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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an update on Water Rights Data Modernization and Measurement and Reporting Regulation and consideration of a Proposed Resolution adopting the prioritization of drinking water regulations development for calendar year 2025. Agenda will be on this page once posted.
- MEETING: CA Water Commission beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include an overview of timeline, potential challenges, and options for utilizing Water Storage Investment Program funds, Harvest Water Program update, and a briefing on optimizing SWP operations in a changing climate. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: AI and Machine Learning Applications in Environmental Impact Analysis: Insights from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill from 10am to 11:30am. This webinar explores the role of AI and machine learning in advancing environmental impact assessments, focusing on the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Participants will learn how data preprocessing, multivariate analysis, and machine learning techniques were used to analyze the harpacticoid copepod community composition, refine oil spill impact zones, and uncover critical environmental thresholds. The session will demonstrate how these advanced methodologies provide a deeper understanding of ecosystem resilience and recovery in deep-sea environments. This webinar is ideal for researchers, environmental scientists, and data enthusiasts interested in leveraging AI for ecological studies. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: EPA Tools & Resources: Alternative Water Sources to Augment Water Supplies from 12pm to 1pm. Meeting the demand for safe and adequate supplies of water, especially in regions undergoing hotter and drier weather conditions, requires addressing research gaps associated with water reuse and water storage, including enhanced or managed aquifer recharge. Sustainable and safe water supply is a common theme for states and communities across the nation. Key research needs include chemical and microbial risk assessments for fit for purpose reuse, treatment characterization and performance as well as reliable supplies and cost, which will assist communities in their water reuse and aquifer recharge decisions. This webinar will provide an overview of ongoing EPA ORD research related to alternative water sources including decentralized water reuse, protein processing plants, treated produced water from oil and gas activities, and enhanced/managed aquifer recharge, as well as collaborations with our partners. Learn more about EPA’s Alternative Water Sources Research and Enhanced Aquifer Recharge Research. Register for the Alternative Water Sources to Augment Water Supplies webinar.
- WEBINAR: The California State Water Project: Balancing Value, Risks, Challenges, and Opportunities from 12pm to 1:30pm. Join us as we analyze how the SWP can adapt to ensure California’s long-term water security. Speakers: Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors and Max Gomberg, Senior Policy Advisor and board member for the California Water Impact Network. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Big snow gains in the Sierra after February storms
“California saw water gains in February after two significant atmospheric rivers hit the state. The largest precipitation totals once again favored the northern part of California, but the storm track moved slightly south this month delivering much needed rain and snow to the central and southern part of the state. The rain was both beneficial and destructive in drought stricken Southern California. It came after deadly wildfires hit the Los Angeles basin in early January. The moderate to heavy rain resulted in mudslides near the Palisades Fire as barriers went up to protect more flows into the ocean. Northern California also showed steady growth in average precipitation with many areas now 100-160% of average. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Expedited permitting for fish channel around dam on Yuba
“The Yuba Water Agency board of directors Tuesday adopted a resolution that will expedite environmental permitting for an ambitious project that will provide salmon and other fish access to additional spawning habitat on the lower Yuba River. The $75 million “Nature-Like Fishway” project is within the scope of an order by the State Water Resources Control Board that habitat restoration projects should receive expedited handling of necessary permits for conducting work in the river, the board determined by its resolution. Highlighting the size and significance of the project, it was announced in 2023, when Gov. Gavin Newsom, other state officials, and local water officials attended a media conference at Daguerre Point Dam, about nine miles east of Marysville. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is providing $30 million toward the project. The water agency will be picking up the cost for the remainder. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat.
