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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sites Reservoir Project water rights hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending petition for Sites Reservoir Project water rights. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@swrcbadministrativehearing728/featured. Click here for the hearing notice.
- WORKSHOP: State Water Board’s proposed stormwater infiltration water quality control policy beginning at 10am. The State Water Resources Control Board staff will hold two informal virtual public workshops to provide an opportunity for public discussion and feedback on a proposed statewide Water Quality Control Policy (Policy) for urban stormwater infiltration. Both workshops will cover the same information provided by staff. State Water Board staff will present an overview of the proposed scope of the project and preliminary requirements considered at this time. The informal workshops will include opportunities for the public and interested parties to discuss and provide feedback on the information presented. This is the second of two workshops. Click here to register. Click here for the workshop notice. Click here for a fact sheet on the Urban Stormwater Infiltration Policy.
- WEBINAR: CCST Science and Technology Week Expert Briefing: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Research and California Policy from 12pm to 1pm. As the final event of CCST’s Science and Technology week, this expert briefing will explore the pipeline that connects scientific research to policy development in California, identifying critical gaps and proposing actionable solutions to strengthen these connections. By fostering dialogue among all participants of the research-to-policy pipeline, the session aims to address barriers, highlight opportunities, and chart a path forward for impactful science-policy partnerships. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Explore the Biodiversity of California from 7pm to 8:30pm. Learn about California’s extraordinary biodiversity. With the highest number of species found in any state (including over 30% of all plant and vertebrate species found in the U.S), California is one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots. Tragically, the state’s biodiversity is also threatened by human encroachment, climate change, invasive species, and pollution. In this lecture, we’ll discuss California’s imperiled biodiversity and what is being done to help conserve it. Included topics will be the Atlas of the Biodiversity of California, a book published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that includes a collection of maps, stunning photographs, and artistic illustrations — all depicting the state’s rich diversity of plant and animal species. We will also discuss the state’s 30×30 initiative to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. The 30×30 initiative will help meet three overarching objectives: conserve and restore the state’s biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
The risk for flooding continues this week
“A dramatic flip in the weather pattern is sending multiple storms into the West Coast on the heels of a January that was mainly dry across the region. Two waves of precipitation are impacting the West Coast this week. … A brief break in the wet weather occurred on Wednesday before the next storm moved into the Pacific coast. Rounds of rain and mountain snow began to push into western Washington to far Northern California Wednesday afternoon. This second wave will bring much colder air, allowing for more widespread snow. “With colder air coming down out of Canada and the Northwest with this storm, snow levels will be lower than during the storm earlier in the week,” explained Zehr. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Snow drought current conditions and impacts in the West
“The previous month saw extremely dry conditions across most of the West, leading to snow deficits in more basins and the development of snow drought. Exceptional snow drought persists in the Southwest (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah) as a result of record dry conditions. Lower elevation snow drought developed across Alaska due to record-breaking temperatures and precipitation falling as rain instead of snow. A recent storm cycle brought welcome moisture back to the Pacific Northwest, but deficits still remain in the region. La Niña conditions are present and expected to persist from February–April 2025 (59% chance). A La Niña pattern generally favors wetter conditions in the Northwest and drier conditions in the Southwest, and normal to above-average temperatures. … ” Continue reading from NIDIS.
SEE ALSO: Improving drought predictions by tackling challenges in simulating snow, from NIDIS
Why California’s wettest storms can be its trickiest
“Last week, as forecasters at the National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area looked at a series of storms that would hammer the region, they predicted that some areas in the North Bay would see six to eight inches of rain between Saturday and Tuesday. Instead, around a foot of rain fell at the wettest locations. Highways were flooded, landslides were triggered, and rivers swelled. By Tuesday afternoon, a house slid down a saturated hillside and fell into the Russian River in Sonoma County. Evening evacuation orders were issued, hours before the swollen river started spilling over onto a handful of roadways. … “We got a little more rain than expected, and the rivers responded more than expected as well,” said Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist with the Weather Service. “A couple days ago we didn’t expect any of the rivers to flood.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
How prepared are California’s levees?
