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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC MEETING: SAFER Drinking Water Program: Advisory Group Meeting from 9am to 5pm. Agenda items include Review of Advisory Group member onboarding materials, Presentation on Community Partner pilot effort, Presentation on point of use/ point of entry pilot effort, and SAFER program updates and announcements. Click here for the full agenda.
- MEETING: Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) Restoration Subcommittee Meeting from 1pm to 3:30pm. Agenda items include Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP) representation in wetland decision-making survey, Accelerating Restoration in the Sacramento Valley and beyond; Delta Adapts and the Restoration Subcommittee; and Restoration Forum Planning Update. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- GRA Central Coast: Freeman Diversion Tour & Groundwater Re-charge Discussion beginning at 4pm in Oxnard. The Groundwater Resources Association (GRA) Central Coast Branch invites you to behind the scenes tour and discussion on United Water Conservation District’s Freeman Diversion Facility, a vital component of Southern California’s groundwater recharge and surface water management system. We will begin with an on-site tour of the Freeman Diversion Facility at 4:00 PM on March 13. Following the tour, we will reconvene at Poseidon Brewing Company in the Davy Jones Locker presentation room, where John Lindquist, Water Resources Supervisor at United Water Conservation District, will present on the facility’s recent operations, groundwater recharge efforts, and adaptation to changing hydrologic conditions. The presentation will begin at 6:00 PM. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
‘This will make our town uninhabitable’: The long-awaited Delta tunnel strikes fear in locals
“Change tends to come at a creeping pace, if at all, in the Sacramento River community of Hood. Families that settled in this Delta outpost generations ago remain today, and pear orchards planted decades ago are still the region’s signature crop. Now Hood, population 271, is facing a formidable transformation that residents fear will shatter their sleepy agricultural community. One of the smallest towns in the region, Hood lies at ground zero of the main construction site for the Newsom administration’s proposed Delta water tunnel project. “This will make our town uninhabitable,” said longtime resident Dan Whaley, who helps manage his family’s business, the Willow Ballroom, a community landmark across the main street from Hood’s post office. “There will be so much heavy equipment and traffic and people going through town that the locals will be driven out.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Atmospheric river to wallop California as study finds storms getting worse
“A powerful atmospheric river storm was set to wallop California on Wednesday evening, drenching large swaths of the state with rain and bringing several feet of snow to the mountains – the latest in a wave of intense storms that new research shows are getting worse. Much of northern California was under a winter storm warning because of the gusty winds and heavy snow in the forecast that the National Weather Service (NWS) said would lead to “difficult to impossible travel conditions”. Severe thunderstorms and high winds were predicted across the San Francisco Bay area, according to reports. The NWS issued a flood watch in much of southern California through Thursday afternoon. The region was also anticipating dangerous driving conditions as well as road flooding and debris flows in areas affected by recent wildfires. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Will California have hot, dry weather or heavy rain in spring 2025? Here’s the latest forecast
“After a dramatically dry, warm winter, spring is finally coming to California. As a series of rain storms drenches much of the state, spring weather predictions are pouring from experts. Will California see another wet, wild spring? Or will the Golden State grow prematurely brown under hot, parched conditions? Here’s what you should know about what’s to come: Northern California started off the current “water year” below normal in terms of precipitation in October, according to Eric Kurth, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office. The water year starts on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 the following year, the weather service said. Sporadic storms and dry, warm weather followed until the tide turned in early February, Kurth said. That’s when a series of storms dumped a significant amount of rain in Northern California, lifting water levels across the region. “When we’re above normal for one of our latter months, like March, that’s significant,” Kurth said. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
File your water use report?
“The State Water Resources Control Board is now assessing late fees for water rightsholders who missed the February 1 deadline to file their 2023-24 Water Use Reports. These fees, which are new this year, will be included in the annual water rights fee billing sent out this fall. If you still need to file your report, don’t delay—filing now can help avoid steeper penalties in the coming months starting with the next elevation on April 1. If you haven’t filed, you are not alone. As of February 27, 38% of reports remained past due. The charges are based on the size of a rightsholder’s water right and how late the report is filed. Fees will be calculated as a percentage of the base water rights fee, following the State Water Board’s fee schedule. … ” Read more from Ag Info.