Conservationists sue feds to protect Pacific Northwest salmon populations
“Conservation groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning against the National Marine Fisheries Service for missing its deadline to determine if spring-run Chinook salmon in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act. The organizations behind the lawsuit seek a court order to compel the Fisheries Service to issue a finding within a suitable time frame. “These iconic fish are at risk of disappearing from our coastal rivers forever if the Service doesn’t act quickly,” Jeremiah Scanlan, a legal fellow at the Center for Biological Diversity, said. “Spring-run Chinook salmon badly need protections, but instead, the agency has taken the lazy river approach and drifted past its own deadlines.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Rep. Josh Harder reintroduces bill to stop the Delta tunnel and protect our water
“Today, as Sacramento attempts to advance the Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta Tunnel, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) reintroduced legislation to finally kill this disastrous boondoggle once and for all. The Stop the Delta Tunnel Act would prohibit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from issuing a federal permit necessary for the project to be implemented. In the latest chapter of this boondoggle, Sacramento is attempting to jam through the Delta Tunnel by changing water right permits, despite the fact that these permits expired over 15 years ago. Sacramento is wasting time and making up its own permitting rules in a desperate effort to advance a project that won’t create a single drop of water. This all comes at a time when dozens of water projects in the Valley need permitting and would actually create and store the water our communities need. And over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the project received an additional permit, making it clear that Sacramento politicians will try anything they can to steal our water and leave us with the bill. … ” Read the full statement fom Rep. Josh Harder.
C-WIN slams Delta tunnel in SWRCB Hearing
“In the first of several planned State Water Resources Control Board hearings, California Water Impact Network board member and senior policy advisor Max Gomberg testified that Governor Newsom’s proposed $20+ billion Delta Conveyance Project – popularly known as the Delta Tunnel – would undermine the public interest and further harm ratepayers, communities, and the environment. “We are living in a time of crisis, both political and environmental,” said Gomberg. “The impacts of these crises fall disproportionately on marginalized people and places already suffering from the greatest environmental degradation. The Delta Conveyance Project would result in even further harms to them and foreclose other investments and strategies for generations.” … ” Read more from C-WIN.
Over 100 organizations join together to urge California state leaders to maintain and defend environmental protections
“Restore the Delta joined over 100 organizations in sending an urgent letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire to ensure protecting California’s environment remains top priority. In the letter written by Defenders of Wildlife, the signatories have requested a meeting with California leaders to sustain the state’s long-standing commitment to improving water management and environmental protection. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
California v. Trump 2.0: Navigating policy collisions and business opportunities
“As President Trump embarks on his second term and California begins the second year of an already active legislative cycle, a high-stakes battle is brewing. The Trump administration’s aggressive deregulatory agenda is poised to clash with California’s stringent regulations in critical areas such as energy, environmental standards, taxation and artificial intelligence (AI) governance. This evolving landscape is already having impacts beyond the borders of California and presents both risks and opportunities for businesses operating across these dual regulatory frameworks. … ” Read more from JD Supra.
SEE ALSO: “Putting People Over Fish” Update: Trump’s New Executive Order on California Water and Challenges for Endangered Species Act, from Arnold & Porter
Is California’s Williamson Act a giveaway to Fresno County’s wealthiest landowners?
“For decades, a controversial tax break has subsidized Fresno County’s wealthiest farmers, siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars away from schools, health care, and vital public services. Tax records reveal that the program has delivered a near billion-dollar windfall to agribusiness over the past 30 years. The subsidy continues to pour in even as the region’s farming empires have taken home record profits with the planting of ever-more almonds, pistachios, and mandarins. This boom has created generational wealth for a handful of Fresno County families and corporations whose landholdings now sprawl across hundreds of thousands of acres. Now, a troubling trend threatens to drain even more tax dollars from the county, records and interviews show. As land is increasingly sold to major corporations and investment firms, the Williamson Act – a 60-year-old state law designed to preserve farmland in the path of development – enables money to flow to out-of-state interests with no stake in California’s future, reaping disproportionately large subsidies on land nearly an hour’s drive from the nearest suburban tract. … ” Read more from Fresnoland.
Assemblywoman Soria introduces AB 707, to fund Hwy 152 improvements needed for expanding San Luis Reservoir
“Today, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (D-Merced), introduced AB 707, which will appropriate $455.5 million for improvements to State Highway Route 152, which are needed to accommodate increasing the water capacity of the San Luis Reservoir. “California’s water system desperately needs increased water storage capacity in order to meet the needs of both our residents and our agriculture economy,” said Soria. “In order to increase this capacity, the surface of the B.F. Sisk Dam and the San Luis Reservoir must be raised. However, this means State Route 152, which crosses over the reservoir must also be raised and improved.” AB 707 helps deliver on California’s promise to secure water for its residents by providing funding for the state’s portion of the reservoir expansion project, and modifications of State Route 152. … ” Read more from Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria.