“First, there was President Trump’s executive order to release billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in the Central Valley, a move the Feds walked back after farmers and water experts decried it as wasteful, ill-conceived — and an unnecessary risk factor for levees in the region. … Then came this week’s atmospheric rivers, which keep people like Pinter on watch during California’s rainy season. That’s because the condition of California’s levees is, by and large, already precarious. In its 2019 infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state’s levees a ‘D,’ citing that despite significant investments, much more work is needed to rehabilitate and improve them. With more rain in the forecast, here’s what to know about California’s levees … ” Read more from KQED.
Transfers, groundwater overuse, voluntary agreements, and lots of $$$: Aqualliance and allies sue Glenn Colusa Irrigation District
“AquAlliance, Central Delta Water Agency, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and the California Water Impact Network filed a challenge to the final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Water Reduction Program Agreement Between the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation, Individual Sacramento River Settlement Contractors, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Sacramento Superior Court on January 28, 2025. The lawsuit alleges violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with Glenn Colusa Irrigation District’s approval of the FEIR, such as the FEIR failed to disclose the alarming subsidence trends in the Colusa Subbasin where much of the Project’s activities will occur; the Project description only provided a general description of the proposed drought resiliency projects, including the proposed conjunctive use program to artificially recharge surface and groundwater supplies, and never identified where each project will be implemented or what the scale of these projects will be. … ” Continue reading from AquAlliance.
California battles invasive nutria as eradication bill advances
“California is intensifying its fight against the invasive nutria, commonly known as swamp rats, as they continue to spread across Fresno County and the Delta region. A bill, spearheaded by Congressmen David Valadao and Josh Harder, has passed the House and aims to extend funding for nutria eradication efforts for another five years. “Communities in California and across the country are in a war right now against the giant swamp rats,” said Congressman Josh Harder. The Nutria Eradication Control Act, initially passed in 2020, is part of this ongoing battle. … ” Read more from KMPH.
Backup power and full water tanks should be required in face of wildfire, lawmaker says
“It’s been more than seven years since fire hydrants in southern Ventura County rapidly ran dry as the Thomas fire exploded — something Assemblymember Steve Bennett hoped he would never see repeated. But in November, firefighters again found themselves short on water as the Mountain fire roared through the foothills of Camarillo. Officials later confirmed that at least one water pump there was offline for almost nine hours before it was connected to backup power. Power losses also left area water pumps useless for hours during the 2017 Thomas fire. Pumps are needed to refill high-elevation tanks to maintain water pressure. “I thought, after the Thomas fire, all water districts would put in backup generators,” Bennett said. But that was not the case. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
California decides what ‘regenerative agriculture’ means. Sort of.
“California urgently needs to improve its soil. Better soil produces healthier food, but it also holds more water—a boon for a wildfire state with depleted groundwater. Better soil also holds more carbon, making it an effective tool to combat the climate crisis. One way to improve soil is through regenerative agriculture, an array of sustainable farming practices that, as of January, are gathered under an official definition in the state of California. The question is, will the new definition do any good? Broadly speaking, regenerative agriculture improves soil health and carbon sequestration through diverse crop rotations, animal grazing, limited tillage, and reduced (or eliminated) external inputs like fertilizer and pesticides. But it also has wider benefits, including farmer wellbeing, community engagement, and ethical animal husbandry. The problem is that it’s notoriously hard to define. No federal or scientific definition exists, leaving the term open to interpretation—and greenwashing. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
Trump and water …
Newsom and Trump both want to be water king
“President Donald Trump said he’d withhold wildfire disaster aid to California unless Gov. Gavin Newsom goes his way on water. Newsom appears to have gotten the message. The governor has been working hard to show he also wants to send more water to the state’s farmers and cities ahead of his trip to Washington, D.C., today, where he met with lawmakers and Trump to make the pitch for federal recovery funds for the Los Angeles fires. It’s not a huge policy pivot for the governor, whom environmental groups have long lambasted for waiving some environmental rules in the sensitive Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to export more water and pushing for a tunnel there to reroute more flows south. But Newsom’s tone has shifted, in line with his strategy to work with rather than antagonize the president, and he’s being more blunt than before. … ” Read more from Politico.
