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On the calendar today …
- 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.
In California water news today …
California braces for massive storm; evacuation warnings, closures in LA
“California braced for the arrival of a major Pacific storm on Wednesday, enacting road closures and issuing evacuation warnings in parts of Los Angeles and Malibu vulnerable to mudslides and debris flows. The potent storm, which will put nearly the entire central U.S. at risk of dangerous weather later this week, will dump several feet of snow along the Sierra Nevada and bring torrential rain to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. A smaller storm system moved over the state on Tuesday. The incoming rain could fall at rates of an inch per hour, raising the risk of flooding, mudslides and debris flows, especially in areas charred by the wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods earlier this year. … ” Read more from the USA Today.
SEE ALSO: Storm Parade Brings Heavy Rain, Flood Threat, from Weather.com
Study shows rain-soaking atmospheric rivers are getting bigger, wetter and more frequent
“As extreme weather events have hit the world hard in recent years, one meteorology term — atmospheric rivers — has made the leap from scientific circles to common language, particularly in places that have been hit by them. That stands to reason. The heavy rain and wind events most known for dousing California and other parts of the West have been getting bigger, wetter and more frequent in the past 45 years as the world warms, according to a comprehensive study of atmospheric rivers in the current issue of the Journal of Climate. Atmospheric rivers are long and relatively narrow bands of water vapor. They take water from oceans and flow through the sky dumping rain in prodigious amounts. They have increased in the area they soak by 6 to 9% since 1980, increased in frequency by 2 to 6% and are slightly wetter than before, the study said. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Testimony: An introduction to flooding in California
“Although California is best known for droughts and wildfires, the state is also prone to large, damaging floods. And the changing climate—including increasing storm intensity and rising sea level—is increasing the risk of flooding. In my presentation to the committee, I will offer an overview of flood risk in California and illustrate some of the major challenges the state faces as flood risk continues to rise. The presentation will focus mostly on rainfall floods, but I want to remind the committee that the economic risks associated with coastal flooding are just as high. The following points are essential to understanding flood risk in the state … ” Read more from the PPIC.
New hope for saving salmon: Weaving together Indigenous and Western sciences to restore California’s winter-run chinook
“Jamie Ward grew up hearing the stories his people have told for countless generations on the slopes of Mount Shasta, a glacier-capped peak in Northern California. Many of these stories celebrate the bond between his tribe, the Winnemem Wintu, and Nur, also called winter-run chinook salmon. … This promise has become almost impossible to keep. Government agencies charged with restoring California’s at-risk salmon have long shut tribes out of decision making, even though decades of Western science have failed to reverse the fishes’ precipitous decline. Winter-run chinook are among the most imperiled, largely due to habitat loss. The 1945 completion of Shasta Dam blocked the fish from their best spawning grounds, especially the cold mountain streams of the Winnemem Wintu’s ancestral homelands along the McCloud River. “I didn’t think they would ever return,” says Ward, a wildland management graduate student at California State University, Chico, who wants to restore waterways for salmon. But this winter, for the first time in 80 years, salmon that began their lives in the McCloud are likely coming back from the ocean to spawn. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir project advances amid pushback from community
“A plan to build a new reservoir in Stanislaus County is getting some pushback. The Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir would basically cover the current Del Puerto Canyon Road, west of Interstate 5. The project would cause a roadway and power lines to be rerouted. The reservoir would hold water to be used for local agriculture. The Del Puerto Water District’s Patterson general manager, Anthea Hansen, said hundreds of thousands of acres of land would benefit the district, as the current water supply it uses is unreliable. “Some years, water supply is plentiful and some years not. This reservoir project would allow us to have a place to store water in times of plenty and be able to have local control over it, to use it during times of shortage,” Hansen said. … ” Read more from KCRA.
Initial CVP water allotment may not increase plantings
“Farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who irrigate with water supplied by the federal Central Valley Project say they are thankful for a 35% water allocation announced in February. But due to the timing of the announcement and lower crop prices, they say the initial allocation by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation may not lead to more planted acres. Stanislaus County farmer Daniel Bays, who grows tree and row crops in Westley, said he was already making planting decisions and preparing ground in the fall. “To wait until March 1 to decide whether or not you’re going to farm is a little late,” he said. “It could get wet for the rest of March, and you’re unable to get out and prep the fields to plant.” Bays relies on water from the Del Puerto Water District, a member agency of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, which learned about the initial allocation on Feb. 25. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
California Agriculture: Dispelling myths and correcting the record
“California’s agricultural sector has long been the subject of debate, particularly regarding its use of water and environmental impacts. A recent article published by Al Jazeera titled “California Water Wars: A Century of Wrangling Over Los Angeles’s Water” presents a misleading and incomplete picture of California’s agricultural water and its role in the state’s economy. Too often columnists lean on sensationalist claims, biased or incomplete information, and outdated, inaccurate tropes when describing California agriculture and water, as in this article published by Al Jazeera. The article fails to provide a nuanced, data-driven perspective, instead favoring a simplistic narrative that misrepresents the facts. California’s farmers are not reckless water users—they are stewards of land and water who play a crucial role in feeding millions. Any discussion of California’s water future must recognize this reality rather than vilify an essential part of everyone’s daily supply chain. Below are some of the most egregious examples of the failure to accurately portray agriculture’s use of water to grow our food. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coalition.