LAO Report: The 2025-26 budget: Natural resources and agriculture discretionary spending proposals
“The 2025‑26 Governor’s Budget includes three notable new discretionary one‑time General Fund expenditures in the agriculture and natural resources policy areas: (1) $24.9 million for the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA’s) Farm to School Program, (2) $10 million for the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to provide to the privately owned and operated Museum of Tolerance in Southern California, and (3) $6.8 million for the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s (Parks’) Library Pass Program. This brief begins by outlining the overall budget context affecting the Legislature’s consideration of these proposals. We then describe and comment on the three proposals.” Read the report from the LAO.
Weather whiplash is amplifying wildfire risk
“While fires engulfed large swaths of Southern California in early January, destroying more than 16,000 structures, taking at least 29 lives, and choking the air with smoke, a new study about weather whiplash was released. Co-authored by DRI’s Christine Albano, the research examined how the changing climate is creating an atmosphere more prone to extreme weather. Now, Albano and her co-authors have released a new report that applies the knowledge gained from January’s study to the recent fires, analyzing the broader climatic context that contributed to the unprecedented infernos. Published February 7th in the “Science Behind the News” section of Global Change Biology, the research details the environmental factors that set the scene for disaster. First, two consecutive wet winters filled with atmospheric river storms led to explosive plant growth across the region. Then, unusually warm temperatures created a thirstier atmosphere that drew moisture from the plants, making them prone to catch fire with the smallest spark. A delayed onset of the wet season led to one of the driest early winters on record, which overlapped with seasonal Santa Ana winds. Wind gusts of more than 80 mph dried the plant life even further, priming the fuels that fed the rapid spread of flames. … ” Read more from Desert Research Institute.
Examining the truth about fighting fires in California amid water management claims
“Last month’s wildfires in California destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 29 people and will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. President Trump has claimed that state officials made the disaster worse by how they managed the state’s complex water system. William Brangham looks at those allegations and the realities of water management in the nation’s most populous state. … ” Watch the video (5:58) or read the transcript from PBS News Hour.
How a federal funding freeze could increase wildfire threat
“New executive orders and federal funding freezes could make the U.S. more vulnerable to wildfires. The changes have limited wildfire training and postponed work to reduce flammable vegetation, and some firefighters are reported to be leaving the force. Host Asma Khalid speaks to reporter Mark Olalde, who has been investigating this for Here & Now‘s editorial partners at ProPublica.” Listen at WBUR.
In commentary today …
Supporting Healthy Rivers and Landscapes in the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan update
The California Farm Water Coalition writes, “Farmers understand the vital importance of water, not only for their farms, livelihoods, and farm-based communities, but also for surrounding ecosystems. The recent developments in California’s approach to water management and environmental restoration offer a promising path forward for both agriculture and the environment. The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program, now under consideration by the State Water Resources Control Board, presents an innovative framework that could provide water supply benefits to farms while supporting the health of the Bay-Delta watershed. The proposed eight-year program aims to improve environmental flows and restore habitats along California’s key waterways, with the goal of reversing the decline in listed fish populations throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries. This collaborative approach, involving local, state, and federal agencies, offers a more adaptive strategy to protect both fish and wildlife and local economies, including our farming communities. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coalition.
A California Democrat wants more nuclear energy. Our power hungry AI is why
Columnist Tad Weber writes, “A Fresno Democrat wants to expand the use of nuclear power in California. His reasoning? To lower bills for consumers, and power artificial intelligence data centers, which demand huge amounts of electricity. California Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula has introduced AB 305, a measure to amend parts of the state Public Resources Code and add a section to the Public Utilities Code. The bill would outlaw any new nuclear power plants in California unless reprocessing facilities for spent fuel are found to be feasible, and disposal of nuclear waste can be verified as safe. However, the bill would exempt from such regulations the construction and operation of any “small modular reactor,” which produces up to 300 megawatts per unit. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Watershed agreement ends century-old water dispute over Eel River
“California has taken a significant step toward restoring the Eel River and securing water reliability for coastal communities through a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). State and local leaders, including California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham, joined the Round Valley Indian Tribes and county officials to announce a multi-party agreement aimed at balancing ecological restoration and water needs. The MOU addresses a century-old conflict over water diversion while ensuring access for over 600,000 residents in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. … ” Read more from E&E Leader.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
A river runs through it: South Yuba River map records a moment in time
“For all her life, Shiree Swenson has been visiting the Yuba River. Encouraged by her dad, Dennis Barry, Swenson has recently brought out of retirement a map that shows what the Yuba looked like in 1983, when her dad put together a visual demonstration of the river’s landscape in an effort to convince Northwest Power not to dam the waterway at Hoyt’s Crossing. “In 1983, they were going to dam the Yuba River,” Swenson said. “There was actually a newspaper article written in The Union from Northwest Power and the developers were quoted as saying that the river had no recreational value and it was just a bunch of hippies hanging out who would move upstream once the plans got underway.” … ” Read more from The Union.
