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In California water news today …
California rice fields offer threatened migratory waterbirds a lifeline
“On a misty December morning, a few dozen sandhill cranes stood in shallow water in the middle of a flooded rice field in the Sacramento Valley, about 90 miles north of San Francisco. The cranes, statuesque wading birds with a long, elegant neck and broad wings, appeared remarkably still for a gregarious species known for their dramatic dance moves. Sandhill cranes jump several feet in the air as they kick their lanky legs helter-skelter, bow their heads and flap wings that span six to seven feet in a spectacular display associated with courtship and bonding between mated pairs. But the birds in the middle of the field did not even move. They were decoys, made of plastic. Still, they fooled one ecologist, from a distance at least. More importantly, the decoys, aided by recordings of the crane’s otherworldly squawks—described by legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold as the “trumpet in the orchestra of evolution”—attracted a few flesh-and-blood birds to their side. It was a good sign for ecologists working to create new roost sites for species that need every inch of habitat they can get. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
No rainfall in sight for California. Here’s how long dry weather will last
“No significant rainfall is in sight for California for weeks as a record-dry start to the wet season continues across the southern half of the state. Wildfire danger remains extraordinarily high across Southern California, with more strong Santa Ana winds expected Monday through Wednesday. “The rare combination of very strong winds, extremely low relative humidity and very dry fuels will support an extended period of widespread critical fire-weather conditions over much of Southern California,” the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center wrote in its long-range fire weather forecast. A stubborn atmospheric blocking pattern that has persisted since Jan. 4 is likely to continue through at least Jan. 26, preventing any storms from nearing the Golden State. With a clockwise-spinning high-pressure system just off the West Coast, storms are being shunted up toward Canada before dropping southward east of the Rocky Mountains. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Following historic wildfire disasters in Southern California, a statewide dry spell intensifies and extreme fire weather conditions persist in the south
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “It’s never good feeling when a dire weather or disaster risk prognostication comes to fruition; that “pit in your stomach” sensation has been described by many meteorologists, climate scientists, emergency managers, and disaster-focused researchers over the years. It certainly encapsulates how I’m feeling this week in the wake of the dual wildland-urban fire catastrophes that have unfolded this week in Los Angeles. The precipitating weather event–a particularly extreme and widespread downslope windstorm that ultimately brought wind gusts as high as 80-100 mph even at some lower valley locations as a result of pronounced “mountain wave” activity–was extremely well predicted (and advertised) in advance. So, too, were the risks posed by increasingly extraordinary antecedent climate conditions consisting of two extremely wet SoCal winters (which facilitated abundant “fine fuel” grass and brush growth), then periods of record heat (from summer into fall) and finally the driest start to the rainy season on record (though early January)–which set the stage for the extreme windstorm to push fires igniting in or near the wildland-urban interface well into populated neighborhoods (and even through commercial areas and downtowns) of suburban LA. … ” Read more from Weather West.
Municipal water systems aren’t designed to fight wildfires, but maybe they should be, experts say
“Hydrants in the hills of the Pacific Palisades ran dry amid one of the worst blazes ever seen in Los Angeles County, forcing firefighters to scramble to draw water from pools and ponds or — even worse — watch as homes and businesses burned. On the other side of the county, water pressure in Altadena dropped to a trickle at times as flames from the Eaton Fire destroyed neighborhoods. As stories of firefighters struggling to find water circulated on social media and in the news, residents demanded answers. The response from local officials was consistent: municipal water systems just aren’t designed to fight such intense and prolonged wildfires. But as climate change makes what were once-in-a-lifetime disasters more common and the borders between urban and wildlands further narrow, stakeholders are now questioning if that needs to change. … ” Read more from the Whittier Daily News.
