Sediment Removal as a Water Management Strategy

1. Sediment Removal as aWater Management Strategy 2014 Sierra Water Workgroup Summit June 13, 2014

2. Panel Overview • Introduction [Liz] • The bill and preliminary coordination effort • Sedimentation basics [Minear] • A planning tool to assess sediment removal [Yates] • Evaluating sediment removal as one of a portfolio of strategies [Groves] • SWWG project and outreach [Betancourt] • Discussion

3. Upper Watersheds 25 “Rim” watersheds delineated by land use and elevation

4. McCloud R. Trinity R. Sacramento R. Central Valley Water Management Model Trinity Clear Ck Upper Pit R. Whiskeytown Shasta Pit R. 1 Cow Ck. Cottonwood Ck Battle Ck. Almanor Elder/Thomes Ck Big Chico Ck. North and Middle Fk. Feather R. East Park/Stony Gorge/Black Butte Butte Ck. Oroville Tehama-Colusa Canal South Fk. Feather R. Glen-Colusa Canal New Bullards Bar Stony Ck. Sutter Bypass North Fk. Yuba R. Middle and South Fk. Yuba R. Camp Far West Bear R. Clear Lake Cache Ck. Cross Canal North and Middle Fk. American R. Sacramento R. Yolo Bypass South Fk. American Berryessa Putah Ck. Folsom Cosumnes R. Camanche Pardee Mokelumne R. Net Delta Outflow DELTA New Hogan Calaveras R. Tulloch New Melones Stanislaus R. Delta-Mendota Canal California Aqueduct San Joaquin River New Don Pedro Tuolumne R. McClure Merced R. San Luis Eastman/Hensley Chowchilla/Fresno R. Eastside Bypass Madera Canal Millerton San Joaquin R. San Luis San Luis Canal Friant-Kern Canal James Bypass/Fresno Slough Pine Flats Kings R. Kaweah Kaweah R. Tulare Lake Success Tule R. Coastal Aqueduct Isabella Kern R.

5. California Water Balance

6. Regional Water Balances (2005) • The bulk of developed water originates in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Tulare Lake Regions

7. Water Supply Impacts • Earlier runoff into reservoirs by end of century • Annual runoff volume about the same Sacramento, Feather, & American River Inflows 2065 - 2099 1 Million Acre-Feet = 326 Billion Gallons

8. Sacramento & San Joaquin Valley Irrigation Increasing Agricultural Demands • Irrigation requirements increase with rising temperature under Business As Usual assumptions 1 Million Acre-Feet = 326 Billion Gallons

9. Zooming in to a regional Application Mehta et al, 2011 “Potential Impacts on Hydrology and Hydropower Production Under Climate Warming of the Sierra Nevada.” Journal of Water and Climate Change 2, no. 1 (March 2011): 29. doi:10.2166/wcc.2011.054.

10. Example Output: New Bullards Bar Storage, Upstream Flows

11. Example Output: Applied Irrigation Water

12. Example Output: Annual Hydropower

13. THANK YOU

14. Evaluating Sediment Removal as Part of A Water Management Portfolio • Recap Central Valley vulnerability and response option analysis for California Water Plan Update 2013 • Approach for incorporating sediment removal as a strategy

15. California Water Plan analysis looks into the uncertain future… • How vulnerable is California’s water management system? • How can the water managementcommunity reduce these vulnerabilities? • Builds on the scenario analysis begun for California Water Plan 2005 Update • Focuses on Central Valley • Evaluates plausible futures out to 2050 • Uses new data and tools

16. Nine land use scenarios reflect uncertain population growth and land use patters • Three population projections for the Central Valley • Low population: 11 million habitants • Current trends: 13 million habitants • High population: 16 million habitants • Three urban density scenarios • Low: More single family homes, less irrigated agricultural land • Current • High: More multi family homes, more irrigated agricultural land

17. Twenty-two climate scenarios reflect uncertainty about hydrologic conditions Historical with extended drought and warming Downscaled GCM projections Historical with extended drought

18. Performance of water management system evaluated using four key metrics • Urban reliability • Agricultural reliability • Groundwater levels • Environmental flows

19. Which management strategies can reduce these vulnerabilities? Urban water use efficiency Agricultural water use efficiency Recycled municipal water Conjunctive management New environmental flow targets Groundwater recovery targets New surface storage Sediment removal

20. How would sedimentremoval stack up? • Sierra-wide assessment • How much sediment would need to be removed to affect state-wide water objectives under climate change? • What costs would be acceptable? • Watershed assessment • Develop refined WEAP model of specific watershed and operations • Evaluate broader range of uncertainties and objectives

21. SWWG Project - Overview • Based on SWWG structure – IRWM-focus • IRWM-based outreach • Regional groups (SNA, SNC, SBA, MCWRA, etc.) • RWMGs • Interest-groups • Individuals

22. SWWG Project – Phased Approach • Phase I • Outreach • Data gathering with dam owners/managers • Screening-level analysis • Assessment of impact on regional and statewide water resources management • Identification of target detail area, based on: • Interest of stakeholders • Results of assessment

23. SWWG Project – Phased Approach • Phase II • Focus on specific watershed/storage system • Based on stakeholder interest and outcome of assessment • Discuss and assess specific benefits: • On a regional and statewide basis • Response to climate change and other future uncertainty • General feasibility assessment: cost/benefit

24. Discussion Questions • What critical uncertainties would affect sediment removal as a strategy? • What metrics should be used to evaluate sediment removal? • What more do we need to know?