SEE ALSO: Governor Newsom meets with President Trump and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle on disaster relief for LA firestorm survivors, from the Office of the Governor
Water managers vent frustration over water dump from Tulare County lakes; pivot to Delta issues
“Outflow from Success and Kaweah lakes is back down to a trickle but bewilderment is still riding high among Tulare County water managers. The sudden and untimely belch of water from those lakes and – more importantly – how it happened was the main topic during the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District meeting on Tuesday. “In the big picture, the amount of water was not huge. It was the process,” said board member Brian Watte. “He (President Trump) has no idea how bad he effed up.” The releases were made starting Jan. 30 by the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates both dams, per a Jan. 24 presidential executive order that mandated federal officials exert all efforts to get more water to southern California to fight wildfires. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Trump dumped these farmers’ water. They’d rather not talk about it.
“California farmers — some of President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters in the deep blue state — are sticking with him, even after he wasted their water. At least publicly, the farmers and their Republican allies are brushing off the president’s abrupt move last week to dump more than 2 billion gallons of their irrigation water from reservoirs in the name of aiding Los Angeles wildfires — even though the fires were already contained and the water couldn’t have made it to Los Angeles anyway. Zack Stuller, a farmer with citrus and almond orchards he irrigates from the reservoirs and president of the Tulare County Farm Bureau in the state’s arid Central Valley, said the situation “definitely was a little nerve-wracking for a while.” But, he said, “I’m a farmer. I have a conservative mindset. I encourage the trigger-pulling attitude, like, ‘Hey, let’s just get stuff done.’” … ” Read more from Politico.
Trump dumps funding for Delta smelt breeding program
“President Donald Trump is reportedly pulling all funding for a program that supports the delta smelt. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that UC Davis, which runs a captive breeding program to help the delta smelt survive, is having its funding cut. The big picture: According to the report, UC Davis scientists were told last month that their funding from the Bureau of Reclamation will not be renewed. Federal funding expires at the end of February, and university officials told the Chronicle that they have other funding sources to continue to program through the end of the year. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Statement by the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley on the combined federal and state efforts to improve water supplies for the San Joaquin Valley
“The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley expresses its appreciation to both President Trump and Governor Newsom for their concerted efforts to address the chronic water supply shortages that have long plagued our region. We are encouraged by the decisive actions taken by both leaders, who have directed their respective agencies to remove obstacles and identify specific solutions to deliver more water to the San Joaquin Valley. This bipartisan approach demonstrates a shared commitment to resolving a critical issue that has had a devastating effect on the farms that produce much of the nation’s food, the livelihoods of countless residents, and the economic vitality of our communities. Through their respective Executive Orders, both President Trump and Governor Newsom have created a path to reduce or suspend regulatory impediments to meeting the San Joaquin Valley’s critical water supply needs. … ” Read more at Water Wrights.