Funding secured – Galiano Fen & Haypress West Meadow Restoration Planning Project
“SYRCL has secured funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board Block Grant being administered by Point Blue and the Sierra Meadows Partnership (SMP) to plan restoration work in two distinct wetland sites within the North Yuba River watershed. This Project will complete planning on 100-acres of high priority meadow, fen, and associated aspen & forest habitat in the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project (NYLRP). The NYLRP is a USFS Priority Landscape managed by the Tahoe National Forest (TNF) and the North Yuba Forest Partnership (NYFP), of which SYRCL is a founding member. TNF has identified watershed resilience as a primary objective and is currently planning projects at a landscape level scale, but with a sole emphasis on upland habitats. The NYFP recognizes that restoration of aquatic habitats such as meadow, fen, and aspen are a key part of achieving forest health and watershed resilience.
NAPA/SONOMA
Evacuation order finally lifted for low lying river areas
“After nearly two weeks, an evacuation warning has been lifted for low-lying areas along the Russian River. On Tuesday morning, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office lifted the evacuation order, stretching from unincorporated Healdsburg at Highway 101 downstream to Jenner following stormy weather and 36-foot moderate flooding earlier in February. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
BAY AREA
Weakening cold front bringing a chance of rain back to Bay Area
“The storm track is shifting back to the Pacific Northwest this week, leaving the Bay Area on the fringe between dry and wet weather. Wednesday’s weather will be defined by one of these distant storms, as a low-pressure system tracks toward the Washington-Oregon border. The storm’s proximity will be close enough to cause advisory-level winds in Crescent City (Del Norte County) and Eureka (Humboldt County), with gusts up to 60 mph along the far Northern California coast. In the Bay Area, however, the storm will be too far away to provide more than a glancing blow. The cold front associated with the low-pressure system will slow down and weaken as it crosses the Bay Area on Wednesday morning. Light rain showers could add a tenth of an inch in parts of the North Bay, but areas south of the Golden Gate may not pick up more than an hour or two of drizzle. San Jose and other inland cities could remain dry. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Marin waterfalls roar to life after recent rains
“Copious winter rain in Marin County is bringing abundant waterfalls to the county’s scenic destinations. “One of my favorites has always been Dawn Falls,” Marin County Parks chief ranger Ian McLorg said. “I think it’s one of the more spectacular just in terms of the height and then also accessibility.” Located in the Baltimore Canyon Preserve, Dawn Falls is down an approximately three-quarter-mile trail. To get to the trail, McLorg suggests entering on Crown Road in Kentfield and hiking the Southern Marin Line Fire Road. McLorg said there are some redwood trees along the trail, and some “cool rock features and formations,” too. There’s a lot of switchbacks, and the trail grade isn’t anything “too challenging” for most. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
The state of microplastic pollution in the San Pedro Bay
“A recent study revealed that surface-only sampling underestimates microplastic concentrations in marine environments, emphasizing the need for comprehensive research on their distribution and transport to better manage plastic pollution (1). This study, which was published in Environmental Research, explored the concentration and distribution of microplastics in coastal marine environments. The main question scientists are exploring is how to detect and monitor these plastics in the environment better, to preserve the environment for future generations. Samiksha Singh, who works at the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Riverside and the Gauteng City Region Observatory, in Johannesburg, South Africa, pursued this topic because microplastic distribution in coastal marine environments remains poorly understood. Recently, Singh sat down with Spectroscopy to discuss her team’s findings and methodology, which involved using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS) to analyze tire and road particles and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μFT-IR) to process the particle spectra. … ” Read more from Spectroscopy.
