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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am. genda items include Pit River Subwatersheld ILRP regulatory options, Delta regional monitoring program update, and updates on Waste Discharge Requirements and NPDES permits. Click here for the full agenda.
- 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.
- WEBINAR: Meeting the Moment: Taking Personal Action to Protect our Environment from 12pm to 1:30pm. As climate change intensifies and nature is threatened across the world, governmental leaders are not the only ones who need to step up. Each of us can take meaningful action to protect and restore our environment in our own lives. Doing so helps to improve our communities and heal the nature around us. It also feels good, combating discouragement and instead generating hope and direction that can carry us through uncertain times. Join us for a special conversation about what each of us can do in our own lives to help confront the crises of our time. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Kern subbasin given another four months to fix issues with groundwater plans
“The state Water Resources Control Board voted Thursday to give Kern County water managers more time to continue refining plans for how they will bring the critically overdrafted subbasin into balance by 2040. They now have until June 20 to make revisions to plans that were most recently submitted to the state in December 2024. Those were the fourth version of groundwater plans Kern has sent to the state since 2020. The region’s probation hearing was continued to Sept. 17, if needed, after Water Board staff reviews the newly refined plans submitted in June. Board members added a requirement to the reprieve, however. Groundwater agencies must demonstrate that they are reaching out to, and working with, community members and small farmers. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
State Water Board postpones SGMA probationary decision for Kern Subbasin
“Citing significant progress in the plans of groundwater sustainability agencies to address the long-term viability of groundwater supplies and critical water infrastructure in the Kern County Subbasin, the State Water Resources Control Board today continued its hearing to Sept. 17, 2025, on whether to place the critically overdrafted groundwater subbasin in probationary status under the landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As part of the continuance, the board asked the Kern Subbasin’s 20 groundwater agencies to submit their collective revised plans by June 20, 2025, to provide time for adequate board review of updated plans before the September hearing. Today’s action took place after significant public comment and presentations by State Water Board staff and multiple groundwater agencies during an eight-hour hearing. It is the first time the board has continued a probationary hearing for a subbasin under SGMA. Last year, the board designated the Tulare Lake subbasin and the Tule Subbasin as probationary subbasins due to significant unaddressed deficiencies in their groundwater sustainability plans. … ” Read more from the State Water Resources Control Board.
Here’s how La Niña could impact California’s weather this spring
“The Climate Prediction Center’s latest outlooks for March and upcoming spring months call for wetter-than-average weather in the northernmost parts of California and drier-than-average conditions in the southeast. The pattern is consistent with what’s expected for La Niña, which typically brings drier-than-normal winters for the southern tier of the United States and wetter-than-normal conditions to the Pacific Northwest. For much of California, forecasters declared equal chances for below-normal, near-normal or above-normal precipitation. “We don’t have enough information in our guidance to tilt the forecast toward either above, near or below,” explained Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Anthony Artusa during a briefing Thursday. Other climate patterns, like the Arctic Oscillation, could also influence March weather, according to a technical discussion. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
La Niña expected to continue for now, but changes are coming
“One of the main drivers of rain and snow in California is El Niño/La Niña. Whether or not the equatorial Pacific Ocean is warmer or cooler than average plays a big role in the type of winter weather we can expect. Currently, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are cooler than average, indicative of a La Niña pattern, and this has been the case for much of the wintertime. While we typically think of La Niña meaning a drier-than-average winter, that’s not always the case. In fact, during weak La Niña patterns, we usually end up with a near-average precipitation winter and the last two drought-busting winters both occurred during a weak La Niña. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
More than half of California is ‘abnormally dry’ after rains. Which areas are hit hardest?