In commentary today …
Trump wasted water? Newsom channeling Trump? Welcome to the mad, mad world of Californian water
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “There is a school of thought that the 2.2 billion gallons of water that President Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release last week that flowed from the Lake Kaweah and Lake Success reservoirs was wasted. There is another school that contends Gov. Gavin Newsom was caving into Trump’s misconceptions regarding how California manages its water by his own order to divert into storage excessive flows generated by the current atmospheric river events drenching Northern California. Sorry, but both views expressed and advanced in media coverage by various water interest spokespeople were a bit self-serving. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Commentary: California’s smart and vocal farmers are silent about Trump as he wasted their water
Opinion columnist Tom Philp writes, “Agriculture is a form of legalized gambling here in California, our land is prone to deluge or drought. Our farmers, relentlessly adapting, are as innovative as any set of suits in Silicon Valley, learning new ways to grow more food with less water. As sure as the sun, our farmers have always shared their views of California politics as they relentlessly pursue the water necessary to grow much of the nation’s fruits and vegetables. Yet now, an eerie silence has begun descending over California farming. A candidate many of them undoubtedly supported for president, Donald Trump, has shockingly wasted some of their water in a downright dangerous stunt unlike anything in memory. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
PG&E releases final plan for removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams and elimination of Lake Pillsbury
“Pacific Gas & Electric is closing in on final plans for removal of Scott and Cape Horn dams and will hold a virtual meeting today to discuss the process outlined in its draft decommissioning plan. At more than 2,000 pages in length, the draft Surrender Application and Decommissioning Plan (the password to access the document is PW_Surrender) describes in detail the deconstruction of the century-old Potter Valley hydropower plant and surrounding features, including Lake Pillsbury. It’s packed with particulars about the dismantling of the dams, the removal of campgrounds and picnic areas and restoration of areas inundated by water when the dams went up. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Are the Eel River dams coming down? PG&E releases final decommissioning plan and will give a public presentation about it tomorrow
“Could the dams on the upper Eel River be coming down for good? Late last week, PG&E issued a 2,000-plus-page plan to decommission and demolish its two dams on the upper stretches of the Eel River – Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, in Lake County and Mendocino County, respectively. These long-troubled dams were built over 100 years ago for the purpose of generating electricity, and had the side effects of rerouting water from the Eel River into the Russian River watershed. Also, they blocked fish passage into a bunch of prime habitat. The dams have long been unprofitable, PG&E has been trying to get rid of them since at least 2018. They haven’t generated any power at all since 2011 2021. Now the utility is ready to take them down. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Next winter storm brings more higher elevation snow
“The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has issued two warnings for the Lake Tahoe Area – a Winter Storm Warning and an Avalanche Watch. The next storm heading to the Sierra brings a chance for heavy snow, especially at upper elevations. The warning, from 10 a.m. Thursday to noon on Friday says above 6500 feet will have 6-10 inches of snow, with 2-3 feet at the highest mountain peaks. Ridge winds will be gusting as high as 100 mph with gusts up the 50 mph at lower elevations. Waves on Lake Tahoe will be between 2-4 feet. Lake level will see rain before temperatures drop, with a total of snow with this system of about 2-4 inches. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
Cultural fire is the Washoe Tribe’s answer to beat back climate-fueled wildfires
“It’s a sun-splashed afternoon in a forest near South Lake Tahoe, where large fir and pine trees stretch into the clear blue sky, and dozens of tribal members are eager to learn about cultural burning. But first, they have to learn how to control and put out fires. That’s why a group is huddled around a heavy-duty water pump with two thick fire hoses connected to it. One hose is in a tub of water the size of an above-ground pool, and the other is unraveled a few dozen yards away. “We have everything connected,” says Jeremy Miles Placencia, a U.S. Forest Service forestry technician leading the demonstration. “We have our discharge hose. Now we can set up the fuel line.” And then Placencia revs up the water pump, which roars like an angry lawn mower, echoing through the forest. Water pushes through the extended hose, like a snake coming to life. Now, participants can practice spraying pressurized water as if they were putting out a fire. … ” Continue reading from KUNR.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Keswick Dam too full will send 5 times more water down Sacramento River due to storms
“Colleen Palmer spent Wednesday scrambling to get guests and tenants at Marina RV Park packed and safely to higher ground before the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation quintuples the amount of water flowing out of Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River. After heavy rainstorms raised Lake Shasta waters more than 12 feet in two days, the bureau announced it would increase water releases from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River starting Thursday. Water releases will jump from 7,500 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, to 20,000 cfs by Thursday morning, then to 40,000 cfs on Friday. The Redding Fire Department will arrive in the evening to make sure all of Palmer’s tenants safely evacuated, she said, as she rushed to help people move from the lower level of Marina RV Park, along the Sacramento River, on Wednesday afternoon. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
A look at Folsom Lake’s water levels after days of rain soaks Northern California
“While getting soaked working outside during Tuesday’s latest atmospheric river-driven storm, I wondered how big of an impact the rain and snow were having on area reservoirs and the Sierra snowpack in the first few days of February. Here is what I found based on data supplied by the California Department of Water Resources. Since the start of the month, Folsom Lake’s water level has risen more than 12 feet and continues to rise. … ” Read more from KCRA.