Farmers feeling the pain after conservation funding frozen
“Brian Geier and his wife, Elizabeth Tobey, are farmers in Harrison County, Indiana, where they grow corn, soybeans, hay, and flowers on their 55 acres. Last year, they added sheep to the operation. Like many producers, the couple has taken advantage of federal conservation programs available through Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS. In 2024, they used grant funding to remove invasive trees and brush that had moved into the forested part of their acreage. This year, thanks to a second contract, they were planning to expand their rotational grazing operation with new fencing and water lines. Typically, landowners spend their own money and are reimbursed once a year. Geier is using the advanced payment option, which is available to beginning farmers. “You can spend a little bit of the money, turn in receipts, and then get repaid for it,” he explains. But in mid-February, Geier learned that the second grant, which is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, is frozen indefinitely. He’s not alone. Thousands of NRCS conservation contracts across the country have been frozen; some have been terminated altogether. … ” Read more from Sierra Magazine.
California almond growers grapple with uncertainty as new tariffs could hit exports
“California almond growers are used to dealing with swings in the weather and water supply. Now they must also grapple with the uncertainty of trade battles as the Trump administration levies tariffs on goods from several countries and weighs adding more to the list. With more than three-quarters of California’s almond crop headed for export, tariffs could impact where the nut is headed and send ripple effects throughout the state’s economy, experts said. The state is the biggest producer of the world’s almonds, accounting for about 80 percent of the global supply. Already, China has responded to Trump’s move by raising tariffs on U.S. almonds — and that’s on top of tariffs levied on the nut in the last Trump administration. “If we start a trade war with, you know, India, the European Union, parts of the Middle East, then the almond industry in California is going to suffer dramatically,” said Colin Carter, agricultural economist and professor emeritus at University of California, Davis. “The price will fall even further and you’ll see orchards being ripped out, farms being lost. There’d be farms for sale up and down the Valley.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
What Lies Beneath: New C-WIN reports explain California’s groundwater resources and regulations
“When Californians consider water supplies, they typically think of rivers and reservoirs. And it’s true that surface water accounts for about 70% of state water consumption on average. But that remaining 30% is pumped from subterranean aquifers. A secure groundwater supply is thus essential for California’s communities, farms and industries, and central to any sound water management strategy. So how is SGMA doing? It’s – complicated. SGMA has both positive attributes and deficits, and as usual with complex regulations, the devil is in the details and how they’re applied. C-WIN has drafted a brief but informative report on SGMA that highlights its strengths and weaknesses and proposes ways to make the legislation more effective and equitable. C-WIN has also produced a separate analysis on a crucial area of groundwater basin management that SGMA has left largely unaddressed: aquifer recharge.” Click here for the SGMA Explainer. | Click here for groundwater recharge report.
California regulators want to weaken hazardous waste disposal rules
“California environmental regulators are considering rolling back the state’s hazardous waste disposal rules, potentially permitting some municipal landfills to accept more contaminated soil from heavily polluted areas. From lead-acid battery smelters to rocket testing facilities, heavy industry over the past century in California has left large swathes of land imbued with dangerous chemicals. As a result, contaminated soil that has been removed during major environmental cleanups or new construction has typically comprised the largest bloc of hazardous waste in California each year. More than 560,000 tons of toxic dirt are excavated every year on average, according to a 2023 DTSC report. The vast majority of this polluted soil would not qualify as hazardous waste outside of California, because the state has more stringent rules than the federal government. But now the California Department of Toxic Substances Control is recommending loosening the state’s hazardous waste rules for contaminated soil, arguing that many nonhazardous landfills are adequately equipped to accept chemical-laced dirt, according to an unpublished draft plan obtained by The Times. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Padilla presses Interior Department to approve Yosemite Visitor Management Plan, slams Trump cuts to National Park Service
“Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) urged Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to approve Yosemite National Park’s Visitor Access Management Plan, while underscoring the threat that the Trump Administration’s reckless National Park Service (NPS) staff cuts pose to a successful summer season. Yosemite’s visitor access plan to use a reservation system is essential to providing the world-class experience that visitors and park lovers expect, while also ensuring that Yosemite remains protected for generations to come. As the Trump Administration creates chaos at Yosemite and other national parks by advancing a dangerous hiring freeze, rescinding job offers, and eliminating seasonal employees, Padilla emphasized that the park cannot implement its plan or effectively manage visitor overflow and traffic congestion without sufficient staffing. “Moving forward with a permanent reservation system, as envisioned by the Plan and the public, is a necessary step toward creating a more sustainable and positive experience for all visitors,” wrote Senator Padilla. “The uncertainty surrounding the Plan’s approval is directly affecting visitors who are trying to make their summer plans now, as well as gateway businesses who depend on summer tourism to survive.” … ” Read more from Senator Padilla’s website.