How Trump’s environmental justice cuts at EPA could affect California
“The Trump administration’s plan to shutter the Environmental Protection Agency’s programs on equity and justice could cripple efforts to curb pollution in California’s most disadvantaged communities, from the Central Valley to the Inland Empire to San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point. While EPA officials have not specified what employees or divisions will be targeted in the move, between 25 and 50 people in the agency’s Pacific Southwest Region, which includes California and three other states, work predominantly on environmental justice issues and may be vulnerable, according to former EPA staffers who spoke with the Chronicle. Scores more do work that involves poor and minority communities and could also be at risk of losing their jobs, former staffers speculated. Some of these people have already been let go. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Water officials knew that opening dams to meet Trump’s wishes was ill-advised. Here’s why it happened anyway
“When President Trump called for the federal government to “maximize” water deliveries in California, commanders of the Army Corps of Engineers quickly found two dams where they could carry out that order. And even though the officials knew the water couldn’t be moved out of the Central Vally as Trump wished, they released billions of gallons anyway, according to a newly released government document. The Feb. 3 memo by Col. Chad Caldwell, the corps’ regional commander, provides the most detailed account to date of how the agency responded to Trump’s order directing federal agencies to increase water deliveries in California. The document recounts how corps officials suddenly decided to dump water from the dams in January, and how they encountered questions and opposition from local water managers and lawmakers, who were concerned that letting out water didn’t make sense and that the high flows posed risks of flooding. “It was cavalier and an extremely high-risk decision, and wasteful,” said Ann Willis, California regional director of American Rivers, a nonprofit environmental organization. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
In commentary today ….
Desalination at scale is cost competitive
“On May 22, 2022, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to deny final approval for a desalination plant in Huntington Beach. It would have produced 56,000 acre feet of fresh water per year, and would have been privately financed. To describe in detail the 20 year and roughly $100 million ordeal that federal, state, regional, and local agencies put the contractor through, along with continuous litigation, could consume volumes. But with this final rejection by the Coastal Commission, the project died. With that legacy, it’s become very unlikely any other civil engineering firm will ever try to build a big desalination plant on the California coast. The reasons aren’t based on cost, or energy consumption, or even environmental impact. Regulations, driven by ideology instead of facts, killed desalination. It’s always surprising the vehemence with which opponents of desalination make their arguments. Some of these critics are concerned about securing adequate water to continue farming, and correctly point out that desalination is expensive. But compared to what? … ” Continue reading this commentary.
A Tahoe water company saw its insurance rates raise by 200% despite never filing a claim
Jennifer Lukins, co-owner and general manager of Lukins Brothers Water Company in South Lake Tahoe, writes, “The cataclysmic fires that devastated Southern California have once again brought the instability of the California insurance market to the forefront. Insurance costs are forecast to increase as insurance companies and regulators continue to weigh the risks of wildfires and other natural disasters. Fire is why premiums have been skyrocketing for the Lukins Brothers Water Company, a South Tahoe water utility that my family has run for the past century. Our utility is located in the Lake Tahoe Basin, where we supply water to over 3,000 customers who live in some of the most rugged terrain in the Sierras. We work closely with community partners, including the U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire and neighboring water utilities on the health and safety of our infrastructure. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
A story about salmon that almost had a happy ending
