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Drought and the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, 2012–2016: Environmental Review and Lessons

/in , , /by /California Water Blog (UC Davis Water Sciences)by Jay Lund

Droughts are common in California. The drought of 2012-2016 had no less precipitation and was no longer than previous historical droughts (Figure 1), but came with record high temperatures (Figure 2) and low snowpack (Figure 3), which worsened many drought impacts. Water supplies for agriculture and urban users statewide struggled to meet water demands. Conservation and rationing, increased groundwater pumping and a diversified economy helped keep California’s economy robust in most sectors. The drought degraded environmental conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as the region became saltier and warmer, invasive weeds spread, and iconic fishes like salmon and Delta smelt had strong declines.

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$5 Million in Federal Funding Granted for City’s Desalter

/in , , /by /Camarillo Acornby Brooke Stanley

Progress continues on the city’s $66.3-million North Pleasant Valley Groundwater Desalter Facility, which has received nearly $5 million in federal funding.

The grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation will be used for the desalter plant that will treat brackish groundwater from the nearby Pleasant Valley Groundwater Basin. The filtered water will account for 40% of the city’s overall water supply once the facility is finished. It will help Camarillo wean itself from the more expensive imported water it has relied on since its incorporation in 1964.
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Questions Over Water Official Who Took Money from Interests Pushing Desal She’s Voting On

/in , , /by /Voice of OCby Brandon Pho

Regional water board member Kris Murray is on track later this week to vote on a controversial desalination plant sponsored by a company and interest groups she took money from during past political campaigns.

State regulators have identified more than $6,000 in campaign contributions that Murray fundraised for her Anaheim city council campaigns in 2014 and 2015 and county supervisorial in 2018 from the project’s parent company, Poseidon Water, and two trade unions who voiced support for the project in recent years.

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Public Protest, Questions Push Water Board Decision on Huntington Beach Desal Permit to Aug. 7

/in , , /by /Voice of OCby Brandon Pho

Amidst public protests and outstanding questions from regional water officials — about what kind of deal they’re getting into on a controversial desalination plant for Huntington Beach — a final decision on the project has been pushed to next week, Aug. 7.

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board on Friday held a second day of public hearings before board members vote on the project proposal’s wastewater discharge permit.

If the permit is approved, Poseidon Water, the company proposing the desal plant, would clear a major hurdle after two-decades of pushing it near the final stretch to getting it completely authorized for construction.

The last step for the company would be to get another permit approved by the state Coastal Commission.

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Lake Poway Water Level Temporarily Reduced for Maintenance

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Lake Poway’s water level is lower today, but it isn’t due to the current heatwave. The lake is being temporarily reduced to complete a planned maintenance project to replace a transducer.

Lake Poway serves as the City of Poway’s main water storage reservoir, with a capacity to hold more than one billion gallons of water. A transducer measures the lake’s water level and remotely sends data to the city.

 

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November, March Shutdowns Set in CWA’s 2020-2021 Aqueduct Operating Plan

/in , , /by /Fallbrook Village Newsby Joe Naiman Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has an annual Aqueduct Operating Plan, and the SDCWA’s 2020-2021 plan was presented at the Thursday, July 23, CWA board meeting as a non-voting item. The 2020-2021 plan includes shutdowns due to planned maintenance, and Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District turnouts will be impacted by a November shutdown to Pipelines 1 and 2 and a March 2021 shutdown to Pipeline 5.

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California Has a New Plan to Protect its Water Supply from Climate Change, But Some Say it’s Based on Old Thinking

/in , , /by /Capital Public Radioby Ezra David Romero

Water is a big deal in California, and climate change is threatening the precious resource. That’s why Gov. Gavin Newsom finalized a broad plan this week to help prevent future water challenges, but some Californians say it relies on old thinking and harmful water storage projects.

The Water Resilience Portfolio outlines 142 actions the state could take to build resilience as the effects of warming temperatures grow. It supports everything from a recent fund focused on safe and affordable drinking water to habitat restoration to improving groundwater storage capabilities.

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Officials Warn Colorado River Levels Could Fluctuate to Meet Summer Energy Needs

/in , , /by /KNAU Arizona Public Radioby Ryan Heinsius

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recommends river runners secure their vessels to withstand changing levels and campers should set up tents in areas out of reach of the river. Officials plan to release higher-than-normal amounts of water from Glen Canyon Dam, possibly without notice, which will cause rapid changes to the Colorado River’s flow.

The Western Area Power Administration says there’s a possibility that Glen Canyon Dam will be needed to augment regional power supplies in the event of a system emergency. Releases could last a couple hours or even longer and the fluctuations will be more noticeable on weekends.

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How a Tiny Fish is Helping Utah and the West Tackle Big Questions About the Colorado River’s Future

/in , /by /The Salt Lake Tribune (Inside ClimateNews)by Judy Fahys

Charismatic is hardly the best word to describe the humpback chub, a fish with a frowny eel face jammed onto a sport fish body in a way that suggests evolution has a sense of humor. Nor did tastiness build a fan base for this “trash fish” across its natural habitat throughout the Colorado River Basin. But, in 1973, the humpback chub became famous by winning federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

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The New Water Wars

/in , , /by /Politicoby Annie Snider, Catherine Boudreau, Nancy Vu, Debra Kahn

The coronavirus economic crash is tightening the financial vise on utilities that supply water and sanitation across the country, potentially putting water companies on the verge of financial insolvency while millions of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills.

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