“Drought conditions in California improved after a series of atmospheric river-fueled rain storms swept through the state. However, more than half of the state was “abnormally dry” as of Thursday, Feb. 20, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. As of Thursday, areas of “moderate drought” could be found in Central California, including parts of Fresno, Kern, Madera and Merced counties, the Drought Monitor said, as well as San Bernardino County in Southern California. On the Central Coast, parts of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties were experiencing severe drought conditions, the federal agency said. So were areas of Inyo, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties further south. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Hurricane Hunters flight crew visit Sacramento with research on atmospheric rivers
“For nearly a decade, the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps in San Diego has been dedicated to understanding atmospheric rivers (AR). The research center was originally focused on the United States West Coast but has now expanded across the country. Part of that expansion has involved collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters, flying planes into the narrowly concentrated band of moisture now called atmospheric rivers. Chad Hecht, a research and operations meteorologist at CW3E, says their research along with information gathered in flights above the storms are helping to better understand how these storms form. This in turn helps forecasters better predict their impact. For California, these storms can make or break a water year. The absence of atmospheric rivers can result in drought but a series of back-to-back strong ARs can result in flooding. … ” Read more from ABC 10.
SEE ALSO: U.S. Air Force hurricane hunters being used to study atmospheric rivers in California, from CBS News
California Senate Bill takes aim at saving farm lands
“Amid a push by local leaders to conserve farmlands and open spaces in the Bay Area from future development, state senator David Cortese has introduced a bill that would shore up funding to preserve agricultural land throughout the state despite the measure’s uncertain financial outlook. The bill, SB 462, would bolster an existing program called the California Farmland Conservancy Program, which supports agricultural conservation and sustainable land management. If enacted into law, the bill would offer an annual $20 million infusion of funds dedicated specifically to “conservation easements.” Under that system, the land owner receives payment in exchange for permanently limiting their land to agricultural use – even if it changes owners. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
State Ag developing Climate Resilience strategy
“While the California Department of Food and Agriculture works toward a Climate Resilience Strategy for the state’s diverse ag industry, Solano County continues to move forward on its own Strategic Initiative for Agriculture. The local strategy is focused on enhancing agricultural economic development as a way to preserve productive agricultural land. Ed King, the Solano County agriculture commissioner, said in a phone interview Thursday that the county is working with local farmers, ranchers and other interests in the ag industry to develop that strategy. It received a $500,000 Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation grant to power the initiative. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Farmers still caught in Trump’s funding freeze
“The Trump administration is withholding funds from farmers participating in conservation programs, despite the White House’s assurance last week that funding to individuals would not be frozen. Contractors supporting these programs have also been affected. The Iowa Soybean Association, in a letter to lawmakers, warned that $11 million owed to farmers is at risk. Many farmers are only now learning that their conservation payments have been frozen because the contracts were funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Trump wants B.C.’s water: Plausible or one big pipe dream?
“U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to make Canada the 51st state, threatening to use “economic force” to make that dream a reality. He’s also signed an executive order to place blanket tariffs of 25 per cent on all Canadian imports that could start March 4. One of the reasons experts believe Trump could be targeting Canada is its resources, including its critical minerals — and its water. Trump has said in the past that water from B.C. could be used to solve California’s drought problems.“You have millions of gallons of water pouring down from the north with the snow caps in Canada, and all pouring down and they have essentially a very large faucet,” said Trump in September, referring to the Columbia River. … ” Read more from the Vancouver Sun.
California 2050: cities at greater risk from floods than fires
“A recent study has suggested that, by 2050, some of California’s biggest cities could be at greater risk from floods than from wildfires. California was recently ravaged by wildfires which saw thousands of homes and structures destroyed. Flood watches that covered burn scars were subsequently issued by the National Weather Service for areas impacted by the blazes. More than a million homes in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco that currently have low flood risk will face a greater threat from flooding than from wildfires by 2050, according to a report published on Tuesday by CoreLogic, which provides financial, property, and consumer information, analytics, and business intelligence. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
New interdisciplinary research highlights wildfire impacts on water and ecosystems in arid regions
“As wildfires increasingly threaten arid regions, a new conceptual framework developed by a team of researchers offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between fire, water quality and ecosystem recovery. Led by Tamara Harms, ASU School of Life Sciences alumna and associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, a collaborative study titled “Fire influence on land–water interactions in aridland catchments” was recently published in BioScience and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and watershed-focused research. “This paper is conceptual, so we were a collaborative group of people with expertise in an array of disciplines across ecology, biogeochemistry, hydrology, terrestrial and aquatic perspectives,” Harms said. … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Pilot project returns spring-run chinook salmon to North Yuba River
“Salmon are swimming again in the North Yuba River for the first time in close to a century. The fish are part of an innovative pilot project to study the feasibility of returning spring-run Chinook salmon to their historical spawning and rearing habitat in the mountains of Sierra County. In late October 2024, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in partnership with the Yuba Water Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the U.S. Forest Service, injected spring-run Chinook salmon eggs over a 12-mile stretch of gravel riverbed of the North Yuba River along Highway 49 just east of Downieville. The fertilized eggs arrived in coolers from CDFW’s Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville. Using a proven technique used by other agencies but never before attempted by CDFW, fisheries scientists created dozens of man-made salmon redds, or nests, using a hydraulic injection system to clear the intended nests of silt. Scientists then carefully deposited the eggs up to a foot and a half deep within the gravel to mimic the actions of spawning adult salmon. The intent is for the salmon to emerge from the gravel and grow as wild salmon would. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Yuba Water announces major milestone for fish habitat efforts in the Yuba River watershed
“Yuba Water Agency has completed a major step in its collaborative effort to formally launch the Yuba River Resilience Initiative, which includes projects to enhance and restore habitat in the Yuba River watershed for native fish, while safeguarding water supplies for Yuba County farmers. As part of that effort, Yuba Water’s board of directors today approved an environmental analysis that includes one of the initiative’s key restoration projects, the Nature-Like Fishway. The collaborative agreement between Yuba Water, National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was first announced in a press conference with Governor Gavin Newsom in May 2023 and is considered one of the most ambitious watershed recovery efforts in California. … ” Read more from the Yuba Water Agency.
Tahoe-based Clean Up the Lake premieres groundbreaking docu-series
“A new documentary series, “What Lies Beneath,” is about to make some waves in the world of environmental conservation, diving, and underwater exploration. Focused on scuba diving to remediate and protect our freshwater lakes, this series goes beyond cleanup—it uncovers hidden history, protects artifacts, educates the next generation about something we were never aware of, and shines the light on crucial research topics such as invasive species and climate change’s impact on algal blooms in our drinking water sources. This series digs deep into the hard work and dedication that happens behind the scenes of a Tahoe-based nonprofit called Clean Up The Lake’s grassroots team, showcasing their commitment to preserving our freshwater lakes. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Record amount of food for endangered salmon produced on California ricelands
“A record-setting winter on California ricelands is delivering a significant boost to endangered fish populations, with 25,000 acres producing 147,500 pounds of essential food for species like Chinook salmon. This effort is particularly crucial for juvenile salmon migrating down the Sacramento River, where the absence of nutrient-rich floodplains has limited their growth and survival. This season’s Fish Food program is expected to help 3.5 million young salmon double in weight—an advantage that greatly enhances their ability to survive the journey to the Pacific Ocean. Chinook salmon, native to the Sacramento Valley, are facing population declines. Once thriving in the region’s extensive floodplains and river systems, these fish now struggle with barriers to their traditional spawning grounds and reduced access to the rich food sources they need to survive. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
NAPA/SONOMA
Environmental groups praise plan to conserve coastal redwoods, expand protected land
“Two environmental trusts, the Sonoma Land Trust and Save the Redwoods League, recently announced their plan to purchase and conserve the 1,517-acre Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property in Sonoma County. An environmental advocacy group, the Power in Nature Coalition, praised the effort to protect Monte Rio Redwoods as “a significant conservation achievement, securing a vital piece of the ecological puzzle that enhances regional wildlife connectivity, safeguards endangered species and strengthens climate resilience in Northern California.” This acquisition, surrounded on three sides by protected lands, will connect over 22,000 acres of contiguous habitat, linking conservation areas across Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. … ” Read more from San Jose Inside.
