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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Draft 2026 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Impaired Waterbody Listing recommendations beginning at 9am. The Board will hold a public hearing on the draft 2026 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Impaired Waterbody Listing recommendations during its regular meeting. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: Strengthening Small Wastewater Systems: Technical Assistance in Obtaining Funding from 10am to 11am. Small, rural and Tribal water systems face unique challenges in managing wastewater and stormwater. This webinar will highlight resources communities are using to address these challenges, from technical assistance supporting system need evaluation, project development, and capacity-building, to support accessing funding and financing to pay for system improvements. The webinar will provide an overview of currently available programs, share stories from participating communities and utilities, and provide insight on the process of from an applicant’s perspective. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: California Water Plan Resource Management Strategies Release from 10am to 12pm. The final California Water Plan Update 2023 Resource Management Strategies have been released. As part of the California Water Plan continuing core activities, an updated a set of resource management strategies (RMSes) that help local agencies and governments manage their water and related resources have been released. Every RMS can be a technique, program, or policy that can be used to meet water-related management needs of a region and the state as a whole. The California Water Plan Team will provide an overview of the updated RMSes on March 18, 2025, from 10 am – 12 pm via Zoom. Please register in advance.
In California water news today …
Boat tours and ash scatterings help beleaguered California salmon fleet stay afloat
“William Smith has long fished the California coast for salmon, taking avid anglers out on his boat in hopes they’ll get to wrestle with and reel in the prized catch. But not anymore. Smith, known as “Capt. Smitty,” now spends time on the seas with aspiring whale watchers, or scattering the ashes of the deceased — whatever it takes to stay afloat since salmon fishing was barred in California two years ago due to dwindling stocks. Smith said a rise in the Bay Area’s Hindu and Buddhist communities has made sea burials more popular, and he now does more than 200 a year — and that’s helping him pay off his $250,000 boat engine. “The bills keep going, whether I’ve got a fishery or not,” said Smith, who runs Riptide Sportfishing in Half Moon Bay, California. “There’s no season on when people die.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Better accounting for California’s water
“It’s no secret that climate change poses significant challenges to water management in California. While most climate models don’t predict big changes in total annual precipitation, most do point to increasing water scarcity, more intense droughts, climate whiplash, declining snowpack, and growing flood risk. The good news is that there are many ways to adapt to these changes, but they will require significant improvements in water accounting—that is, keeping track of when and where water is being diverted from California’s waterways. Water accounting is essential to developing more secure water supplies, restoring ecosystem health, recharging groundwater, conserving water, and reducing flood risk. The state urgently needs a modern system that can track water availability and its use within a watershed in near real-time and provide trusted information to water managers, water users, and the public. Here are just a few areas where better water accounting could help California … ” Read more from the PPIC.
The Making Conservation a California Way of Life framework – what it is and what it means
“In 2024, after years of deliberation, California water officials adopted landmark rules that will guide future water use and conservation in the state. The “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” framework went into effect at the beginning of 2025 and requires compliance by 2027. The framework is intended to help preserve water supplies as climate change drives hotter, drier conditions and droughts become more frequent and longer lasting, and is expected to help save 500,000 acre-feet of water annually by 2040. That is enough to supply more than 1.4 million households for a year. Under the new regulations, urban retail water suppliers – not individual customers or businesses – must meet urban water use objectives. These objectives are based on budgets for distinct kinds of water use, such as indoor residential use, outdoor residential use, and commercial, industrial, institutional irrigation use, as well as water loss. The budgets incorporate statewide efficiency standards and consider characteristics of each local service area, such as population, climate, and landscape. … ” Read more from Nossaman.
Recent storms spark talk of ‘Miracle March’ in Central California
“The recent rain and snow are much needed for Central California’s water supply. The latest set of storms is already sparking talk of a “Miracle March.” “January was a really dry month. It was really a bust for the amount of water we got, very little snowpack,” said Steven Haugen, watermaster for the Kings River Water Association. Haugen is paying close attention to Central California’s snowpack, which he called our biggest reservoir, holding more than a million feet of water. Our actual reservoirs are almost all at or above historical averages, except nearby Millerton and to the south, Castaic. Both are just below their average levels for this time of year. … ” Read more from Channel 30.
Experts throw caution to stormy winds of atmospheric-river discourse
“As atmospheric rivers continue to grab headlines, some local meteorologists are throwing caution to those stormy winds. The Journal of Climate published a study last week which found that atmospheric rivers — when large, highly concentrated plumes of moisture form in the sky — are becoming more frequent and, to a lesser degree, leading to wetter storms around the globe. The amount of them will increase as climate change deepens. But San Francisco weather experts who spoke to The Examiner advised against people taking the paper to definitively mean both that storms are intensifying and that atmospheric rivers are the main reason why. Those fears speak to a growing frustration among some weather scientists who say discourse around the term “atmospheric river” has taken on a life of its own, beyond what it actually is. “The atmospheric-river thing has gone off the rails,” veteran Bay Area forecaster Jan Null said. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Examiner.
DRIP Collaborative second-year milestones: State-led drought task force moves to strengthen California’s drought and water shortage resilience
“California’s increasingly severe droughts are not just a challenge for water managers — they fuel extreme wildfires, threaten communities, and strain ecosystems. The devastating fires experienced this year in Southern California, following months of record-dry conditions and coupled with extreme wind, underscore the urgency of preparing for drought conditions and their impacts before they become a crisis/emergency. The Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, established to enhance California’s resilience to droughts and water shortages, has released its 2024 progress report which highlights the activities, discussions, meetings, and collaborative recommendation process that was undertaken during the DRIP Collaborative’s second year. … ” Read more from DWR News.
California wants to send more hazardous waste to local landfills
“California’s nation-leading environmental laws have helped fuel an unintended consequence: Nearly half of all hazardous materials produced here is trucked to out-of-state landfills where requirements are less stringent. The state’s toxic waste regulators are now proposing sweeping changes that could start reversing that trend. In a draft report published Saturday, the Department of Toxic Substances Control proposed sending more polluted soil and other materials to local California landfills that don’t currently accept the state’s most hazardous waste. But environmental groups are worried the state is rushing to launch a plan that could expose local communities to contaminated materials. “People living in the Solano area, in Stockton, in San Jose — it’s the local community that will be affected,” said Faith Baustista, president and chief executive of the National Diversity Coalition, a nonprofit with offices in South San Francisco and Los Angeles. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
California bill would restore wetlands protections in wake of Supreme Court ruling
“California lawmakers are proposing legislation that aims to reestablish safeguards for the state’s streams and wetlands in response to a Supreme Court ruling limiting federal clean water regulations. Supporters say the legislation has taken on heightened urgency as the Trump administration begins to scale back protections for many streams and wetlands, making them vulnerable to pollution and worsening water quality. “We need clean water to drink, to grow our food, to safely bathe and swim in, to support healthy ecosystems and the environment,” said state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), who introduced the bill. “It’s about protecting our water supply, and it’s a common-sense measure that simply restores the protections that our waterways have always enjoyed since 1948.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
DOGE targets nearly two dozen environmental offices for closure in California
“President Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency plans to terminate lease contracts at nearly two dozen California offices relating to science, agriculture and the environment, according to its federal database. The planned closures include facilities occupied by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, Forest Service and Geological Survey. The terminations follow massive layoffs at NOAA and significant cuts to scientific research funding across federal agencies in recent weeks. The Trump administration has said the lease terminations will provide considerable cost savings for the American people. The DOGE website lists nearly 800 lease locations slated for closure across the country, totaling more than 10 million square feet and about $500 million in savings. The database does not provide specific addresses or information about what the buildings are used for. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Trump could revoke Biden designations of two California monuments
“The White House has sparked widespread confusion over the fate of two California national monuments created by former President Joe Biden, appearing to signal over the weekend that President Donald Trump is moving to abolish them. At issue are the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands national monuments, both designated in January during the final week of the Biden administration. Trump signed a broad executive order Friday that revokes more than a dozen Biden-era executive actions. That order did not mention the two California national monuments, which have long been supported by Native American tribes that consider the lands at issue sacred. But a White House fact sheet accompanying Trump’s order included a sentence that said the order terminates Biden-era designations of “nearly a million acres” of federal lands that “lock up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production.” … ” Read more from E&E News.
