El Dorado County Water Digest

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center is sponsoring its third annual circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe, a kayaking journey that takes place June 19-25.

California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways, the Department of Water Resources and Cal Fire are urging the public to be aware of cold-water dangers this spring as record snowpack is causing flow levels not seen in years.

El Dorado County is adding $275,000 to its 2022-23 facilities capital work plan for emergency repairs to the Veterans Memorial Building in Placerville after it sustained winter storm damage.

According to a new study, ponderosa pine forests in the Sierra Nevada that were wiped out by western pine beetles won’t recover to pre-drought densities. But there’s less risk of another huge die-off this century because the bark beetles will have fewer host trees.

The Department of Water Resources conducted the fourth snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, ecording 126.5 inches of snow depth.

Steve Griffin, a resident of the Hidden Lake neighborhood north of Placerville, told the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors he had sent out 50 notices to property owners and received positive feedback on transferring ownership of the lake to a private party or community entity.

Facing the challenges of fire, rain and snow, the Georgetown Divide Public Utilities District staff continues to move forward with the district’s capital improvement plan.

“The Lake of the Sky” is grabbing attention this winter for more than one reason. Emerald Bay froze completely, including the inlet, for the first time in many years.

Directors of the El Dorado Irrigation District voted 4-1 to accept the midrange bid for a cost-of-service analysis by NBS. Director Lori Anzini shifted her vote from the Feb. 27 meeting when she and Director Alan Day voted for the lowest total cost bid.

The California Tahoe Conservancy Board approved a $250,000 grant to Tahoe Resource Conservation District for aquatic invasive plant surveillance and rapid response.

Rain on snow events bring unique challenges to wastewater operations at Lake Tahoe. As streets and meadows flood, stormwater seeps through manholes and into the sewer system.

Many people are looking at the snow and water levels and asking that question. The answer depends on where you are in the West and how you define “drought.” A researcher at the Desert Research Institute’s Western Regional Climate Center explains.

The nonprofit environmental group released the results of two projects: one that uses a beach-cleaning robot to remove trash hidden in the sand, and another designed to measure the 2021 Caldor Fire’s impacts on the Tahoe ecosystem.

What does flipping mean? It means Lake Tahoe’s waters fully mixed vertically from top to bottom. While this is an annual event in shallower lakes, with Tahoe’s 1,640-foot depth, it’s a less common occurrence.

Georgetown Divide Public Utility District General Manager Nicholas Schneider gave a detailed six–month review of the 2022-23 budget. Some unanticipated expenses were incurred due to the Mosquito Fire emergency but the water district is pursuing grants for full or partial reimbursement for those expenses.

At its Feb. 13 meeting, the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors heard an information item about EID’s more than 50 above-ground storage reservoirs.

The El Dorado Water Agency has filled its bottle with a new water resources engineer. Rebecca Guo is new to the agency's official staff but is not treading uncharted waters.

A $4.4 billion project on the Sacramento River to add dams and store more water that will be sent south, the Sites Reservoir is still years away from completion. The final environmental report is expected this year.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is building a new environment and education center designed around opportunities for the public to learn.

Forty deep-water and “hotspot” trash clean-ups are planned in Lake Tahoe and will be expanded to other lakes and reservoirs in the High Sierra.

Some impacts of fires are well known, and now a new study shows how wildfires combined with midwinter drought conditions accelerate snowmelt

California has given the federal government its own counterproposal for apportioning reductions of Colorado River water, saying a plan offered by six other states would disproportionately burden farms and cities in Southern California.

As 2022 turned to 2023, El Dorado Irrigation District general manager Jim Abercrombie writes that he is grateful for the excellent work done by EID last year.

Jenkinson Lake reached capacity and began to flow into the spillway for the first time since February 2019, according to El Dorado Irrigation District.

The Department of Water Resources conducted the first manual snow survey of the season at Phillips Station Jan. 3, recording 55.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 17.5 inches, which is 177% of average for the location.

“Urban development, increasing tourism, and climate related disturbances are all growing challenges for Lake Tahoe’s water quality,” says US Environmental Protection Agency press officer Joshua Alexander.

A conservation effort to acquire lands in the Cosumnes River watershed area received $1 million from state agency the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The $1 million will go toward a fundraising effort by American River Conservancy.

A U.S.-French satellite that will map most of the world's water has rocketed into orbit. The predawn launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base capped a successful year for NASA. The satellite will conduct the first global survey of its kind.

The California Tahoe Conservancy Board approved actions allowing the Conservancy to continue pursuing acquisition of 31.2 acres of environmentally sensitive land along the Upper Truckee River.

Stanford scientists have genetically re-programmed plants to grow roots that change how they gather nutrients or water.

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy Governing Board authorized $10 million in Watershed Improvement Program grants for conservation projects; $1 million will be used to acquire 1,000 acres on the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County.

In the fall, rice fields in the Sacramento Valley usually shine golden brown as they await harvesting. This year, however, many fields were left covered with bare dirt.