This can help ruin your coho run – especially during drought.

Helpful insights on rainfall predictions and the role of predation in species health.

Stephen
From: FISH1IFR@aol.com

To: omni@mcn.org, Discussion@lists.mcn.org CC: ncwaternet@lists.mcn.org, environment@lists.mcn.org Sent: 1/8/2012 1:30:46 P.M. Pacific Standard Time Subj: Re: [NCWaterNet] [MCN-Discussion]- sea lions & water year worries

Just two observations:
(1) sea lion predation on incoming salmon runs is normal, and indicates a healthy ecosystem — salmon advocates may have to gulp a couple of times when they see “all the sea lions” at the mouth of the Klamath River just lining up for their salmon lunch, but this is what sea lions do — eat salmon
– at the mouth of the Klamath River. Even at its most, however, the

“huge numbers” of sea lions some people complain about can only eat a very small fraction of the incoming adult spawners….. and this type of predation is, of course, part of the competition in the wild that keeps salmon evolving and improving as a species in its abilities to evade these predators, improving the stocks.

(2) It is too early to seriously worry about whether this will be a drought year yet. This year is still following the classic La Nina-type weather patterns as predicted — very dry December and VERY WET early months or 2012 well into April. But of course, every water-year is a white-knuckle ride! This is especially true since most of our “predictor” models are based on average year rainfall patterns, not La Nina or El Nino pattern extremes… but of course, “average” is a mathematical fiction, not a real event in most years.

But I would not be terribly concerned about 2012 being a dry or critically dry water year until we have seen what rainfall January brings. And even then, its all a game based on playing the odd (which among scientists are more politely called “exceedence levels”). If January is also critically dry then we are much more certain to be in trouble for the rest of this year. But even now there is contingency planning in process, as is always wise, for worst cases. As they say in the Middle East, “Trust in God, but always tie your camel.”

— Glen Spain

In a message dated 1/7/2012 9:57:39 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, omni@mcn.org writes:
Excellent insight Scott This could be pretty tragic – no rain is expected for couple of weeks. We may be seeing a dramatic reduction in this winter run and a reduction in salmon in many of our rivers. Anyone have helpful thoughts on this? ~BC

The study, by David Ellison, Martyn Futter and Kevin Bishop at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), shows that reducing forest area reduces regional and continental rainfall. This needs to be recognized to obtain a fair picture of the forest role in the hydrologic cycle.

“Are forests good for water? An apparently simple question divides scientists in two camps — those who see trees as demanding water and those who see trees as supplying water,” said David Ellison who works in the Future Forests research program studying resource management. “This paper demonstrates that the difference between these two camps has to do with the spatial scale being considered.”

From a local perspective, a tree is a consumer of water. But on a broader regional scale, forests supply the atmosphere with moisture that will become rainfall. Some dry areas depend almost entirely on rain that comes from forest-covered areas via the atmosphere. The view of forests as a consumer of water influences the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) which includes strategies for water pricing, but fails to consider the contribution of forests to the water cycle. The same goes for the increasingly popular “Water Footprint,” a tool developed to communicate the water usage of a product or process.

Deforestation and land conversion from forest to agriculture or urbanization will have a negative effect on regional precipitation. On a small scale and in the short run it may not be noticeable. But if the loss of forests continues, there is a risk that both rainfall and water supply will decrease in many places. Afforestation and reforestation on the other hand could be used as an invaluable climate change adaptation tool to bring increasing moisture to regions where rainfall is on the decline.

David Ellison argues for the need to change the basic view about the importance of forests in the hydrologic cycle in a new article in the influential journal Global Change Biology. “Forests, whose contribution to the water cycle is crucial for human survival and future well being, should be regarded as a global public good, to be preserved and used for the benefit of all.”

The Future Forests research programme produces research on which to base strategies for the sustainable use of boreal forests. Future Forests is a Mistra programme, hosted by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). It is a joint initiative between SLU, Umeå University and the Forestry Reserach Institute of Sweden.

Dan Bacher
January 5, 2012

Assemblyman Jared Huffman, Chair
Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee
1020 N. Street, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Assemblyman Huffman:

Restore the Delta supports Assemblywoman Huber�s bill AB 550. AB 550 would prohibit the construction of a peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta without a full fiscal analysis and a vote of the Legislature.