BAY AREA
Bay Area escapes impacts of distant atmospheric river as warmer weather arrives
“This weekend is shaping up to be the warmest spell of weather in the Bay Area in a month as temperatures climb well into the 60s toward 70 degrees. A subtropical high-pressure system over Mexico will expand toward the Southwest U.S., kicking off a warming trend for the final week of February. This clockwise-spinning area of high pressure will keep skies clear across Southern California, but will help direct an atmospheric river toward the Pacific Northwest. While Seattle and Portland brace for several inches of rain, Northern California will be on the boundary between wet and dry. Rain will dot the California-Oregon border, but the Bay Area will be spared from weekend precipitation. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
These San José floodwalls should shield neighborhoods against a 20-year flood
“Nearly eight years to the day after major flooding displaced thousands in San José, officials on Thursday celebrated the completion of almost 9,000 feet of new floodwalls to help shield neighborhoods. South Bay leaders stood inside a newly enclosed patch of land in the city’s Olinder-McKinley neighborhood, highlighting one of seven areas between Highway 280 and Old Oakland Road that are now equipped with 10-foot steel walls, many encased in concrete. “Eight years ago, residents of this neighborhood had to rush to leave their homes during the worst flooding in this area experienced since 1997,” Richard Santos, the vice chair of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Board of Directors, said during Thursday’s gathering. “This was a devastated area.” … ” Read more from KQED.
SEE ALSO: Eight years after devastating San Jose flood, new flood control project completed on Coyote Creek near downtown, from the San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Elevated nitrate levels found in Newman drinking water
“Residents of Newman have been notified about a drinking water warning issued by the State of California after recent tests showed elevated nitrate levels in one of the city’s wells. The letter from Thomas Spankowski, the Director of Public Works, detailed the situation and assured residents that their health had not been at risk during the period of elevated levels. According to the letter, a sample taken from Well 5 on Jan. 8, showed a nitrate level of 10.5 mg/L, which exceeds the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L set by the state. A follow-up sample on Jan. 14, confirmed the high level with a result of 10.7 mg/L. This was a significant increase from the previous quarterly sample taken on Oct. 9, 2024, which showed a level of 8.43 mg/L, well below the MCL. … ” Read more from Westside Connect.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Scientists urge caution after a carcinogen is detected in water in fire-stricken areas
“Utilities in both the Eaton and Palisades fire burn scars have reported detecting the carcinogen benzene in parts of their water systems. State regulators have recommended the utilities issue “do not drink” and “do not boil” notices, which still permit residents to use the water for showers, handwashing, laundry and other daily activities. The state said the order attempts to balance safety with the need for usable water, while some scientists warned that using the water, even for purposes other than drinking or cooking, could pose a risk. Studies have linked long-term exposure to benzene through inhalation or ingestion to the development of blood cancers like leukemia. Research has also found long-term exposure can result in anemia, which can leave patients feeling weak and tired; a low white blood cell count, which debilitates the immune system; and a low platelet count, which leads to excessive bleeding and bruising. So far, two of Altadena’s three customer-owned water utilities have detected the carcinogen. … ” Read more from LA Times.
The weather and climate influences on the January 2025 fires around Los Angeles
“On January 7, 2025, a handful of wildfires erupted in the Los Angeles metro area and raced through multiple neighborhoods, killing more than two dozen people, razing upwards of 15,000 homes and businesses, and creating unhealthy air quality for millions of people. Based on preliminary estimates, the two largest blazes—the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire—have already moved into the second (Eaton) and third (Palisades) spots on California’s list of most destructive fires on record. The fires around Los Angeles were the result of the dangerous overlap of multiple human and natural influences. The fire ignitions were human-caused—like virtually all winter fires in the area—although the exact trigger remains under investigation. How destructive they became has a lot to do with population density and building patterns that position homes and other vulnerable assets shoulder to shoulder with the region’s grass and shrub-dominated chaparral landscapes. On the weather and climate side, there were record-amounts of flammable vegetation—what fire scientists call “fuel load”—due to extreme wetness followed by extreme heat and record dryness. The landscape was primed for explosive fire. And then extreme Santa Ana winds started to blow down from the Great Basin. … ” Read more from NOAA.
The EPA weighed two LA beachfront sites for toxic waste sorting. These ‘hippies and hicks’ revolted
“Twenty years ago, it was called Rodeo Grounds – an eclectic neighborhood of artists, musicians and surfers living in beach shacks where Topanga Canyon meets the Pacific Ocean. … Whatever the bulldozers didn’t raze decades ago – including the shuttered Topanga Ranch Motel, a series of bungalow-style rooms originally built in 1929 by the media tycoon William Randolph Hearst and which closed in 2004 – is now decimated due to the Palisades fire that ignited on 7 January. Left behind is a scorched, flat parcel with a creek in back and the beach across the street. California state parks decided this was the perfect place to allow the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to construct a temporary staging area for household hazardous waste sorting, trucking in products such as paints, solvents, bleach and insecticides, as well as EV lithium-ion batteries from destroyed Pacific Palisades properties some 8 miles (13km) away. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Fire debris has washed up as far as the South Bay. Is it safe to go to the beach?
“After heavy rains, we’re learning more about how the Palisades Fire runoff could be affecting our coastline. County officials and other groups have been testing the areas for things like heavy metals that could cause health concerns. Last month, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health temporarily closed about nine miles of ocean water, which reopened recently. But L.A. County’s Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) said Tuesday the storms had washed up large amounts of timber and twisted metals, as well as charred silt and sediment, onto the coast. So where do things stand? We look into whether it’s OK for people to visit the beach. … ” Read more from LAist.
Uncertainty and frustration hover over those whose homes survived LA’s fires
“On a sunny day in late January, Tamara Carroll returned to her home on Navarro Avenue in west Altadena for the first time. It survived the Eaton Fire, and she was coming back with an insurance inspector to assess the damage. “ I don’t know how I feel,” Carroll said. “I’m grateful I have a house to come back to, but it’s a long journey ahead.” … More than a month and half after L.A.’s devastating fires, the recovery is just beginning. Even for residents whose homes survived, the road ahead is complicated. Some are staying in their homes, worried about the health effects as they wait for their insurance to cover smoke and ash cleanup, and watch as debris removal continues around them. Others are staying elsewhere, and still not sure they’ll ever return for good. … ” Read more from the LAist.
SEE ALSO: Here’s what Palisades residents need to know about swimming pools after the wildfire damage, from the Santa Monica Mirror
Touring Los Angeles River, Rep. Laura Friedman cites concerns of Trump budget cuts
“U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman led a tour of the Los Angeles River Restoration Project along with members of Congress, project coordinators and journalists on Thursday, Feb. 20, to highlight her concern that President Trump’s proposed federal budget cuts could threaten climate initiatives. The multi-billion-dollar project aims to revive about 11 miles of the Los Angeles River, roughly from Griffith Park to downtown Los Angeles, while at the same time maintaining current levels of flood risk management. The hope is that the proposed measures will re-establish historic riparian and freshwater marsh habitats to support populations of wildlife and enhance habitat connectivity. The tour offered a chance to discuss the project’s impact and proposed federal budget cuts. … ” Read more from the Daily News.
San Bernardino Valley and regional partners celebrate completion of Santa Ana River Enhanced Recharge Project
“San Bernardino Valley, in partnership with Western Water, City of Riverside Public Utilities, and San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, proudly marked the completion of the Santa Ana River Enhanced Recharge Phase 1-B Project with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony today. The $55 million infrastructure investment made by local water agencies significantly enhances regional water supply resilience by more than doubling local groundwater recharge capacity. “This project is a shining example of what regional collaboration can accomplish,” said T. Milford Harrison, Board President of San Bernardino Valley. “By investing in our local water supply with innovative solutions, we are making our region more resilient to drought while securing reliable water for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.” The Santa Ana River Enhanced Recharge Project will allow up to 80,000 acre-feet of stormwater per year to be captured and stored in the local aquifer, creating a critical supply of groundwater for future drought years. The project includes 20 new recharge basins, improved flood control structures, and inter-basin conveyance infrastructure, ensuring local water resources are managed efficiently. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.
