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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: CA Water Commission beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include a decision on utilizing newly available funds for the Water Storage Investment Program and a tour of the Lookout Slough Restoration Project (weather permitting). Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Addressing Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Treatment Systems from 12pm to 1pm. The efficacy of treatment systems in removing a range of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, harmful algal blooms, 1-4-dioxane, and 6-PPD, from water is often unclear. States have expressed interest in understanding removal rates and viable treatment technologies to address public health concerns. This webinar will provide an overview of work by our Office of Research and Development to develop a framework of wastewater treatment processes, focusing on removal rates of certain emerging contaminants, as well as associated life cycle costs and environmental impacts. This work will give states and communities more resources to understand how to treat contaminants in their water systems, helping ensure clean water for all Americans. Register for the EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: Addressing Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater Treatment Systems.
- PBS VIDEO/PANEL DISCUSSION: Urban Firestorms Are on the Rise. There’s One Way to Stop Them at 5:30pm. Watch the premiere and join Host Maiya May and Director Trip Jennings for a LIVE CHAT March 19th at 5:30 PT (7pm ET). It is wild how often cities used to burn down. So when fires ripped through LA at the beginning of 2025, we wondered: are urban firestorms back? In 1871, nearly a third of Chicago burned down. In 1889, 25 blocks of Seattle went up in flames. Modern buildings and firefighting solved the problem. So, how is this happening again? And why is it getting worse? To find out, we went to LA while the fires were still burning. Our crew was on the ground from day one. We interviewed top fire officials and leading scientists. And, we learned exactly what went wrong in LA – and the one thing that could stop these unstoppable fires. Click here to watch video.
In California water news today …
March storms help Sierra snowpack inch closer to normal for this time of year
“After days of snow falling in the Sierra, the winter season is inching closer to recovering from a dry start to the year. According to snow sensor data from the California Department of Water Resources, the statewide Sierra snowpack fell to 66% of average on Jan. 30.”
California will get a break from storms soon. But the rainy season isn’t over yet
“The last wet weather system of the week is poised to swing across Northern California on Wednesday, but it won’t pack much of a punch. Afternoon and evening rain showers are unlikely to add up to more than a tenth of an inch in San Francisco, while parts of the Bay Area could remain completely dry. Light snow should add another few inches to the northern Sierra Nevada snowpack, but the system will be starved of moisture by the time it reaches Lake Tahoe. Beyond Wednesday, a weeklong dry stretch is likely in store for the Bay Area. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Sites Reservoir allocated an additional $134 million in federal funding
“Last week, the Sites Reservoir Project (Project) received $134 million in federal funding from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), which provides funding to improve water infrastructure throughout the United States. “The continued bipartisan support for Sites Reservoir shows we all agree—we desperately need more water storage in California to prepare for the future,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “This announcement brings the WIIN Act funding designated to Sites Reservoir closer to the level the Authority and Reclamation have been working to secure and we’re grateful to our federal partners for helping to advance this critical project closer to construction.” With this investment, the Project has been designated a total of $780.15 million in federal contributions to date. The Sites Project Authority will continue to work with the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) on achieving their 16% participation goal as space in the reservoir becomes available and sufficient funds are appropriated to the Project. … ” Read more from the Sites Project JPA.
SEE ALSO: Sites Reservoir allocated an additional $134 million in federal funding as part of WIIN Act, from Action News Now
New court guidance on rights to use captured water/percolating groundwater
“On March 14, 2025, the Court of Appeal for California’s Fifth Appellate District issued its decision in Sandton Agriculture Investments III v. 4-S Ranch Partners, 2025 S.O.S. 659. That case provided guidance on ownership of captured water and percolating groundwater.Sandton Agriculture Investments III (Sandton) acquired real property from 4-S Ranch Partners (4-S) through foreclosure proceedings related to 4-S’s bankruptcy. A dispute then arose as to whether Sandton’s acquisition of the property included the 500,000 acre-feet of groundwater stored in the land under the property. 4-S claimed that it still owned that water as its personal property. The 500,000 acre-feet of water was valued at $200 million in 2020, and 4-S claimed the value had risen to $600 million by 2022. … ” Read more from Nossaman.
