A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Modernized procedures at California’s Oroville Dam could improve flood safety, report finds
“Modernized changes to long-held operating procedures at the dams walling Lake Oroville and New Bullards Bar Reservoir in Northern California could improve flood safety for communities along the Feather and Yuba rivers. That’s the finding several agencies reached in a new report exploring the effects of using improved monitoring, weather and runoff projections to determine when and how to release water from the reservoirs. “California’s reservoirs play a critical role in safeguarding our communities from floods and maintaining our state’s water supply, especially as we continue to see more extreme weather events in the form of larger, wetter, and more frequent storms and longer, more severe periods of drought,” said Michael Anderson, a Department of Water Resources climatologist, in a Thursday news release. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
State decides how to spend nearly half a billion dollars available after collapse of Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project
“Six months after the collapse of a $1.5 billion plan to expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County, state officials began Wednesday to redistribute nearly half a billion dollars that had been earmarked for the failed project to provide more water to Bay Area residents. The California Water Commission, a panel appointed by the governor, voted unanimously to give $73 million immediately to the Harvest Water Program in Sacramento County, in addition to $291 million it had previously provided. … But the commission punted Wednesday on a question being closely watched by water managers around the state: When will it dole our the rest of the Los Vaqueros money? And which other reservoirs and water storage projects being planned around California will receive it? … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
La Niña is winding down: What comes next?
“Long range weather forecasting is a very challenging endeavor but has had some success over the decades it’s been in practice. Two global weather phenomenon come to mind for most people called El Niño and La Niña. The El Niño event is spawned by warmer than average temperatures in the Central Pacific called the “Nino 3.4″ region. When sea surface temperatures are warm here by more than 0.5C or higher for a few months, weather patterns tend to shift and statistically significant patterns can emerge like wetter than normal areas and drier as well. The other event is called La Niña and that’s when the sea surface temperatures are -0.5C, or colder than normal for several months. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
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.
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.
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.
Hydrologic Engineering Center in Davis to keep federal government lease
“Behind a nondescript door in downtown Davis exists a little-known but vitally important piece of infrastructure, the Hydrologic Engineering Center. “They provide the software infrastructure for hydraulic engineering for the U.S.,” says Gregory Pasternack, a professor of hydrology at UC Davis. “Their suite of software is used just about by every engineering firm that does anything related to rivers.” A recent threat to this center’s existence appears to have passed. Jeff White, a spokesperson for the U.S. General Services Administration, confirmed Tuesday via email that a lease termination notice the center received had been rescinded. The Davis Vanguard had reported March 5 that the Trump Administration was canceling the center, which sits under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Virginia-based Institute for Water Resources. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
Coalition demands cancellation of Delta tunnel change petition over DWR’s repeated failure to provide required water use data
“A coalition of water advocates, Tribes, environmental justice organizations, and fishing organizations submitted a motion calling on the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to cancel the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Change Petition for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The demand comes after DWR repeatedly failed to comply with mandatory orders to submit historical water use data necessary for evaluating the Change Petition’s potential impacts. DWR’s Change Petition, filed in February 2024, seeks to modify its water rights permits to facilitate the proposed 45-mile-long underground tunnel, which would divert up to 6,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water from the Sacramento River. However, the Administrative Hearing Officer (AHO) has repeatedly ruled that DWR must submit supplemental data on its historical maximum water diversions prior to 2009 — critical information for determining whether DWR’s requested changes would initiate a new water right. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Podcast: Impact of the ‘Delta Tunnel’
“The proposed Delta Conveyance Project aims to divert more water from the Sacramento River to 27-million people, largely in Southern California, along with acres of farmland. Supporters say the tunnel would cut down on earthquake risks, provide cleaner water, and bolster the state’s water supply. However, Delta residents worry about how construction could affect their communities and native wildlife. CalMatters Environment Reporter Alastair Bland joins Insight to talk about these concerns, proposed alternatives, and whether the “Delta Tunnel” is too big to kill.” Listen at Capital Public Radio.
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.
