflict with high water use and farming, the report concludes.

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Dry Boat Ramps, Exposed Rocks at Lake Powell Reveal the Cost of Colorado River Drought

/in , , /by /Arizona Republicby Brandon Loomis

A small bucket loader scraped Wahweap Bay’s expanding strip of red mud and gravel, its operator smoothing the shoreline where concrete workers were busy chasing a lake in retreat.

To the left, where the bay had long offered kayakers and water skiers a loop around Lone Rock, the monumental slab now rose from dust flats instead of from flat water. To the right, in the channel that leads to Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River’s sunken bed, formerly submerged islands and peninsulas mapped out a warming climate’s continuing transformation of one of America’s great water stores and pleasure grounds.

A desert flooded by impounded waters in the last century has visibly reasserted itself in this one.

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Explainer: UN ‘House on Fire’ Climate Report Key to Action

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Seth Borenstein and Frank Jordans

A new science report from the United Nations spells out in excruciating detail the pain of climate change to people and the planet with the idea — the hope really — that if leaders pay attention, some of the worst can be avoided or lessened.

One scientist calls it the “Your House is On Fire” report.

While these reports often can come across as depressing, to scientists and world leaders, the idea isn’t to lower people’s spirits.

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Collaboration Helps Water Authority Deliver Water Security to Region

/in , , /by /The Daily Transcriptby Gary Croucher Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the cost of water — and that makes sense given the economic realities faced by many residents, farmers, and businesses. But it also seems that newer generations of San Diegans do not know there was a time when we didn’t have water when and where we needed it.

Thankfully, that’s not a problem in San Diego County today, even though elsewhere drought-stricken communities face the potential of only having enough water to meet basic health and safety needs. Due to investments we’ve collectively made in seawater desalination, conserved water, reliable infrastructure, and increased storage capacity, the San Diego region has transformed its water supplies from highly insecure to some of the most reliable in the nation.

(Editor’s Note: Gary Croucher is chair of the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.)

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As Drought Persists, Minimal Water Deliveries Announced for the Central Valley Project

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by Ian James

With California entering a third year of drought and its reservoirs at low levels, the federal government has announced plans to deliver minimal amounts of water through the Central Valley Project, putting many farmers on notice that they should prepare to receive no water from the system this year.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the project’s dams and canals, announced a zero-water allocation for irrigation districts that supply many farmers across the Central Valley. Cities that receive water from the project in the Central Valley and parts of the Bay Area were allocated 25% of their historical water use.

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Water Authority Greenhouse Gas Emission Tracking Is Climate Leadership Case Study

/in , , /by Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Water Utility Climate Alliance has added the Water Authority’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its mitigation case studies library. The case studies provide valuable information and inspiration for greenhouse gas mitigation or sewage thermal energy use projects from concept to implementation for water utilities across the U.S.

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The Water Authority installed solar panels at three locations in 2011: its Kearny Mesa headquarters and Escondido operations center; and the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

Water Authority Greenhouse Gas Emission Tracking Is Climate Leadership Case Study

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The Water Utility Climate Alliance has added the Water Authority’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its mitigation case studies library. The case studies provide valuable information and inspiration for greenhouse gas mitigation or sewage thermal energy use projects from concept to implementation for water utilities across the U.S.

Water Authority Senior Water Resources Specialist Goldy Herbon said case studies are developed in partnership with WUCA. Contacts are provided in each case study to facilitate follow-up and enable interested readers to learn more. WUCA recognizes the importance of greenhouse gas mitigation as a key climate adaptation strategy and an issue of climate leadership in the water sector.

“By sharing our efforts and experience in GHG reduction with our peers across the U.S., we hope to set an example for other industries and business sectors, leading to even more mitigation efforts,” said Hebron. “The case studies are by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a great starting point for water utilities exploring the potential of implementing their own GHG mitigation projects. Additionally, WUCA is open to adding more GHG projects to its roster.”

The Water Authority greenhouse gas mitigation case study is on WUCA’s webpage.

The Water Authority installed solar panels at three locations in 2011: its Kearny Mesa headquarters and Escondido operations center; and the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant.

Energy generated by the solar power systems reduces the Water Authority’s energy costs as well as GHG emissions, making agency operations more efficient for water ratepayers. Combined, the solar power systems will reduce the agency’s energy expenses by nearly $3 million over 20 years. The solar power systems were installed at no cost to the Water Authority through a 20-year power purchase agreement with CleanCapital.

Carlsbad Desalination Plant also listed

Carlsbad Desalination Plant-WNN-primary

Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. Photo: Poseidon Water

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which supplies nearly 10% of San Diego County’s drinking water, is also featured as a case study. The plant’s energy recovery project, part of its High-Energy Efficiency Design, uses state-of-the-art pressure exchanger technology to recover and reuse a significant portion of the energy from the reverse osmosis process.

The Water Authority recently earned Climate Registered gold status from The Climate Registry for verifying and publicly reporting its greenhouse gas emissions. The effort fosters transparency for the agency’s climate mitigation initiatives and will help the Water Authority track and validate emissions reductions in the future.

The Climate Registry operates North America’s largest voluntary registry for greenhouse gas emissions. The Water Authority’s 2019 and 2020 inventories were verified and published in The Climate Registry’s public database in November, earning the agency gold status for both years.

The Water Authority first developed its Climate Action Plan in 2014 and updates it every five years. GHG emissions against a baseline and tracking progress toward State of California goals. Annual GHG inventories are provided to the board of directors.

Unique role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The Twin Oaks Reservoir dual solar array total production is roughly 3.6 mWh annually, enough to power 340 homes. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

The Twin Oaks Reservoir dual solar array total production is roughly 3.6 mWh annually, enough to power 340 homes. Photo: Vallecitos Water District

The Water Authority’s GHG mitigation case studies offer crucial examples of progressive GHG mitigation projects at water utilities with lessons learned during implementation. The selection of case studies represents a wide range of project types (pump optimization, wind power, and battery storage) to provide a strong starting point for utilities to learn from each other. Many of the projects can be applied equally to wastewater and stormwater utilities.

Water utilities have a unique role to play in mitigating GHGs due to the high energy usage of the water industry and being a reliable purchaser of energy, as well as being a trusted leader for other industries and business communities. A key objective for WUCA is for the alliance to continue developing practical examples and case studies of climate adaptation and climate mitigation.

The Water Authority works with its 24 member agencies to deliver water affordably and efficiently across San Diego County, and the agency has championed energy efficiency and environmental sustainability for decades.