Jacques Leslie,the author of “Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment,” writes, “Completion of the world’s largest dam removal project — which demolished four Klamath River hydroelectric dams on both sides of the California-Oregon border — has been celebrated as a monumental achievement, signaling the emerging political power of Native American tribes and the river-protection movement. … The event is a crucial turning point, marking an end to efforts to harness the Klamath’s overexploited waterways to generate still more economic productivity, and at last addressing the basin’s many environmental problems by subtracting technology instead of adding it, by respecting nature instead of trying to overcome it. It’s an acknowledgment that dams have lifetimes, like everything else, and that their value in hydropower and irrigated water often ends up being dwarfed by their enormous environmental and social costs. … ” Read the full commentary at the New York Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Falls-area students focus on climate action
“Klamath Falls-area students demonstrated their forward thinking and supportive ambitions to make the world a more sustainable place during MESA’s Demo Day held Tuesday on Oregon Tech’s campus. MESA, an acronym for Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement, is an after-school program that empowers middle and high school students through invention education. They tackle relevant issues by designing projects that create and maintain healthy, equitable and diverse communities and ecosystems with this year’s focus being climate action. “What makes this event truly special is seeing the students, at such a young age, rise to the challenges with great skill, creativity and ingenuity. They aren’t just showcasing projects, but are demonstrating the future of innovation,” said Bob Reynolds, outreach coordinator and master of ceremonies. … ” Read more from Herald & News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
No water, just bills – more infrastructure damage discovered at PG&E’s Spaulding Reservoir
“Things are not going well at Spaulding, contrary to a press release sent by the utility corporation last week. The repairs to both Spaulding Powerhouse #1 and Powerhouse #2 are now joined by a new issue, the lower intake tower which is underwater and brings water to both powerhouses. When PG&E dewatered the tunnel again to start repairs on the second discharge horn in Spaulding #1, they found a piece of this steel grate in the tunnel, according to NID’s General Manager Jennifer Hanson. No water from Lake Spaulding is available during the repairs, according to PG&E. The repairs are slated to be completed by late June, then testing of the repairs will take place. Normal flows from Spaulding #1 are planned for early August. Spaulding #2, which predominantly feeds Scotts Flat, has repairs slated for 2026. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Federal ruling on Clean Water Quality Act won’t change STPUD practices
“Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of San Francisco, making it harder for the Environmental Protection Agency to police sewage discharges like San Francisco’s discharge of sewage into the Pacific Ocean during particularly heavy rains. Though it sets a precedent for cities and counties to make their own decisions regarding permit changes, the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) will be maintaining their rigorous water quality standards to protect the lake and those who live here. STPUD is unique among water districts for a number of reasons. For example, because of the Porter-Cologne Act of 1969, they are required to pump recycled wastewater out of the Basin so that it doesn’t pollute the water system of Lake Tahoe. Standards for the STPUD were set by the California Regional Water Control Board and the Lahontan region, and come May, the STPUD will have achieved 30 years of compliance with the rigorous standards. South Tahoe doesn’t have industries that would leach metals or other industrial runoff into the wastewater that STPUD treats, so the primary source they deal with is residential. … ” Read more from Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Redding staff urge turning off sprinklers, other water-saving tips for winter storm
“Amid wet weather in the Northstate, Redding city leaders are advocating for water conservation. Members of the California Department of Water Resources said, when it rains, you can steer clear of watering your home landscape. City of Redding representatives have suggested turning off any automatic irrigation systems during these weather patterns. City of Redding Water Utility Manager Josh Watkins told KRCR there’s no benefit to keeping sprinklers on during the storm. “It is March, it’s still kind of wintertime, so most people don’t have their sprinklers running and outdoor irrigation, but you’d be surprised that some people do. Apparently, they water year round,” Watkins said. “When it’s raining outside, take advantage of that free resource that’s coming from the sky.” … ” Read more from KRCR.