NASA uses advanced radar to track groundwater in California
“Where California’s towering Sierra Nevada surrender to the sprawling San Joaquin Valley, a high-stakes detective story is unfolding. The culprit isn’t a person but a process: the mysterious journey of snowmelt as it travels underground to replenish depleted groundwater reserves. The investigator is a NASA jet equipped with radar technology so sensitive it can detect ground movements thinner than a nickel. The work could unlock solutions to one of the American West’s most pressing water challenges — preventing groundwater supplies from running dry. “NASA’s technology has the potential to give us unprecedented precision in measuring where snowmelt is recharging groundwater,” said Erin Urquhart, program manager for NASA’s Earth Action Water Resources program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This information is vital for farmers, water managers, and policymakers trying to make the best possible decisions to protect water supplies for agriculture and communities.” … ” Read more from NASA.
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.
Critics warn staff cuts at federal agencies overseeing US dams could put public safety at risk
“Trump administration workforce cuts at federal agencies overseeing U.S. dams are threatening their ability to provide reliable electricity, supply farmers with water and protect communities from floods, employees and industry experts warn. The Bureau of Reclamation provides water and hydropower to the public in 17 western states. Nearly 400 agency workers have been cut through the Trump reduction plan, an administration official said. “Reductions-in-force” memos have also been sent to current workers, and more layoffs are expected. The cuts included workers at the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower generator in North America, according to two fired staffers interviewed by The Associated Press. “Without these dam operators, engineers, hydrologists, geologists, researchers, emergency managers and other experts, there is a serious potential for heightened risk to public safety and economic or environmental damage,” Lori Spragens, executive director of the Kentucky-based Association of Dam Safety Officials, told the AP. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
DOGE set to close California NOAA offices that conduct ocean, fishery research
“Three National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offices in California are slated for closure as part of the Trump administration’s plans to terminate federal office leases nationwide in an effort they say will save taxpayers money, deepening cuts to already weakened research and science agencies targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency. Two of the California offices the Trump administration is considering closing are part of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, which manages the nation’s fisheries and protects marine life. One, in Eureka, is part of the Fishery Resources Analysis and Monitoring Division. The second, in Arcata, is part of the Habitat Restoration Division. The leases for both offices are expected to end Sept. 30. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
‘Puddles and ditches’: California considers protecting wetlands from Trump order
“Legislators and environmentalists are considering how to safeguard California’s wetlands after the Trump administration announced its plans to rein in — once again — the nation’s 53-year-old law protecting waterways. At stake are seasonal streams, ponds and pools, which are only inundated part of the time and found throughout the Southwest. In California, an estimated 80% of all linear miles of streams and rivers are ephemeral or intermittent. The Trump administration’s plan to alter the Clean Water Act’s definition of wetlands to exclude such waterways could render vast areas of California essentially unprotected from developers and growers. The plan proposed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Wednesday comes as no surprise. Trump ordered the same move during his first stint in the White House. In 2017 Trump called many wetlands “puddles and ditches” and said the rules were “one of the worst examples of federal regulation and it has truly run amok.” The Biden administration in 2022 enacted new rules that reversed his decision. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
New desalination technology being tested in California could lower costs of tapping seawater
“Californians could be drinking water tapped from the Pacific Ocean off Malibu several years from now — that is, if a company’s new desalination technology proves viable. OceanWell Co. plans to anchor about two dozen 40-foot-long devices, called pods, to the seafloor several miles offshore and use them to take in saltwater and pump purified fresh water to shore in a pipeline. The company calls the concept a water farm and is testing a prototype of its pod at a reservoir in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The pilot study, supported by Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, is being closely watched by managers of several large water agencies in Southern California. They hope that if the new technology proves economical, it could supply more water for cities and suburbs that are vulnerable to shortages during droughts, while avoiding the environmental drawbacks of large coastal desalination plants. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Meet the EPA’s new regional administrator in charge of California (and the rest of the Pacific Southwest)
“President Trump this week appointed Josh F.W. Cook as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in California and the Pacific Southwest, making him one of the Golden State’s most prominent new climate officials. Cook, who lives in Chico, will be responsible for implementing and enforcing federal environmental laws in Region 9, which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations. His appointment comes as the state and region grapple with worsening climate issues such as extreme heat, devastating wildfires and a water crisis on the Colorado River. “Josh Cook is the right person we need to lead Region 9,” said Lee Zeldin, Trump’s head of the EPA, in a statement. “He understands the unique nature of the Pacific Southwest and will be a great addition to the EPA team. Josh’s talent working with state and local partners will be paramount to power the great American comeback across our regions.” … ” 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.