What lives, and dies, on tule mats
“Along the marsh’s edge at Cache Creek Nature Preserve, 20 miles northwest of Sacramento, Diana Almendariz harvests bundles of tule (Schoenoplectus acutus)— green, smooth cylinders up to 10 feet high. With a knife, she cuts the giant sedge, about as thick as a nickel, at their full height, while avoiding stalks where red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens have built their nests. Sometimes, she stands nearly ankle-deep in the mud and looks skyward, imagining herself as a tiny ant in a grass lawn. After taking only as much as she plans to use, Almendariz, an Indigenous cultural practitioner, dries the tule in the sun. She bends and binds them together with cattail reeds to make huts, dolls, and canoes, as her Maidu and Wintun ancestors had done. While many of their gathering sites are now gone, the preserve remains plentiful of tule—resilient and hardy, but also soft and flexible. And so, they make durable mats for sleeping and sitting, which Almendariz weaves every Sunday at her tule mat-making workshops. But more than 20 years ago, she discovered what happens when you float a small mat of tule on water. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
CENTRAL COAST
$78K Awarded to California students for Utom watershed conservation studies
“Southern California students dedicated to the protection of Utom, also known as the Santa Clara River, have received $78,500 in scholarships and fellowships from the Utom Conservation Fund. This is the third year a group of cultural and environmental organizations have awarded funding for science students committed to conserving the biologically diverse watershed that flows through Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Eight high school or undergraduate students received scholarships of $2,000 each and five graduate students received fellowships of $12,500 each to enrich their studies of water resources and environmental protection. “Wishtoyo is proud to be a part of the Utom Conservation Fund’s scholarship and fellowship awards,” said Mati Waiya, executive director of the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation. “We are elated to see these students so dedicated to protecting the future of the Utom. As our internship and science programs pass on our knowledge of isha’kowoch and their awe-inspiring migration through the river, we hope that these scholarships will support the student recipients on their own journey.” … ” Read more from the Center for Biological Diversity.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Proposed legislation to boost federal funding for local water recharge projects
Legislation introduced to the House by Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) aims to secure more federal funding for vital groundwater recharge projects, including significant investments for the westside of Stanislaus County. The Groundwater Recharge Technical Assistance Act and the Every Drop Counts Act propose modifications to existing water infrastructure laws, expanding eligibility and support for regional projects like the Del Puerto Water District’s Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery Project, which enhances local agricultural water supply resilience. “Groundwater recharge is one of the most effective ways to build resilience against drought,” said Congressman Costa. “These bipartisan bills build on the success of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by leveraging federal resources for groundwater recharge projects that provide long-term solutions to safeguard the San Joaquin Valley from the impacts of extreme drought.” … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
A new groundwater agency is formed in the Tule subbasin, its 12th so far
“A 12th groundwater agency sprang into being Tuesday after a marathon meeting of the Porterville Irrigation District, which voted to formally break ties with the embattled Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Though the move was meant to protect farmers from anticipated state sanctions against Eastern Tule and other GSAs in the region, farmers who crammed shoulder to shoulder in the small irrigation district meeting room had other concerns. Specifically, they wanted more representation on the new agency, a joint effort between Porterville Irrigation District and the City of Porterville, which will have two representatives each on the new entity. The landowners at Tuesday’s meeting wanted more farmer representation on the new board. “We need people with skin in the game to make good decisions,” said Terry Schuler. “People from downtown will look at this differently than all the other guys in this room.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Kern River Boaters seek denial of utility’s request for three-month delay
“Upper Kern River boaters are asking the federal government to deny Southern California Edison’s request for a three-month extension to fix problems in its application to relicense its Kernville power plant. The Kern River Boaters filed a motion to intervene in the proceeding saying Edison didn’t explain why it needed more time to provide the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with design drawings, which the Boaters state Edison had “years of notice” to provide. The design drawings were one of several items FERC requested from Edison in a Dec. 20, 2024 notice that Edison’s application for relicensing was deficient. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Tribal Beneficial Uses designation delayed
