Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement

Navajo Nation Water Rights Commission | May 24th, 2024

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Northern and Central Delta-Mendota Regions Revised Groundwater Sustainability Plan

San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) | June 24th, 2022

Within the Delta-Mendota Subbasin, six (6) GSPs have been developed in a coordinated fashion with the goal of achieving sustainability for the Subbasin as a whole. The GS

Within the Delta-Mendota Subbasin, six (6) GSPs have been developed in a coordinated fashion with the goal of achieving sustainability for the Subbasin as a whole. The GSP Groups preparing the coordinated GSPs include: the Aliso Water District GSP Group, Farmers Water District GSP Group, Fresno County GSP Group, Grassland GSP Group, Northern & Central Delta-Mendota Region GSP Group, and San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors GSP Group. This GSP has been developed for the Northern and Central Delta-Mendota Regions, which are comprised of the following eight Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs): Central Delta-Mendota, City of Patterson, DM-II, Northwestern Delta-Mendota, Oro Loma Water District, Patterson Irrigation District, West Stanislaus Irrigation District, and Widren Water District. The Northern & Central Delta-Mendota Region GSP has been developed by these GSAs to meet SGMA regulatory requirements while reflecting local needs and preserving local control over water resources. This GSP provides a path to achieve and document sustainable groundwater management within 20 years following adoption, promoting the long-term sustainability of locally-managed groundwater resources now and into the future. Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Not All Rivers Are Created Equal: The Importance of Spring-Fed Rivers under a Changing Climate

Water (MDPI) | June 12th, 2021

In the Western United States, volcanic spring-fed rivers are anticipated to become increasingly more important for salmonids and other native fishes, as these rivers wil

In the Western United States, volcanic spring-fed rivers are anticipated to become increasingly more important for salmonids and other native fishes, as these rivers will retain cold-water habitats as the climate warms. Despite this, little is known about the hydro-biogeochemical interactions within these ecosystems. A review of existing literature on spring-fed rivers, coupled with a decade of research on volcanic spring-fed rivers of northern California, finds that these systems are exceptionally productive and exhibit stable environmental conditions. These unique conditions stem from hydrogeologic processes typical of young volcanic terrains. Aquatic macrophytes, common to some nutrient-rich spring-fed systems, play a disproportionate role in hydrologic and geomorphic processes by facilitating ecological interactions and velocity conditions that improve juvenile salmonid growth. We find that volcanic spring-fed rivers are also resilient to climate change, due not only to their ability to dampen water temperature changes through deep groundwater flow but also because of their nutrient-driven high ecosystem productivity, which may enable cold-water species to metabolically compensate for marginal increases in water temperature. Understanding the fundamental geomorphic and ecological differences between these rare ecosystems and their numerically dominant runoff rivers is essential for developing long-term conservation strategies for cold-water species under a rapidly changing climate.

Notes on Gold Milling in California

Scientific American | December 28th, 1895

Notice of Entry of Order for Implementation of Preliminary Injunction – Case No. Bcv-22-103220-Gap, Bring Back the Kern et al v. City of Bakersfield et al

Superior Court of California, County of Kern | November 14th, 2023

Notice of Preparation of Environmental Impact Report for the Delta Conveyance Project

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 15th, 2020

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will initiate the preparation of an Environmental Impact R

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will initiate the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. DWR is the lead agency under CEQA. The Delta Conveyance Project will also involve federal agencies that must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), likely requiring the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS). Federal agencies with roles with respect to the project may include approvals or permits issued by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and United States Army Corps of Engineers. To assist in the anticipated federal agencies’ NEPA compliance, DWR will prepare an EIR that includes relevant NEPA information where appropriate. Once the role of the federal lead agency is established, that federal lead agency will publish a Notice of Intent to formally initiate the NEPA process.