SEE ALSO: Workforce cuts raise concerns over national park upkeep , from Roll Call
Low salmon counts could lead to another canceled fishing season in California
“California’s embattled salmon populations continue to struggle. According to figures released on February 26 by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) at an Anadromous Fishes Conservation and Management Program meeting, salmon population estimates are low throughout the Golden State. Notably, the survey showed a population estimate of just under 166,000 fish from the Sacramento River fall-run of Chinook salmon—the state’s most significant salmon run. That estimate is down slightly from 2024 when the estimate was around 169,000 fish. Additionally, last year’s spawning escarpment—fish that return to freshwater to spawn—totaled only 99,000 adults, below the conservation goal of 122,000 to 180,000. These figures are all well below long-term averages. Additionally, surveys show low spawning counts and population estimates for the Klamath Basin, where the 2024 fall Chinook run was just 38 percent of the long-term average. … ” Read more from Field & Stream.
Ranking Member Huffman leads letter demanding answers on Army Corps’ wasteful water release
“Today, Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), alongside Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Laura Friedman (CA-30), sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum demanding answers and accountability on the Administration’s wasteful water releases, which deviated from standard protocol and wasted two billion gallons of water. After the devastating Los Angeles wildfires had already been contained, President Trump insisted that the Army Corps “open the valves” to send more water to the city. But according to the Washington Post, the US Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged in a memo that they knew President Trump’s directive would do nothing to calm the wildfires and would negatively impact farmers and communities. Yet the Army Corps followed through on the directive, without consulting stakeholders and communities, and put lives at risk. … ” Read more from Congressman Jared Huffman’s website.
Supreme Court makes waves in San Francisco ruling
“When the Supreme Court issued its decision in City & County of San Francisco v. EPA on March 4, 2025, it may have saved San Francisco $10 billion dollars in penalties sought by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). The decision may also precipitate significant changes in how Clean Water Act (“CWA”) permits are drafted and enforced. The case concerned San Francisco’s CWA permit to operate its combined sewer-stormwater system and to discharge to the Pacific Ocean. City & Cty. of San Francisco v. EPA, No. 23–753, slip op. (U.S. Mar. 4, 2025). EPA renewed San Francisco’s permit in 2019 but included two conditions that the Supreme Court called “end-result” terms because they prohibited San Francisco from impairing Pacific Ocean water quality. San Francisco objected, claiming that it could never know whether it was complying with the permit. … ” Read more from Brownstein.
Cal Fire rolls out new fire hazard maps for Central California. Up next: L.A.
“The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released new fire-hazard severity maps Monday that added thousands of acres within the purview of local fire departments across agricultural Central Valley counties that previously had zero acres zoned as such. The Central Coast’s Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties saw their fire-hazard acreages increase more than four- and fivefold, respectively. In total, the agency added over 1.2 million acres into the zones, over 300,000 of which are in severity zones where many of the state’s fire safety regulations apply. The maps, covering 15 counties in Central California, are part of Cal Fire’s two-month rollout of new hazard zones for the regions where local city and county fire departments are responsible for responding to blazes. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Endangered species habitat restoration creates jobs, boosts local economy.
“Last winter, endangered Central California Coast coho salmon returned to Mendocino Coast rivers and streams in the highest numbers since monitoring began 16 years ago. The numbers suggest NOAA’s long-term investment to recover the species is paying off. Local businesses are also reaping the rewards. Government funding for salmon habitat restoration employs foresters, construction workers, and other professionals to rehabilitate rivers and streams damaged by historic logging. Recovering species to the point where they can be removed from the endangered species list takes a long time. NOAA has funded dozens of restoration projects benefiting Central California Coast coho salmon in Mendocino watersheds over the last 20 years. In an area decimated by a century’s worth of clearcutting and other harmful practices, there’s no shortage of restoration work to do. “This funding is a big deal,” says Registered Professional Forester Chris Blencowe, who has consulted on restoration projects with NOAA partners The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Trout Unlimited (TU). “It’s diversifying the economy and directly supports good-paying local jobs with which you can support a family. I’m from this area, and without this work, I honestly don’t know what I’d be doing.” … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Storm could bring Sierra Nevada snowpack to ‘near-normal’ levels. When will it hit Tahoe?