“After a historic hearing in spring 2024 to consider Tribal and public testimony related to the proposed designation of Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBU) for Mono Lake and its tributary streams, action to designate has been delayed. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board had proposed an agenda item for their November 2024 board meeting to adopt TBU designations for Mono Lake and its tributary streams. That agenda item was canceled ahead of the meeting, but all indications are that TBU adoption remains a priority. The Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a Tribe is the lead proponent of the applicable range of TBU designations for Mono Lake and its tributary streams. According to the Tribe, the legal standard that required consumption of 4.5 fish per week per person for a Tribal Subsistence Fishing TBU on Mono Basin tributary streams set an unrealistic and potentially unfair standard for Tribes in geographically diverse California that are located well-inland from north coast waters—where the Tribal Subsistence Fishing standard was established. Therefore, the Tribal Subsistence Fishing TBU remained complicated for Lahontan to implement given the required criteria. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Commentary: The reported costs of the Los Angeles fires are staggering. The hidden costs are worse
Augusto Gonzalez-Bonorino, an economics instructor at Pomona College, writes, “Destroyed homes, soaring insurance premiums and forest management costs put the price of the Los Angeles fires in the hundreds of billions of dollars. But these staggering figures mask a darker ledger where costs compound silently over decades as climate change fuels more intense and recurrent blazes. As the ashes settle, the region faces an invisible threat beneath the charred remains: compromised soil structures, contaminated watersheds and ecosystems stripped of their natural defenses — wounds that will bleed for years to come. The numbers tell a story of brutal transformation: Over the past eight years, California’s wildfires have burned about three-quarters of the area they did over the previous three decades. This is undermining California’s natural infrastructure, which has long supported its prosperity, in ways that conventional metrics fail to capture. The most troubling data isn’t in the headlines. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
At odds over water cuts, Colorado River states still seek consensus as deadline nears
“Negotiators for the states haggling over future cuts to their use of Colorado River water say they’re committed to reaching consensus, though time and snow are running short. The seven states are effectively under a deadline to reach a deal by summer or face whatever water-use restrictions the federal government or courts may impose after the existing shortage guidelines expire next year. Meantime, a slow start to winter precipitation has dialed up the stakes, possibly leading to painful new cuts by the end of next year. The Upper Colorado River Commission, representing Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, met virtually on Tuesday and heard projections from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation suggesting that current trends indicate the natural flow into Lake Powell this year will be about 71% of the 30-year average, accounting for near-normal snowpack atop soils that were parched heading into winter. It’s not a great outlook for a reservoir that’s currently 35% full and that holds the key to providing water to the Lower Basin. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
SEE ALSO:
- Colorado River states stare down the ‘looming specter’ of a Supreme Court battle, from KUNC
- Colorado River negotiators express urgency, uncertainty as deadline nears, from The Hill
Proposed Laughlin Lagoon project would create one of the largest marinas on the Colorado River
“To meet the needs of the ever-increasing number of boaters using the Colorado River, a $33 million project in the planning stages to add between 900 and 1,400 new boat slips in the Laughlin Lagoon — along with a park with beaches, a non-motorized boat launch area and possibly retail and food concessions and watercraft rentals — would make the bay the home of one of the largest marinas on the entire length of the Colorado River. “In 2018 we started seeing a substantial increase in boats on the river, all the way from Topock to Katherine Landing,” said Laughlin Economic Development Corporation Strategic Development Advisor Robert Bilbray, who introduced the project to the Laughlin Town Advisory Board at its meeting last week. “When we originally dredged the lagoon for $5 million and advanced another $900,000 for the design of the dredging from the Fort Mohave Development Fund, I don’t think we foresaw what was to come with Big Bend state park. Even through Covid there were just lines and lines for hours to get in.” … ” Read more from the Mohave Daily News.