US FWS seeks comment on proposed critical habitat for foothill yellow-legged frog
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public comment on a proposal to designate 760,071 acres of critical habitat for the four listed distinct populations segments of foothill yellow-legged frog in California that are essential to conservation of the species. The Service is proposing to designate 192,275 acres of critical habitat for the North Feather population (threatened), 307,777 acres for the South Sierra population (endangered), 249,942 acres for the Central Coast population (threatened) and 10,077 acres for the South Coast population (endangered). The foothill yellow-legged frog, named for its yellow belly and underside of its rear legs, is found from Oregon to Southern California. Historical declines of the listed populations were due to mining and altered hydrology related to the development of California’s extensive water infrastructure network. Today, the species faces multiple threats, including altered waterflows related to water infrastructure such as dams and diversions, competition with and predation by non-native species such as bullfrogs and crayfish, disease, precipitation and temperature changes related to climate change , high-severity wildfires, water-related recreation, and habitat conversion and degradation. … ” Read more from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
California Water under a Trump Administration, Part 1 of 2
“This blogpost is the first of a 2 part series exploring the topic from a nonpartisan perspective with a goal of predicting likely outcomes in support of those working on California water issues. Incoming President Trump made California water policy a central talking point in his 2024 presidential campaign, with promises to increase water for farms and cities and decrease water flowing to the Pacific Ocean. It is clear that the incoming administration—much like the first Trump administration—is focused on California Water. In this and a following blog, I examine what this is likely to mean for California water management. A key takeaway is that California will likely be able to continue many of its current water policies, with marginal changes, although there will likely be increased litigation between the state and federal government. The bad news is that even California’s current policies are inadequate to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems across the state, and California is likely to find it even harder to move forward on these fronts while locked in ongoing struggles with the federal government. … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog.
SEE ALSO: Trump may be planning a sharp, extended conflict with California, experts say, from UC Berkeley
A secret weapon in agriculture’s climate fight: Ants
“The ant scurries along on six nimble legs. It catches up to its peers, a line of antennaed bugs roaming the winding surface of a tree, perpetually hunting for food. While doing so, each unknowingly leaves antibiotic microorganisms secreted from its feet. That trail of tiny footprints, indiscernible to the naked eye, is remarkably effective at protecting the tree from pathogens and pests. That makes ants, in the eyes of Ida Cecilie Jensen, a legion of unlikely warriors — one humans should consider enlisting in the fight to grow food in a warming world. “Ants are a Swiss Army knife,” said Jensen, a biologist who studies the symbiotic relationship between ants and agriculture at Aarhus University in Denmark. “Kind of like a multitool for farmers.” Ants also have “so many of the same problems and challenges that we have,” Jensen said. “Luckily for us, they already found a lot of great solutions.” … ” Read more from Grist.
SoCal fires …
LA fire weather forecast warns of ‘particularly dangerous situation’ heading into the new week
“Strong Santa Ana winds and extreme weather conditions are returning this week to a Los Angeles region already reeling from the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires. The National Weather Service warns that the region is in for “continued and persistent strong and gusty Santa Ana winds” in the coming days — with the fiercest winds between 45 mph to 70 mph from 4 a.m. on Tuesday to noon Wednesday. That 32-hour period makes for a “particularly dangerous situation” (PDS) when it comes to fire weather conditions in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, the NWS added. … ” Read more from the LAist.