Senate Committee Natural Resources & Water SGMA hearing part one
“On Tuesday, March 11, 2025 the California State Senate’s Natural Resources and Water Committee held an informational hearing – Sustainable Groundwater Management Act at 11 Years: Progress and Challenges, scheduled to begin at 9:00am in Sacramento and online. Due to the length of the hearing this report is in two parts. This is part one. … Speaking to the Committee were, Richard Frank-UC Davis Law Professor, Paul Gosselin-Deputy Director for Sustainable Water Management Department of Water Resources, Tina Cannon Leahy-Supervising Attorney State Water Resources Control Board, Javier Silva-Water Operator Yokayo Tribe, Lyn Carlisle-Executive Director Cuyama Valley Family Resource Center, Piret Harmon-General Manager Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency and Arshdeep Singh-President Punjabi American Growers Group. The first part of the hearing was the committee members speaking their minds on the subject. … ” Read more from Water Wrights.
California water agencies oppose Trump-proofing bill
“The leading trade group representing California’s public water agencies came out Monday against a bill meant to protect the state from Trump administration rollbacks. What happened: The Association of California Water Agencies adopted an “oppose” position to Sen. Ben Allen’s SB 601, which would clarify state law to reclassify all waters that were previously defined as “waters of the state” prior to the Supreme Court’s 2023 Sackett v. EPA decision. ACWA senior policy advocate Soren Nelson said in an email the group has “serious concerns with SB 601, as it would needlessly complicate the state’s regulatory framework for protecting water quality, lead to frivolous litigation, and almost certainly translate into higher water bills for Californians.” … ” Read more from E&E News (subscription required).
Diane Papan introduces legislation to prevent politically motivated water releases in state
“Legislation to prevent the unnecessary and harmful discharge of California water from reservoirs under false pretenses was introduced by Assemblymember Diane Papan, D-San Mateo. Assembly Bill 1146 would prohibit the release of California’s stored water if it is carried out under knowingly false or fraudulent representations regarding the purpose or intended use of the water. The legislation would empower the State Water Resources Control Board to issue interim relief orders to stop unlawful water releases and ensure that California’s water, its storage and planning efforts remain protected from external political interference. The bill would provide that any person who violates these provisions would be guilty of a misdemeanor, according to Papan’s office. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Bond sale focuses on water projects
“California State Treasurer Fiona Ma recently announced the competitive sale results for $329 million in revenue bonds for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Water System Revenue Bonds. Proceeds of the Series BG bonds will finance or refinance certain State Water Project capital improvements. The State Water Project is part of the backbone of California’s water infrastructure, supplying water to over 27 million Californians, along with commercial and industrial customers. It consists of a 705-mile long complex system of dams, reservoirs, pumping facilities, power plants, aqueducts and pipelines. DWR is responsible for planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the State Water Project. … ” Read more from the Escalon Times.
California’s adversary has a face
“We finally have a new boss at U.S. EPA’s San Francisco office, just in time for the Trump administration’s deregulation blitz. The question now is whether there’s an opening for California to soften the blow. President Donald Trump named Josh F.W. Cook, a veteran California GOP staffer and consultant, to lead EPA’s Region 9 today — handing him the reins of the office that oversees emissions policy, air and water quality, prescribed burns and more in an area encompassing California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and the United States’ Pacific island territories. Cook’s environmental resume is squarely focused on the forestry space, where in the past he took the policy lead for lawmakers like Rep. Doug LaMalfa and former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle. … ” Read more from Politico.
Trump’s new EPA head for California, Southwest is Josh F.W. Cook
“The Trump administration has appointed Josh F.W. Cook as head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest Office, overseeing federal environmental policy in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 Tribal Nations. Cook, who lives in Chico (Butte County), is a government and tribal affairs consultant, according to his LinkedIn account, and has held a handful of government positions. He spent a decade as chief of staff for former Republican State Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber (Lassen County) and has served on advisory committees for the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. His resume also includes helping with the emergency response to California’s deadly Camp Fire in 2018. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Supreme Court waves goodbye to Clean Water Act end-result requirements
“On March 4, 2025, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in City and County of San Francisco v. Environmental Protection Agency, 145 S.Ct. 704 (2025), which held that while the Clean Water Act (CWA) authorizes the inclusion of narrative (non-numeric) criteria in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, it does not authorize “end-result” requirements. End-result requirements are provisions in an NPDES permit that do not specify what actions a permittee must take or refrain from taking. Instead, end-result requirements place the responsibility for achieving specific water quality results in the receiving water body on the discharging facility itself, rather than specifying the actions the facility must take to comply with water quality standards. The Court emphasized that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for determining and specifying the necessary steps to ensure compliance with water quality standards. … ” Read more from Latham Watkins.
