Water Quality in the State Water Project, 2000 and 2001

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 1st, 2004

Water quality is routinely monitored at about 30 stations throughout the State Water Project (SWP). Water quality samples are collected by staff of the five field divisio

Water quality is routinely monitored at about 30 stations throughout the State Water Project (SWP). Water quality samples are collected by staff of the five field divisions in the Division of Operations and Maintenance and sent to Bryte Laboratory for analysis. SWP stations include those located in the Feather River watershed, North Bay Aqueduct, South Bay Aqueduct, and the California Aqueduct with its four terminus lakes in Southern California (Figure 1-1). Samples are collected on the third Wednesday of each month at the regular stations. Analyses include minerals, metals, metalloids, nutrients, organic chemicals, and disinfection by-product precursors. Further, around 15 automated water quality stations continuously monitor parameters such as salinity and turbidity on a real-time basis. Station descriptions and water quality constituents analyzed are detailed in Appendix A. Monitoring in the SWP is done on a routine basis to identify trends and assess water quality conditions with respect to long-term trends, operations, hydrology, seasons, emergencies, water treatment issues, and drinking water standards. Primary and secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) apply to drinking water and were compared to SWP data to provide a relative indication of raw water quality. MCLs are presented in Appendix B. Water quality trend assessment focused on salinity, bromide, and organic carbon. Water quality in the California and South Bay Aqueducts was good during 2000 due, in part, to above normal water year conditions in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Drier conditions in 2001 resulted in less favorable water quality with respect to mineralogy. North Bay Aqueduct exports exhibited the usual impairments during winter as a result of organic carbon and turbidity increases. Water quality in the Feather River watershed was excellent, as usual, with low to non-detectable levels of minerals and minor elements.

Water quality measurements in San Francisco Bay by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1969–2015

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | August 8th, 2017

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a place-based research program in San Francisco Bay (USA) that began in 1969 and continues, providing one of the longest reco

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains a place-based research program in San Francisco Bay (USA) that began in 1969 and continues, providing one of the longest records of water-quality measurements in a North American estuary. Constituents include salinity, temperature, light extinction coefficient, and concentrations of chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, suspended particulate matter, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, silicate, and phosphate. We describe the sampling program, analytical methods, structure of the data record, and how to access all measurements made from 1969 through 2015. We provide a summary of how these data have been used by USGS and other researchers to deepen understanding of how estuaries are structured and function differently from the river and ocean ecosystems they bridge.

Water Quality of Groundwater Used for Public Supply in Principal Aquifers of the Western United States

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | September 8th, 2020

Water Quality Science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: Chemical Contaminants and Nutrients

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | July 26th, 2018

This review focuses on contaminants and nutrients in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), and on how findings about them have been sometimes used and sometimes n

This review focuses on contaminants and nutrients in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), and on how findings about them have been sometimes used and sometimes neglected in decisions related to ecosystem health in the Delta. The review considers water quality measurements made both in support of basic research and as part of routine monitoring studies in the Delta. However, the topic of monitoring per se is not comprehensively covered in this review because the Delta ISB is in the initial stages of reviewing the extensive monitoring enterprise in the Delta. This review of water quality is based on responses to a questionnaire sent to government agencies and science programs, interviews with water quality specialists and users of water quality data, relevant scientific publications, presentations observed in workshops and conferences, and public comments received on draft versions of the review. While we sought input from a broad range of stakeholders, we do not assume that we received a complete range of perceptions about this important issue. Additionally, water quality research and monitoring efforts are constantly evolving in the Delta, and several new programs and improvements were made as this review was being researched and prepared. This review should be considered to be part of an ongoing process by the Delta ISB.

Water Recommendations to the Next President

Pacific Institute | September 14th, 2020

The United States faces several severe and worsening water problems. Continuing to neglect these problems will impoverish and sicken this and future generations,

The United States faces several severe and worsening water problems. Continuing to neglect these problems will impoverish and sicken this and future generations, destroy beneficial aquatic ecosystems, and threaten our economy and food supply. Smart water policies will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, improve public health, and speed our economic recovery. In this letter, we offer a short assessment of four key problems and specific recommendations for addressing them.

Water Recycling 2030: Recommendations of California’s Recycled Water Task Force

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 3rd, 2003

Assembly Bill No. 331 was passed by the California Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Gray Davis on October 7, 2001. The bill required the creation of the 2002

Assembly Bill No. 331 was passed by the California Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Gray Davis on October 7, 2001. The bill required the creation of the 2002 Recycled Water Task Force (Task Force) to identify constraints, impediments, and opportunities for the increased use of recycled water and report to the Legislature by July 1, 2003. Although water recycling includes treatment of a broad range of wastewater sources, the Task Force decided to focus on the planned reuse of treated municipal wastewater; specifically, the financial/economic, regulatory, and social issues that typically arise in water recycling projects. Representatives of federal, State, and local agencies, private entities, environmental organizations, universities, concerned individuals and public-interest groups were appointed to the 40-member Task Force in April 2002. The Task Force includes experts in the field of water recycling,  including those involved in the production and use of recycled water, public health officials, world-renowned researchers, environmental organizations, and the public. The Task Force established committees (workgroups) to focus on specific topics of concern and produce reports that served as a basis of Task Force decision-making. The Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), and the DHS provided technical assistance to the Task Force and its workgroups. DHS’ regulations prescribe the level of treatment necessary for the various uses of recycled water. In general, the public has accepted these regulations as being adequate for protection of public health. There are successful indirect potable reuse projects involving groundwater recharge in California and new projects continue to be proposed. However, in some instances, the public has not been receptive to the concept of using recycled water to recharge groundwater basins that serve as drinking water supply sources. Some indirect potable reuse proposals have been mischaracterized by images of recycled water being fed directly into drinking water pipeline systems. The Task Force found the need to involve the public much earlier in the decision-making process for projects, to make the process much more transparent and to provide facts early on in project planning. Therefore, the Task Force devoted considerable attention to issues surrounding public health and the need for increased education and outreach related to the facts and scientific research about recycled water.

Water Reliability in the West - 2021 SECURE Water Act Report

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | January 4th, 2021

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation delivers water for municipal, agricultural, tribal, and environment

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation delivers water for municipal, agricultural, tribal, and environmental water uses, including providing one out of five farmers in the Western United States (West) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60 percent of the Nation’s vegetables and 25 percent of its fruits and nuts. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11), Subtitle F of Title IX of the Act (Science and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and Responsibly Enhance [SECURE] Water Act) recognizes that changes to temperature, precipitation (rainfall and snowfall), and the timing and quantity of snowpack and runoff pose a significant challenge to the protection and use of water resources. Every 5 years, Reclamation submits a report to Congress under the SECURE Water Act that analyzes projected risks to water supplies in the West using the best available science and highlights collaborative efforts to mitigate those risks. This Water Reliability in the West - 2021 SECURE Water Act Report (2021 Report) provides a West-wide assessment of expected changes to water supplies, uses, and demands; highlights progress; and describes actions taken to increase water supply reliability since the 2016 SECURE Water Act Report. Reclamation has a broad range of programs and projects that help increase the reliability of water and power deliveries. Our activities include science and research, planning, infrastructure sustainability, efficient hydropower production, and on-the-ground actions to increase reliable water supplies to meet water demands. These activities are undertaken in collaboration with our customers, stakeholders, and partners. In the West, competing demands for water for farms, cities, Tribes, the environment, recreation, hydropower, and other uses can lead to conflict. Conflict escalates particularly during droughts, which are expected to be more frequent and severe with climate change. Fostering strong relationships is essential to carry out Reclamation’s everyday operations, conduct long-term planning efforts, and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Reclamation operators and planners rely on information about precipitation, snowpack, streamflow, temperatures, water demands, and groundwater to make informed decisions. Reclamation’s 2021 West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment (2021 Assessment) builds on our 2011 and 2016 West-wide assessments of future temperature and precipitation change by using several complementary approaches, including analyses based in paleohydrology derived from tree rings (dendochronology) that help answer this question: “If droughts in the distant past were to occur today, how would water systems perform?” With our Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners, we address challenges resulting from climate change and shifting demographics. We use a multi-faceted approach to support reliable water and hydropower deliveries; to help maintain healthy ecosystems; to protect federally-listed fish, wildlife, and plants, as well as designated critical habitat; and to manage risks (e.g., droughts, floods, and fires). Implementing the SECURE Water Act has served as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation, improving our understanding of climate change impacts to water resources and our ability to address those impacts.

Water requirement of Urban Green Infrastructure under climate change

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | June 16th, 2023

The increased uncertainty of rainfall and high urban temperatures resulting from climate change present challenges for water management in Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI

The increased uncertainty of rainfall and high urban temperatures resulting from climate change present challenges for water management in Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI). UGI is an important component of cities, and it plays a crucial role in addressing various environmental issues (e.g., floods, pollutants, heat islands, etc.). Effective water management of UGI is essential to ensure its environmental and ecological benefits in the face of climate change. However, previous studies have not adequately investigated water management strategies for urban-scale GI under climate change scenarios. This study aims to estimate the current and future water requirement and effective rainfall (rainwater stored in the soil and plant roots available for plant evaporation) to determine the irrigation requirement of UGI during periods of rainfall deficit under current and future climate conditions. The results indicate that the water requirement for UGI will continue to increase under both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, with a higher increase projected under RCP8.5. For instance, the average water requirement for UGI is currently 731.29 mm, and it is projected to increase to 756.45 mm (RCP4.5) and 816.47 mm (RCP8.5) in summer during the period of 2081–2100, assuming low managed water stress condition. In addition, the water requirement of UGI in Seoul is the highest in June (approximately 125–137 mm) and the lowest in December or January (about 5–7 mm). While irrigation is unnecessary in July and August due to sufficient rainfall, other months in Seoul require irrigation when rainfall is insufficient. For example, continuous insufficient rainfall from May to June 2100 and April to June 2081 would need >110 mm (RCP4.5) of irrigation requirement even under high managed water stress condition. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for water management strategies in current and future UGI settings.

Water Resilience Assessment Framework

Pacific Institute | August 24th, 2021

A traditional saying in China is that the water that holds the boat afloat is the same that sinks it. In the context of climate change, water is both a threat and a solu

A traditional saying in China is that the water that holds the boat afloat is the same that sinks it. In the context of climate change, water is both a threat and a solution for most climate impacts. Climate change is driving many types of water challenges, such as water scarcity and abundance, worsening water quality, and shifts in timing of the hydrologic cycle. Shocks and stresses, both predictable and unforeseen, affect the resilience of water systems and the stakeholders that rely on them. Specific guidance on how to understand system resilience and measure systematic changes and intervening actions can ensure a more resilient future for all. The Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF) is intended to inform resilient decision-making to avoid shocks and stresses from becoming crises. The WRAF emphasizes water resilience, not only because water is vital for life, but also because water is embedded in nearly every aspect of our daily lives and the systems that enable and fuel our economies—often in ways we cannot see and do not regularly think about. As such, the WRAF is a method to be used, either individually or collectively, along with existing water-management processes and approaches to gain insight into how we measure progress towards building long-term water resilience.  

Water Resilience Assessment Framework Guidance for Basin Managers and Planning Authorities

Pacific Institute | August 29th, 2024

The world is facing a critical water crisis. This crisis is impacting social, economic and natural systems globally. Climate change is further exacerbating the ma

The world is facing a critical water crisis. This crisis is impacting social, economic and natural systems globally. Climate change is further exacerbating the magnitude and scale of the crisis, and immediate action is needed to build long-term water resilience. Climate change demands immediate changes in how we govern and manage water. While acknowledging the need for adaptation is common, translating this into concrete action within water management remains a challenge. This is where the Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF) enters the picture, offering a practical guide for navigating these complexities.