Sacramento River Temperature Task Group Annual Report of Activities, October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | October 31st, 2016

Safe Drinking Water Plan for California

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | June 9th, 2015

In 1993, the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) (now the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) submitted to the Legislature the report entitled, "Dri

In 1993, the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) (now the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) submitted to the Legislature the report entitled, "Drinking Water into the 21st Century: Safe Drinking Water Plan for California" (1993 Plan). In 1996, the California Legislature enacted Senate Bill (SB) 1307 (Chapter 755, Statutes of 1996). SB 1307 amended Health and Safety (H&S) Code Section 116355 to require a periodic update of the original Plan. The issues that were to be addressed were essentially the same as those included in the 1993 Plan. CDPH assembled a team of experts that conducted extensive reviews and analyses, resulting in a draft plan that included an overview of drinking water regulation, reviews and plans for drinking water quality/monitoring and threats, treatment technologies, funding aspects and financial assistance, and a focus on the challenges faced by small drinking water systems. Following the July 1, 2014 transition of the Drinking Water Program to the State Water Board, the draft plan’s recommendations and implementation plan has been enhanced based on the synergies and resources resulting from incorporation of the program into the State Water Board.  California continues to be dependent on a mixture of surface water and groundwater supplies for drinking water. The degree to which each type of supply is used in a given year is dependent upon the region of the state, water needs, water resource availability, and climatologic conditions within the state. During periods of normal to high rainfall, surface water sources make up a higher percentage of the overall drinking water supplies across the state. However, during periods of lower than average rainfall, use of groundwater increases and surface water supplies are strained. As California’s population has grown since the 1993 Plan was published, the demand on the State’s limited water resources have increased. To meet this demand, many public water systems (PWS) have promoted conservation measures as well as looked to other potential sources of supply such as recycled water and desalination. Mirroring the regulatory scope of the Division of Drinking Water, the scope of this Plan focuses on the state’s public water systems (PWS), as defined in Health and Safety Code 116275(h). These are systems that either have (a) 15 or more service connections or (b) systems that serve at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year. There are currently more than 7,600 PWS in the state. This is a significant reduction from the more than 10,000 that were in existence in 1993.  However, California’s population has grown from approximately 29 million to over 38 million. Of those 7,600 PWS, approximately seven percent serve communities with more than 10,000 service connections (approximately 33,000 people). The majority of PWS serve smaller communities with more than 63 percent of PWS serving communities with less than 200 service connections (approximately 660 people). Many of the small PWS are challenged by lack of technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) capacity; many do not serve drinking water that meets standards (“safe drinking water”). In 2012, California became the first state to enact a Human Right to Water law, AB 685 (Chapter 524, Statutes of 2012). Public policy continues to be focused on the right of every human being to have safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitation. Water supply, contaminants, costs of treatment and distribution systems, the number and nature of small PWSs, especially in disadvantaged communities, and many other factors will continue to challenge progress in addressing the Human Right to Water. The State Water Board is committed to actively pursuing initiatives to address the Human Right to Water, beginning with the state’s residents who are served by PWS but who do not receive safe drinking water.

Safe Drinking Water Plan for California: Report to the Legislature in Compliance with Health and Safety Code Section 116365

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | June 8th, 2015

The State Water Board recognizes that to fulfill the Human Right to Water in California, every resident should have access to affordable, safe drinking water regardless

The State Water Board recognizes that to fulfill the Human Right to Water in California, every resident should have access to affordable, safe drinking water regardless of the water system size. Provided data become available on this topic, in a future update of the Safe Drinking Water Plan the Water Board could expand the scope to include systems below 15 service connections, but to do that would require new and expanded authority, significantly more resources, as well as commitment and involvement of other local and state agency partners. At this time, this report contains 32 practical recommendations in 9 areas that would expand the State Water Board’s efforts to bring a greater number of systems into compliance and contribute to realizing the Human Right to Water in California. Each chapter provides a background discussion covering the areas mandated by the Legislature including a description of problems and issues and a set of conclusions and recommendations with the basis and justification for them. A detailed five-year implementation plan addressing the major recommendations is provided in Appendix 10.