Salt River flow at 20% of historic norms
“Arizona’s stubbornly dry winter is resulting in weak runoff levels at major waterways. Water flow at the upper Salt River was measured at a paltry 130 cubic feet per second on Monday, a total that is just 20% of the average on this date. “We’re measuring some of the lowest flows we’ve ever seen,” said Bo Svoma, a meteorologist with SRP, the state’s second-largest water utility. The river flows into Roosevelt Reservoir, which is at 70% capacity. Arizona is on pace for the second driest winter ever recorded. “The story’s not finished yet in terms of how dry we will be. We have about a month and a half left,” Svoma said. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
How SRP is preparing to meet water demands amidst lack of rain and snow in Arizona
“Winter 2025 is on track to go down as one of the driest on record but despite the lack of rain and snow in our state, Salt River Project (SRP) is ready to meet the Valley’s water demand. “Because we live in a desert and we have dry years like this, we continually plan for drought. We need to know how much water is coming into our water supply. Right now, SRP reservoirs are at 70% which is above normal. And that is thanks to our past two wet winters,” said Stephen Flora, SRP Senior Hydrologist. Part of staying on track is measuring the water flow into our rivers and streams. Using state-of-the-art technology, SRP can measure moisture in the most remote areas of the watershed. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
Commentary: I won’t let lawyers tear down Arizona water protections without a fight
Tom Buschatzke, who served as director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources for more than 10 years, writes, “Some things are fundamental to our success and way of life in the Arizona desert. Having a reliable water supply ranks first among them. The governor designated me to defend Arizona residents’ right to enjoy an assured water supply lasting at least 100 years, and I am more firmly committed to that promise today than ever before. Under my watch, no homeowner in an Active Management Area should ever feel concerns for future water supplies, even in an age of chronic drought and climate change. Today’s challenges are precisely those that Arizona’s landmark 1980 Groundwater Management Act was designed to confront. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
In national water news today …
Trump EPA to overhaul WaterSense program
“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said his agency under the Trump administration intends to overhaul the WaterSense labeling program for water-efficient products. “The Biden Admin weaponized energy efficiency rules to restrict consumer choice with home appliances,” Zeldin wrote on X on Feb. 14, adding that his agency will modify the program in an effort to help reduce the cost of living and appliance prices for Americans. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by EPA, and is both a label for water-efficient products and a resource for encouraging and assisting in conservation. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Nominee named to lead EPA’s Office of Water
“Jessica Kramer has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water. Kramer worked in the Office of Water during the first Trump administration and has recently been working for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as deputy secretary of regulatory programs. Kramer will now await Senate confirmation for her new post at EPA, although no date has been set for a hearing or vote, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) in a recent news brief on Kramer’s nomination. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Trump moves to claw back almost 50 years of NEPA regs
“The Trump administration is moving to pull back almost five decades’ of rules crafted and imposed under the National Environmental Policy Act, a foundational statute widely known as the “magna carta” of environmental laws. The White House signaled on Saturday it plans to issue an interim final rule to rescind all regulations that the Council on Environmental Quality has issued to implement the law since 1977, when President Jimmy Carter signed an order directing the agency to issue rules under NEPA. While the rule, dubbed “Removal of National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations,” has not yet been released, it’s already fueling questions and anxiety in the legal and environmental world around whether the administration will ultimately gut protections and public process as Trump officials conduct reviews. … ” Read more from E&E News.
People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend
“A President’s Day weekend swept by fear and grief from the sudden termination of thousands of federal employees in the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior left chaos and uncertainty after the latest assault on the federal workforce by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. For people on the ground in mountain communities, small towns and rural areas, the cuts were nothing short of devastating. They came with no explanation, warning or discernment, and the impact on public land and wildlife, observers say, will be felt for years. “It’s pretty hard to fathom,” said Claire Thompson, 35, a trail leader who was fired Friday afternoon after eight years with the U.S. Forest Service. “It feels like they’re punishing the people who least deserve it. We have chosen to stay in careers working for so little money. We are literally the boots on the ground, physically working all day.” Jobs cut included park rangers and interpreters, National Environmental Policy Act coordinators, endangered species biologists, trail crews, maintenance staff and wastewater treatment operators. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
The hidden cost of AI: Energy, water, and the sustainability challenge
“Artificial intelligence is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, but its environmental footprint is expanding just as rapidly. The growing demand for AI-driven technologies has placed increasing pressure on energy grids, water resources, and raw material supplies. As AI systems grow more powerful and widespread, concerns over their sustainability are mounting, raising questions about whether the race for AI innovation can coexist with the urgent need for environmental responsibility. The energy demands of AI are reaching staggering levels. The International Energy Agency reports that AI, data centers, and cryptocurrency operations consumed approximately 460 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2022, accounting for nearly two percent of global electricity demand. By 2027, AI alone could require between 85 and 134 terawatt-hours annually, an amount equivalent to the total electricity consumption of the Netherlands. The growth in AI infrastructure is already putting pressure on national energy supplies. … ” Read more from Complex Discovery.
