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The U.S. has a long record of extracting resources on Native lands and ignoring tribal opposition, but a decision by federal energy regulators to deny permits for seven proposed hydropower projects suggests that tide may be turning. As the U.S. shifts from fossil fuels to clean energy, developers are looking for sites to generate electricity from renewable sources. But in an unexpected move, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied permits on Feb. 15, 2024, for seven proposed hydropower projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The reason: These projects were located within the Navajo Nation and were proposed without first consulting with the tribe. FERC said it was “establishing a new policy that the Commission will not issue preliminary permits for projects proposing to use Tribal lands if the Tribe on whose lands the project is to be located opposes the permit.” -Written by Emily Benton Hite, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Saint Louis University; and Denielle Perry Associate, Professor at the School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University.​ View Original Article read more

Nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] chemistry) downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) was evaluated with a groundwater study in the area surrounding Elizabeth Lake, the largest of three sag lakes within the Santa Clara River watershed of Los Angeles County, California. Elizabeth Lake is listed on the “303 (d) Impaired Waters List” for excess nutrients and is downgradient from more than 600 OWTS. The primary objective of this study was to develop a conceptual hydrogeological model to determine if discharge from OWTS is transported into shallow groundwater within the Elizabeth Lake subwatershed and contributes nutrients to Elizabeth Lake in excess of the total maximum daily load limit.  View Original Article read more

From Sequoia Park to the old Tulare Lake bed, local authorities recount the same story. A deluge of biblical proportions, including heavy rain and storm runoff, in the past year in the Kaweah, Kings and Tule basins has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the region’s road and bridge infrastructure. … Still a year later, government agencies continue to struggle to repair the extensive damage requiring federal funding to make it happen. View Original Article read more

The current water year, which began Oct. 1, has been wetter than usual, with the Russian River watershed accumulating 119% of the yearly average rainfall, totaling 49.38 inches since October. In the past, we might have celebrated our good fortune and watched lake levels rise only to watch much of it sent downriver to the Pacific Ocean as reservoirs reached an inflexible upper threshold. Today, we get to continue enjoying that ample rainfall long after summer sunshine arrives. Grant Davis With almost a decade of data under its belt, the Russian River Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations program has been making great strides by demonstrating the viability of this strategy to operate reservoirs more effectively using modern technology and forecasting. -Written by Grant Davis, general manager of Sonoma Water. View Original Article read more

In a place as dry as the desert city of Dubai, whenever they can get rain, they’ll take it. United Arab Emirates authorities will often even try to make it rain—as they did earlier this week when the National Center of Meteorology dispatched planes to inject chemicals into the clouds to try to coax some showering. But this time they got much more than they wanted. Dubai faced torrential downpours on Tuesday, with flooding shutting down much of the city … The UAE government media office said it was the heaviest rainfall recorded in 75 years and called it “an exceptional event.” More than a typical year’s worth of water was dumped on the country in a single day. Now, many people are pointing a finger at the “cloud seeding” operations preceding the precipitation. View Original Article read more

Proposed state legislation to modify California’s longstanding farmland conservation law could pave the way for large swaths of farm acreage to be repurposed as sites for renewable energy projects. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly known as the Williamson Act, preserves farmland by assessing property taxes based on the land’s agricultural value rather than its full market value. Landowners with Williamson Act contracts, which cover about half the state’s 30 million acres of farm and ranchland, generally see a 20% to 75% reduction in property taxes. … The proposed legislation seeks to align the state’s renewable energy and groundwater management goals. California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, requires users to bring groundwater basins into balance within the next two decades. Related article:  Somach Simmons & Dunn: Blog - Fifth District Appellate Court revisits King & Gardiner farms, now finding agricultural conservation easements may be required under CEQA as partial mitigation for project’s conversion of agricultural land  View Original Article read more

The Wonderful Company, California-based maker of the popular pomegranate juice POM, is the state’s second-largest user of paraquat – a toxic herbicide banned in over 60 countries – a new Environmental Working Group investigation finds.  Studies have found a strong connection between paraquat exposure and an elevated risk of Parkinson’s disease. The chemical has also been linked with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and childhood leukemia. … Wonderful’s brands include POM pomegranate juice, Landmark Vineyards wine and Fiji Water, among many others. In 2021 alone, Wonderful sprayed more than 56,000 pounds of paraquat on California fields where it grows pistachios, almonds and pomegranates, according to state and county records analyzed by EWG. … The herbicide can remain in soil for years.   View Original Article read more

Lake Powell could reach a four-year high this spring and summer as snowmelt supplements the reservoir’s water levels. Lake Mead in Nevada and Arizona and Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona have suffered from a regional drought for years, and excessive water usage is slowly depleting the Colorado River faster than natural weather patterns can fill it. An above-average snowfall and excessive precipitation last spring and this winter have bolstered the water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and new data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation revealed that the nation’s second-largest reservoir could rise by up to 50 feet by mid-summer. Related articles:  ABC 15 – Arizona: Arizona water leaders proposing possible changes to assured water supply rules Denver Post: Opinion -California, Nevada and Arizona must help restore balance of Colorado River View Original Article read more