New report highlights 100+ actionable strategies for climate-resilient water and sanitation in frontline communities across US
“New research released today by the Pacific Institute and DigDeep outlines over 100 actionable strategies for frontline communities’ water and sanitation systems in the face of intensifying climate impacts while addressing systemic inequities. This report, “Achieving Equitable, Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation for Frontline Communities,” defines specific attributes of equitable, climate-resilient water and sanitation that are key to advancing solutions to the climate crisis. “This report emphasizes tailoring approaches to fit the unique social, economic, and cultural contexts of communities, providing actionable strategies for diverse audiences, including community organizations, utilities, and decision makers at all levels,” said Dr. Shannon McNeeley, lead author and Water and Climate Equity Lead at the Pacific Institute. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute.
Reducing flood risk through Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations in California
“A new report released on March 13, 2025, shows that changes to reservoir operations at Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir in California can further reduce flood risk for communities along the Tuba and Feather rivers during extreme atmospheric river storm events and potentially benefit water supply during drier river periods. The approach, known as Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO), uses improved monitoring, weather and runoff projection to build more flexibility and efficiency into reservoir operations. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Yuba Water Agency partnered with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Research and Development Center to evaluate if FIRO could be implemented at both reservoirs to reduce downstream flood risk without negatively impacting water supplies. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
How the Klamath Dams came down
“Last year, tribal nations in Oregon and California won a decades-long fight for the largest dam removal in U.S. history. This is their story. At 17 years old, Jeff Mitchell couldn’t have known that an evening of deer hunting would change his life — and the history of the Klamath River — forever. Over Thanksgiving week in 1974, Mitchell and three friends were driving home to Klamath Falls, Oregon, when their truck hit black ice, careened off the road, crashed into a ditch, and rolled over violently, throwing Mitchell from the vehicle and knocking him unconscious. … If not for the black ice that nearly killed him, Mitchell might never have helped launch one of the biggest victories for Indigenous rights and the contemporary environmental movement in North American history: the demolition of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, a degraded 263-mile waterway that winds through Mitchell’s ancestral homeland and that of four other Indigenous nations. … ” Read more from Grist.
Lake County calls for accountability in PG&E Dam Removal
“The fight to save Lake Pillsbury took center stage at the February 25, 2026, Lake County Board of Supervisors meeting, as officials urged PG&E and state and federal agencies to reconsider the planned decommissioning of Scott Dam. Frustrated by years of exclusion from key water policy discussions, Supervisors Eddie Crandall and Bruno Sabatier warned that losing the reservoir could have dire consequences—threatening water security for 600,000 people, crippling local agriculture, and increasing wildfire risks. With PG&E’s final surrender application pending, Lake County leaders are demanding answers, accountability, and a seat at the table before it’s too late. The Lake County Board of Supervisors discussed PG&E’s plan to abandon the Potter Valley Project, and how that would affect Lake County and Lake Pillsbury. Supervisor Eddie Crandall said “There’s never been any proper discussion about what would happen if we didn’t decommission Scott Dam.” … ” Read more from MendoFever.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe: A tarnished jewel
“Lake Tahoe is an innocent victim — but there isn’t just a single villain. This alpine treasure a mile-high in the Sierra Nevada is victimized by all the problems that humans inflict on it. In this two-part series, CalMatters reveals how the billions of dollars spent on improving the health of the Tahoe region have not resolved the lake’s problems, and how regional planners have recently shifted much of their focus to promoting tourism and recreation projects. The Tahoe region, encircled by dense forests, also is one of California’s riskiest places for potentially deadly out-of-control wildfires. Fire officials told CalMatters that thousands of people could be trapped because of inadequate evacuation routes — yet developers continue to build resorts and housing in high-risk areas. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
The high cost of fixing Lake Tahoe