Sailing the Salt Line

Bay Nature | July 2nd, 2024

A strait is a place of motion. Change is a constant in our universe, a fact we humans often struggle with, but certain places are especially good at reminding us of it. T

A strait is a place of motion. Change is a constant in our universe, a fact we humans often struggle with, but certain places are especially good at reminding us of it. The Carquinez Strait itself was only just born, some 560,000 years ago—explosively, according to one theory—when a giant inland lake forced a path to the ocean. This created the unusual inverted river delta (with the fan pointing inland, instead of spreading out onto the coast) that is the San Francisco Bay.

Salinity Changes the Dynamics of Pyrethroid Toxicity in Terms of Behavioral Effects on Newly Hatched Delta Smelt Larvae

Toxics (MDPI) | February 20th, 2021

Salinity can interact with organic compounds and modulate their toxicity. Studies have shown that the fraction of pyrethroid insecticides in the aqueous phase increases w

Salinity can interact with organic compounds and modulate their toxicity. Studies have shown that the fraction of pyrethroid insecticides in the aqueous phase increases with increasing salinity, potentially increasing the risk of exposure for aquatic organisms at higher salinities. In the San Francisco Bay Delta (SFBD) estuary, pyrethroid concentrations increase during the rainy season, coinciding with the spawning season of Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), an endangered, endemic fish. Furthermore, salinity intrusion in the SFBD is exacerbated by global climate change, which may change the dynamics of pyrethroid toxicity on aquatic animals. Therefore, examining the effect of salinity on the sublethal toxicity of pyrethroids is essential for risk assessments, especially during the early life stages of estuarine fishes. To address this, we investigated behavioral effects of permethrin and bifenthrin at three environmentally relevant concentrations across a salinity gradient (0.5, 2 and 6 PSU) on Delta Smelt yolk-sac larvae. Our results suggest that environmentally relevant concentrations of pyrethroids can perturb Delta Smelt larvae behavior even at the lowest concentrations (<1 ng/L) and that salinity can change the dynamic of pyrethroid toxicity in terms of behavioral effects, especially for bifenthrin, where salinity was positively correlated with anti-thigmotaxis at each concentration.

Salinity distribution in heterogeneous coastal aquifers mapped by airborne electromagnetics

Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) | February 8th, 2011

Understanding the hydrologic setting of any given area is a challenging task, especially considering that the amount of available informaon is ofen very sparse re

Understanding the hydrologic setting of any given area is a challenging task, especially considering that the amount of available informaon is ofen very sparse relative to the size of the area and the complexity of the problem. We used geophysical transient electromagnetic (TEM) data from an airborne SkyTEM instrument to investigate discharge of freshwater from a river catchment into a coastal lagoon area, in support of large-scale hydrologic mapping of the HOBE hydrology research center. Existing hydrologic data indicate possible outflow from the catchment underneath the survey area, a hypothesis that was indeed backed up by our geophysical results. The results revealed a stratified geologic setting frequently incised by buried valleys beneath the lagoon. They also showed that the valleys are saturated with sea water, unlike the layers at the same depth that are probably saturated with brackish water. The salinity decreases with depth in large parts of the lagoon. The salinity distribution in the setting indicates the presence of intricate flow systems beneath the coastal area and the lagoon, and we propose that it is governed by the heterogeneity in the geologic setting. We also demonstrated how water depth as well as salinity can be accurately mapped using SkyTEM in combination with a robust and flexible inversion scheme.

Salinity Effects on MUN‐Related Uses of Water

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | December 1st, 2016

Purpose: Summarize current state of knowledge regarding the effects of elevated conductivity, salinity or TDS and hardness on drinking water supply

Purpose: Summarize current state of knowledge regarding the effects of elevated conductivity, salinity or TDS and hardness on drinking water supply and other domestic purposes for water use. Identify/summarize unique concerns related to specific ions (e.g. sodium, chloride, boron, etc.).