Restore the Delta maintains that the people of California deserve to know that due process will take place before tax payers and rate payers are asked to spend billions of dollars on a peripheral canal. It is imperative that our state�s Legislature continues to oversee large-scale projects and does not delegate its authority to unelected bureaucrats who are not held accountable by voters.

Sincerely yours,
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Executive Director
Restore the Delta

Please send copies of the letter to assemblymember.huber [at] assembly.ca.gov<mailto:assemblymember.huber@assembly.ca.gov> , FAX 916-319-2110. For more information about the campaign against the peripheral canal, go to: http://www.restorethedelta.org<http://www.restorethedelta.org/> .

A summary of available online stormwater resources which may be of interest to Citizen Monitors and Watershed Stewards. 

Agency Programs…BMP’s…Monitoring…Videos…Other…

Agency Programs:

EPA Stormwater Program

Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt events flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not percolate into the ground. As the runoff flows over the land or impervious surfaces (paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops), it accumulates debris, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants that could adversely affect water quality if the runoff is discharged untreated. The primary method to control stormwater discharges is the use of best management practices (BMPs). In addition, most stormwater discharges are considered point sources and require coverage under an NPDES permit.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6

Stormwater Basic Information

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swbasicinfo.cfm

SWRCB Storm Water Program

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/

SWRCB Nonpoint Source Program

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nps/

Coastal Commission  Water Quality Program Statewide Nonpoint Source (NPS) www.coastal.ca.gov/nps/npsndx.html

Caltrans Statewide Stormwater Program

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/stormwater/

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/construc/stormwater/stormwater1.htm

Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies

BASMAA was started in response to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program for storm water in an effort to promote regional consistency and to facilitate efficient use of public resources.

http://www.basmaa.org/

BMP’s:

NEMO National Network

The Network was originally envisioned as a cooperative of educational programs that would assist each other in fulfilling their mission of educating local decision makers. But as the Network has grown, it has begun to demonstrate that it can be far more than the sum of its parts, helping to leverage federal and state information, programs and dollars in a unique and effective way.

http://nemonet.uconn.edu/hub/initiatives.htm

LID Atlas

http://clear.uconn.edu/tools/lidmap/

The International Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Database

The International Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Database project website, which features a database of over 400 BMP studies, performance analysis results, tools for use in BMP performance studies, monitoring guidance and other study-related publications. The overall purpose of the project is to provide scientifically sound information to improve the design, selection and performance of BMPs.

http://www.bmpdatabase.org/

Monitoring:

Industrial Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling Guide (EPA 832-B-09-003)

The Industrial Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling Guide (“guide”) is a how‐to primer for industrial facility operators on how to conduct visual and analytical monitoring of stormwater discharges.  The target audience is operators of facilities subject to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 Multi‐Sector General Permit (2008 MSGP) or a similar State‐issued industrial stormwater permit. The information presented will also be useful to anyone interested in industrial stormwater monitoring.  The procedures presented in this guide, specifically related to monitoring methodology and quality assurance, will help ensure that stormwater samples yield usable information.

http://itd.idaho.gov/enviro/storm%20water/MSGP/Monitoring%20and%20Sampling%20Guide.pdf

Urban Stormwater BMP Performance Monitoring

This manual provides targeted practical assistance in conducting water quality monitoring and reporting data that are useful for assessing effectiveness of stormwater best management practices (BMPs).

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/stormwater/monitor.cfm

Developing a Project Assessment and Evaluation Plan

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/paep/

How to do Stormwater Monitoring: A guide for construction sites (State of Washington)

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0610020.html

The Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center

The Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center is designed specifically for stormwater practitioners, local government officials and others that need technical assistance on stormwater management issues. Created and maintained by the Center for Watershed Protection.

http://www.stormwatercenter.net/

Video:

After the Storm

The show highlights three case studies—Santa Monica Bay, the Mississippi River Basin/Gulf of Mexico, and New York City— where polluted runoff threatens watersheds highly valued for recreation, commercial fisheries and navigation, and drinking water. Key scientists and water quality experts, and citizens involved in local and national

watershed protection efforts provide insight into the problems as well as solutions to

today’s water quality challenges. 

http://www.clu-in.org/search/t.focus/id/602/

http://water.epa.gov/action/weatherchannel/

Slow the Flow

Make Your Landscape Act Like a Sponge – A joint production of the Water Board Training Academy, Storm Water Program, brings to life practices and projects that individuals and communities have created to steward our watersheds and slow down the flow of storm water, one of the largest contributors of pollution into our waterways.