NAPA/SONOMA
Floodwaters surge in Sonoma, Napa counties — evacuations ordered, rescues underway
“After a barrage of heavy downpours, rivers across Sonoma and Napa counties have swollen beyond forecasts, flooding roads, homes and businesses, with more rain on the way, according to the California Nevada River Forecast Center. By 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Russian River surged past 35 feet in Guerneville, reaching moderate flood stage, a level that typically swamps the Mirabel RV Park & Campground in Forestville. As of 1 p.m., the river remained around 36.5 feet, according to the River Forecast Center. Flood-prone homes and businesses have taken on water, but officials say it’s unclear whether the river has peaked. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
After storm floods parts of North Bay, there’s little time to prepare for more rain
“The Russian River and other North Bay waterways have reached flood stages after Tuesday’s atmospheric river-fueled storm, prompting evacuation orders and threatening many low-lying areas of Sonoma County. Although Wednesday will bring a break from the rain, the rivers have been swollen after hours of downpour. According to the National Weather Service, another wave of showers on Thursday could worsen the flooding and mudslide risk as days of wet weather wear on. “Today is a lull or a break in the rainfall,” said Crystal Oudit, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Bay Area office. “The concern is that Thursday going into Friday, we’re going to get another push for rain, and because the soil’s already saturated, that can increase the risk of floods again.” As of Wednesday morning, the Russian River at Guerneville had reached moderate flood levels, cresting at just over 36 feet around 8 a.m. It is expected to recede out of flood stage by the evening, but Oudit said a flood warning will remain in effect until Thursday morning. … ” Read more from KQED.
BAY AREA
Final Bay Area storm in current weather pattern brings with it colder air. It won’t be departing with the rain
“The rain from the last in a series of three storms that first started last week blew in Thursday morning considerably colder than the previous two, according to the National Weather Service. It will be well out of the Bay Area by Friday. The cold will not be. “Through the weekend, it’s going to get very cold,” NWS meteorologist Roger Gass said. “Those cold temps are going to last until about midway into next week. Then the next storm door is going to open again.” The current storm door has been a wide one. Rain that had gathered moisture among warmer temperatures and taken on the characteristics of an atmospheric river delivered two warm storms that brought flooding to the North Bay, and high rainfall totals elsewhere. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Atmospheric river storm breaks San Francisco rain record set in 1887
“An atmospheric river event that slammed California this week is expected to subside Wednesday after causing some flooding, mudslides and major downpours in the northern part of the state. As of Wednesday morning, the cold front has passed through the Bay Area. The region should have a break in wet weather for the rest of today until a weaker system brings lighter showers Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. In lieu of rain, though, a colder and drier air mass is expected to blanket the Bay Area, with temperatures about 10 degrees colder than Tuesday. The weather service has issued a frost advisory for the North Bay interior valleys. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
How Trump’s attack on environmental programs is already affecting local conservation work
“A scientist loses sight of recovery for an endangered butterfly he’s spent his career protecting. An environmental justice nonprofit director anticipates possible layoffs. A forest expert watches wildfire risks grow as critical work gets delayed. A fish passage barrier that has blocked steelhead trout migrations for years was set to be removed this summer; now it might stand for years more. Bay Nature has talked to more than 15 nonprofit leaders, lawyers, scientists, conservation practitioners, and agency staff working with programs receiving BIL or IRA money across the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, one thing is clear: The raft of memos, executive orders and other Trump administration actions have left environmental work in the Bay Area and beyond in “confusion and chaos,” says Redgie Collins, the legal and policy director for California Trout. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
Santa Clara County sues companies over PFAS in firefighting foams, more
“Products containing PFAS—including firefighting foams—manufactured by 3M, DuPont and several other manufacturers have contributed to California’s “health crisis,” a county alleges in a lawsuit recently filed against the companies. Newsweek reached out to 3M and DuPont via email for comment. The lawsuit comes as concerns rise nationwide about the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in products and waterways. PFAS encompass thousands of man-made chemicals found in everyday items like nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-resistant food wrappers, water-resistant clothing and other items. PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because of the long time they take to break down, can cause harm in high exposure amounts. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Lake Berryessa’s spillway fully active after Northern California atmospheric river
“In what has become a much-anticipated sight, the morning glory spillway at Lake Berryessa is now active after this week’s storms. After an extended dry spell that started off 2025, Northern California was hit by an atmospheric river that dumped a deluge of precipitation on the region. Lake Berryessa, a manmade reservoir in Napa County created by the Monticello Dam, has been hovering at a 436′ water surface level since the beginning of the year. The lake spills at the 440′ mark thanks to a gravity-fed piece of engineering that helps prevent the dam from overtopping. This spillway has become affectionately known by Northern Californians as the “Glory Hole.” … ” Read more from CBS News.