Salinity in the Central Valley: An Overview

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | May 3rd, 2006

The Central Valley is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the nation. Population in the Valley is anticipated to increase 39% by the year 2020. Industry and urbaniza

The Central Valley is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the nation. Population in the Valley is anticipated to increase 39% by the year 2020. Industry and urbanization are taking place at an increasing pace, although agriculture is still a dominant economic force here, accounting for 57% of the $6.5 billion in sales of all agricultural products in California in 2002. The Central Valley is also home to wildlife and includes the largest contiguous wetlands area remaining in California. The warm, dry, Mediterranean climate and fertile soils have drawn agricultural users for over a century. The presence of transportation corridors and ready access to workers has enticed industry to move in, and the relatively cheap price of land has encouraged urban development. The open areas and wetlands provide vital habitat for many species, particularly migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. But the very features that make the Central Valley desirable for wildlife, farmers, developers, industry and the general population also contribute to salinity problems. When water is used, salts are left behind. Every time a farmer irrigates a field, every time a managed wetland is flooded, every time an industrial facility conducts some water-requiring process, and every time you or I take a shower, we contribute to the salinity problem because the water we use and release has a higher salinity concentration than what we started with. Sometimes this is because we add salt intentionally (home water softeners, plant fertilizers), but even when no salts are added to the system, evaporation and consumptive use act to concentrate unused salts. Additionally, salts move with water so salts originating in one basin will turn up in another. This is a significant problem when the receiving basin has no reliable way of disposing salt, as is the case in the Tulare Lake Basin; or has only limited capacity to discharge salt, which is the case in the San Joaquin River Basin. We know today that salinity impacts are being felt in the Central Valley and that these impacts are increasing. A very preliminary analysis of salt flux in the Delta, estimated that 700 thousand tons of salt flow into the Delta from the Bay annually and are imported into the State, federal, and other water supply projects. The Tulare Lake and San Joaquin River Basins collectively receive over two million tons of salt annually through water taken in and distributed by state and federal water projects. Because the Tulare Lake Basin is a closed basin with no reliable outlet for the discharge of salts, and there is no other viable option at this time, the majority of the salt imported into the basin from the state and federal water projects (over one million tons per year) is collecting in the basin and is migrating to the basin’s groundwater. For this reason, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Tulare Lake Basin Plan assumes degradation by salt is occurring in the basin and contains a controlled degradation policy for groundwater. A preliminary evaluation of salt migration to groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley estimated that over 400 thousand tons of salt per year were being added to the confined aquifer in the San Joaquin Basin. In a current study, preliminary findings of a USGS investigation have shown chloride levels in the semi-confined aquifer near Stockton are increasing and have been found to be as high as 2,200 mg/l and EC as high as 5,930 ?S/cm A simple analysis of groundwater data from 14 drinking water wells on the south side of Fresno has shown an average increase of 30 ?S/cm in the past 15 years. Although this is not a radical increase, it does indicate that salt imported into the area may be impacting the drinking water aquifer. The mean annual EC levels in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis have nearly doubled since the mid-1940s. Because the San Joaquin River is limited in its capacity to assimilate salts safely, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) has been adopted for salt and boron. The Basin Plan for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Basins has been amended to include the TMDL. The recently completed Draft Soil Survey of Fresno County, California, Western Part states that approximately 400 thousand acres of saline-sodic soils currently exist in the survey area. This acreage constitutes approximately 48 percent of the irrigated land within the boundaries of the survey area, up from approximately 33 percent of the irrigated saline-sodic land identified in 1985, an increase of approximately 120 thousand acres in 18 years. There are currently 4470 acres of active evaporation basins in the Tulare Lake Basin, and this number may be increasing due to recent legislation allowing Integrated Farm Drainage Management Systems for individual farms in salt impaired areas. The Board has stated that evaporation basins are, at best, interim salt management tools, not a final disposal option. Approximately 113 thousand acres on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley have been retired (permanently removed from irrigation) due to regional drainage problems (high salinity, shallow groundwater). More land retirement is anticipated. Salinity problems are often complicated by the presence of other materials. Soils on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley are high in selenium, so any salt management program in the area must also address selenium management. Approximately $40 million in both public and private funds has been spent (as of 2005) to manage salt and selenium problems in the Grassland Drainage Area alone. Water providers are experiencing salinity impacts and costs are being incurred and are being passed on to customers to protect their systems from corrosion and provide the quality of water needed by their customers. Agricultural, industrial, and municipal dischargers in the Region are spending increasingly greater resources on monitoring for, treating, controlling, and managing salt. Over the years, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has been aware of the growing problem of increasing salinity in the Central Valley, but many of the key decisions that must be made in order to control Valley salinity are outside of this Board’s jurisdiction. This report is a first step in opening a dialogue between the stakeholders and decision makers that will need to be involved in a comprehensive, sustainable, salinity management program for the Central Valley and for the State of California.