In commentary this week …
Entering a New Era of Sustainable Groundwater Management
Paul Gosselin, DWR Deputy Director for Sustainable Water Management, writes, “In recognition of Groundwater Awareness Week, it’s incredible to think about the tremendous work California has accomplished since our legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014. Work that wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership and effort of over 250 local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). To our partners, thank you for your time and dedication to writing over 100 groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) that protect drinking water wells, reduce land sinking, and improve groundwater supplies for our communities. The accomplishments don’t stop there. California is now collecting more groundwater data than ever before, providing a better understanding of groundwater conditions and ultimately leading to better management decisions. Additionally, water supply reliability is improving as we’ve continued to invest in local recharge projects. In 2023 alone, 4.1 million acre-feet of water was added to underground aquifers through managed efforts. … ” Read more from DWR.
Elon Musk is endangering California water. It takes people to run big federal projects
Opinion writer Tom Philp writes, “The mass layoffs of federal workers by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are about to hit key people who control California’s water supply and are also responsible for flood protection protecting millions of Californians, particularly in Sacramento and the Central Valley. For decades, a federal agency known as the Bureau of Reclamation has steadily been fueling the West with the water and hydropower to make this civilization possible. It manages iconic structures such as Shasta and Hoover dams. Yet now it is being tasked essentially to plan its own destruction. According to a document obtained by The Bee, it has been analyzing budget and staff cuts up to 40%. This plan was scheduled to arrive on the desk of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum Friday, according to a Reclamation official who has had direct knowledge of the evolving process. This process is on top of cuts of about 10% of 1,075 staffers serving California, Oregon and Nevada, that have already happened in recent weeks. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Water scarcity’s economic toll on California agriculture: why we must act now
The California Farm Water Coalition writes, “If egg prices are any indication of what happens when a disruption occurs in our food supply, consumers should prepare for rising prices and reduced availability in other aisles of the grocery store as well. Unlike temporary and short-lived supply interruptions like those affecting egg prices today, we should all be concerned about the effect of increased water shortages on the fruits, nuts, and vegetables that have long been grown in California. It’s no secret that water is the lifeblood of California agriculture. It is fuel for the industry that feeds the nation and sustains our rural communities. But as droughts intensify, as some experts say they will, regulations become more onerous, and water supplies shrink even further, the economic impacts will only get worse – for everyone. Unstable, but shrinking water supplies for farms- from drought or onerous regulation, threaten farms, jobs, and ultimately the food prices we all pay at the grocery store. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coalition.
One major benefit of ridding California of our Coastal Commission: water security
Marc Joffe, a fellow at California Policy Center, writes, “Efforts to defang the California Coastal Commission could have a significant impact on Southern California’s quest for water security and fire safety. The Commission has been a barrier to constructing large-scale desalination plants that have freed Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and other arid coastal places from water shortages. Trump Administration Special Envoy Richard Grenell has suggested conditioning federal disaster aid to California on the state killing the Commission. More recently, Representative Kevin Kiley, R-Auburn, has introduced a bill that would strip the Commission of much of its powers. Grennell and Kiley oppose the Commission because they fear that it will impede redevelopment of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, that it blocked SpaceX from launching rockets along the coast, and that it has shown a general disregard for property rights of those who own land near the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
EDWARD RING: Ignoring role of bass in salmon decline is negligence
“A March 5 “Perspective” in the Manteca Bulletin highlights a chronically underemphasized problem impacting every Californian. Bass, as editor Dennis Wyatt succinctly explains, are a “destructive, invasive species, that are a serious threat to the sustainability of the ecosystem.” Wyatt proposes a solution that has been implemented in Oregon, a bounty system. As he puts it, “The state would need to allow bass fishing year round with no limits. Then they would need to put in place a bounty program where authorized bait stores are contracted to serve as agents. For every bass a customer brings in, they would receive $5. The head would be cut off and the rest of the fish returned to the angler so it doesn’t go to waste. It is a proven and effective way to protect struggling native fish populations.” Why hasn’t this happened? … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
Don’t listen to critics. SJ River Conservancy is doing its job
Bobby Macaulay, the District 5 Supervisor for Madera County and chair of the San Joaquin River Conservancy, writes, “The recent Fresnoland article on the proposed CEMEX mining project in Fresno County raises several important issues but misrepresents the San Joaquin River Conservancy, its role, and its capabilities. The article critiques the Conservancy for not taking a more direct stance on the mining proposal and portrays its staff and leadership as inactive. However, this perspective fails to accurately depict the nature of the Conservancy’s work and mission, and raises questions about the transparency and completeness of the information provided. I want to clarify that the Conservancy is a state agency with a clear mission: to develop the San Joaquin River Parkway, to create public access to the river corridor, and conserve lands either owned by the Conservancy or through willing partnerships. Importantly, the Conservancy is neither a political organization nor a regulatory body. … ” Read more from GV Wire.