Banning learns about new water regulations
“The Banning City Council met on Feb. 11 for a special meeting workshop to discuss the California State Water Resources Control Board’s new Hexavalent Chromium regulations and how it will impact the city and what it needs to do to comply with said regulations. Public Works Director Art Vela delivered a presentation on the topic. Chromium is a metal found in natural deposits such as soil and plants. Chromium-3 is the element’s most common natural form, which is present in food and essential for human health. … ” Read more from the Record-Gazette.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Imperial County penalizes illegal gray and black water dumping
“The American Sand Association is reminding RV owners and outdoor enthusiasts of the strict regulations regarding the disposal of gray and black water in California, particularly in Imperial County. Gray and black water, which include wastewater from RV plumbing and holding tanks, are considered untreated sewage. Improperly dumping these liquids on the ground can result in heavy fines or even jail time. “Any water that flows through an RV’s plumbing and holding tank is considered sewage,” the American Sand Association said in a statement. “This includes wastewater from kitchen sinks, showers, and toilets.” However, wastewater from outdoor activities such as washing dishes in a dishpan or showering outside the RV is typically not classified as sewage. Despite this, the main concern with gray water disposal is the volume of water released at one time, which can lead to health risks and unsanitary conditions. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SAN DIEGO
Restoring San Diego’s coastal wetlands
“San Diego’s coastal wetlands are home to rich biodiversity, critical migratory bird habitats, and culturally significant lands. Thanks to a generous two-year grant from the Dorrance Family Foundation (DFF), Audubon California and our partners, including the Buena Vista Audubon and the San Diego Bird Alliance, will continue making critical progress in restoring key estuarine habitats in the region. For the fourth year in a row, the Dorrance Family Foundation has awarded significant funding to Audubon California and our partners to restore San Diego County’s Mission Bay and Buena Vista Lagoon. “Working with Buena Vista Audubon and San Diego Bird Alliance over the past three years and watching this work evolve, relationships grow, and momentum build has been such a joy. It’s exciting to have two years of funding from the Dorrance Family Foundation to really see how our long-term goals will come to fruition by the end of 2026.” … ” Read more from Audubon.
Along the Colorado River …
Stanton urges bipartisan, national action on Colorado River water
“Time is running out to determine the future of the depleted Colorado River, and any further delays in negotiating a deal could be catastrophic, according to U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton. Stanton, who represents Arizona’s 4th District in Congress, participated in the inaugural ASU Congressional Dialogue on Tuesday at the Walton Center for Planetary Health on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. The event, sponsored by the ASU Office of Government and Community Engagement, was titled “The Fight to Protect the Colorado River and Our Water Future.” There will be additional Congressional Dialogues later in the year. The 1922 Colorado River Compact regulates water distribution among seven states — Arizona, Nevada and California in the Lower Basin, and Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the Upper Basin. … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
Could Colorado River negotiations take a turn under the Trump administration? Colorado officials hope not
“The deadline for the U.S. Department of Interior to determine the post-2026 future of Lake Powell and Lake Mead — and the entire Colorado River basin — is now six months away. As precarious negotiations continue between the Upper and Lower Basin stakeholders, the new presidential administration has also cast concerns on the future of the critical water system. “Honestly, I’ve seen nothing out of the administration that suggests that they even know there is a Colorado River,” said Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet during a press call on Thursday, Feb. 13. “I had a daily conversation with somebody at least, probably three times a day, in my office with somebody on the Colorado River, and we’ve seen nothing so far.” … ” Read more from Aspen Times.
February storms offer some relief from dry Colorado River conditions, but water outlook remains poor
“February snowstorms are bringing some relief to parched landscapes in the Colorado River Basin, but the river’s reservoirs remain less than half full heading into a spring runoff season that is expected to be lower than normal, according to a briefing this week at the Upper Colorado River Commission. The dry conditions underline water concerns in the drought-strapped river basin and come as high-stakes negotiations over new, post-2026 operating rules continue. If similar conditions occurred under any of the options for the new operating rules, it would mean deep cuts for Lower Basin states, which include Arizona, California and Nevada, officials said during the commission’s meeting Tuesday. It was a “stark” report, said Rebecca Mitchell, Colorado’s representative on the commission and the state’s lead negotiator on Colorado River issues. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
SEE ALSO: Despite winter storms, water managers remain concerned about Colorado River supply, from the Colorado Sun
Water crisis in West still looms as Lakes Mead and Powell only 35% full
“Last week’s rain and floods in California may soon give way to concerns about drought in the West as spring kicks off the region’s dry season. This year’s storms won’t erase looming drought worries across the entire southwestern U.S., experts fear. Of particular concern are the giant reservoirs of the Colorado River basin, Lakes Mead and Powell, which remain far below capacity. Colorado State climatologist Russ Schumacher told USA TODAY Wednesday that “because of the warm, dry conditions over the last couple of decades, which have been made worse by a warming climate, and also because of high demand for water in the region, the two big reservoirs on the Colorado River (Lakes Mead and Powell) are still very low compared to their historical levels.” … ” Read more from USA Today.