Salt and Nutrient Management Plan Santa Clara River Valley East Subbasin

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | October 25th, 2016

In accordance with the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) Recycled Water Policy, the Upper Santa Clara River Integrated Regional Water Management Group

In accordance with the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) Recycled Water Policy, the Upper Santa Clara River Integrated Regional Water Management Group (IRWMG), which is comprised of Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA), City of Santa Clarita, CLWA Santa Clarita Water Division (SCWD), Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD), Newhall County Water District (NCWD), San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District (SCVSD) and Valencia Water Company (VWC), have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to prepare a Salt and Nutrient Management Plan (SNMP) for the Santa Clara River Valley East Groundwater Subbasin (East Subbasin). This group of agencies, collectively known as the SNMP Task Force (Task Force) and facilitated by the CLWA, have directed the preparation of this SNMP, which was prepared using guidance set forth by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB). The purpose of this SNMP is to determine the current (ambient) water quality conditions in the East Subbasin and to ensure that all water management practices, including the use of recycled water, are consistent with water quality objectives. This SNMP is intended to provide the framework for water management practices to ensure protection of beneficial uses, and allow for the sustainability of groundwater resources consistent with the Water Quality Control Plan Los Angeles Region (Basin Plan). Additionally, compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and approval by LARWQCB staff is required. As part of the SNMP, a monitoring plan has been developed for the East Subbasin which identifies key monitoring locations within each subunit for both surface water and groundwater.

Salt and Salinity Management (Resource Management Strategy)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 29th, 2016

Unlike the crisis scenarios California routinely prepares for, chronic water quality problems like increasing salinity do not trigger overnight evacuations or mobilize te

Unlike the crisis scenarios California routinely prepares for, chronic water quality problems like increasing salinity do not trigger overnight evacuations or mobilize teams of emergency personnel. Salinity generally shows up in localized areas, expands slowly, and produces incremental rather than event-based effects. Salinity impacts can be measured as yearly reduction of crop production and farmable land across an impacted region, lost jobs, higher utility rates, reduction of community growth potential, loss of habitat, premature corrosion of equipment, and lost opportunities. Salinity issues are rarely considered newsworthy until the impacts have already occurred. Managing salt today can avoid significant cost increases. For one portion of California, a State Water Resources Control Board study found that Central Valley salinity accumulations, if unmanaged, are projected to cause a loss of $2.167 billion in California’s value of goods and services produced by 2030 (Howitt et al. 2009). Income is expected to decline by $941 million, employment by 29,270 jobs, and population by 39,440 due to the increase in commercial operating expenses incurred by water supplies that have higher salinity concentrations. The study examined the impact to irrigated agriculture, confined animal operations, food processors, and residential water users. Potential benefits of implementing a salinity management program just in the Central Valley are estimated to be $10 billion by 2030. There have been similar studies conducted in other parts of the state and nation. The Southern California Salinity Coalition was formed in 2002 to address the critical need to remove salt from water supplies and to preserve water resources in California (see www.socalsalinity.org/index.htm). The Multi-State Salinity Coalition addresses similar issues (see www.multi-statesalinitycoalition.com). Both groups indicate that proactive salt management through combinations of source control, treatment, storage, export, real time management with dilution and recycling, is economically beneficial. Salinity management not only reduces salt loads that impact a region, it is also a key component of securing, maintaining, and recovering usable water supplies. Salt is ubiquitous throughout the environment and it is a conservative constituent meaning it is never destroyed, just concentrated or diluted and transported. It also means that the concentration and loads of salt within any given area will have direct impacts on most of the resource management strategies in place or currently being developed. While there is no single solution that can be implemented to resolve increasing salinity, incremental management steps, such as those outlined in the Recommendations Section, can move the State forward to address this growing threat to the California economy.