SEE ALSO: Increasing winds bring potential for ‘explosive fire growth’ across L.A. County this week, from the LA Times
L.A. fires still rage as possible reasons emerge
“Firefighters continue to battle wildfires that broke out Tuesday in Southern California as more than 100,000 residents remain under evacuation orders. To date, the fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed 12,000 structures. Powerful Santa Ana winds, which have come on the heels of an unusually dry season, show no signs of letting up — and officials are bracing for more fire threats through the week. The largest of the three active fires in Los Angeles County is the Palisades Fire, which grew to more than 23,000 acres and was 13% contained as of Sunday evening. Federal officials are looking into whether the fire could have originated from a fire that began New Year’s Eve. Several dozen miles northeast is the deadly Eaton Fire, where investigators are scrutinizing an electrical transmission tower as a possible reason behind the blaze. And officials from the Southern California Edison utility company are investigating if downed equipment is responsible for the Hurst Fire. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Firefighting planes are dumping ocean water on the Los Angeles fires − why using saltwater is typically a last resort
“Firefighters battling the deadly wildfires that raced through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 have been hampered by a limited supply of freshwater. So, when the winds are calm enough, skilled pilots flying planes aptly named Super Scoopers are skimming off 1,500 gallons of seawater at a time and dumping it with high precision on the fires. Using seawater to fight fires can sound like a simple solution – the Pacific Ocean has a seemingly endless supply of water. In emergencies like Southern California is facing, it’s often the only quick solution, though the operation can be risky amid ocean swells. But seawater also has downsides. Saltwater corrodes firefighting equipment and may harm ecosystems, especially those like the chaparral shrublands around Los Angeles that aren’t normally exposed to seawater. Gardeners know that small amounts of salt – added, say, as fertilizer – does not harm plants, but excessive salts can stress and kill plants. While the consequences of adding seawater to ecosystems are not yet well understood, we can gain insights on what to expect by considering the effects of sea-level rise. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Newsom suspends landmark environmental laws to ease rebuilding in wildfire zones
“Landmark California environmental laws will be suspended for wildfire victims seeking to rebuild their homes and businesses, according to an executive order signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Requirements for building permits and reviews in the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act — often considered onerous by developers — will be eased for victims of the fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other communities, according to the order. “California leads the nation in environmental stewardship. I’m not going to give that up,” Newsom told Jacob Soboroff on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But one thing I won’t give into is delay. Delay is denial for people: lives, traditions, places torn apart, torn asunder.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
With eye toward L.A.’s recovery, Governor Newsom issues executive order directing fast action to clear debris, prepare for mudslides and flooding
“Even as the state prepares for another round of severe fire weather with additional firefighting assets augmenting the historic deployment to Southern California, the state is moving quickly to support recovery efforts for the thousands of Californians impacted, and prepare for future risks posed by burn scars and winter weather. Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order to direct fast action on debris removal work and mitigate the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. With much of the winter still ahead, the risk of rainstorms creating new catastrophes in these areas remains high. At the direction of the Governor, the work to prepare for potential mudslides and flooding begins immediately. … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
‘This is your Hurricane Katrina’: Former FEMA heads describe long road ahead for L.A.
“Craig Fugate, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Obama administration, has seen a lot of natural disasters. He knows the difference between destruction and utter devastation, and puts the nation’s truly cataclysmic events — those that erase entire communities in a blink — in a category all their own. The wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles in recent days fit into that group, he said. “This is your Hurricane Katrina,” Fugate said in an interview with The Times. “It will forever change the community. It will be a touch point that everybody will remember, before and after. And for Los Angeles, this will become one of the defining moments of the community, the city and the county’s history.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Once the fires are out, California must remove tons of dangerous debris
“When the flames in Los Angeles County are finally extinguished, the region will face the costly, time-consuming and heart-wrenching task of hauling away tons of toxic rubble. Given the scale of devastation in and around America’s second-largest city, that cleanup could become one of the country’s most complex debris removal efforts ever. In each of the thousands of ash piles where homes once stood, there are remnants of lives upended. But the photo albums and football cards and family heirlooms are intermixed with a noxious cocktail of asbestos, gasoline and lead, a reality that will make cleanup extremely complicated. “We kind of treat each of these properties as its own hazardous waste cleanup site,” said Cory Koger, a debris expert with the Army Corps of Engineers who has responded to several major wildfires, including the fire that destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaii, in 2023. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Could better brush clearance have helped slow the spread of the Palisades fire?
