A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
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.
State considers how to spend nearly half a billion dollars available after collapse of Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project
“Nearly six months after the stunning collapse of a $1.5 billion plan to enlarge Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County to provide more water to Bay Area residents, state officials are trying to figure out now what to do with nearly half a billion dollars in state funding they had committed to the now-defunct project. On Wednesday, they provided their first clue. A majority of the seven board members of the California Water Commission, a state agency that distributes funding to build reservoirs and other water projects, indicated they are leaning toward dividing up the $453 million left over from the Los Vaqueros project and giving it this year to six other major new reservoir and groundwater storage projects currently on the drawing board around the state. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
Delta Conveyance Project receives Incidental Take Permit: includes statements from the Governor, Restore the Delta, and State Water Contractors
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has issued an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) under Section 2081 of the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) for the Delta Conveyance Project. Completion of this permit is an important milestone in the planning process, advancing this critical project closer to implementation. Under CESA, DWR is required to obtain an ITP to minimize, avoid, and fully mitigate impacts to threatened or endangered species as a result of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Delta Conveyance Project. The Delta Conveyance Project is one of California’s most important climate adaptation strategies. By modernizing the infrastructure of the State Water Project, it will protect water supply reliability for 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. By developing infrastructure – including intake and tunneling facilities – on the Sacramento River in the Delta region, the Delta Conveyance Project would better equip the State Water Project to take advantage of the types of atmospheric rivers that are becoming more common. This would expand the state’s ability to improve water supply reliability, while maintaining fishery and water quality protections. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Governor Newsom sends letter to State Water Board in support of the Delta Conveyance Project; Conservation groups respond
“Today, Governor Newsom sent a letter to the State Water Board explaining why granting the petition to amend water rights permits to accommodate the proposed Delta Conveyance Project would be in the public interest. The letter begins by noting he and the preceeding two Governors have supported a Delta conveyance project of some kind because California’s prosperity depends on it. The State Water Project has made it possible for California to evolve into the economic powerhouse it has become. “The local water agencies that pay for the State Water Project are diversifying their water sources and getting increasingly efficient, but they cannot fully replace foundational State Water Project deliveries that supply nearly half the water people use in the South Bay, Central Coast, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California. Some water districts in those regions depend entirely on State Water Project supplies,” the letter states. … ” Conservation groups respond: “The Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) says that the DCP is the complete opposite of a project that has been “refined to protect the environment, fisheries, ecosystems, water quality and water supply” but rather a project that will further decimate the Delta. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
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.
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).
The challenges of fighting wildfires with urban water systems
“In the recent Southern California fires, municipal water systems struggled to meet the unprecedented demands made on them. Is a wholesale rethinking of these systems in order? We asked Wendy Broley, executive director of the California Urban Water Agencies, to tell us more. First, can you talk a little bit about what happened in Southern California? It’s important to note that there was a confluence of different factors. We had a couple of great wet years with a lot of vegetation growth, then exceptionally dry conditions, followed by strong Santa Ana winds. So, the fires spread very rapidly and had a lot of very dry fuel. The winds made it difficult to fight from the air, and that’s a critical facet of our ability to fight wildfires. Water supply was not the issue. There was plenty of water: reservoirs are at above-average levels. Rather, the water distribution system was stretched beyond its limits. There was unprecedented demand on the system— at times, four times greater than typical—which caused the water pressure to drop. The infrastructure couldn’t get water where it was needed fast enough. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
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.