“Heavy snow and strong winds are in the forecast for the Tahoe area that could potentially create dangerous highway and mountain conditions, the National Weather Service said. A winter storm warning is in effect through Thursday night for much of the mountains as a storm system is forecast to bring new snowfall to the Sierra Nevada, according to the weather service. Several feet of snow is expected during the early spring system, which could bring 2025 snowpack levels to “near-normal,” according to Gigi Giralte, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Reno, Nevada office. High winds could create whiteout conditions during the storm’s peak times, making travel in the mountains difficult, Giralte said. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SEE ALSO: Winter storm warning issued near Lake Tahoe ahead of ‘difficult to impossible’ travel conditions, from KTVU
Wildfire protection plan finalized for Lake Tahoe Basin
“The 2025 Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is now officially signed and valid. The validation of the newest plan marks a milestone in wildfire preparedness for the region. The CWPPs are community-driven, and use local input and data to prioritize wildfire risk reduction, guide fuels reduction, improve preparedness and wildfire response. With the plan now finalized, area organizations and communities have a framework they can use to go after funding for implementing wildfire mitigation actions. The 2025 update is integrating new tools, including software called ‘Vibrant Planet’ that uses data and scientific modeling to assist land managers in planning fuels reduction treatments like pile burning. … ” Read more from KTVN.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
New Cal Fire maps show areas of wildfire hazard. What do they say about Sacramento County?
“How susceptible is Sacramento County to wildfire? Residents can now check with new Cal Fire fire hazard severity zone maps released Monday to find out. This latest batch of maps detail the severity of fire hazard by area. Hazards are rated moderate, high and very high depending on the factors that contribute to fire behavior: fire history, vegetation, weather and terrain, among others, according to the State Office of the Fire Marshal. Sacramento County is included in a four-part roll out that began in February. Counties in the greater Sacramento region including El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties, were part of earlier phases of the rollout in February. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Cows graze at Placer County hiking spot to help reduce fire risk
“Mooove over, goats. Cows are now being used to cut back on grass and reduce fire risk in Northern California. Placer County has introduced cows to Hidden Falls Regional Park. The cattle are grazing in the park as part of a land management initiative aimed at reducing wildfire risk. Josh Huntsinger of Placer County Parks calls the project a “win-win.” “People will see a little agricultural production going on in this park,” Huntsinger said. “We are getting the benefit of some fuel management with the grazing. The cattle grazer also provides a nice presence to help us keep an eye on the park and take care of it. And the people have a great recreational experience out here when they come to enjoy the park as well.” … ” Read more from KCRA.
BAY AREA
Bay Area storm timeline: Three days of rain, strong winds and travel impacts
“California is set for an active weather pattern over the next week, with three storm systems expected to bring significant rainfall and heavy mountain snow. In the Bay Area, a three-day stretch of wet weather begins Wednesday as the first system moves into the region. Light rain showers will develop across the North Bay in the predawn hours Wednesday, with scattered showers also possible over the Peninsula and San Francisco. Those rain showers will continue spreading southward through the morning, likely making for a wet morning commute, though not a washout. Meanwhile, Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz County will remain mostly dry until the afternoon. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Judge throws out latest Hunters Point Shipyard settlement offer, calls it ‘worst’ he’s seen
“The latest attempt by the developers of San Francisco’s Hunters Point Shipyard to exit a $1 billion lawsuit over the site’s botched environmental cleanup was shot down by a federal judge who, during a January hearing, called a proposed settlement a “sweetheart deal” for the developers and the “worst settlement” he’s ever seen. The proposed $5.4 million deal, for which homebuilders Lennar Corp. and Five Point Holdings sought the court’s approval, would have left the plaintiffs — some 6,500 residents of the Hunters Point community who sued in 2018 alleging that they were the victims of fraud and suffered health defects in connection to the former shipyard’s ongoing toxic cleanup — with a total of $4 million in payouts that, after subtracting $1.4 million for attorney fees, comes out to $606 per person. U.S. District Judge James Donato officially denied the proposal last month. In a scathing Feb. 20 order, he described the agreed-upon payout as “paltry” and concluded that the neighborhood’s residents were not getting a fair shake: “No question that the proposed terms are unfair to the class members.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Save Mount Diablo acquires 98-acre Schwendel Ranch in “landmark conservation victory”
