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#snowpack

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Why #climate researchers are taking the temperature of mountain #snow
As climate change fuels increasingly erratic #weather, #scientists need a better read on #snowpack temperature to understand when water will reach reservoirs—and when it threatens to flood them. technologyreview.com/2025/05/1

MIT Technology Review · Why climate researchers are taking the temperature of mountain snowBy James Temple
Continued thread

"A study of tree rings in the Gaspesie's Sainte-Anne River area reveals that snowpacks have been declining noticeably in the region's mountains for nearly nine decades. The researchers say the phenomenon is directly linked to global warming.

They add that the decline in #snowpack has significant implications for #water management and regional wildlife."

phys.org/news/2025-04-tree-can

Phys.org · Tree rings from Canada's Gaspésie mountains reveal effects of global warming dating back almost a centuryBy Patrick Lejtenyi

Several holdover fires in #BritishColumbia castanet.net/news/BC/471573/Se “At the end of 2023, much of #northeasternBC. remained in #Drought Levels 4 and 5, indicating that adverse impacts were likely and/or almost certain.

#Snowpack has also remained a factor. The February 1 Snow Survey reported that "the provincial snowpack remains very low, averaging 61 per cent of normal across British Columbia."

www.castanet.netHoldover fires persisting through winter in Prince George Fire Centre - BC NewsThe BC Wildfire Service said it is monitoring holdover fires from the 2023 fire season, as in some areas they are smoldering and producing visible smoke.

"The study found a key threshold for the future of snowpacks in the Northern Hemisphere: 17.6 degrees (-8 degrees Celsius). In places where the winter temperature average is colder than that, the #snowpack often survives because it’s cold enough. But areas warmer than 17.6 degrees for a winter average tend to see their winter wonderland dreams melt like the wicked witch of the west. And it’s happening fast. "

#water
apnews.com/article/snow-melt-c

AP News · Climate change is shrinking snowpack in many places, study shows. And it will get worseBy SETH BORENSTEIN

Inside #PolandSpring’s Hidden Attack on #WaterRules It Didn’t Like

By Hiroko Tabuchi | Oct. 24, 2023 | New York Times

"When #Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s #freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. The state had just emerged from #drought, and many Mainers were sympathetic to protecting their snow-fed #lakes and #streams.

“Then a #WallStreet-backed giant called #BlueTriton stepped in.

“BlueTriton isn’t a household name, but its products are. Americans today buy more bottled water than any other packaged drink, and BlueTriton owns many of the nation’s biggest brands, including Poland Spring, named after a natural spring in Maine that ran dry decades ago.

“Maine’s bill threatened BlueTriton’s access to the #groundwater it bottles and sells. The legislation had already gotten a majority vote on the committee and was headed toward the full Legislature, when a lobbyist for BlueTriton proposed an amendment that would gut the entire bill.

“'Strike everything,' starts the proposed amendment, which was written in a Word document that contained a digital signature showing that it had been created by Elizabeth M. Frazier, who represents BlueTriton and is one of the most influential #lobbyists in Maine. The document was e-mailed by Ms. Frazier to lawmakers in the days after the committee vote.

“After BlueTriton’s intervention, the committee pulled the bill back. The company’s actions, which haven’t previously been reported, were described to The New York Times by three state legislators. The Times also reviewed several of the e-mails sent by Ms. Frazier as well as the Word document.

“'We couldn’t believe it. Their amendment strikes the entire bill,' said Christopher Kessler, a Democratic state representative who represents South Portland and a committee member who voted to advance the bill. 'Because all this happened behind closed doors, the public doesn’t know that Poland Spring stalled the process.'

“Bottlers have faced increasing scrutiny for the millions of throwaway #plastic bottles they produce, the marketing message that their products are safer or healthier than tap water, and for a business model in which they buy freshwater, often at low cost, only to sell it back to the public at much higher prices.

“And while the bottled-water business doesn’t use nearly as much groundwater as the nation’s thirstiest industries, like agriculture, the pressure on bottlers is building as awareness grows of the stress that intensive pumping can place on local water supplies. A Times investigation this year revealed that many of the aquifers that supply 90% of the nation’s water systems are being severely depleted as overuse and #GlobalWarming transform fragile #ecosystems.

“BlueTriton has been caught up in issues of local opposition and water use, and not only in Maine. The company also is fighting for access to water sources in numerous states, including #Michigan, #Colorado and others.

