Environment

From Forest to Faucet: The Health of Headwaters Determines Tap Water Quality

Published

4 years ago

December 17, 2020

Kiki

Shutterstock photo

Depending on where in California you live, some of the water from your faucet probably traveled hundreds of miles from its origins: either a melting snow bank in the high Sierra Nevada or a winter rainstorm that doused its foothills.

That origin point, California’s headwaters, on average receives 60% of the state’s annual precipitation falling as rain or snow. Californians consume roughly the same amount of water after it flows through streams and rivers into reservoirs, accounting for half of the state’s surface water storage.

However, the harsh reality of destructive wildfires that mar every California warm season — especially this year — can also hit these headwater forests. When these catastrophic blazes, which are driven by climate change, burn through forests, they can affect water treatment because ash is washed into watershed streams and rivers.

Intense heat from these fires bakes the ground into hardpan. Seasonal rains wash ash off the surface into streams leading to reservoirs that feed water treatment plants. Water providers can still treat and deliver safe drinking water, but the ash makes the job more difficult because it adds sediment to the reservoirs.

The good news is there are solutions within our reach. Work to achieve those solutions is underway in many parts of the Sierra Nevada and requires reversing a hundred years of well-intentioned, but ultimately destructive forest management.

During most of the last century, wildland firefighting focused exclusively on preventing forest fires from starting. And when one did start, minimizing its size at all costs was the main priority. However, this strategy ignored the natural role of fire over millennia.

Ignited by lightning or set by Native Americans who understood its value, natural fire kept forests thinned and healthy by removing excess undergrowth. These fires tended to creep along the forest floor and burn less hot and in more controlled patterns than today’s raging and record-setting conflagrations.

However, large swaths of forests kept largely free from fire have overgrown. Instead of larger trees spaced apart, much of the Sierra Nevada headwater forests have become a thick carpet of smaller trees packed together and growing over dense underbrush.

Years of severe and intermittent drought have cooked this vegetation into bone-dry kindling, explosive fire fuel that feeds all-consuming fires such as the ones that swept through California and the Pacific Northwest this year.

Removing this undergrowth, thinning headwater forests back to their natural state and restoring the role of fire within the ecosystem represents a massive undertaking, but is not impossible.

In California, public water agencies, environmental nonprofit organizations, as well as local and state agencies and the federal government are collaborating on many levels to enhance headwaters health, and in doing so protect the quality and reliability of our water supplies.

Natural fire has partially returned through what are known as prescribed burns. Set outside of the height of fire season and closely monitored, this tactic has successfully cleared out overgrowth in limited sections of forest. There are risks, and these fires do affect air quality, but the alternative is far worse.

Another tactic, although labor intensive, is employing work crews to manually thin sections of forests. These projects often use heavy machinery, such as masticators, which are tractor-mounted wood chippers.

One example can be found in the Northern Sierra Nevada. The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) is leading a public-private partnership that treated more than 1,000 acres of forest in the Lake Tahoe area during 2019.

Kiki

Posts by Kiki | Website

Related Topics:Placer County Water Agency (PCWA)Sierra Nevada

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California Black Media

Gov. Newsom Goes to Washington to Advocate for California Priorities

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation. During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

Published

4 weeks ago

November 26, 2024

Oakland Post

Gov. Newsom visits the White House on Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of Gov.Ca. Gov

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation.

During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.

“California is continuing our work to secure additional tools and resources to improve access to health care, clean air and water, and secure critical funding to support communities recovering from disasters,” said Newsom.

At the White House, Newsom met with President Joe Biden and key officials, advocating for disaster relief funding, healthcare expansion, and environmental protection. He also engaged in discussions with senior Biden-Harris officials, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, to address water quality improvements and the San Luis Dam project, which will support water supplies for two million Californians.

“Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, California is working closely with the White House over the next two months to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” Newsom said.

On Capitol Hill, Newsom met with California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with other Congressional leaders, to emphasize the need to approve pending disaster funding, healthcare programs, and environmental protections. He also previewed California’s upcoming special session to proactively address potential federal challenges when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

Newsom’s discussions also focused on securing Medicaid waivers from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance behavioral health services and reduce homelessness. The state seeks approval for the BH-CONNECT waiver, which would address behavioral health and homelessness, and the MCO Tax Waiver, which would provide over $20 billion for Medi-Cal to improve healthcare access.

Additionally, California is pushing for Clean Air Act waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are crucial for enforcing air quality regulations. These measures are projected to prevent 11,000 premature deaths and provide $116 billion in health benefits over the next three decades, according to the Governor’s office.

Oakland Post

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

1 month ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
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Business

Gov. Newsom Issues Executive Order to Tackle Rising Electric Bills

Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to help alleviate the financial burden of skyrocketing electric bills on residents. This directive instructs the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Energy Commission to identify strategies to lower electricity costs and prevent rapid increases in the future.

Published

2 months ago

November 6, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Among the key actions proposed, the governor emphasized a closer examination of utility expenditures related to wildfire mitigation, which accounts for about 13% of residential electric bills.

Newsom underscored the state’s commitment to balancing affordability with environmental goals.

“We’re taking action to address rising electricity costs and save consumers money on their bills,” said Newsom. “California is proving that we can address affordability concerns as we continue our world-leading efforts to combat the climate crisis.”

California now has the second-highest electric rates in the country, trailing only Hawaii, with residential bills having surged as much as 110% over the past decade. The largest utilities, including Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric, have seen rate hikes of 20% to 50% in just the last three years, approved by the state’s regulatory bodies.

The executive order also directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to explore increasing the California Climate Credit, which provides some relief on energy costs for residents. Additionally, the PUC is urged to pursue federal funding opportunities to further reduce electric expenses.

While consumer advocates welcomed the governor’s focus on lowering costs, concerns were raised regarding potential cuts to essential clean energy programs. CALPIRG, a consumer group, pointed out that the real issue behind high utility bills is wasteful spending by utilities and urged greater accountability.