“An azure jewel set more than a mile high, deep in the High Sierra, Lake Tahoe is California’s most highly curated and micromanaged natural asset. Even among the state’s many famous landmarks, Tahoe is beloved and revered. The 2-million-year-old lake, famed for its deep blue color, sits in a basin encircled by steep forests. Despite the region being somewhat difficult to reach, about 15 million visitors from around the world flock there every year — three times more than Yosemite National Park. Its beauty is also its vulnerability: Buffeted by the constant tug between developing the region and preserving it, and attracting visitors while managing their impact, Lake Tahoe is showing the strain. State and federal agencies, nonprofits and other groups have spent more than $3 billion over the past quarter century for more than 800 projects that aimed to protect and improve the lake and its environs. … But despite all of the billions lavished on Lake Tahoe, questions remain about whether all of this funding and attention have actually improved the quality of the lake and its surrounding environment. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Conservancy to look at buying parcel adjacent to Van Sickle Bi-State Park
“The California Tahoe Conservancy holds its next meeting on Thursday, March 20 at 9:30 a.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Board Room, L104. The board will be hearing an item on the possible acquisition of a 2.61-acre parcel of land adjacent to the entrance of the Van Sickle Bi-State Park. The entrance to the park is currently over an easement from the property owner who is in the process of putting in condominiums at the site of the old Colony Inn behind what will soon be Target. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Department of Water Resources lets the water flow from Lake Oroville
“The rainfall from late winter storms has created a large inflow of water in recent weeks, prompting an increase in releases from Lake Oroville. The California Department of Water Resources is increasing the outflows for the lake from 10,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000 cubic feet starting today. The majority of the water released will go through the Termalito Afterbay outlet, with the remainder going through the low-flow channel which runs through the city of Oroville. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Live Oak proposing 60% water rate hike to fund $3.5M deficit
“The city of Live Oak is proposing a 60 percent water rate hike to tackle a $3.5 million water fund deficit. The city’s wells have been detected to have small amounts of forever chemicals in them, a story KOVR brought you back in December. While the detection hasn’t met the threshold for the city to take action, there’s been growing concern over water quality issues in general among many Live Oak residents. This comes during a time a major water rate hike could be on the horizon. … ” Read more from CBS News.
NAPA/SONOMA
‘Remarkable’ or devastating? Concerns about Russian-Eel River water supply focus of town hall in Cloverdale
“Although stakeholders have approved a closely watched plan to continue diverting some Eel River water into the Russian River when a key hydropower facility goes offline in several years, civic leaders from Lake County, Cloverdale and elsewhere remain concerned about how the move might impact the region’s water supply. As a result, Cloverdale city leaders will host a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building, 205 West 1st Street. The meeting, which isn’t slated to be broadcast on Zoom or another video platform, will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the decommissioning of PG&E’s 117-year-old Potter Valley power plant. By 2028 at the earliest, PG&E is set to abandon the plant, with related plans to eventually tear down the Scott and Cape Horn dams on the upper Eel River. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Farmland for All…that can make it work at least. Sonoma County’s small farmers grapple with unstable future.
“Sonoma is famous for its vineyards but farmers in the county produce so much more. From eggs to milk, and all kinds of specialty greens, Sonoma County is the bread basket for the Bay Area. But making it as a farmer here has gotten a lot harder, in part, because the land has gotten so expensive. There are still a fair share of small farmers who are trying to make it though. We’ve still got farm trails, farmers markets, and plenty of farms. Farming remains a big part of Sonoma County’s identity. But it’s an identity that’s a challenge to maintain, and you can see the challenges at Fox Sparrow Farm. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
Koi Nation announces landmark legal victory protecting tribal cultural resources
“The Koi Nation of Northern California announced that the California First District Court of Appeals ruled in its favor in a landmark decision that protects tribal cultural resources and clarifies legal requirements for state and local governmental agencies to conduct meaningful consultation with tribal nations when considering development of projects that could impact the environment. In its decision, the court reversed the approval of the City of Clearlake’s environmental document that considered development of a 75-room hotel, meeting hall, parking lot, and street extension in a culturally sensitive area, overturning a November 2023 ruling by a Lake County Superior Court judge. The appellate decision also requires the city to restart tribal consultation with the Koi Nation if it wants to pursue the project. … ” Read more from Indian Gaming.