Shasta County addresses groundwater concerns at public meeting
“Shasta County officials are addressing groundwater concerns at a public meeting on Wednesday night, sharing plans and progress with the community. The meeting, organized by the Enterprise Anderson Groundwater Sustainability Agency, involves multiple local governments and is set to take place at Anderson’s Council Chambers. Josh Watkins, the water utility manager for Redding, said the meeting will include an overview of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and introduce the Groundwater Sustainability Plan. “So, this is an opportunity for us to take all the information we have been gathering and collecting and kind of transmit that to the public [and] give them an opportunity to ask questions,” said Watkins. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Vitalizing the Sacramento River basin for communities, agriculture, and the environment
An excerpt from Roger Cornwell’s chair remarks at the NCWA Annual Meeting: “As we think about 2025, the NCWA Board of Directors in January adopted the Five-Year Strategic Priorities that is on your table. These are your priorities for the region, so please read this document and let us know at any time if you have any other thoughts on how we can be strategic and support your work in the region. NCWA and the leaders in the region are dedicated to fostering a resilient Sacramento Valley where water resources support economically vibrant communities, thriving farmlands, abundant wildlife habitats, and healthy rivers and landscapes. We have a riverscape vision for the Sacramento River Basin that looks at the entire region and blends the wisdom of leading scientists and our local knowledge to better understand our water resources, and to then take action to integrate our wonderful rivers and creeks into our landscapes and communities in a way that brings the entire region to life through our precious water resources. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
BAY AREA
Storm could bring hail to San Francisco. Here’s where impacts will hit
“The Bay Area’s highest peaks could see a dusting of snow Thursday morning as temperatures in the upper atmosphere drop dramatically in the wake of a strong cold front. The influx of cold air aloft will bring the rain-snow line down to nearly 2,000 feet Thursday morning. That is plenty low enough for snow in the Mayacamas Mountains, Mount Diablo, Mount Hamilton and higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains. A drying atmosphere will limit the coverage of snow showers, however, so accumulations will likely remain below 2 inches. It will be more than just a coating further to the south. Upwards of a foot of snow could fall across the highest peaks of the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Central Coast. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Flooding from below: the unseen risks of sea level rise
“As climate change continues to drive global sea level rise, many people living in coastal areas are already seeing the effects. Coastal erosion is accelerating and shifting coastlines inland, and storm surges are getting worse. But lurking beneath the surface is another major consequence that is thus far poorly understood: rising groundwater. Evidence suggests that in some low-lying coastal regions with shallow groundwater, rising sea levels will drive a simultaneous rise in groundwater levels, with potentially serious risks for homes, businesses, and other infrastructure. In a new paper focused on the coastal city of Dunedin, New Zealand, Cox et al. demonstrate a method for predicting how sea level rise might change groundwater levels and thereby increase inland flooding hazards. South Dunedin already experiences periodic flooding that will become even more challenging with sea level rise; the researchers describe the city as a poster child for New Zealand communities responding and adapting to climate change and rising seas. … ” Read more from EOS.
Editorial: Sinking areas of Marin need constructive strategy, practical plan
“Parts of San Rafael and Corte Madera are sinking as the threat of sea-level rise grows. It’s happening slowly, but it’s happening. In some cases, that rate is accelerated, mostly due to compaction of the bay mud landscape on which they were built, according to a report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That means an increased threat of flooding. The San Francisco Conservation and Development Commission’s study on preparing Bay Area communities for rising sea levels says Marin faces $17 billion in expenses to build adaptive and protective projects to protect low-lying areas from inundation. San Rafael is in the midst of a study on how to protect vulnerable areas – primarily the Canal neighborhood and areas lining San Rafael Creek. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Homes, hotels approved in Los Osos despite appeals over water concerns
“The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors upheld up its vote to allow four development projects in the bayside town of Los Osos after lifting a 35-year building moratorium, despite community concerns over new construction threatening their water source. The moratorium, lifted last year, was placed on town over three decades ago to protect it’s only water source, the Los Osos groundwater basin. Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, a population boom overdrew the basin, leading to chloride pollution from seawater intrusion, and poorly designed septic tanks leaked nitrates into the water source. As a result, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board banned Los Osos from installing new septic systems in 1988, essentially placing the community under a building moratorium. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Paso Robles joins joint authority for water basin usage despite public opposition
“Despite heated opposition from residents, the Paso Robles City Council voted to opt in to a collaborative effort that aims to keep the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin from potentially going dry. At a meeting on March 4, the council heard from Public Works Director Christopher Alakel, who urged the city to join a joint powers authority (JPA) that aimed to be made up of five groundwater sustainability agencies—the city of Paso, San Miguel Community Services District, San Luis Obispo County, and the Shandon-San Juan and Estrella-El Pomar-Creston water districts. According to Alakel, all water agencies overlying the basin except for Paso Robles and the San Simeon Community Services District had voted to join, and San Simeon was waiting on Paso’s March 4 vote before it decided to move forward. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Clear waters, bright future: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s mission
“Protecting our water starts with understanding what’s in it. That’s exactly what interns with the Goleta Water Quality Monitoring Program are doing through the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper—testing local streams to ensure our waterways remain clean and safe. Each month, interns visit 20 stream sites across the Goleta Valley Watershed, collecting vital data. They measure dissolved oxygen, pH levels, conductivity, turbidity, and temperature directly in the stream. They also collect water samples for lab analysis, testing for nitrates and bacteria that could indicate pollution. Additionally, they document algae coverage, water flow, and even trash accumulation at each site. … ” Read more from KEYT.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Kings groundwater agencies continue to hit major milestones under state’s groundwater law, protecting locally led efforts
“Local agencies in the Kings Subbasin have once again met a major milestone under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), ensuring groundwater management remains in local leaders’ hands. The seven Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Kings submitted their first Periodic Evaluation to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) ahead of the January 31 deadline, reporting on their progress over the last five years. At the same time, they also submitted updated Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) addressing state-requested corrections – critical to maintaining their local control status. The submittals reflect more than the agency managers’ ability to complete statutory deliverables on time; it is symbolic of their commitment to keep the region on track with SGMA and ensure locally led efforts remain intact. … ” Continue reading this press release.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Dangerous storm brings flood warnings, possible tornado to Southern California
“The strongest wave of a powerful winter storm reached Southern California overnight, bringing flash flood warnings, dropping snow levels and a possible tornado. “Storms will likely produce bursts of very heavy rain, along with small hail, gusty winds, and possibly even a waterspout or small tornado are all possible through the day,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its forecast Thursday. In Pico Rivera, a viewer sent images of what was described as a tornado that hit around 3:15 a.m. “There are big pine trees that have been uprooted and landed on cars. There is downed power lines and a water main break and flooding the street,” the viewer on the 9500 block of Glencannon Drive said. … ” Read more from KTLA.
L.A. faces flooding and power outages from heavy rain as burn scar areas told to evacuate
“The West Coast is braced for an atmospheric river event that threatens flash flooding and power outages from heavy rain and snow, making travel conditions hazardous or even impossible for some commuters. Evacuation warnings are already in place for several areas with burn scars from the Palisades and Eaton fires. Due to predictions of up to 4 inches of rain overnight, flash flood warnings have also been issued for large parts of the region. “We’re dealing with a fast-moving storm that’s going to dump down a lot of rain in a short amount of time,” NBC Los Angeles meteorologist Melissa Magee said in a forecast Wednesday. The National Weather Service warned that heavy rain, snow and winds of up to 70 mph would create “dangerous to potentially impossible travel conditions across the Sierra Nevada and northern California higher terrain today.” … ” Read more from NBC LA.
L.A.’s clear skies conceal a ‘toxic soup’
“On a Sunday in February, a white Ford van zigzagged through the fire-ravaged neighborhood of Altadena, Calif. Ash piles lined front yards. Charred washing machines sat on bare concrete foundations. “I can’t imagine coming back to this,” said Albert Kyi, a graduate student researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, briefly looking up from his laptop and out the van’s window. He and his colleagues, however, were there to help people learn whether it was safe to do just that. A mast poking out from the van’s roof was sending readings on hundreds of compounds in the air to the laptop. This laboratory on wheels was so sensitive, Mr. Kyi said, that it could detect the chemicals produced by someone peeling an orange outside. The data the team was gathering was part of a newly launched study tracking the health impacts of the Los Angeles wildfires over the next decade. By traversing the 38,000 acres that encompass the two burn zones in Altadena and the Pacific Palisades along with the surrounding region, the researchers hope to fill gaps in the data on air, soil and water quality. Already, they have found cause for concern. … ” Read more from the New York Times (gift article).
