History: Water Board ruled against delaying twin tunnels CPOD hearing for Bay-Delta Plan update

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

In 2015, the Department of Water Resources filed a petition for Change in Point of Diversion with the State Water Resources Control Board for the WaterFix / twin tunnels project. Environmental, fishing, and Delta groups strongly protested the Water Board proceeding with the hearing before the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update. But the Hearing … Continue reading History: Water Board ruled against delaying twin tunnels CPOD hearing for Bay-Delta Plan update

Comments to the NAS Panel on Review of the Long-Term Operations of the CVP and SWP

Observed vs modeled Tropical Pacific warming patterns
~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 2 Comments

Good afternoon, committee members. My name is Deirdre Des Jardins.  I’m a consultant to the Institute for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federations of Fishermen’s Associations on climate change and modeling, as well as the Director of California Water Research. My research background is in nonlinear dynamics and complex systems theory. I did research … Continue reading Comments to the NAS Panel on Review of the Long-Term Operations of the CVP and SWP

Governor’s new salmon strategy ignores existing biological goals

Picture of a Chinook salmon leaping
~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

Governor Newsom's new salmon strategy breathlessly commits to the following: By 2025, begin to use biological indicators, referred to as biological goals, to inform decision making during implementation of the updated Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. (SWRCB). But biological goals for salmon have been part of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan since the 1995 … Continue reading Governor’s new salmon strategy ignores existing biological goals

Comments on the Water Board’s draft urban conservation regulations

Tree in wet and dry landscape
~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board held a hearing on proposed regulations to implement 2018 legislation to make conservation a way of life in California. According to the Board's fact sheet: Making Conservation a California Way of Life is a new regulatory framework proposed by State Water Board staff that establishes … Continue reading Comments on the Water Board’s draft urban conservation regulations

USGS ARkStorm 1.0 study showed high risk of contamination from Tulare lake basin flooding

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

The US Geological Survey's ARkStorm studies included extensive analyses of vulnerabilities to flooding.  In 2016, USGS Researchers Geoffrey Plumlee,  Charles Alpers, Suzette Morman, and Carma San Juan published “Anticipating Environmental and Environmental-Health Implications of Extreme Storms: ARkStorm Scenario.” The ARkStorm 1.0 scenario found extensive flooding of the San Joaquin Valley and the Tulare Lake basin … Continue reading USGS ARkStorm 1.0 study showed high risk of contamination from Tulare lake basin flooding

Delta Lead Scientist creates unprecedented conflicts of interest with multi-million dollar UC research grants

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

The Delta Lead Scientist, Dr. Laurel Larsen, is a hydroecologist at the University of California’s Berkeley campus. She is the first mid-career scientist to hold the position of Delta Lead Scientist, having received tenure in 2018. The Lead Scientist position and the Delta Science Program were first created under the 2000 CALFED Record of Decision, … Continue reading Delta Lead Scientist creates unprecedented conflicts of interest with multi-million dollar UC research grants

Orchards are not resilient to floods or droughts

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 2 Comments

The Newsom administration's strategy for dealing with flood flows relies heavily on diversions to farmland for groundwater recharge. But flooding in the Tulare basin this year is showing how orchards are not resilient to floods. And orchards have also not been resilient to recent droughts. This is what happens to an almond orchard in full … Continue reading Orchards are not resilient to floods or droughts

Analysis: Proposed state investments inadequate to address increase in catastrophic flood risk

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

The Governor Newsom's May Revise Budget provides an additional $115 million in investments in flood risk reduction, including: $75 million to support local flood control projects $40 million for the San Joaquin Floodplain restoration This is in addition to the $202 million proposed by the Governor in January to reduce flood risk in urban areas, … Continue reading Analysis: Proposed state investments inadequate to address increase in catastrophic flood risk

Chaos in Tulare County shows need for advance flood planning

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

High flood flows in Tulare County are causing levee breaches. Levee breaches on Deer Creek and Poso Creek are currently endangering Allensworth, a California town that was founded by African-Americans, as well as the town of Alpaugh. For more background on Allensworth, see this article. Los Angeles Times reporter Ian James drove to Allensworth and … Continue reading Chaos in Tulare County shows need for advance flood planning

State Water Project water rights assume augmentation of Sac River flows by 890,000 af/year

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 2 Comments

One of the largest water rights hearings in the California State Water Resources Control Board’s history was the hearing on eight applications by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the State Water Project. The then-called State Water Rights Board approved the permit for the State Water Project in Water Rights Decision 1275 on … Continue reading State Water Project water rights assume augmentation of Sac River flows by 890,000 af/year