BAY AREA
Vacaville residents can sound off on renewal of discharge system at wastewater treatment plant
“Residents have until 5 p.m. April 11 to submit comments on the proposed renewal of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System at the Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, 6040 Vaca Station Road. Treated wastewater is discharged to Old Alamo Creek, a tributary of New Alamo Creek, Ulatis Creek, Cache Creek Slough and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Discharges from the facility are currently issued by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board from June 2019. The tentative order includes updated effluent limitations for ammonia nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite, dichlorobromomethane, dibromochloromethane, and cyanide. It removes effluent limitations for acute whole effluent toxicity and electrical conductivity. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Reclamation increases Friant water allocation to 80 percent
“It comes as no surprise with the recent precipitation and snowpack conditions that the Bureau of Reclamation through the Central Valley Project has significantly increased its water allocation locally for the Friant Division. The Friant Water Authority, which oversees the Friant-Kern Canal, announced on Friday the Bureau has increased its water allocation for Class 1 use to 80 percent of requested. Less than a month ago the Bureau set its initial allocation for the Friant Division at 45 percent. That means now there will be 640,000 acre feet of the first 800,000 acre feet that’s captured from Millerton Lake for long term contracts for Friant Division Class 1 users. Class 1 contractors are generally cities and districts who don’t have access to groundwater. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
Hello nutria? California’s least-welcome invasive swamp rodents arrive in Fresno
Columnist Marek Warszawski writes, California’s most-destructive and least-welcome swamp rodents have arrived in its fifth-largest city. To be precise, they’ve arrived in the stretch of San Joaquin River that traces Fresno’s northwest border. Eight years have passed since a reproducing population of nutria was found in western Merced County — their first discovery in the state since the 1970s. Despite eradication efforts that began in March 2018, nutria have since spread north into the Delta, east into foothills along the Merced River and south into the Fresno Slough and Mendota Wildlife Area. … ” Continue reading at the Fresno Bee.
San Joaquin County’s almond growers pinched by Trump’s tariff wars
“President Donald Trump’s tariffs are making the almond business a tougher nut to crack for San Joaquin County growers. When Trump slapped more tariffs on China earlier this month, it didn’t take long for a round of retaliation. China answered by imposing an additional 10% on raw and manufactured tree nuts imported from the U.S. Adding the latest taxes to those China had already imposed during Trump’s first administration, the total tariff rate on all imported U.S. tree nuts now stands at 35%. California provides 80% of the world’s almond supply, with about half of its production being exported, according to the Almond Board of California. But the tariff wars are proving costly for growers. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
California appeals court to consider protecting Kern River, fish from harmful diversions
“An appeals court on Thursday will hear arguments on Kern River water diversions, which have killed thousands of fish and drained the once flowing waterway in Bakersfield. The 5th District Court of Appeals will consider whether to uphold a preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of environmental groups to stop the city of Bakersfield and agricultural water storage districts from diversions that significantly reduce river flow. “The Kern River ecosystem has suffered tremendously this past year with so many fish dying from the illegal diversions,” said John Buse, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. “For the Kern to flourish as a living river, it’s vital that the court affirm the state’s legal safeguards for this important public resource.” … ” Read more from the Center for Biological Diversity.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Seismometers provide fuller picture of Los Angeles groundwater
“A series of atmospheric rivers slammed California in early 2023, dumping as much as 300% of the historical annual average rainfall on some parts of the state. The rains replenished surface water storage above its historical average, but scientists are still unraveling how the influx of precipitation affected the state’s groundwater, which suffered from extreme drought conditions from 2020 to 2022. In a new study published in Science, researchers used an existing network of seismic instruments to probe that question. They found that surface water, such as lakes, streams, and reservoirs, had recovered above its historical average after the winter storms. But the volume of groundwater—defined in the study as water stored more than 50 meters (164 feet) below the surface—lagged far behind. … ” Read more from EOS.