Officials: Chiquita Landfill subsurface reaction growing
“The bad news about a terrible situation in Castaic became even more troubling Tuesday evening for residents impacted by ongoing problems at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill: The subsurface reaction that’s causing the landfill’s stench isn’t going away. It’s growing. Just weeks after the landfill announced it was ending its assistance program amid claims from the landfill that the facility’s problems were getting better, a state official Tuesday presented a much different outlook at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill Community Advisory Committee. Among the developments: Todd Sax, deputy director of site mitigation and restoration at the Department of Toxic Substances Control, said the subsurface reaction causing the landfill’s problems is moving beyond the geosynthetic cover the landfill laid down, and they think it’s possibly doubled in size. … ” Read more from The Signal.
LA Waterkeeper: Unveiling the 2024 RAFT Report: Community science for a healthier LA River
“LA Waterkeeper’s River Assessment Fieldwork Team (RAFT) program empowers community members to engage in hands-on ecological analysis of the Los Angeles River watershed. After a pandemic-induced pause, RAFT has evolved into a more inclusive community science initiative, making water monitoring and advocacy accessible to all. This year’s 2024 RAFT Report highlights key findings on water quality, including new testing for forever chemicals (PFAS). While this report marks the conclusion of the 2024 RAFT season, we’re excited to welcome volunteers back in spring 2025 and continue growing a passionate community of river stewards.” Click here to read the report from the LA Waterkeeper.
Ocean water quality testing continues; scientists await results from fire pollutants after 1st flush
“Scientists from Heal the Bay have been testing water quality since January, hoping to understand the impact of the Palisades Fire on our coastal waters. To track contamination, researchers tested water samples before and after the first major rain event of the year. Since the Palisades Fire, several storms have increased the risk of pollution runoff.” Watch video from Spectrum 1.
Santa Monica Beach dune project shows promise for coastal resilience
“Nine years ago, UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators faced an intriguing question: Could an urban sandy beach—typically groomed flat and stripped of vegetation—be restored with minimal intervention? Could it reclaim its natural dunes and native plants while also buffering against rising seas and intensifying storms? Their inquiry opened the door for a novel endeavor, a dune restoration pilot project on Santa Monica Beach, one of Los Angeles’s most popular urban beaches. In the project, led by nonprofit environmental group The Bay Foundation, a 1.2 hectare plot was fenced on three sides and seeded with native dune plant seeds. Soon the natural processes of wind, waves, vegetation and sand were working to create a dune system. Early results from the UCSB scientists’ extended monitoring efforts were positive, with native dune plant species readily trapping sand and building dunes on a beach that had been flattened by decades of intensive grooming. But the question remained: how much resilience will these young dunes provide? … ” Read more from The Current.
How Long Beach plans to shrink its biggest, longest-standing homeless encampment, the LA River
“Long Beach is about to embark on its biggest and most expensive single operation to move homeless people out of a local encampment. Starting this summer, the city plans to offer people living along the Los Angeles River the chance to move into a motel room or other non-congregate shelter with the hopes of moving them along to permanent housing over the next two years. The city is now looking for a motel to lease near the river to anchor the project. The plan follows a playbook the city has used to try to reduce homelessness in MacArthur Park and around Downtown’s Billie Jean King Main Library using grant funding from the state of California. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Post.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Endurance athlete’s crusade to Save the Salton Sea
“The Salton Sea, once a thriving destination for tourism in Southern California, is now a symbol of environmental decline. But for one endurance athlete, the changing landscape is more than a cautionary tale-it’s a call to action. William Sinclair, known as Iröndäd, an ultra-endurance athlete, has dedicated himself to running around the Salton Sea to raise awareness about its ecological crisis. His journey began with a simple observation. “When I first came to the area, what really struck me was the beauty,” he said. “And then it was apparent that something had happened here with the abandoned buildings and just along the shoreline. You know, I could see all the fish skeletons and so on. So I started looking at the history of the Salton Sea, which is absolutely fascinating.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SAN DIEGO
Why It Matters: Why are San Diego water rates about to soar?