CENTRAL COAST
San Luis Obispo County supervisors clash over creating agency to charge water fees in Paso Robles basin
“The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors took a step toward creating an agency that could charge fees for pumping water from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin at Tuesday’s board meeting — but few in attendance were supportive of the decision. If created, the Joint Powers Authority would have the power to levy those fees, which would fund programs designed to balance the basin along with administrative tasks like monitoring wells and writing annual reports. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via AOL News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Stanislaus County approves new road to bypass proposed reservoir. Court decision reversed
“Stanislaus County supervisors approved a new route Tuesday for Del Puerto Canyon Road to make way for a reservoir west of Patterson. The proposed reservoir, just west of Interstate 5, would inundate a section of the road that winds through Del Puerto Canyon. Supervisors approved a 3.9-mile alternative route starting at Del Puerto Canyon Road, about half a mile from the intersection of Sperry Road and Interstate 5. From there, the new road will cross over foothill terrain to reconnect with Del Puerto Canyon Road near the 5-mile mark in the canyon. According to a study that analyzed 10 possible routes, the new road will traverse through a valley for 1.25 miles and cross a bridge before reaching the canyon near the mouth of the reservoir. A preliminary estimate for the road’s cost is $110 million, which is the responsibility of the reservoir project…. ” Read more from the Modesto Bee. | Read via AOL News.
Porterville City Council approves forming GSA with Porterville Irrigation District
“After some discussion of what the city’s representation would be the Porterville City Council voted to enter into an agreement with the Porterville Irrigation District to form their own groundwater sustainability agency. By a 4-1 vote the council approved a motion to join with PID in forming the Porterville Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Councilman Stan Green voted against the motion, stating he needed more time to research the issue. Councilman Greg Meister, Raymond Beltran, A.J. Rivas and Ed McKervey all voted in favor of the motion. The city of Porterville will need involved in some kind of management of their own groundwater policy as the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency is heading toward disillusion. All of the agencies, with the exception of the County of Tulare, have either formed their own agencies or are in the process of doing so. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Record-breaking rain lashes California, with more on the way
“A record-setting atmospheric river has moved out of California, but the stage is set for even more rain in the week ahead. Following a relatively modest-looking storm that’s expected to arrive in Southern California on Thursday afternoon, forecasters are tracking another, potentially more powerful system that could douse the Southland before or around Valentine’s Day. There is now a 20% chance that there could be high amounts of rain between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office. That’s up from a 10% chance that was forecast a day earlier. “It’s not a slam dunk that Southern California is going to be wet, but the odds are much more favorable — increasing especially the past day or so — that we will have a significant atmospheric river in California, and that significant rainfall could make it into Southern California,” said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s San Diego office. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Rain falls across Southern California, with wildfire burn areas prepped for debris flow
“The first of two storm systems expected to douse Southern California brought rain across most of the area overnight, raising fears of possible mud and debris flows, but forecasters said the storm was weaker than anticipated, and no flooding was expected. The “main part” of the storm had moved through the region by late morning Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which said “off-and-on drizzle or light rain” will be possible through Thursday, when the next storm front moves in. “Rain rates will remain under a tenth of an inch per hour, so (there are) no flooding or debris flow concerns,” according to the NWS. “The next storm is still on track for Thursday night into Friday.” … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
Wildfire waste will be processed at Will Rogers Beach after initial EPA requests were denied
“The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will use the parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach to handle toxic waste being cleared out of the Palisades Fire zone, despite earlier claims by EPA officials that requests to use this location were denied. In a press release issued by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, it was confirmed that, “The parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach will serve as a temporary site for damaged household hazardous materials transported from nearby properties to be processed, securely packaged, and safely loaded for transportation to a permanent disposal or recycling facility outside of the area. This location is suitable because it is flat, open land in close proximity to damaged properties that require debris removal.” This decision was criticized by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, which she said was made with “zero transparency.” … ” Read more from the Santa Monica Daily Press.