DAN KEPPEN: Trump, courts put check on new NEPA rule
Dan Keppen, executive director of Family Farm Alliance, writes, “The new administration and recent court decisions are putting clarifying limits on how a five-decade old environmental law can be implemented by federal agencies. The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) last month issued a proposed interim final rule regarding federal agency implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). CEQ’s rule is in response to one of President Trump’s first executive orders (EOs), which directs CEQ to replace Carter administration-era NEPA regulations with streamlined guidance to federal agencies on implementation of NEPA. For years, the often slow and cumbersome federal regulatory process (including NEPA implementation) has been a major obstacle to the realization of projects and actions that could enhance Western water supplies. Without new sources of water, increasing urban and environmental demands will deplete existing agricultural supplies and seriously threaten the future of Western irrigated agriculture. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
The theft, harm, and Presidential grift of privatizing the National Weather Service
Juan Declet-Barreto, Senior Social Scientist for Climate Vulnerability writes, “This week, as wildfires break out across Texas, life-saving alerts are being issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), informing evacuations ahead of the advancing threat. On the ground, firefighters are using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites for wildfire monitoring in real time. This is just one of dozens of emergencies our first responders rely on NOAA and NWS data for on any given week. Simply put: NOAA and the NWS save lives and must be defended against the Trump administration’s ongoing assault.We are witnessing the vanishing of our own US assets which taxpayers have funded and built over generations to serve the public good. We need those assets and will suffer in their absence. And we may be forced to pay the private sector to dole them back out to us, piecemeal. We need to call the theft, harm and grift what it is—and stop it. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
California has the most to lose from Trump’s public land staffing cuts
“Like many others, my lifelong love of California took root on our nation’s public lands. Awe-inspiring rivers running through Yosemite National Park to Klamath National Forest sparked an unbridled appreciation for the nature that anyone who has set foot in a national park knows well. Visitors to these sites only see a small glimpse of the vital work our dedicated National Park and Forest Service public servants perform on our public lands — which, in California, amount to over 20 million acres. Responsible stewardship of these lands is critical to our supplies of clean, safe, reliable water as well as to the prevention of catastrophic fires. Yet, alarmingly, scores of federal public lands workers who take care of our lands and waters have been fired in recent weeks. Without experienced leaders managing our public lands, the water flowing down our rivers and through our faucets will be dirtier, and fire risk will escalate. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Surprise! Trump order to increase timber harvest could make sense
Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue’s senior editor and chief correspondent, writes, “Among the maddening features of Donald Trump’s presidency is this: His instinct for identifying structural weaknesses is keen. His capacity to decide and execute solutions is generally terrible. How else to explain that, for Trump, stopping the killing in Ukraine means siding with the dictator who started the conflict. Or that Trump identified the deep resentment of working people who supported him, but proposes stark changes in health, food, job, childcare, and retirement programs that will make their lives harder. Earlier this month Trump put his finger on another profound national challenge: the deteriorated condition of federally managed forests. But this time his proposed solution might actually lead to a useful outcome. The White House put the problem this way: “Our inability to fully exploit our domestic timber supply has impeded the creation of jobs and prosperity, contributed to wildfire disasters, degraded fish and wildlife habitats, increased the cost of construction and energy, and threatened our economic security.” … ” Read more from Circle of Blue.
In regional water news this week …
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.
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.
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.
‘Remarkable’ or devastating? Concerns about Russian-Eel River water supply focus of Cloverdale town hall
“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.