“People in San Diego are already feeling higher costs from food, housing and electricity. Now, water rates will also soar. This week, the San Diego City Council voted to approve a 5.5% water rate increase. It was tough and a couple of the councilmembers couldn’t bring themselves to do it. “I will not be able to support today’s actions because I simply cannot justify charging water customers more than they already pay,” said Councilmember Vivian Moreno. Unfortunately, it was just the small first increase of many to come in the next four years. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Mishaps and rain delay upgrades to Tijuana sewage infrastructure
““We had a few challenges” — that’s the short version of a weekend mishap Sunday in Tijuana that released millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Tijuana River and San Diego County. International Boundary and Water Commissioner Dr. Maria-Elena Giner said a construction crew working in Tijuana ruptured a previously unknown sewage line. The crew was working on a bypass for the new International Collector, a nearly two-mile pipe that will eventually deliver 60 million gallons of raw sewage every day to wastewater treatment plants on both sides of the border. Giner said a 6-foot-wide inflatable plug also failed in the old International Collector closer to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro. That failure contributed to a spill that crossed the border near the plant. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Commissioner of USIBWC speaks on South Bay sewage crisis amid latest flow incident
“Those tasked with solving the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis have a message for those who have been living and dealing with it for decades. “This is the first time there is a plan shared between the United States and Mexico to reduce transboundary flows,” Dr. Maria Elena Giner of the U.S. International Boundary & Water Commission (USIBWC) said. Giner is the commissioner of the USIBWC, which runs the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. When she mentions transboundary flows, she means the rain and sewage water that flows into the Tijuana River Valley. The most recent incident happened on Sunday, which Giner said was mainly stormwater. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
Arizona delegation pushes largest tribal water rights settlement in US history
“A settlement that will provide reliable and safe water for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe has been introduced in Congress, where it must be approved to take effect. “This is a historic moment for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe,” U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Arizona’s Democratic senior senator, said in a press release. “After years of hard work and collaboration, we’re delivering a water settlement that secures reliable, clean water and strengthens Tribal sovereignty.” The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 would ratify and fund the largest Indian water rights settlement in the country, which will secure water rights for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. … ” Read more from the Arizona Mirror.
Landmark Navajo, Hopi water settlement is reintroduced in Congress with bipartisan support
“The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 was reintroduced on Tuesday after failing to come up for a vote before the last Congress adjourned at the end of 2024. The landmark agreement settles claims to water in Arizona for the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe, and with $5 billion in planned infrastructure, will deliver clean drinking water to thousands of people who lack reliable supplies. Navajo officials finalized the Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement last week, resolving all of the Navajo Nation’s water rights in Utah. The bill has bipartisan support from Arizona lawmakers. The measure was sponsored by Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, both Democrats, along with Reps. Greg Stanton, Raúl Grijalva and Yassamin Ansari, all Democrats, and Juan Ciscomani and David Schweikert, both Republicans. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Colorado will require oil and gas companies to increase water recycling for fracking
“Freshwater use in oil and gas drilling has come under scrutiny in Colorado as the state faces a historic drought. On Wednesday, March 12, state regulators announced new rules that will require drillers to use more recycled water in their operations and, hopefully, relieve pressure on scarce freshwater resources. As Colorado continues to produce fossil fuels at record pace, the Centennial State has become awash in a caustic, brackish and chemically-laden fluid known as produced water, a byproduct of the drilling and fracking process. This water can have high levels of salts, metals and other contaminants, making it more difficult and expensive to treat for reuse than for disposal. Oil and gas companies in Colorado typically dispose of produced water by pumping it back into old, out-of-service wells and other geological formations using injection wells, permanently severing it from the hydrological cycle. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In national water news today …
Water experts testify on CWSRF, WIFIA in House subcommittee hearing