See how drought whiplash led to California wildfires
“The devastating fires in California early this year came after a particularly unfortunate weather pattern—an exceptionally wet period of about 18 months, followed by an exceptionally dry spell. The wet duration encouraged grass and brush growth, and then the lack of rain dried it all out, priming it to catch on fire and spread quickly. “It was a classic example of wet-to-dry whiplash,” says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. And such whiplashes may be getting more common. “With climate change, it’s not just that we’re seeing things get drier and drier. There’s also a trend toward more variability, with wider swings between wet and dry,” Swain says. The warming climate is leading to what scientists call the “expanding atmospheric sponge” effect. … ” Read more from Scientific American.
‘Like someone put a blanket over the ocean’: Kelp could be among fires’ casualties
“The boat bobbed gently off Malibu’s Big Rock Beach as a trio of scientific divers wriggled into wetsuits and double-checked tanks and regulators. Behind them unfurled a panorama of devastation from the Palisades fire a month earlier. Blackened vegetation dotted the hillsides rising above Pacific Coast Highway. Rubble and lonely chimneys littered the shore where beachfront homes once stood. One by one, the three divers slipped beneath the surface, nets and knives at the ready. They were seeking evidence of the fire’s underwater toll, particularly its effect on a vital anchor of the coastal ecosystem: kelp. The divers were with Kelp Ark, a San Pedro-based nonprofit seed bank that preserves and stores genetic material from West Coast kelp species. The Feb. 10 dive was their second since fire and subsequent rains injected tons of ash and debris into the ocean ecosystem. “When we think about wildfires, we think a lot about how that impacts the terrestrial realm, how destructive it can be to the land,” said Lori Berberian, a second-year PhD student in geography at UCLA who studies the effects of wildfire on kelp abundance and habitat distribution. “But there are huge implications for the coast.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
EPA stands firm: It will not review Tijuana River Estuary for Superfund status
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will not reconsider its denial to investigate whether the Tijuana River Estuary qualifies as a Superfund site, a designation given to the most contaminated places in the country needing long-term cleanup. In a Friday letter to Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Cheree Peterson, acting regional administrator with the federal agency, said a review for eligibility remains unwarranted despite the EPA being “keenly aware of the negative impacts that your city has suffered for too long.” One of the main reasons for the denial, first stated in January: efforts to fix broken wastewater treatment infrastructure are already underway. The agency said the fixes “will provide a lasting solution.” Major relief from pollution for sewage-impacted communities in South County is still several years away, however. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
SEE ALSO: Imperial Beach mayor’s EPA superfund request for Tijuana sewage crisis denied, from Channel 10
Along the Colorado River …
Lawsuits only further complicate Arizona’s water challenges
“There are now two lawsuits against the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). The first challenges ADWR’s efforts and authority to uphold the 100-year Assured Water Supply Program, the foundation of Arizona’s thriving economy. The second would prevent homebuilding from restarting, where it has been halted due to groundwater concerns. In the end, both lawsuits pose threats to Arizona’s water and housing future. Many are frustrated that these lawsuits will only further complicate Arizona’s water challenges, including uncertainty about how the federal government will reduce our Colorado River water after 2026. The lawsuits will divert time, money, and energy away from finding real solutions, including developing and investing in new water supplies. Both lawsuits include the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona as a plaintiff, which wants to recover the investments made by its members to develop subdivisions that were halted two years ago. … ” Read more from the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association.
Here’s how much water the LDS Church says it is working to save this year
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says it will soon save the amount of water it takes to support 3,000 homes in a given year. This year, the church plans to install 1,800 “smart controllers” at meetinghouses across the West, including in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. The new controllers are irrigation systems, including sprinklers, that adjust water output based on the weather “so that we’re most efficiently watering our plant materials,” said David Wright, landscape architect for the church’s Meetinghouse Facilities Department. Wright said he estimates the church will save 500 million gallons of water — about 1,534 acre-feet — during the first year the smart controllers are in place. For reference, one acre-foot is about how much water two Utah homes typically use in a year. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
Will Colorado see drought conditions start to develop this spring?