Point Reyes’ historic dairies ousted after legal battle. Locals say it’s conservation gone mad
“With fog-kissed streets featuring a buttery bakery, an eclectic bookstore and markets peddling artisanal cheeses crafted from the milk of lovingly coddled cows, Point Reyes Station is about as picturesque as tourist towns come in California. It is also a place that, at the moment, is roiling with anger. A place where many locals feel they’re waging an uphill battle for the soul of their community. The alleged villains are unexpected, here in one of the cradles of the organic food movement: the National Park Service and a slate of environmental organizations that maintain that the herds of cattle that have grazed on the Point Reyes Peninsula for more than 150 years are polluting watersheds and threatening endangered species, including the majestic tule elk that roam the windswept headlands. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Restored stream supports new wild salmon run
“Almost everywhere in California, salmon are on the decline. But in Putah Creek — a restored stream running through the University of California, Davis, campus — wild salmon are not only increasing, they also are completing their life cycle. A UC Davis study, published in the journal Ecosphere, is the first to document Putah Creek-origin salmon. Chinook salmon have been observed at the creek since 2014, but prior studies had shown them to be strays from hatcheries. This study now confirms that some salmon returning to Putah Creek in the fall to spawn are actually born there. This should not be news. Salmon are famous for their simple life cycle: Hatch in a stream, migrate to the ocean, and return to the stream to spawn at their life’s end. Yet salmon in 21st century California are sometimes trucked or flown to the ocean from hatcheries due to dams, habitat loss, warming streams, drought and other threats restricting their natural migration.This study shows that at Putah Creek — and potentially other altered and dam-controlled streams worldwide — restored waterways can help restore and even create salmon runs. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Bank seeks more than $105 million and foreclosure of multiple properties owned by John Vidovich
“A bank is suing large San Joaquin Valley grower John Vidovich for more than $105 million in allegedly defaulted loans and is demanding the foreclosure and sale of large swaths of farmland, solar sites, a nut-hulling facility and the SunnyGem almond processing plant in Wasco. Affected lands could span Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties, according to three volumes of exhibits in the lawsuit, which was filed March 12 in Kern. It’s unclear what a potential foreclosure or receivership could mean for SunnyGem, which employs more than 250 people in Wasco, according to its website. The lawsuit, filed by U.S. National Bank Association, names Vidovich personally, as well as several Vidovich family members, Sandridge Partners, LP, SunnyGem, LLC and The Apricot Pit, LP, based in Sunnyvale. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Lowering salinity by raising Mono Lake is key to ecosystem health
“Water diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) began more than 80 years ago, depriving Mono Lake of water and upending the hydrologic balance between inflow and evaporation. The lake shrank rapidly, losing half its volume and declining 45 vertical feet by 1982. As the lake shrank, the salts and minerals that make it unique remained abundant. And as a result, for every foot that diversions lowered the lake, salinity increased. Mono Lake’s endemic brine shrimp and alkali flies are specially adapted to thrive in the lake’s salty waters which were 50 grams per liter (g/l) when diversions began. These two species, which each number in the trillions at Mono Lake, are a critical food resource for vast numbers of nesting and migratory birds, making the lake a site of international importance for bird migration. But as water diversions caused salinity to increase, the productivity of these essential species declined. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
California water agencies argue for change of current in Kern River legal battle
“Environmental groups clashed Thursday with California water districts before a state appeals court over water flows in the Kern River in central California, buoying their arguments on seemingly conflicting laws and supposed failures of the trial court. Groups like the North Kern Water Storage District last year appealed a preliminary injunction requiring enough flows to keep fish in good condition. They argued that it’s improper to interpret state fish and game code as favoring fish over all other needs, adding that a balancing test must occur. They want the injunction and related implementation order shelved, with instructions relayed to the lower court from the Fifth District Court of Appeal on next steps. No ruling occurred Thursday but the three-judge panel took the matter under submission. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Recent storms boost stormwater capture in LA County
“A series of late-winter storms brought much-needed rain to the region last week, raising the total volume of stormwater captured by Los Angeles County to 11.9 billion gallons just weeks before the end of storm season on April 15. To date, Downtown Los Angeles has received only 6.5 inches of rainfall since Oct. 1, 2024, less than half the annual average of 15.4 inches. By contrast, downtown LA received 21.2 inches of rain last year, enabling the County to recharge its groundwater aquifers with more than 117 billion gallons of stormwater—enough to meet the needs of nearly 2.9 million people for a year. This unusually dry winter underscores the need for continued investments in stormwater management and water conservation, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. “While recent storms have boosted our local water supply, dire drought conditions persist. