Tulare Lake

Second Amended Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Plan 2024

Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (DEID GSA) | July 1st, 2024

In January of 2020, the DEID GSA submitted its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The GSP provided technical doc

In January of 2020, the DEID GSA submitted its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The GSP provided technical documentation of the DEID Management Area’s existing sustainability, along with addressing the needs of the Earlimart Public Utility District and Richgrove Community Services District. The GSP outlined specific management actions that will be taken in accordance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. DWR’s review of the Tule Subbasin, as a whole, resulted in an incomplete determination, to which the GSAs in the Tule Subbasin had 180 days to respond. The GSA’s in the Tule Subbasin provided revised GSPs on July 27, 2022, which DWR also determined were inadequate, causing the Tule Subbasin to transition to the oversight of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The draft GSP found below includes updates to specifically address comments received from the SWRCB and their staff in anticipation of the Tule Subbasin probationary hearing on September 17, 2024. Comments on the 2nd amended GSP can be submitted to info@deid.org and will be accepted through August 18, 2024. Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Senate Bill No. 1157

State of California | September 28th, 2022

Senate Bill No. 389, Chapter 486, An act to amend Section 1051 of the Water Code, relating to water

State of California Office of Legislative Counsel | October 8th, 2023

Click here for analysis by Legal Planet.

Click here for analysis by Legal Planet.

Sensitivity of Mountain Hydroclimate Simulations in Variable-Resolution CESM to Microphysics and Horizontal Resolution

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | July 31st, 2018

Serum concentrations of PFASs and exposure-related behaviors in African American and non-Hispanic white women

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (Springer) | January 8th, 2019

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a wide range of consumer products for their water- and grease-resistant properties, but few studies have e

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are used in a wide range of consumer products for their water- and grease-resistant properties, but few studies have explored this exposure route. We used multiple regression to investigate associations between six self-reported behaviors hypothesized to influence PFAS exposure and serum concentrations of six PFAS chemicals in 178 middle-aged women enrolled in the Child Health and Development Studies, about half of whom are African American. Blood samples were collected in 2010–2013, and participants were interviewed about behavior in 2015–2016. Results showed that African American women had lower levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) compared with non-Hispanic white women. In African Americans, but not others, frequent consumption of prepared food in coated cardboard containers was associated with higher levels of four PFASs. Flossing with Oral-B Glide, having stain-resistant carpet or furniture, and living in a city served by a PFAS-contaminated water supply were also associated with higher levels of some PFASs. Product testing using particle-induced γ-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy confirmed that Oral-B Glide and competitor flosses contained detectable fluorine. Despite the delay between blood collection and interview, these results strengthen the evidence for exposure to PFASs from food packaging and implicate exposure from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based dental floss for the first time.

SGMA and Underrepresented Farmers

Clean Water Action | May 31st, 2022

Groundwater resources play a vital role in maintaining environmental sustainability in California. During a typical year, approximately 40 percent of the state’s total

Groundwater resources play a vital role in maintaining environmental sustainability in California. During a typical year, approximately 40 percent of the state’s total water supply comes from groundwater. During dry years, groundwater contributes 60 percent (or more) of the state’s total supply, and serves as a critical buffer against the impacts of drought and climate change. This paper responds to concerns expressed by groundwater sustainability advocates that underrepresented farmers have not been included in the development and implementation of Groundwater SustainabilityPlans (GSPs) under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014. It contains results from the evaluation of 14 Groundwater Sustainability Plans (12 from the San Joaquin Valley and 2 from the Central Coast) with a focus on stakeholder engagement and projected impacts of groundwater decline on underrepresented farmers.

Sharpening of cold-season storms over the western United States

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | January 19th, 2023

Winter storms are responsible for billion-dollar economic losses in the western United States. Because storm structures are not well resolved by global climate models, it

Winter storms are responsible for billion-dollar economic losses in the western United States. Because storm structures are not well resolved by global climate models, it is not well established how single events and their structures change with warming. Here we use regional storm-resolving simulations to investigate climate change impact on western US winter storms. Under a high-emissions scenario, precipitation volume from the top 20% of winter storms is projected to increase by up to 40% across the region by mid-century. The average increase in precipitation volume (31%) is contributed by 22% from increasing area coverage and 19% from increasing storm intensity, while a robust storm sharpening with larger increase in storm centre precipitation compared with increase in storm area reduces precipitation volume by 10%. Ignoring storm sharpening could result in overestimation of the changes in design storms currently used in infrastructure planning in the region.

Shifts in the thermal niche of almond under climate change

Climatic Change (Springer) | December 5th, 2017

Delineating geographic shifts in crop cultivation under future climate conditions provides information for land use and water management planning, and insights to meeting

Delineating geographic shifts in crop cultivation under future climate conditions provides information for land use and water management planning, and insights to meeting future demand. A suitability modeling approach was used to map the thermal niche of almond cultivation and phenological development across the Western United States (US) through the mid-21st century. The Central Valley of California remains thermally suitable for almond cultivation through the mid-21st century, and opportunities for expansion appear in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, which is currently limited by insufficient heat accumulation. Modeled almond phenology shows a compression in reproductive development under future climate. By the mid-21st century, almond phenology in the Central Valley showed ~ 2-week delay in chill accumulation and ~ 1- and ~ 2.5-week advance in the timing of bloom and harvest, respectively. Although other climatic and non-climatic restrictions to almond cultivation may exist, these results highlight opportunities for shifts in the geography of high-value cropping systems, which may influence growers’ long-term land use decisions, and shape regional water and agricultural industry discussions regarding climate change adaptation options.

Short-lived pause in Central California subsidence after heavy winter precipitation of 2017

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | August 29th, 2018

The Tulare Basin in Central California is a site of intensive agricultural activity and extraction of groundwater, with pronounced ground subsidence and degradation of wa

The Tulare Basin in Central California is a site of intensive agricultural activity and extraction of groundwater, with pronounced ground subsidence and degradation of water resources over the past century. Spatially extensive observations of ground displacements from satellite-based remote sensing allow us to infer the response of the aquifer system to changes in usage and to marked recharge events such as the heavy winter rainfall in 2017. Radar imagery from the Sentinel-1a/b satellites (November 2014 to October 2017) illuminates secular and seasonal trends modulated by changes in withdrawal rates and the magnitude of winter precipitation. Despite the increased precipitation in early 2017 that led to a marked decrease, or in some areas, reversal, of subsidence rates, subsidence returned to rates observed during the drought within a matter of months.

Short‐lived pause in Central California subsidence after heavy winter precipitation of 2017

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | August 29th, 2018

The Tulare Basin in Central California is a site of intensive agricultural activity and extraction of groundwater, with pronounced ground subsidence and degrada

The Tulare Basin in Central California is a site of intensive agricultural activity and extraction of groundwater, with pronounced ground subsidence and degradation of water resources over the past century. Spatially extensive observations of ground displacements from satellite-based remote sensing allow us to infer the response of the aquifer system to changes in usage and to marked recharge events such as the heavy winter rainfall in 2017. Radar imagery from the Sentinel-1a/b satellites (November 2014 to October 2017) illuminates secular and seasonal trends modulated by changes in withdrawal rates and the magnitude of winter precipitation. Despite the increased precipitation in early 2017 that led to a marked decrease, or in some areas, reversal, of subsidence rates, subsidence returned to rates observed during the drought within a matter of months.