SEE ALSO: Cal OES Watershed Protection Mission: Frequently Asked Questions For Residents, from Cal OES
Researchers tested sandboxes and street dust for lead after the Eaton Fire. Here’s what they found
“Late last month, before the rains arrived, USC professor Seth John traveled through foothill neighborhoods devastated by the Eaton Fire, gathering street dust to test for lead. Another USC professor, Sam Silva, visited public parks and preschools, sampling sandboxes he and his friend’s kids played in. Concerns have arisen following the deadly fire after thousands of older buildings, where lead paint is often present, burned, raising questions about how far ash, laden with toxic heavy metals, has spread across the region. John and his graduate students tested 19 samples gathered every half mile or so, from La Cañada Flintridge to Monrovia. Some from right in front of burned homes and others from neighborhoods where homes were spared, but blanketed in wildfire ash. The result? They found a lot of variability between the sites. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Here’s how the Los Angeles wildfires are affecting animals, from fish to snakes to birds
“On January 23, dozens of biologists laden with electrified backpacks, nets and buckets marched into the smoldering moonscape that the Palisades Fire had created in the Santa Monica Mountains. A rescue mission was afoot, with no time to waste—rain was coming. While moisture would help quell the fires that had been burning for weeks, water flowing over denuded slopes would wash toxic ash into Topanga Creek, suffocating much of the life within. This waterway was home to precious steelhead trout, the genetically unique southern population that persists in only a few creeks in Southern California—hence this massive and heroic deployment by the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks and others. Before the day was done, the fish rescue teams trekked over miles of creek, used electrofishing and nets to nab as many fish as possible, put them in buckets, and climbed up steep slopes to trucks waiting to take the fish to safety. … ” Read more from Salon Magazine.
Column: Slow the spread of fire? ‘We have to get rid of the palm trees’
“Kathryn Barger’s mother used to tell her that “trees do make a community.” But given the flammability of Southern California, which will soon be rebuilding and replanting after massive destruction from the recent fires, what kind of trees are safest? I have some answers, because tree-loving readers have been responding to my column in which Barger, a member of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, said treeless neighborhoods can be sterile, and I said better sterile than reduced to ash. My intent was to suggest that given climate change, wildland proximity and the horror of wind-driven blazes that routinely devour neighborhoods, we need to be smart about how and where we rebuild and replant. But I didn’t articulate that very well, and I’ve since learned a few things, thanks to readers and experts, including my colleague Jeanette Marantos. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Imperial Valley’s first lithium project moving forward again after court denies legal challenge
“Development of a major lithium project in northern Imperial County is lurching ahead after a county judge threw out a lawsuit that had frozen construction for close to a year. The planned Hell’s Kitchen Project would be the region’s first operational commercial lithium extraction plant. Situated near the Salton Sea, it aims to collect dissolved particles of the valuable mineral from searing hot water deep below the valley and is being built by the privately-held energy firm Controlled Thermal Resources, or CTR. The lawsuit that blocked it was brought early last year by two environmental justice groups, Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks. They accused Imperial County officials of rushing their environmental analysis of the plant and underestimating its future impacts on the region’s water, air and tribal cultural resources. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
Is Lake Mead in peril? Snowpack declines in the West, worrying some
“Water managers aren’t in for the exceptional year they had hoped for, with snowpack across the West underperforming in the latest federal update, released Wednesday. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, where the majority of the flow into Lake Mead originates, snowpack sits at 85 percent of the historic median — a noticeable decline from January numbers that put it closer to 95 percent. The Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada, important for flows to rural groundwater users, continues to fall short, at zero percent of the median as of Wednesday. Tom Albright, a UNR professor who serves as Nevada’s deputy state climatologist, said Southern Nevada’s dry streak — more than 200 days of no measurable rain and nearly nonexistent snowfall — is a harbinger of what’s to come throughout the West. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Top Colorado River official pushed to resign by Trump