SEE ALSO:
- Two CA national monuments in peril as feds announce plan to rescind them, from Public News Service
- As Americans Protest Attacks on Public Lands, Trump Signals National Monuments May be Shrunk or Eliminated, from Inside Climate News
These California coastal cities face heightened flood danger from tsunami, data show
“The risk of damaging flooding from a major tsunami may be greater than many realized along stretches of California’s renowned coastline, state officials say, further reinforcing the need for residents to take note if they live in or visit hazard areas. The most recent risk assessment, outlined in maps that were published by the California Geological Survey and reviewed by The Times, illustrate the devastation that could result from scenarios considered to be extreme, but realistic. For instance, a large tsunami could flood swaths of Marina del Rey, Long Beach and the nearby dual port complex to an elevation of up to 15 feet above sea level. A worst-case tsunami could bring flooding to sizable areas of Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, up to 18 feet above sea level. Flooding could reach up to 30 feet above the average high tide along the outer coast of Humboldt Bay and the Eureka area, and up to 50 feet toward Crescent City and Cayucos. But for most Californians, the precise extent of tsunami risk is less important than knowing these hazard zones exist in the first place. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Coastal land subsidence exacerbating sea level rise: ‘The land is moving down’
“A recently published NASA-led study revealed that sea levels aren’t just rising in California — parts of the land are also sinking, Maven’s Notebook reported. These phenomena pose a looming public health and safety threat to coastal city residents in the state, as well as in major cities across the world where land sinking is occurring. Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have extensively mapped the topography of land throughout California, using satellite radar to identify rising and sinking throughout the land. The researchers learned that the San Francisco Bay Area (specifically San Rafael, Corte Madera, Foster City, and Bay Farm Island) is “subsiding at a steady rate of more than 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) per year due largely to sediment compaction,” per Maven’s Notebook. A major culprit of land sinking is the overpumping of groundwater, used for drinking and irrigation, according to the New York Times. … ” (To TCD: Thanks for the links!) Read more from The Cool Down.
Headwaters and wildfire in California
“Most of California’s water supply originates in mountainous headwater regions. Headwaters—the landscapes where the state’s streams and rivers begin—benefit all Californians. Approximately two-thirds of the state’s surface water supply originates in the Sierra-Cascades and North Coast headwaters, while headwaters in other regions bolster local supplies. Headwaters collect precipitation during wet periods, store water in snowpack and meadows during dry periods, and filter water before it moves downstream to communities and farms. These landscapes provide high-quality wildlife habitat, store carbon in plants and soil, support outdoor recreation, and underpin livelihoods in rural communities, among other benefits. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Are Republicans cooling on attaching strings to California wildfire aid?
“Two and a half months after wildfires ravaged Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, political tempers have cooled and the appetite for conditioning federal aid to California has waned along with it. How long it could take for additional funding to come for the costliest natural disaster in state history, however, is still unclear. Gov. Gavin Newsom requested $40 billion in disaster funding for recovery from the Los Angeles fires nearly a month ago, but little movement has been made. California Republicans in Congress said they needed more information to determine how much aid the state would receive, but expect attention to turn to the issue now that the federal government has been funded past the March 14 deadline. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
In commentary today …
Forging law and Indigenous fire traditions
Professor Victoria Sutton (Lumbee), a law professor on the faculty of Texas Tech University, writes, “In January 2025, with the epic fire destruction of the Palisades home development area and surrounding regions of Los Angeles, poor resource management became very real and experienced. A shortage of water was to blame, many pointed out. Any diversion of water from Los Angeles could be said to have prevented putting out the fires including water diverted to the Bay to save the Delta smelt fish. Water diversions in the Northwest that go to salmon would otherwise go to agriculture (not Los Angeles) yet it is part of the greater watershed in the northwest and still impacts all water usage. Everything is connected in the watershed ecosystem. But the real solution to the problem is not using precious water to put out fires, but to prevent the fire in the first place through better natural resource management. But we still must ask the question, whether water should be diverted that may be sent to the Bay in ecosystem restoration plans? Let’s be honest — San Francisco just spent millions to argue to the U.S. Supreme Court that they should be allowed to have raw sewage overflow into the San Francisco Bay in violation of the Clean Water Act’s section 301, violating water quality standards (WQS) for the Bay. … ” Read more from Native News Online.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Humboldt County supervisors to consider supporting water legislation, more cannabis permits to be revoked
“A relatively light agenda is in front of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Tuesday — which will include the consideration of a letter in support of water legislation for Klamath tributaries and 15 more cannabis cultivation permit revocations for Measure S taxes. Assembly Bill 263, authored by District 2 Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa), would keep emergency water diversion rules in place for the Scott and Shasta Rivers until permanent regulations are adopted. Drought water rules for these tributaries to the Klamath River are presently set by the California State Water Resources Control Board on a yearly basis. “Humboldt County has long relied on the fishing industry to support its local economy, and we also acknowledge the historic inequitable management of our state’s water system has discounted and ignored important tribal, cultural and economic uses of water and dependence on healthy aquatic ecosystems. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
Podcast: Blue Dot: Mussels and a scientific detective story at Bodega Marine Lab and ocean acidification mapping
“Host Dave Schlom is joined by two researchers who have connections to UC Davis’s Bodega Marine Laboratory on the Northern California coast. Emily Longman, now a marine biologist at the University of Vermont, was a leader in a detective story with roots in UC in the days leading up to World War II. Two young undergrads did a study of mussel colonies at Bodega in 1941. Their unpublished paper was found recently and Longman led a team to see how the mussel colony had changed in the course of 80 years. Astonishingly, they found that while mussels are struggling on parts of the California coast, they are thriving at the original study site! Then, UC Berkeley Professor Rachel Carlson visits with Dave to discuss her work on mapping ocean acidification along the Pacific coast and its implications for marine life as our climate changes. … ” Read more from North State Public Radio.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
20K cfs coming into Lake Oroville prompts DWR to release more water from Oroville Dam
“The ups and downs of early spring storms have created additional inflows for local waterways in recent weeks, prompting an increase in releases from Lake Oroville. The California Department of Water Resources is increasing the outflows from the lake from 10,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000 cfs starting today. The vast majority of the water releases go through the Thermalito Afterbay outlet with the remaining going through the low-flow channel which runs through the city of Oroville. DWR Public Information Officer Jason Ince said inflows into the lake are at roughly 20,000 cfs because of runoff associated with the recent storm systems. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
BAY AREA
Marin coast hazard policy effort dealt new setback
“California Coastal Commission staff have rejected a preliminary tack by Marin County planners to resolve an impasse over rules on environmental hazards. The adoption of new policies has proved controversial because they might entail costly mandates for changes to prepare for sea-level rise. The Marin County Planning Commission met on March 4 to discuss proposed changes to the environmental hazards provisions in the county’s Local Coastal Program (LCP). The program, the general plan that governs the county’s coastal areas, must be approved by the state commission. The review was delayed until March 24 because planning commissioners hadn’t yet reviewed a letter from Oceane Ringuette, a California Coastal Commission district supervisor. The letter cited numerous problems with the county’s proposed amendments. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Commentary: Coalition calls for wastewater treatment pilot to fortify Marin Municipal Water District supply
“The Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors just decided on our “path to resiliency” by approving a pipeline to bring water from the Russian River in Sonoma County. As a director and co-founder of the Marin Coalition for Water Solutions group, I can say our members thank the board for this step, as it will help. However, it won’t completely solve the problem. The pipeline will provide a limited amount of water under contract with the Sonoma County agency. Hopefully, the contract will be lived up to, but Marin will be one of several subcontractors dependent on that water. Our group’s concern is that, in the event of a multi-year drought (like the one we just experienced), Sonoma Water may decide it can’t send Marin what it needs. It is unclear what happens in that scenario. That’s a big problem. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
‘Striking’ data on Lake Merritt’s Chinook salmon has surfaced. But a mystery remains
“Back in November, the fish-loving community was chuffed to the gills after several dead Chinook salmon carcasses floated to the shores of Lake Merritt. This was an exciting development: Lake Merritt is part of the Chinook salmon’s natural habitat, including potential spawning grounds in creeks, but pollution, harmful algal blooms, and physical barriers have made it harder and harder for the fish to reach those grounds and thrive there. Did the presence of salmon mean something had improved? Chinook salmon populations have declined over the last century in most estuaries and rivers they used to frequent. Their presence in the lake signals a healthier environment for many types of marine species. Now, thanks to community scientists, we know where some of the fish recently recovered from the lake came from. … ” Read more from Oaklandside.