“As winter nears its end and Colorado’s mountains get hit with the latest March snowstorm, climatologists and forecasters are predicting that the spring will bring drier weather and, in turn, lead to drought developing or deepening across much of the state. The Feb. 28 seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service predicted that most of Colorado would develop drought conditions heading into May, as La Niña weather patterns predict drier — and in some areas, warmer — conditions than normal. “That spring outlook shows a pretty high confidence of drier-than-average conditions across Colorado in the spring,” said Russ Schumacher, Colorado’s state climatologist and director of the Colorado Climate Center. “The spring tends to be pretty wet across Colorado as a whole, and so if we do have a dry spring, then things can go south pretty quickly in terms of drought — and the outlook is tilted toward those drier-than-average conditions.” …. ” Read more from the Aspen Times.
In national water news today …
The nation’s chief engineers turn to nature to improve flood protection
“Controlling nature by bulldozing dirt and pouring concrete has long been the guiding vision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For 250 years that ethos inspired both awe and disgust. “In my science training, the Army Corps destroyed everything. They’re the enemy,” says geomorphologist Julie Beagle, who spent much of her early career working to repair ecosystems damaged by “gray” infrastructure such as dams and levees built by the Corps. “My first boss had a sign on her desk that said, ‘Kill the Corps.’” To such critics, damaging nature was the Corps’s core competence. So plenty of people were skeptical in 2010 when the Corps rolled out an Engineering with Nature (EWN) initiative, saying it now aspired to work with nature rather than dominate it—a dramatic change in culture and practice. … The initiative is relatively small; there are seven EWN programs sprinkled across the Corps’s 43 districts (five of which are international). But the changes convinced Beagle four years ago to leave her job at the San Francisco Estuary Institute and become chief of environmental planning for the Corps’s San Francisco district. … ” Read more from Scientific American.
Leaked EPA layoff plan would slash science office
“The Trump EPA is planning a sweeping removal of its scientists as part of a reorganization that will eliminate the agency’s existing science office, according to House Democrats. The agency’s plans, reviewed by Democratic staff on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, entail eliminating a majority — between 50 percent and 75 percent — of the 1,540 positions in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. The agency also plans to eliminate the office, which serves as its scientific research arm, as a national program office. Some of the science shop’s functions, positions and employee skills have “been identified as directly supporting statutory work in other EPA program offices,” the plan says. … ” Read more from E&E News.
You rely on this agency’s data for weather and climate forecasts. DOGE is decimating its workforce.
“Late last month, Rebecca Howard was fired from her dream job. With less than two hours’ notice, the research biologist was told to leave her position with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, surveying Alaskan shellfish and pollock populations. Howard is one of the more than 1,000 employees affected by the recent layoffs at NOAA. As a science branch of the Department of Commerce, the agency plays a crucial role in climate research, ecosystem restoration, and oversight of commercial fisheries. The National Weather Service, which provides the data that powers weather apps on phones and informs local meteorologists, is an agency within NOAA. … ” Read more from Grist.
Rising seas and land-based salt pollution pose dual threats for drinking water
“Global sea levels rose faster than expected last year, largely due to warming ocean temperatures, a new NASA analysis found. As seawater creeps further into coastlines, salt threatens to pollute the freshwater reserves that people depend on. But this brine isn’t just coming from the ocean: New research shows freshwater ecosystems are facing widespread dual threats of salt contamination from the sea and land, made worse by climate change. Humans are a salty species, using the mineral for a vast number of reasons—from de-icing the roads during snowstorms to seasoning food. But our salty habits, coupled with rising seas, pose major threats to human health, infrastructure, agriculture and wildlife. Now, scientists are trying to help water managers better understand the salt risks that crucial water supplies face from land to sea as global temperatures warm. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
How to stop being surprised by extreme weather – study
“Helping communities predict extreme weather events that have never been recorded in modern history is the focus of a new study published in Nature Communications. A team from the Climate Adaptation Services Foundation, the University of Reading and other international institutions has brought together methods to see beyond the limitations of conventional weather records, which typically only cover the last century. The study reveals how, for example, nature’s own archives – like tree rings – combined with forgotten historical documents can unlock centuries of climate data that modern instruments have missed. … ” Read more from the University of Reading.