“The allegations flew as fast as the flames. The Palisades fire raging through the coastal mountains of Los Angeles, rich and powerful critics said, wouldn’t have been quite so devastating had authorities done a better job of clearing hillside brush. “We knew the winds were coming. We knew that there was brush that needed to be cleared 20 years ago,” Rick Caruso, the developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, told The Times. “This fire could have been mitigated — maybe not prevented.” Elon Musk wrote on X that the “biggest factor, in my opinion, is that crazy environmental regulations prevent building firebreaks and clearing brush near houses.” And actress-producer Sara Foster chimed in with an X post saying “our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared.” Did these and other second-guessers have a point? Scientists, wildfire specialists and firefighting officials had differing viewpoints. But several of these experts — including strong proponents of brush clearance — said that the winds fanning the flames were so fierce, and ground conditions so dry, that clearing more shrubs wouldn’t have had a significant effect. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Why Los Angeles was unprepared for this fire
“In Los Angeles’s chaparral-covered ecosystem, wildfires in the mountains are an annual ritual. But when those fires leaped into residential neighborhoods this week, killing at least 11 people and destroying thousands of homes, the city suddenly found itself in survival mode. A critical question became why the largest city in California, a state that has spent years fortifying itself against wildfires, couldn’t stop the fires this time. State regulations required residents in high-risk neighborhoods to create vegetation-free buffers around their homes. California had invested billions of dollars to reduce the amount of woody fuel for fires to burn. It boasted the largest firefighting force in the nation. Yet within a few days, decades-old communities and beloved landmarks were gone, and residents were left asking why. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Why Los Angeles, America’s most fire-ready city, became overwhelmed by flames
“The biggest of several wildfires still burning out of control in Los Angeles grew by more than 1,000 acres overnight. At least 319,000 people are now under evacuation orders or in evacuation warning areas. As the firefight continues, questions are beginning to mount about whether L.A. was adequately prepared. Clayton Colbert has good perspective on that. A Malibu resident of 45 years, he stayed behind when the Palisades Fire exploded, figuring he could pump water from his oceanfront home to douse hotspots igniting from embers. “That’s our fire hoses there,” he says, pointing to his do it yourself set-up, “we saw this coming.” … ” Read more from the LAist.
ADDITIONAL FIRE COVERAGE:
- Every California homeowner could pay tab for LA wildfires, from E&E News
- Inconvenient truths about the fires burning in Los Angeles from two fire experts, from AOL News
- California Wildfires and Climate Solutions: A Klamath River Perspective, from Josa Talley, Karuk Tribe at Native News Online
- California Democrats get an early taste of new clashes with Trump as wildfires rage on, from CNN
- Could Donald Trump withhold wildfire aid from California?, from the San Jose Mercury News
In regional water news and commentary today …
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
In hopes of staving off drought, ACID board agrees to accept less water during critically dry years.
“Farmers in parts of Shasta and Tehama counties have officially entered a new contractual agreement with a party which many in the District view as an existential threat: the federal government. On January 9, the five-member board of the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District (ACID) voted unanimously to opt into a federal Drought Protection Program (DPP). The agreement is the result of negotiations between the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors (SRSC), an umbrella group of water irrigators that includes ACID. The DPP lays out a formal contingency plan for how water will be used by ACID and other SRSC members during California’s “critically dry years”. Board members say the agreement in a joint effort by regional, state and federal officials effort to prevent the kind of devastating drought conditions that ACID water users faced during 2022. … ” Read more from the Shasta Scout.
BAY AREA
San Francisco has an underground emergency water supply: How reliable is it?
“The fires in Southern California have many wondering how prepared San Francisco is in the event of a major catastrophe. Sure, San Francisco neighborhoods have plenty of fire hydrants, but as we learned in Southern California, hydrants can run dry. It happened to us during the 1906 earthquake. It’s been a constant reminder. In the last several years, San Francisco has added underground cisterns for a citywide total of 222, many holding up to 75,000 gallons of water. The largest is located near city hall with a capacity of more than 240,000 gallons of water. “You can easily find them. There’s a round circle of bricks used in main intersections,” said Tony Rivera, the former assistant deputy chief for the San Francisco Fire Department. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
Rising tides could wipe out Pacifica, but residents can’t agree on how to respond
“Walking along a cliff in northern Pacifica, City Council member Christine Boles winced as she pointed toward orange tape and scraps of foundation. Nearly a decade ago, an apartment complex was evacuated and demolished there because the bluff it perched upon was gradually crumbling into the sea. As Boles, 61, gazed at the long-vacant lot on Esplanade Avenue on a recent foggy Monday, she reflected on the power of Mother Nature. “When people fight the ocean,” Boles said, “the ocean always wins.” Pacifica, a picturesque surf town of roughly 35,000 just south of San Francisco, has become an important case study for the increasingly urgent questions climate change raises for many coastal communities. Should residents stay to defend their homes from rising tides that grow fiercer by the year? Or, should they admit defeat and cede the land back to nature? … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Do we need to drink our pee to save the fish?