“In response to detailed questions, BlueTriton on Monday pointed The Times to a new page on its corporate website. 'After thoughtful consideration, BlueTriton opposes the proposed legislation,' the page says, because the bill 'would make it unaffordable for any large-scale water purchaser, including Poland Spring, to invest in infrastructure and operations.'

“Ms. Frazier didn’t respond to detailed questions.

“Groundwater use is regulated by states, not the federal government, which means there is little national coordination, monitoring or management of a vital natural resource. Maine’s bill seeks, among other things, to put a seven-year limit on contracts for large-scale freshwater pumping by corporations that ship water out of Maine, and to make the deals subject to local approval. That would block BlueTriton’s current efforts to lock in contracts up to 45 years long for pumping water.

“'We couldn’t believe it,' State Representative Christopher Kessler said of the lobbying effort.

“Industries and other interest groups routinely try to influence lawmaking, and there has been no suggestion that Ms. Frazier violated any rules. But it seemed 'unusual procedurally' for a corporation to propose rewriting an entire bill after it had already advanced within the Legislature, said Anthony Moffa, associate professor at the University of Maine School of Law.

“State senator Mark Lawrence, a Democrat who heads the committee considering the bill, said the committee would consider amendments proposed by any interested person or party. In Maine, 'a lot of the legislation that’s proposed is written by lobbyists, companies, different people like that,' he said.

“Mr. Lawrence also said that, at the same time the amendment was proposed, several members had begun to express fresh concerns that the State Legislature would be setting overly stringent curbs on contracts.

“BlueTriton finds itself pitted against local water boards, environmentalists and other groups across the country.

“In Colorado, environmental groups have been battling a 10-year contract that BlueTriton renewed with a semi-arid county to pump water from the Upper Arkansas River Basin, a region affected by historic drought.

“In #California, BlueTriton has publicly criticized and vowed to fight a cease-and-desist order issued by the state’s water board to stop diverting millions of gallons of water from a spring in San Bernardino County.

“In Michigan, lawmakers have proposed legislation that would close a loophole that enables BlueTriton and other commercial water users to pump water from the protected Great Lakes watershed. Known as the 'bottled-water loophole,' it allows for water to be used this way if it’s in containers that are 5.7 gallons or less.

“On its new corporate page, BlueTriton said 'there is no evidence of adverse impacts to the aquifer' in Colorado, and that California’s ruling 'negatively impacts every water agency and farmer in California that relies on groundwater, and in doing so, indirectly harms every Californian.'

“BlueTriton is a major presence in Maine, drawing water from eight locations around the state. It is currently trying to lock in a new contract of up to 45 years to pump water in Lincoln a former mill town.

“That would be BlueTriton’s second decades-long contract in the state, the kind of deals that would run afoul of the State Legislature’s proposed 7-year cap. The company’s pursuit of these deals, and the uncertainties of how climate change may affect Maine’s water supplies in the future, is what inspired the legislation, said Margaret M. O’Neil, the Democratic state legislator who introduced the bill.

“'We’re seeing our communities get locked into these contracts that are going to last, basically, the rest of my lifetime,' which is too risky, she said, considering climate uncertainties.

“In 2016-17 and in 2020-22, Maine experienced significant drought, followed by wet years. The state has also started seeing what scientists call 'snow drought.' As winters warm because of #ClimateChange, #snowpack and groundwater recharge can dwindle.

“John Mullaney, a hydrologist with the USGS's New England Water Science Center, said that a warming climate meant Maine was likely to experience more variability, with stronger rains but also worsening drought. 'The question is, what will we be able to do in 50 years,' he said. 'There might be changes that need to be made, including reducing groundwater extraction.'

“Industry groups emphasize that Maine still has ample groundwater and that bottled water accounts for only a small portion of its use compared to practices like irrigation. They also stress bottled water’s value in emergencies when drinking water is disrupted.

“And in Maine, BlueTriton has a powerful local ally: local water utilities, which say the revenue generated by selling water to bottlers helps keep costs down for everyone else.

“'Turning away a customer that’s seeking to pay money to the utility because of an alleged problem with extraction would be contrary' to ratepayers’ interests, said Roger Crouse, a board member at the Maine Water Utilities Association. 'If they have a contract that could be expiring in seven years, and the math doesn’t work out, they’re going to have to invest their money somewhere else.'