Novato Creek Baylands Historical Ecology Study

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | July 31st, 2015

Over the past century and a half, lower Novato Creek and the surrounding tidal wetlands have been heavily modified for flood control and land reclamation purposes. Levees

Over the past century and a half, lower Novato Creek and the surrounding tidal wetlands have been heavily modified for flood control and land reclamation purposes. Levees were built in the tidal portion of the mainstem channel beginning in the late 1800s to convey flood flows out to San Pablo Bay more rapidly and to remove surrounding areas from inundation. Following levee construction, the wetlands surrounding the channel were drained and converted to agricultural, residential, and industrial areas. These changes have resulted in a considerable loss of wetland habitat, reduced sediment transport to marshes and the Bay, and an overall decreased resilience of the system to sea level rise. In addition to tidal wetland modification, land use changes upstream in the Novato Creek watershed have resulted in several challenges for flood control management. Dam construction and increased runoff in the upper watershed have resulted in elevated rates of channel incision, which have increased transport of fine sediment from the upper watershed to lower Novato Creek. Channelization of tributaries and construction of irrigation ditches have likely increased drainage density in the upper watershed, also potentially contributing to increased rates of channel incision and fine sediment production (Collins 1998). Downstream, sediment transport capacity has been reduced by construction of a railroad crossing and loss of tidal prism and channel capacity associated with the diking of the surrounding marsh. As a result of the increased fine sediment supply from the watershed and the loss of sediment transport capacity in lower Novato Creek, sediment aggradation occurs within the channel, which in turn reduces the flood capacity of the channel, necessitating periodic dredging (fig. 1; Collins 1998, PWA 2002).

Novato Creek Baylands Vision

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | November 1st, 2015

As we rethink land management along the San Francisco Bay shoreline in the face of climate change, we know well-functioning resilient tidal landscapes can protect develop

As we rethink land management along the San Francisco Bay shoreline in the face of climate change, we know well-functioning resilient tidal landscapes can protect development and sustain native ecosystems. Here, we present a possible future vision for lower Novato Creek and adjacent baylands that includes several components that would restore and support natural processes, and, in turn, benefit aspects of flood risk management and ecosystem functioning. The Novato Creek Baylands Vision is an element of an EPA-funded project called Flood Control 2.0, which is aimed at advancing new approaches for flood risk management and habitat enhancement along the San Francisco Bay shoreline for the 21st century and beyond.

Novel aquatic ecosystems: The new reality for streams in California and other Mediterranean climate regions

River Research and Applications (Wiley) | September 24th, 2013

Temporary streams in California and other Mediterranean climate areas are among the aquatic habitats most altered by human actions and by invasions by alien species. They

Temporary streams in California and other Mediterranean climate areas are among the aquatic habitats most altered by human actions and by invasions by alien species. They typically support novel ecosystems, defined as ecosystems dominated by new combinations of organisms in highly altered habitats. Although these new ecosystems have many attributes of the ecosystems they replaced, such as native species, they typically contain many new interactions among species. Managers need to recognize this reality to find ways to direct change towards novel ecosystems with desirable features, including native species. The concept of reconciliation ecology is a practical approach to living with the new reality; it includes actively guiding ecosystem change, as illustrated by Putah Creek, Cosumnes River, Eel River and Six Bit Gulch in California. The first three waterways are all highly altered and managed with varying degrees of success to favour desired aquatic species, whereas Six Bit Gulch experiences such extreme conditions that the original ecosystem is still largely intact. The examples illustrate that most aquatic ecosystems in California are so highly altered that attempting to restore them to an earlier condition or stable state is largely not possible. Where more or less intact systems persist, it is usually because extreme environmental conditions restrict both alien invaders and human use in small watersheds. This pattern appears to be fairly typical of streams in Mediterranean climate areas.

NPDES Stormwater Cost Survey

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | January 4th, 2005

Task A – Documenting Stormwater Program Costs  Five California municipalities and one metropolitan area with stormwater programs that are demonstrating meaningful

Task A – Documenting Stormwater Program Costs  Five California municipalities and one metropolitan area with stormwater programs that are demonstrating meaningful progress toward maximum extent practicable (MEP) compliance as identified by Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) staff were surveyed for the most recent stormwater compliance costs. Demonstrating meaningful progress is defined in this report as implementing activities specifically presented in the Storm Water Management Plans (SWMPs). Because permits use an iterative approach that increases requirements until water quality objectives are met, current levels of implementation may not be the ultimate MEP standard. This report does not address the benefits of permit compliance activities. Some scenarios addressing ultimate compliance cost are addressed in Task B. Task A was accomplished by the Office of Water Programs (OWP) at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Task B – Alternative Approaches to Stormwater Quality Control Task B is an assessment of regulatory policy to determine the intent of stormwater regulation regarding advanced treatment. Alternatives for stormwater quality control that are believed to comply with the intent of the regulations are described. Costs were estimated for the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) area. Task B was accomplished by the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).