Sherry Listgarten writes, “Over 2.7 million of us in the Bay Area get our water from the High Sierra (1), a water source so clean that the San Francisco Public Utilities District (SFPUC) doesn’t need to filter the water before delivering it to our homes. (2) Our water is not cheap, but it comes from a pristine source. That may be changing. The SFPUC and several other local water utilities, including Palo Alto, are considering alternative water sources to augment the Hetch Hetchy supply. One of the most promising appears to be “direct potable reuse,” sometimes referred to as “toilet to tap” by its detractors. Advanced filtration and chemical processes can convert raw sewage to water that meets or exceeds all health and aesthetic standards in a matter of hours. Until recently, water districts were required to inject treated wastewater into groundwater, so it would enter our drinking supply only indirectly. Orange County has augmented their groundwater this way for decades. But new regulations approved in October now allow for direct delivery to customers, and our water agencies are starting to incorporate that option into their planning. Why are they doing this? … ” Continue reading at Pleasanton Weekly.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Cadiz turns to tribes to fund project
“As downtown-based water infrastructure company Cadiz Inc. is well into the third decade of its pursuit of a massive water storage and transfer project in the Mojave Desert, it’s turning to a novel funding source: Native American tribes. In late November, Cadiz obtained a letter of intent from the Santa Rosa-based Lytton Rancheria of California Native American tribe to invest up to $50 million in the Cadiz project, also known as the Mojave Groundwater Bank. In an interview earlier this month, Cadiz Chief Executive Susan Kennedy said the company is now in talks with about a half-dozen other tribes. The aim, she said, is to obtain financial commitments from these tribes that, in combination with bond sales and other sources of financing, should cover the $800 million cost of the project. “We are hoping to close on project financing by the end of the first quarter,” Kennedy said. … ” Read more from the LA Business Journal.
Along the Colorado River …
Reclamation announces over $284 million for long-term conservation projects in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River
“The Bureau of Reclamation today announced a $284.8 million investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for long-term conservation projects in collaboration with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the Coachella Valley Water District. The projects, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, will conserve a combined 492,531 acre-feet of Colorado River water to shore up Lake Mead. “These investments through the Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, are yielding hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water savings,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Thanks to historic resources provided through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are advancing essential water infrastructure projects that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change and safeguard communities in the Colorado River Basin.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Water for Navajo is the latest victim of Colorado River Basin governance dysfunction
“Winters rights are no match for the current dysfunction of Colorado River Basin governance. Shannon Mullane at the Colorado Sun has been on this, and last week had some useful details: “Advocates of a deal to secure reliable water for thousands of tribal members in Arizona raced to win Congressional approval until the final hours of the session in December. They didn’t make it. “We just ran out of time to address all the issues,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and principal negotiator for the state on Colorado River matters.” Part of the catch is the cost. … ” Continue reading at Inkstain.
In national water news today …
Three-quarters of the world’s land is drying out, “redefining life on earth”
“As Earth grows warmer, its ground is becoming drier and saltier, with profound consequences for the planet’s 8 billion inhabitants—nearly a third of whom already live in places where water is increasingly scarce and the ability to raise crops and livestock is increasingly difficult. Climate change is accelerating this trend. New research has found global warming has made 77 percent of the Earth’s land drier over the past three decades while rapidly increasing the proportion of excessively salty soils. Drylands, or arid areas where water is hard to come by, now make up more than 40 percent of the planet (excluding Antarctica), a likely permanent consequence of climate change, according to a landmark report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, or UNCCD. Another new analysis, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, found that roughly 10 percent of the world’s soils are affected by excess salt, with another 2.5 billion acres at risk. … ” Read more from EOS.