Lessons from elsewhere: Managing San Francisco’s stormwater and sewage mess
“San Francisco shares one nasty thing in common with New York, Chicago and Milwaukee. When big storms soak each city, millions of gallons of stormwater and raw sewage pour into nearby waterways. It’s a legacy of how the cities were built over a century ago. Sewage and stormwater flow through the same pipes, and during large storms, the combined systems overflow, spilling into rivers, lakes and oceans. The federal government has mandated that the four cities clean up the water pollution. San Francisco has spent billions of dollars to improve its system, but it has a long way to go, especially with the growing intensity of storms due to human-caused climate change. Water experts suggest the city can learn from the successes of other cities. … ” Read more from KQED.
Palo Alto flood basin to be sprayed for aggressive mosquitoes
“The Palo Alto flood basin is set to be sprayed later this week for an aggressive species of mosquito known to travel up to 20 miles in search of a “blood meal,” officials said. Beginning around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the Santa Clara County Vector Control District plans to use a helicopter to treat the area with naturally occurring microbes and a hormone regulator that prevents immature winter salt marsh mosquitoes from developing into adults. The operation is expected to take a few hours to complete. The insects – also known as aedes squamiger – are “opportunistic feeders and aggressive biters,” according to the district. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
New agency will set water use fees in Paso Robles basin — but one community won’t be included
“The San Miguel Community Services District declined to join a new agency that will charge fees for pumping groundwater from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. The basin is managed by five Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, four of which voted to create a Joint Powers Authority that would have the power to levy fees. On Thursday night, the San Miguel Community Services District Board of Directors voted 2-2 on a motion to join the Joint Powers Authority. Because the board was tied, the motion failed, and the agency missed the Friday deadline to join the Joint Powers Authority. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Groundwater sustainability: An approved plan for Montecito
“Groundwater is an important water source for many local property owners and all Montecito Water District customers. Wells are relied upon for local residential, commercial, and agricultural use, particularly during periods of drought. It’s the job of the Montecito Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (Montecito GSA) to ensure that groundwater remains a viable water source for all. Potential threats to groundwater basins include chronic lowering of groundwater levels, degradation of water quality, and – perhaps the greatest vulnerability in this coastal location – seawater intrusion. These and other risks are identified as “undesirable results” in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) legislation which took effect in 2014. To comply with SGMA, Montecito GSA formed in 2018 and began development of a long-term plan to sustainably manage the community’s groundwater. … ” Read more from the Montecito Journal.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Fresno protest planned against hazardous soil dumping plan
“Dozens of Central Valley residents are planning to gather in Fresno to voice their opposition to a plan to expand dumping they say will bring dangerous waste to the region. On March 20, residents and environmental justice advocates plan to protest on the steps of Fresno City Hall against a proposed expansion of hazardous waste dumping that could permit city landfills to take more contaminated soil. The state Board of Environmental Safety is hosting a series of hearings across the state about the proposal. Two days of hearings at Fresno City Hall are scheduled for March 19-20. A hearing is scheduled in Berkeley on April 24 and Los Angeles May 15. A vote is scheduled for July 15-16. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
EASTERN SIERRA
Siphons to replace gates in revised plans for Grant Lake Reservoir
“The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) continues to develop a multi-phased project focusing on Grant Lake Reservoir infrastructure. The project includes the long-overdue modification to the Grant spillway needed to provide the required Stream Ecosystem Flows (SEFs) mandated by the California State Water Resources Control Board and agreed to under the 2013 Stream Restoration Agreement. However, with the additional problem of a malfunctioning rotovalve, dam safety and infrastructure upgrades have added to the delay and the scope of the original spillway modification. According to DWP’s December 30, 2024 report to the State Water Board, DWP is abandoning the original outlet design of Langemann gates in favor of siphons. DWP plans to bury four 48-inch diameter siphon pipes, encased in concrete, adjacent to the existing spillway. The siphons will begin at the reservoir and extend 1,700 feet into the unlined portion of the spillway. Siphons were considered in 2013 as a design option during negotiations ahead of the Stream Restoration Agreement, but at the time DWP had operating concerns about the concept. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Chance of more rain coming to Los Angeles, but sunshine is on the horizon