“The U.S. House of Representatives’ Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee held a hearing Tuesday on “Water Infrastructure Financing: WIFIA and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund,” featuring four water sector experts who testified on current challenges and needs with the programs. The four witnesses who testified were Jeff Walker, immediate past president, Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA), Honorable Tony Hillaire, chairman, Lummi Nation, Dan Buckley, past chairman, National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) and Mike Matichich, economic and financial services consulting lead, Jacobs, on behalf of the United States Chamber of Commerce. The hearing was led by subcommittee chairman Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and ranking member Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
EPA signals it could narrow Clean Water Act protections
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signaled it could narrow which set of waters receive protections under the Clean Water Act — and will narrow protections for wetlands in the meantime. The law requires the EPA to protect so-called “waters of the United States,” but there has been significant political back-and-forth as to which bodies of water that should include. In a press release on Wednesday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized the Biden administration’s definition, saying it “placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business.” The agency said that it, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, would “move quickly to ensure that a revised definition follows the law, reduces red-tape, cuts overall permitting costs, and lowers the cost of doing business in communities across the country while protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution.” … ” Read more from The Hill.
EPA to revise Waters of the U.S. Rule
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today they will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver on President’s Trump’s promise to review the definition of “Waters of the United States.” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agencies will move quickly to ensure that a revised definition follows the law, reduces red-tape, cuts overall permitting costs, and lowers the cost of doing business in communities across the country while protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution. EPA notes that given the U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, it is time for them to finally address this issue once and for all in a way that provides American farmers, landowners, businesses, and states with clear and simplified direction. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Trump’s EPA takes steps to roll back dozens of environmental regulations
“President Trump’s new EPA administrator said Wednesday he was preparing to roll back dozens of landmark environmental rules, including those crucial to California programs on climate change and electric vehicles. “We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion,“ EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a news release. One of the rules that Zeldin plans to overhaul is the agency’s finding in 2009 that planet-warming greenhouse gases endanger public health. Known as the “endangerment finding,” it is the legal underpinning for a host of climate regulations for motor vehicles, power plants and other sources of air pollution. Environmental groups said they will fight the rollbacks. “Today’s announcement is only the start of the process — not the end,” said Jackie Wong, senior vice president for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Before finalizing any of these actions, the law says EPA must propose its changes, justify them with science and the law, and listen to the public and respond to its concerns.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
EPA head says he’ll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change
“In what he called the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of actions Wednesday to roll back landmark environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles. “We are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America’s Golden Age,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an essay in The Wall Street Journal. If approved after a lengthy process that includes public comment, the Trump administration’s actions will eliminate trillions of dollars in regulatory costs and “hidden taxes,” Zeldin said, lowering the cost of living for American families and reducing prices for such essentials such as buying a car, heating your home and operating a business. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO:
- Breaking down Zeldin’s rollbacks, from E&E News
- EPA moves to dismantle dozens of Biden’s environmental rules, from the Washington Post.
- EPA announces dozens of environmental regulations it plans to target, from the LAist
EPA announces ‘endangerment finding’ reconsideration
“EPA will reconsider its 2009 declaration that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday, along with dozens of other regulatory rollbacks. The reconsideration comes after Zeldin encouraged the White House to revisit the “endangerment finding.” That finding underpins EPA climate rules, and unraveling it would have broad implications for rules aimed at clamping down on greenhouse gas emissions. A move to unravel the finding is certain to face lawsuits, and some legal experts contend the Trump administration would have a tough time defending that action in court. Zeldin announced the reconsideration Wednesday as part of what he called “the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history.” “EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars,” Zeldin said in a video posted on social media. … ” Read more from E&E News.