“Save Mount Diablo acquired the Ginochio Schwendel Ranch — a 98-acre property along the Marsh Creek wildlife corridor, between Clayton and Brentwood — for $1.45 million, the group announced Thursday. That land will now be permanently preserved and managed as part of a new state program focused on the San Andreas fault’s inner coast, including the 200-mile Diablo Range. Save Mount Diablo said the group closed escrow on this “landmark conservation victory” a week after securing a $728,000 grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, which divvies up money for efforts to safeguard state’s biological diversity and wild spaces. That funding, which was the regional conservation nonprofit’s first award from the state board, covered about half of the acquisition project’s total cost, the group said. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Fremont to spend $135,000 on lake project following massive fish die-off
“The Fremont City Council recently agreed to spend $135,000 on several improvements to Lake Elizabeth, following coverage by this news organization about a massive fish die-off at the lake last summer. The city expects the pilot program investment approved on March 4 to help alleviate the lake’s problems, but Joyce Blueford, a local environmental scientist, claims “it won’t work.” Last year, a severe heat wave killed off about 1,000 fish in July in the 83-acre lake in Fremont’s Central Park, causing a scramble where workers called in to work overtime on a holiday weekend buried fish in a mass grave to mask the smell and discarded about five tons of fish in trash bins. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SoCal under flood watch as another winter storm brings more rain and snow
“The heaviest rainfall for this latest winter storm in Southern California arrives today and tapers off into tomorrow. That means commuters can expect more slick roads. Today’s rainfall is forecasted to be moderate to heavy, with the heavier rain picking up during the late evening. Gusty winds and chance of thunderstorms are also in the forecast. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday’s with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s across the region. That means between 55 to 64 degrees for L.A. County beaches, valleys including the Antelope Valley. Around 58 to 63 degrees for Orange County, and around 63 degrees for the Inland Empire. Meanwhile, expect daytime highs from 69 to 74 degrees in Coachella Valley. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Back-to-back L.A. storms force evacuation warnings, raise threat of brief tornados and mudslides
“Back-to-back storms hitting Southern California this week have triggered evacuation warnings for some areas burned in the January firestorms, with the potential for wild weather and falling snow levels. The evacuation warnings include areas hit by the Palisades fire as well as the Sunset fire, which burned in the hills above Hollywood. “There’s also potential for strong thunderstorms with damaging wind or weak, brief tornadoes,” said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Munroe said the storm is expected to be similar to the January storm that caused flooding and mud flows near the Los Angeles County burn scars. This time, the areas that burned in the Palisades, Franklin, Hurst, Bridge, Hughes and Eaton fires could also experience flooding, debris flows and mudslides. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California atmospheric river event triggers evacuation alerts around burn scars
“An atmospheric river event bringing the chances of heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of California may cause more problems for residents impacted by recent wildfires. On Tuesday, authorities around burn scars created by fires such as the Eaton and Palisades in January issued evacuation warnings for residents as the risk of heavy rainfall threatened to create a mud mess for homes and businesses that survived the initial flames. Dr. Ariel Cohen, the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office that services the Los Angeles region, said the storm could bring significant rainfall, especially to burn-scarred areas. “We could make it through the system with minimal impact, but there’s also the possibility of significant debris flows, flooding and damaging wind gusts,” Cohen warned. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
California pre-deploys resources statewide ahead of incoming storms, continues coordination with Los Angeles to protect burn areas
“As a series of storms is set to move across California this week, Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to coordinate with partner agencies throughout the state to keep communities safe. State efforts are pre-deploying more than 400 personnel to support the response. Storm impacts are expected throughout much of California Wednesday through Friday with periods of heavy rain, heavy mountain snow, and widespread strong winds. Additionally, Southern California could see periods of rain that could increase the likelihood of debris flow risk in the Eaton and Palisades fire areas, and other recent burn scars throughout the broader region. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for portions of Southern California with rain totals expected upwards of 2 inches in lower elevations and 4 inches in higher elevations. … ” Read more from Governor Newsom’s office.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The Salton Sea is California’s most imperiled lake. Can a new conservancy save it?