“After another drizzly day for parts of Southern California, warmer weather is on the horizon. A weak cold front rolled through the region on Monday, bringing light rain across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties before moving into Los Angeles County in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters predict a 50% to 70% chance of rain in Los Angeles County, mostly in the mountains and San Gabriel Valley. Rainfall amounts will be less than a tenth of an inch for regions south of Point Conception, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. In the mountains, a few inches of snow could fall at elevations above 5,000 feet as the cold front moves through. The 5 Freeway near the Grapevine could also see a light dusting of powder. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Boyle Heights: Trees, improved stormwater drains coming to 6th Street near Roosevelt High School
“An effort by the city aims to beautify a portion of East 6th Street in Boyle Heights while also improving stormwater management. The East 6th Street Green Corridor Project will bring trees, drought-tolerant landscaping, bioswales and curb bump-outs at intersections along E. 6th Street between S. St. Louis and S. Matthews streets. Amenities are intended to improve the water quality entering the Los Angeles River and provide aesthetic enhancements to the corridor leading to Hollenbeck Park, encouraging more visitors from nearby schools. … ” Read more from the Boyle Heights Beat.
Alert issued for toxic algae, sea mammals stranding in Los Angeles County
“Wildlife officials are warning the public of a toxic algae bloom affecting marine mammals along Los Angeles County beaches. On Monday evening, the city of Hermosa Beach posted an “Urgent Marine Wildlife Alert” message to X, telling beachgoers to keep 50 feet away from any stranded marine mammals. This warning comes after months of sea lions, dolphins and other mammals stranding themselves ashore – suffering from domoic acid poisoning. According to experts, domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin in algae that is potentially lethal to marine mammals like sea lions and dolphins. … ” Read more from KTLA.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
SAN DIEGO
Polluted waters, missed memories: Imperial Beach’s crisis strikes a chord
“The first time I went to Imperial Beach, California, I was struck by the community’s kindness. I went to the pier first, not knowing where to find people to talk to, only knowing that the pier was an iconic fixture of the town. The air was salty and the beach was sparse for a Saturday afternoon. I stood there with my list of questions and a camera and looked around at the people around me. There was a grandmother playing with her granddaughter at a small playground. As I nervously approached her, she waved me over with warm brown eyes and we got to talking about her neighborhood. Her name was Angela and she was living walking distance from the beach with her daughter and granddaughter. She opened up to me about her worries for her daughter’s future growing up in a polluted town. … Throughout the many interviews and trips to Imperial Beach, I heard a similar pattern: a shared feeling of loss. People gushed about days lying on the sand, how beautiful Imperial Beach was, all the community events and fishing trips and surfing that characterized the community. And now that these things were being stripped away, people grieved for it. … ” Read more from the Pulitzer Center.
Along the Colorado River …
Cortez Masto: ‘DOGE’ cuts affecting Nevada water rights discussions
“Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said federal government cuts from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could affect upcoming discussions about water rights as Colorado River states, including Nevada, discuss how to share the natural resource. The states and tribes sharing the river will have to agree on a new compact by August 2026. Current policies that guide river management expire at the beginning of 2027. The three states that make up the Lower Basin — Nevada, Arizona and California — are fighting a critical war for their rights to water from the river. The future of growing cities is in the balance, along with farms, businesses and everyone else in the Desert Southwest. … ” Read more from KLAS.
Nevada senator fights back against federal cuts endangering state water negotiations
“In a move raising concerns about federal overreach and its impact on state sovereignty, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada has criticized recent budgetary decisions by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). She argues that these federal funding freezes could jeopardize ongoing negotiations among Colorado River states, including Nevada, over critical water rights. The Colorado River is a lifeline for approximately 40 million Americans, supporting agriculture, industry, and residential water needs across seven states. Recent federal actions, including the suspension of drought-related payments and the proposed closure of the Army Corps’ Risk Management Center, have introduced uncertainty into the collaborative efforts of these states to manage and conserve this vital resource. … ” Read more from the Nevada Appeal.