“One of the West’s top water officials was pushed to resign by the Trump administration. Anne Castle was appointed to serve as federal representative to the Upper Colorado River Commission by the Biden administration in 2022. It’s not uncommon for her position to turn over with a change in the White House. But Castle says she’s worried about the future under Trump. She says recent orders to release water from California reservoirs were based on a “total lack of understanding about how the system works.” “While it’s rational, I think, for us to think that the Colorado River system and its policy direction isn’t partisan, and therefore may be safe … while that’s rational to think, these are not rational orders,” Castle said…. ” Read more from KJZZ.
The Colorado River is salty. But where does salinity come from, and what’s being done about it?
“Of all the challenges facing the Colorado River, there’s at least one that all stakeholders are working on collaboratively, not competitively — salinity. Since 1974, the seven Colorado River basin states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — have coordinated efforts to implement salinity control in the waterway as part of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum. The forum was created by the U.S. Congress, flowing funding through the Bureau of Reclamation to reduce the salt load in the river and research the issue. “The fact that the seven states, despite all of the scratching and kicking that’s going on on the water quantity side, still meet twice a year, collegially with the bureau, and everybody works together. It’s quite remarkable and sort of an anomaly,” said David Robbins, a water and environmental attorney who has been involved with the salinity control program and forum on behalf of Colorado since 1975. … ” Read more from Summit Daily.
In national water news today …
EPA lifts spending freeze on some environmental funding
“The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday directed agency officials to allow the disbursement of funds from at least some programs under the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act that had been paused since Jan. 20, according to an internal memo viewed by POLITICO. The memo cites a ruling by a federal judge on Monday that barred agencies from enforcing any remaining elements of the Trump administration’s spending freeze. “Consistent with the Order, the agency’s financial system will now enable the obligation of financial assistance,” wrote EPA’s acting chief financial officer, Gregg Treml. “This includes programs within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, including federal financial assistance in the State and Tribal Assistance Grants, Brownfields, and Superfund.” … ” Read more from Politico.
La Niña offers 2025 no reprieve as January sets another heat record
“An unprecedented global heat spell extended into 2025 after last month became the warmest January ever recorded on the planet, despite the emergence of a La Niña weather pattern, according to the European Union’s climate monitor. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said it was the warmest January globally with an average surface air temperature of 13.23 degrees Celsius (55.81 degrees Fahrenheit), or 0.79 C (1.42 F) above average. Samantha Burgess, a lead scientist at Copernicus, called the record January heat surprising because La Niña conditions emerged in the tropical Pacific last month, bringing a “temporary cooling effect on global temperatures.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Megadroughts have grown in size and scope
“Megadroughts, or multiyear droughts that are exceptionally severe, long-lasting, or widespread, can plague vegetation, deplete water supplies, wreak havoc on agriculture, and contribute to erosion and wildfire severity. And they’ve been on the rise for the past 40 years, according to a new study published in Science. As the climate warms, the total land area affected by multiyear droughts has expanded by 50,000 square kilometers, or more than 12 million acres, each year, researchers report. In the new study, scientists created the first global catalog of long-lasting drought events since 1980 and how they have affected vegetation, then ranked the events in terms of severity. “We found out that there are many of these [multiyear droughts] all over the world, and if you look at the trends, they’re increasing in size, intensity, and impact,” said Pascal Buri, a glaciologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and one of the authors of the study. … ” Read more from EOS.