“Haze hung over the Salton Sea on a recent winter day, while black-necked stilts and kildeer waded in the shallows, pecking at crustaceans. Something else emerged a few steps closer to the lakeshore: a briny, rotten egg stench wafting from the water. The Salton Sea is nearly twice as salty as the ocean, laden with agricultural runoff and susceptible to algal blooms that spew hydrogen sulfide, a noxious gas. It’s also a haven to more than 400 bird species and a key stop on the Pacific Flyway, one of North America’s main bird migration routes. State officials have wrestled with the sea’s deteriorating condition as its water becomes fouler and its footprint shrinks, exposing toxic dust that wafts through the region. This year, the state took a step toward a solution, creating a new Salton Sea Conservancy and earmarking nearly half a billion dollars to revive the deteriorating water body. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California’s largest lake is drying up – and the consequences are startling
“A newly published study reveals that the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake by surface area, is experiencing an accelerated shoreline retreat following a policy change that redirected more Colorado River water to San Diego. As the lakebed dries, researchers warn that agricultural runoff left behind is generating increasing amounts of polluted dust, which poses health risks to nearby communities.According to the study, the shoreline along the Salton Sea’s North Shore is projected to recede by 150 meters by 2030 and an additional 172 meters by 2041 if the current rate of retreat continues.Between 2002 and 2017, the average rate of retreat increased from 12.5 meters per year to nearly 38.5 meters per year after 2018. “Without mitigation, the expanding exposed playa around the Salton Sea is expected to worsen pollutant exposure in local communities,” the study stated. … ” Read more from Sci Tech Daily.
SAN DIEGO
Expect a more powerful, possibly damaging storm late Wednesday night
“The periodically heavy rain that spread across San Diego County on Tuesday afternoon will give way to a far more powerful and potentially damaging storm late Wednesday night, packing snow and rain that will last into late Thursday, with a third drenching possible late Sunday, the National Weather Service said. Collectively, the three storms could drop more than 1.5 inches of precipitation at the coast, twice as much inland, and 2 to 4 inches of snow above the 4,000-foot level, mostly on Thursday, when temperatures will be about 10 degrees below average throughout much of the region. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
San Diego water bills to rise on May 1 after 5.5% rate hike
“San Diego utility customers will see another upcharge on their water bills starting May 1 after a 5.5% rate adjustment was approved by the San Diego City Council last week. The city of San Diego said the rate hike passed last Tuesday was a pass-through charge necessary to cover a 14% increase approved by the San Diego County Water Authority in July 2024. “As a result of this significant increase in SDCWA’s 2025 rates, the Public Utilities Department does not have sufficient revenue. To maintain the financial stability of the City’s water utility and ensure adequate cost recovery, the City must adjust rates to account for anticipated increases in water purchase costs from SDCWA,” the city said in a notice to customers that includes a list of maximum charge depending on meter size with the pass-through rate increase. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Plastics most prevalent in trash flows from Tijuana into US
“As a storm passes through the San Diego region, the Tijuana River picks up the pace carrying even more garbage and debris from south of the border. A trash boom installed in the river channel three months ago, just inside U.S. soil, rises according to the level of the water stopping floating materials such as lumber, aluminum cans and soccer balls. Alter Terra, the nonprofit in charge of the boom, has been surveying the types of materials flowing in. “It’s organic compounds, lots of plastics, lots of Styrofoam,” said Oscar Terra, Alter Terra’s executive director. … ” Read more from the Border Report.
Sod farm fixes collapsed berm that led to massive flooding in Tijuana River Valley
“With a major storm approaching the Tijuana-San Diego region this week, employees at a sod farm in the Tijuana River Valley dismissed the possibility of any flooding now that an earthen levee has been repaired. That same berm, which snakes along the north bank of the Tijuana River, gave way nearly 14 months ago leading to catastrophic flooding at the grass-growing operation. Back then, as the water receded, a thick layer of trash and other debris was left behind, leading to a halt in operations until the cleanup was completed. The International Boundary and Water Commission, which oversees the land, took months to remove 650 tons of waste materials from the site. … ” Read more from the Border Report.
Along the Colorado River …
Could Trump break the West’s most important river?
“A Native American tribe with a powerful water claim had an ultimatum for the Trump administration: Release money to protect the Colorado River — or fight over the future of the most important river in the West. Uncharacteristically, the Trump administration backed down. The Interior Department released $105 million eight days later to repay the tribe for work it had done to line leaky canals and take other measures to protect a waterway that supports farms and cities in seven states. It was a victory for Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community — and a rare success in cities, farmers and tribes’ ongoing fight over drought funding from Democrats’ signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. But the episode last month, previously unreported, underscores the alarm that Western officials are feeling over the Trump administration’s freeze of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for the waterway, which supports 40 million people and a $1.4 trillion economy but has been gripped by megadrought for more than two decades. … ” Read more from Politico.
Some Colorado River states want a new federal review of water management plans
“Leaders in California, Arizona and Nevada sent a letter to Doug Burgum, the newly-appointed Secretary of the Interior, asking for a fresh review of proposals to manage the shrinking Colorado River. The seven states that share the river are under pressure to create a new plan for dividing its shrinking supplies before 2026 when the current rules expire. The states that sent the mid-February letter represent the Lower Basin, one of two factions in a tense standoff over new river rules. “Any actions from decision makers like this, or any communications, have the potential to upend very delicate negotiations that are currently taking place,” said Eric Balken, director of the nonprofit Glen Canyon Institute. The letter focuses primarily on two things – the previous administration’s process for assessing river management proposals, and the need for infrastructure upgrades at Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back Lake Powell. … ” Read more from KUNC.