“Still, hydrologists warn that bottled water should not be discounted as an additional strain on aquifers and watersheds, as well as on residential wells. Last month, the US Geological Survey began its first-ever study of how the activities of the bottled water industry result in changes to groundwater levels, spring flows and water quality. 'Withdrawals, no matter what the use, influence movement of groundwater,' Cheryl Dieter, a hydrologist who is leading the study, said in an interview.

“BlueTriton itself is a creation of Wall Street. It is owned by the private equity funds One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co., which paid $4.3 billion in 2021 to buy Nestlé’s North American bottled-water business.

“In Maine, some neighbors of BlueTriton, like Natalie DiPentino, are skeptical of the company for more personal reasons.

“Ms. DiPentino, who lives near Lincoln, can’t prove it but wonders if pumping by Poland Spring contributed to a crisis in her home during a drought in 2017, when her well ran dry along with those of several neighbors. Her family had to haul buckets of river water to flush the toilet, she said. Stores nearby ran out of bottled water.

“After learning about BlueTriton’s proposed 45-year contract at its Lincoln facility, she led calls for a public hearing, arguing that deals were being cut behind closed doors and that Poland Spring would be paying too little, $15,000 a month, for millions of gallons of water. 'You don’t know how badly you need water until you don’t have it in your house,' she said.

“The hearing she sought is now scheduled for next month."

Full article:
waterwatch.org/inside-poland-s

WaterWatchInside Poland Spring’s Hidden Attack on Water Rules It Didn’t LikeBy Hiroko Tabuchi  |  Oct. 24, 2023  |  New York Times When Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. The state had just…

Climate change forecast: Less snow, more rain, less food.

' The data show that while the long term forecast for snowfall is not good, climate change could mean more erratic weather patterns and increased snowfall events in the near term ... But scientists report over time, those events will decline .... as average temperatures continue to rise. Once temperatures reach a "tipping point," snowfall amounts will plummet. '

#ClimateChange #SnowPack #WaterSupplies

upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/11/26

UPI · NOAA report says declining snowpack means worldwide food disruptions - UPI.comBy Mark Moran

Less #pollution settling into #snow should help cut the decline of snowpack in the Northern Hemisphere later this century. Though the #snowpack will still diminish due to rising temperatures, the outlook is less dire when the cleaner snow of the future is considered.
#Environmental #ClimateChange #EarthScience #sflorg
sflorg.com/2023/10/en10122301.

www.sflorg.comCleaner Snow Boosts Future Snowpack PredictionsLess pollution means a cleaner, less diminished snowpack

High drama, ugly deeds, politics and moments of kindness swirl amid the waters of a re-emerging Tulare Lake

The drama was high on the Tulare Lake bed Saturday as #flood #waters pushed some landowners to resort to #heavy #handed and, in one instance,# illegal #tactics, to try and keep their #farm ground #dry — even at the expense of other farmers and some small communities.

Someone illegally cut the banks of Deer Creek in the middle of the night causing water to rush toward the tiny town of Allensworth.

The levee protecting Corcoran had its own protection as an armed guard patrolled the structure to keep it safe.

At the south end of the old lake bed, the J.G. Boswell Company had workers drag a piece of heavy equipment onto the banks of its Homeland Canal to prevent any cuts that would drain Poso Creek water onto Boswell land.

And a tense political battle ended Saturday afternoon with the Kings County Board of Supervisors voting to cut a levee on Boswell’s land to relieve building pressure from the Tule River. A call to a Boswell representative on Saturday wasn’t returned in time for this story.

And this is only the beginning.

“This is just a #baby #flood compared to what we’ll see later this #spring,” predicted Jack Mitchell, head of the Deer Creek Flood Control District.

That’s when the state’s historic #snowpack will run off the mountains and barrel into the valley like a freight train

sjvwater.org/high-drama-ugly-d

SJV WaterHigh drama, ugly deeds, politics and moments of kindness swirl amid the waters of a re-emerging Tulare Lake - SJV WaterHigh drama, ugly deeds, politics and moments of kindness swirl amid the waters of a re-emerging Tulare Lake

Western #snowpack is still looking strong across most states, and #California and the #GreatBasin continue to see record-setting #snowfall. A lot can happen before the next dry season, but, statewide, California's snowpack is at 180% of the end-of-season (April 1) average.

Meanwhile, the #Willamette and coast watersheds in #Oregon have also seen big improvement this month. The Upper Arkansas in #Colorado and the Rio Grande-Mimbres watersheds in #NewMexico continue to struggle.