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/stormfilm/

Video Highlights of a Unique Effort to Eliminate Plastic Debris

“Nurdles may sound harmless, but these small plastic pellets can do great damage to waterbodies like San Francisco Bay,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “To protect our water resources, EPA is partnering with the State to require manufacturers to take steps to prevent pellet spills.”

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/videos/video_pages/nurdles.shtml

Other:

California Stormwater Quality Association

Formed in 1989 as the California Stormwater Quality Task Force, the SWQTF was a quasi-governmental organization, which advised the State Water Resources Control Board on matters related to developing stormwater regulations – more specifically, it was intended to help California comply with the municipal and industrial National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater mandates of the federal Clean Water Act. The Task Force officially became CASQA in September 2002, when its formal 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization status was approved.  Today… CASQA holds bi-monthly meetings which are open to the public. Anyone can participate in committees and work groups.http://www.casqa.org/

Stormwater USA

Online stormwater training & certification

http://www.stormwaterusa.com/

National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies

http://www.nafsma.org/

By Dan Bacher

Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 983, The Access to Safe Drinking Water Act, on October 7 as part of the Human Right to Water bill package backed by a broad coalition of environmental justice advocates.

The Governor also signed three other bills in the package: AB 938 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella), AB 1221 by Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) and SB 244 by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis).

Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno) introduced The Access to Safe Drinking Water Act to provide disadvantaged communities with the opportunity to apply for state grants that fund the entire cost of desperately needed water infrastructure projects they otherwise couldn’t afford.

“When we talk about the need for clean water, we are not talking about far away third-world countries, we are talking about communities not far from where we all live,” Assemblymember Perea said. “Funding for these projects shouldn’t be a hurdle that prevents families from enjoying clean, safe drinking water.”

State grants already available to disadvantaged communities cover up to 80 percent of a project’s costs but those communities often can’t afford to fund the remaining 20 percent of the project without raising water rates. AB 983 gives them the chance to apply for a grant that would fund 100 percent of a water infrastructure project.

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. noted that he signed this bill as part of a series of bills “to help ensure the availability of clean drinking water to all Californians.”

“Clean drinking water is a basic human right,” said Governor Brown. “The bills I have signed today will help ensure that every Californian has access to clean and safe sources of water. Protecting the water we drink is an absolutely crucial duty of state government.”

The bills that Brown signed include:
AB 54 by Assemblymember Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) – Drinking water.
AB 938 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) – Public water systems.
AB 1194 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Drinking water.
AB 1221 by Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) – State Water Quality Control Fund: State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account.
AB 1292 by Assemblymember Roger Hernandez (D-Baldwin Park) – Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: revenue bonds.
SB 244 by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) – Local government: land use: general plan: disadvantaged unincorporated communities.

While four bills that were part of the Human Right to Water Package were signed by the Governor, AB 685 (Eng-D Monterey Park), the Human Right to Water Measure, was held in the Senate Appropriations Commiteee and never reached Brown’s desk.

California’s failure to provide clean, safe drinking water to its residents captured the attention of the United Nations in a special report released in August as a package of “human right to water” bills proceeded through the State Capitol.

Reporting on her mission to the United States last winter, Catarina de Albuquerque, the U.N. Special Rapportuer on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, cited a host of alarming drinking water supply and sanitation conditions in California.

“Ensuring the rights to water and sanitation for all requires a paradigm shift towards new designs and approaches that promote human rights, that are affordable and that create more value in terms of public health improvements, community development, and global ecosystem protection,” de Albuquerque wrote.

Organizations supporting the Human Right to Water package include the Community Water Center, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and Food & Water Watch.

While Brown signed the series of drinking water bills, his administration continues to push for the construction of the enormously expensive and environmentally destructive peripheral canal through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). The peripheral canal is designed to increase water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to agribusiness and southern California.

If built, the peripheral canal would lead to the extinction of Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento River chinook salmon, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail, green sturgeon and other imperiled Delta fish populations. The BDCP would also take vast tracts of Delta farmland, some of the most fertile land on the planet, out of production to irrigate drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin valley.