The prom of the Colorado River
“Alfalfa smells warm and earthy and sort of sweet, like socks after a long hike, but not in a bad way. It is soft, with oblong green leaves the size of a pinkie nail. I know this because on a chilly February afternoon I drove a hundred and forty miles to the Imperial Valley, one of the state’s largest farming regions, pulled over to an unattended field, and ripped up a clump. It was a brown day; the wind turbines in Palm Springs were spinning and a dust storm was brewing. The air was more humid than normal. Alfalfa grows everywhere around the West, but it’s peculiar to see vast green fields in this place—a low, dry desert where vegetation is scarce and water even scarcer. But the Imperial Valley, home to an accidental salt lake and a mountain made of multicolored painted adobe clay, is one of California’s weirder places. The Salton Sea’s gunky shoreline takes off-road vehicles prisoner. A roving mud puddle eats at the highway. Roughly a hundred and fifty thousand acres of alfalfa grow in a place that sees fewer than three inches of rain a year. … ” Read more from the Paris Review.
Woman who helped shape rules for Colorado River water use asked to step down by Trump administration
“Federal funding freezes, government layoffs, and contract cancellations are bringing into question what the future of the Colorado River looks like as stakeholders approach a critical 2026 deadline for new water usage agreements. The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people across two countries, seven states, 30 tribes, and more than five million acres of irrigated farmland. However, climate change and over usage of water has significantly altered the river’s flow in recent decades. “Climate change has dramatically impacted the Colorado River, and we’re seeing less flow in the river overall than was the case 20, 30, 50 years ago,” said Anne Castle, the former U.S. Representative and chair of the Upper Colorado River Commission. “We have to have a new set of operating rules that respond to the river that we have today.” Castle, who was appointed in 2022 by Joe Biden, was asked to resign seven days after President Trump’s inauguration in January. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Homebuilder group, AZ lawmakers sue to block rule requiring water sources for developments
“Homebuilders and Republican state lawmakers have filed a lawsuit seeking to void a rule requiring them to prove they have access to alternative water supplies in certain parts of the state. The Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona alleges the Department of Water Resources lacks the authority to determine if people have enough water for new developments. The rule they’re challenging requires developers to show they have access to 100-years of water. They’re also currently required to have even more water from an additional supply. Those rules apply to active water management areas in the Valley and Pinal County. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Southern Ute plans for $19M upgrade to crumbling water system get caught in Trump funding freeze
“On Jan. 19, former President Joe Biden’s last full day in office, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe thought it would have at least $19 million in federal funding to improve a deteriorating irrigation system in southwestern Colorado. Then the controversial national funding freeze by President Donald Trump shoved the tribe’s plans into limbo. The federally managed Pine River Indian Irrigation Project has a decadeslong backlog of maintenance work that could cost at least $34.1 million to address, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe was awarded several federal grants to help improve the system before Trump announced the freeze on Jan. 20, his first day in office. “The tribe currently has four outstanding applications for federal funding which are being impacted by the freeze,” the tribe said in a written statement in late February. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Agriculture, especially cattle feed, uses most of Earth’s freshwater
“Less than one percent of the Earth’s water is available for human use. This limited supply, known as freshwater, can be sourced from rivers, lakes and groundwater. This is also the water we rely on for drinking, recreation, industrial use and our food system. The agricultural industry is the largest user of freshwater, making up nearly 70 percent of global withdrawals, according to the UN World Water Development Report. At the heart of this issue are the meat and dairy industries, both of which consume vast amounts of water, and pollute ecosystems. “There’s a couple of things that are really, really important. One is to set formal limits on how much water can be extracted from each of our water sources,” Brian Richter, water conservation researcher and president of Sustainable Waters, an organization focused on water scarcity, tells Sentient. “Another important strategy that’s beginning to be used more and more, is shifting from water-intensive crops to crops that don’t require as much water.” … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
Forget tariffs, Trump may be targeting the Great Lakes and Canada’s freshwater next
” … Today, it’s about tariffs, but what Donald Trump covets is what Canada has: critical minerals, oil, trees, a massive slice of the Arctic and an abundance of freshwater.It is the liquid assets that bubbled into the conversation in September when Trump, in reference to the Columbia River, talked about taking a very large “faucet” in British Columbia and steering its waters south, thereby solving drought-stricken, wildfire-prone California’s problems.The comment was vintage, nonsensical Trump, but he hit upon a fundamental truth: Canada has plenty of life-sustaining water and the Southwestern U.S. is tapped out, potentially creating a future point of conflict between two countries already in the throes of a trade war. … ” Read the full article at the Financial Post.