Arizona: Mapping the way to harvesting water from air
“Earth’s atmosphere contains about 13 trillion tons of water. That’s a lot of water to draw upon to help people who are contending with drought, overtaxed rivers and shrinking aquifers. In fact, technologies that collect water vapor and turn it into pure, liquid water are emerging to tackle global water challenges — and, to help, industries including pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing are pouring money into research and pilot testing. At Arizona State University, experts in the field recently gathered for the second International Atmospheric Water Harvesting Summit hosted in collaboration with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Global Center for Water Technology, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Arizona Water Innovation Initiative and Southwest Sustainability Engine. ASU News spoke with Paul Westerhoff, a Regents Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, who chaired the summit. … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
Utah approves plan to pay farmers to leave water in the Colorado River
“Utah is launching a plan to pay farmers to leave some of their irrigation water in the Colorado River system. The Colorado River Authority of Utah board has approved the first round of applicants for the state’s new Demand Management Pilot Program. It includes more than a dozen projects along Colorado River tributaries in eastern and southeastern Utah. The program will use up to $4.2 million of state money to compensate farmers who temporarily forgo using some of their water in 2025 and 2026. The practice of leaving a field unplanted and unwatered is known as fallowing. This allows water that would have normally been sprayed on crops to flow downstream instead. Utah leaders hope quantifying the water those projects save will help the state avoid mandatory cutbacks as it looks toward a renegotiated Colorado River agreement in 2026. … ” Read more from KUER.
In national water news today …
Push to close dam safety center spurs backlash
“An engineering center that employs some of the most coveted and experienced dam safety experts in the U.S. could close this year, if the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have their way. The administration is considering terminating the lease on the Army Corps of Engineers’ Risk Management Center, which current and former employees say is integral to oversight of hundreds of dams and thousands of miles of levees nationwide. Canceling the lease for the center in Lakewood, Colorado, would save the government a total of $972,661, DOGE says on its website. Critics say the costs would far outweigh alleged savings. “You’ll have a public that’s less safe and at greater social and environmental risk,” said Eric Halpin, a retired dam and levee safety official at the Army Corps who helped set up the center in the 2000s. “[Managing dams] is going to be more expensive, and there will be an increased risk of some catastrophe happening.” … ” Read more from E&E News.
Report highlights how communities hardest hit by climate change can build resilient water systems
“Malynndra Tome was helping to map livestock ponds in the Navajo Nation when she saw something that inspired her to act. An elderly woman was filling milk jugs with water at the back of a gas station in the Native American reservation, where about 30% of people live without running water. “How can we be living in the United States of America … one of the most powerful countries in the world, and people are living like this here?” asked Tome, a citizen who grew up in the community of Ganado, Arizona, in the nation’s largest Native American reservation at 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. A report published Tuesday identifies ways historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change, like Tome’s, can create resilient water and wastewater systems. Its highlights include nature-based solutions, tailoring approaches to each community and using technology — all the while recognizing barriers to implementing them. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Does TCE contaminate your tap water?
“More than 17 million people in 41 U.S. states are exposed to the hazardous industrial chemical trichloroethylene, or TCE, in polluted drinking water. TCE is a toxic volatile organic compound, or VOC, that has been used since the 1920s to degrease metal parts and manufacture products. Improper disposal and industrial releases of TCE have contaminated public water systems and private wells. In addition to water, TCE pollutes soil and air, exposing millions of families. Even at very low levels, TCE can pose health risks, including cancer, fetal heart defects and nervous system damage. … ” Read more from the Environmental Working Group.
How DOGE cuts are jeopardizing our national parks, “America’s best idea”
“When British novelist J.B. Priestley visited the Grand Canyon in the 1930s, he described it as “all of Beethoven’s nine symphonies in stone and magic light.” “If I were an American,” he wrote, “I should make my remembrance of it the final test of men, art, and policies … Every member or officer of the federal government ought to remind himself, with triumphant pride, that he is on the staff of the Grand Canyon.” In February, as part of the Trump Administration’s effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce, approximately 1,000 employees were laid off across the Park Service. In the weeks since, there have been protests at hundreds of park service sites, from Acadia to Zion. … ” Read more from CBS News.