In commentary this week …
An exclusive interview with Donald Trump’s least favorite fish, the Delta smelt
Columnist Joe Mathews writes, “I’m just a little fish, not even 3 inches long. But my story speaks volumes. Which is why the biggest fish in America is gunning for me. Donald Trump has taken more shots at me than at Vladimir Putin. He called me a “worthless fish” on Truth Social. And he blamed me for every bad thing in California this year, except Bianca Censori’s Grammy dress. Worst of all, he pinned responsibility on me for January’s Los Angeles area fires. He said that I stopped water imports to Southern California, keeping fire hydrants dry. The president also used me to justify his crazy decision to unleash enormous stores of water from two lakes. That move wasted water that our farmers will need this summer. Luckily, no one was killed in the Central Valley by this Trump-ordered flood — or those deaths would have been my fault, too. I haven’t responded to any of this, because what can I say? … ” Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump cuts will hurt valley wildlife refuges and more
Eric Caine writes, “One of the great wildlife recovery stories in United States’ history began in the mid-1980s when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) and other agencies began the Aleutian Cackling Goose recovery program. Then listed as endangered, the Aleutian Goose population had declined to fewer than 700 individuals. The chief factor in the decline was predation by the Arctic Fox, which was introduced to the Aleutian Islands by Russian fur traders as early as 1836. Elimination of the fox population brought the geese back from the brink of extinction, but removal of the predator wasn’t enough. The geese still needed protection on their wintering grounds, which turned out to lie almost entirely in the northern San Joaquin Valley, most specifically in western Stanislaus County, near the confluence of the Tuolumne, San Joaquin and Stanislaus rivers. The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (SJNRNW) was established in 1987, under authority of the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Conservation Acts, to protect those wintering grounds. … ” Read more from Valley Citizen.
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.
State’s water decisions impact more than just Californians
Dan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance, writes, “Steve Schmidt, the veteran GOP strategist who worked in the George W. Bush White House, once said, “Whether they’re for good or bad, all trends in the United States start in California.” Sometimes government decisions made in California can extend impacts to other parts of the West, as well. The deadline for public comments to the California State Water Board on California’s water quality control plan for the Bay-Delta was Jan. 10. The impacts of imposing a 55% unimpaired flow on the Sacramento River and other tributaries to the Bay-Delta — as proposed by State Water Board staff — would have a massive impact on contractors from Redding all the way to San Diego. This will also have an impact on Southern California’s interest in the Colorado River, since State Water Project (SWP) supplies out of the Delta would be significantly impacted. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Water for farmers, food for America
William Bourdeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms, owner of Bourdeau Farms, director of the Westlands Water District, and more, writes, “California’s agricultural sector is the backbone of the state’s economy and a critical source of food for the nation. However, water scarcity and restrictive regulations have placed an increasing burden on farmers, threatening both productivity and long-term survival. With recent policy changes aimed at improving water distribution and infrastructure, there is a renewed opportunity for farmers, policymakers, and the general public to come together in support of a more balanced and effective water management system. For years, stringent regulations have limited water access to farming communities, prioritizing environmental restrictions over agricultural needs. Recent policy shifts, represent an important step toward addressing this imbalance. These efforts aim to ensure that water allocation prioritizes economic sustainability and food security while maintaining responsible environmental stewardship. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
The rising threat of copper theft: Protecting water supply infrastructure
Jonathan Ratledge writes, “Copper theft is a growing problem with far-reaching consequences for critical infrastructure. Driven by rising copper prices and market demand, thieves target essential components such as electrical wiring, plumbing, HVAC systems, and utility cables – including those crucial to water pumps and irrigation systems. These thefts disrupt power grids and telecommunications, increase repair and replacement costs, and pose significant safety hazards for workers and the public. For the water industry, the stakes are especially high. Both public utilities and private farms rely on water supply infrastructure that is increasingly vulnerable to copper theft. With incidents on the rise, the impact extends to operational disruptions, financial losses, and heightened strain on law enforcement. Protecting water infrastructure is more critical than ever. … ” Read more at Water Wrights.
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.
Commentary: We need an innovative approach to secure more water in the West
Brett Sutton writes, “Bold and ambitious solutions to the American West’s water woes seem to be even more scarce than the water itself. With the recent fires in Los Angeles and a continued stalemate in the negotiations over reworking the Colorado River Compact, there’s now a renewed focus on ensuring the most arid portions of the West don’t soon dry up completely. The challenges facing the region are immense. Structurally, water rights throughout the area have been overallocated for generations, and with a growing population things aren’t going to get any better. The Colorado River Compact, for example, was negotiated at a time when river inflows were at historical highs and there were far fewer communities to sustain. When those rights were allocated, technologies such as large-scale desalination of ocean water, did not exist. Moreover, unending droughts and water mismanagement on the local level have further strained our already limited supplies with devastating consequences. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In regional water news this week …
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.
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.
Land is sinking fast around the Bay Area, worsening the effects of sea level rise
“The land at multiple spots along California’s iconic coastline is sinking at startling rates, compounding the flooding risks posed by future sea level rise from Humboldt Bay to San Diego, according to a new study led by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The speed of the land sinking, or subsidence, helps show that regional estimates “largely underestimate” sea level rise in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. That adds a new layer of complication for cities along the 800-plus miles of coastline preparing for a far wetter future, while some are already dealing with flooding from climate-fueled storms and king tides. Using satellite imagery, the scientists found that land along San Francisco Bay in San Rafael, Corte Madera, Foster City and Alameda’s Bay Farm Island is subsiding more than 0.4 inches a year. When considering the subsistence rate, local sea levels could rise by more than double the regional estimate by 2050. … ” Read more from KQED.
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.
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.
FEMA doubles down on its decision to not test soil as part of wildfire cleanup
“In the face of mounting backlash from wildfire survivors and California elected officials, federal disaster agencies are defending their decision to forgo soil testing after cleanup crews remove debris from properties that burned in the Los Angeles County fires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have said that federal cleanup workers will remove toxic wildfire ash and rubble, along with a 6-inch layer of topsoil from properties. But, this week, federal officials told The Times they won’t order soil testing to confirm that properties aren’t still contaminated after the removal. Follow-up soil testing — conducted after every major wildfire in California since 2007 — is intended to ensure that properties are remediated to state standards and don’t still contain dangerous levels of toxic substances. But now FEMA, the agency responsible for allocating funding and outlining cleanup procedures in the aftermath of wildfires, insists that scraping 6 inches of topsoil from each property is sufficient to protect public health. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
LA County Public Health will test soil amid concerns over toxins in Eaton, Palisades areas, officials say
“Los Angeles County will lead “comprehensive” testing of soil in the burn areas, responding to concern of many residents about the potential of toxic materials to be embedded in the ground in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires, officials said on Wednesday, Feb. 19. As a part of the L.A. County comprehensive post-fire assessment, air, soil and water sampling and monitoring will be done by L.A. County Public Health, the department’s Director Barbara Ferrer said. “Soil sampling is part of the plan, as well, and that includes potential contamination from heavy metals, dioxins and other toxic residues that may have settled from the wildfire ash and debris,” Ferrer said. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Department of Public Health and the L.A. Fire Health Study Consortium are working with the county, with the state Public Health Department providing technical assistance, officials said. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
Charred EV batteries from California wildfires spark concern about toxic waste contaminating drinking water
“Potentially toxic lithium-ion batteries pried from burned-out electric vehicles in the Eaton fire and transported to a temporary hazardous waste collection site in Azusa for processing has raised concerns about toxic metals leaching into nearby sources of drinking water. The Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster, an agency responsible for the safety of groundwater supplies for nearly 2 million Los Angeles County residents, sounded an alarm recently over the crushing of these batteries on a dirt bank of the San Gabriel River at Lario Park, at 15701 Foothill Blvd. Lithium-ion batteries can release toxic metals such as lead, nickel, copper, cobalt, thallium and silver, an “ecotoxicity potential” associated with the breakdown of these compact, efficient batteries from EVs, as well as cell phones, computers and video games, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other experts. The Watermaster has requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in charge of the Lario hazardous waste staging site, relocate the battery-crushing activity from the Lario site or simply move the crushing activity farther from the river bank to a paved parking lot area. … ” Read more from Silicon Valley. | Read via the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Scientists are racing to discover the depth of ocean damage sparked by the LA wildfires
“On a recent Sunday, Tracy Quinn drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to assess damage wrought upon the coastline by the Palisades Fire. The water line was darkened by ash. Burnt remnants of washing machines and dryers and metal appliances were strewn about the shoreline. Sludge carpeted the water’s edge. Waves during high tide lapped onto charred homes, pulling debris and potentially toxic ash into the ocean as they receded. “It was just heartbreaking,” said Quinn, president and CEO of the environmental group Heal the Bay, whose team has reported ash and debris some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the Palisades burn area west of Los Angeles. As crews work to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous materials from the Los Angeles wildfires, researchers and officials are trying to understand how the fires on land have impacted the sea. The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched thousands of homes, businesses, cars and electronics, turning everyday items into hazardous ash made of pesticides, asbestos, plastics, lead, heavy metals and more. … ” Read more from KTNV.
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.