EPA staff directed to seek DOGE approval for spending
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidance which requires spending items greater than $50,000 get approval from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to the Associated Press, EPA staff members have been directed to submit a one-page explanation of each funding action every day between 3 and 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Staff members must also complete all other relevant forms. A letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, from Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, details concern about the role of DOGE in reviewing and approving funding decisions. … ” Read more from Water World.
E.P.A. grant recipients find their funds frozen, with no explanation
“Dozens of nonprofit groups operating programs aimed at helping disadvantaged communities adapt to climate change have been caught up in the Trump administration’s spending cuts. For days, several of the organizations who I’ve spoken to have been unable to access the government’s payment system to pay for staffing and expenses, or have had their grants listed as “suspended” in the system. Many have received no explanation from the Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the funds. As of Tuesday, the groups were still looking for answers. The nonprofit groups were awarded the money through the agency’s $1.6 billion Community Change Grants program, which was authorized under environmental justice efforts included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden. Most of the awards were announced in December, weeks before President Trump’s inauguration. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Trump just weakened one of the nation’s oldest environmental laws
“The Interior Department has suspended a legal opinion that held companies liable for accidentally killing ducks, cranes, pelicans, owls and hundreds of other bird species. In a memorandum dated Feb. 28 but posted online in recent days, Interior’s acting chief lawyer suspended every legal opinion issued by the Biden administration, including one that subjected companies to penalties for accidentally killing birds through activities such as oil and gas drilling, wind energy production, mining, or construction. The move delivers a win to the oil and gas industry, which has argued that the government has unfairly punished companies that never intended to harm birds. But it has sparked alarm from conservationists who warn that bird populations are already plunging because of climate change and human encroachment into their habitats. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Trump orders likely to drive species’ extinction, wildlife advocates warn
“Donald Trump’s administration, backed by House Republicans and Elon Musk’s Doge agency, are carrying out an attack on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and federal wildlife agencies that, if successful, will almost certainly drive numerous species into extinction, environmental advocates warn. The three-pronged attack is designed to freeze endangered wildlife protections to more quickly push through oil, gas and development projects, opponents say. In recent weeks, the US president has said he will assemble a “God squad”, or committee empowered to effectively veto ESA protections for species on the brink of extinction. Meanwhile, in part at the behest of Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency”, hundreds of US Fish and Wildlife staff have been laid off, and hiring freezes implemented on hundreds more seasonal workers whom advocates say are critical to ensuring some species’ survival. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
In Trump’s new purge of climate language, even ‘resilience’ isn’t safe
“In his first hours back in the White House in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship.” Yet it was immediately clear he was in fact imposing rules on language, ordering the government to recognize only two genders and shut down any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. In one executive order, he redefined “energy” to exclude solar and wind power. Within days, not just “diversity” but also “clean energy” and “climate change” began vanishing from federal websites. Other institutions and organizations started scrubbing their websites. Scientists who receive federal funding were told to end any activities that contradicted Trump’s executive orders. Government employees — at least the ones who hadn’t been fired — began finding ways to take their climate work underground, worried that even acknowledging the existence of global warming could put their jobs at risk. … ” Read more from Grist.
NOAA to potentially cut more than 1,000 additional employees
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to lose an additional 1,029 employees, according to sources that spoke to CBS News. As part of the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management’s mandate for agencies to submit reduction in force plans, which are due by March 13, NOAA will be presenting its plan to the Department of Commerce by Tuesday evening with the proposed cuts.The Department of Commerce will get a chance to review the proposal and either accept NOAA’s suggestions, or it could ask the agency to make additional changes that would increase or decrease this next round of terminations. Alongside the loss of staff will also be the elimination of programs that currently operate under NOAA’s purview. It’s not known which programs will be impacted. … ” Read more from CBS News.
SEE ALSO: NOAA Said to Be Planning to Shrink Staff by 20 Percent, from the New York Times
Saving U.S. climate and environmental data before it goes away
“Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, thousands of government data sets have been altered or removed, including key tools that researchers and policymakers use to track which communities are most at risk from climate change and toxic hazards. Eric Nost is a geographer and policy scholar at the University of Guelph in Canada who has been working with the U.S.-based Environmental Data and Governance Initiative to help track and back up these resources before they are lost. He says while every administration change comes with website alterations and shifts to how data is presented or organized, this time things are very different. “When you start taking down this information, changing how issues are described and doing so in misleading ways,” he says, “really, what it is, is censorship and propaganda.” He spoke to Yale Environment 360 about his efforts. … ” Read more from Yale e360.