Phoenix water supply ‘in a good situation’ despite drought, according to SRP planner
“Despite worsening drought conditions in Arizona, the metro Phoenix water supply is “actually in a good situation,” according to a top Salt River Project (SRP) planner. “Even though we’ve had one of the driest winters on record, the water supplies stored in our reservoirs were … a little over 70% full,” Christa McJunkin, SRP director of water strategy, told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday. “That’s enough water to get us by for two more years, even if there’s no more additional rain. So, we’re actually in a good situation.” Over half of Arizona, including all of Maricopa County, is currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. As of Thursday, 52.9% of the state was in extreme drought, up from just 8.3% three months ago. … ” Read more from KTAR.
Utah could grab Colorado River water before it gets there, conservation group says
“A water grab is taking shape in Utah, where thirsty urban development north of Salt Lake City has created demand where supplies are limited. Enter the “Utah state water agent,” a position created in 2024 with the mission of seeking water supplies beyond Utah’s borders. It’s a bold move by a state that once pushed a plan to pipe water from Lake Powell to St. George to secure water for that fast-growing community. Now conservation groups are among the voices speculating that Utah could divert water from the Green River — the largest tributary of the Colorado River, providing about 40% of all the water that flows into Lake Powell. … ” Read more from KLAS.
Wyoming delegation scrambles to restore millions for irrigators’ water conservation
“Wyoming’s federal delegation has filed legislation to restore millions of dollars to pay state irrigators in the Colorado River Basin for conserving water. Bills filed in the U.S. Senate and House would restore the System Conservation Pilot Program that Congress ended in December. The program contracted to pay $8.3 million in 2023 to 21 entities in Wyoming. The conservation effort aims to supply more water to downstream states without harming Wyoming water users. Headwater upper-basin states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico favor voluntary paid-for conservation over uncompensated reductions proposed by California, Nevada and Arizona. … ” Read more from the WyoFile.
In national water news today …
Trump’s ‘fabricated’ energy emergency threatens wetlands across the US, conservationists claim
“President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency will destroy wetlands across the U.S. as the Army Corps of Engineers is expediting as many as 700 pending permits for pipelines, transmission lines, and other energy-related projects without proper environmental review, the Center for Biological Diversity said. The center sent a letter to Trump on Thursday stating its intent to sue him and the Army Corps for violating the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act because neither federal statute can be curtailed by his declaration of a national emergency, let alone a “fabricated” one. “By concocting an energy national emergency and then directing all federal agencies across the government to expedite the approvals of routine agency actions under both the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, you are unlawfully ordering federal agencies to circumvent lawfully mandated environmental reviews,” the center said in its notice of intent. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Trump hands off NEPA to agencies
“The Trump White House scrapped decades worth of rules Thursday for how to conduct reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. In its place, the administration offered up voluntary guidance that some worry could cut out public comment and sow confusion as agencies — tasked with overseeing everything from bridges to battery plants — chart their own paths. At issue is NEPA, a law that requires the federal government to consider environmental consequences before approving infrastructure. For decades, the Council on Environmental Quality has crafted rules specifying how agencies should conduct reviews that comply with the statute. But the Trump administration on Thursday, empowered by a recent court decision, unveiled an interim final rule that rescinds almost 50 years worth of CEQ regulations. In doing so, the agency was complying with President Donald Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, which revoked a 1977 order that authorized CEQ to make rules in the first place. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Mass firings hamstring federal land agencies and wildfire response
“Federal agencies that play crucial roles in administering conservation, recreation and resource development across roughly than 640m acres of the nation’s public lands were thrust into a state of chaos this week after the Trump administration fired thousands of federal workers, leaving key operational gaps in its wake. The agencies are also on the frontline of mitigating the escalating effects from the climate crisis and concerns are mounting that the depletion of already thinned ranks will only hamper efforts to respond and recover from extreme weather events. From dispatchers to radio operators, trail crews to scientists, fired employees worked a range of important jobs needed to plan prescribed burns, organize suppression efforts and protect landscapes and communities against the growing threats of catastrophic fire. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
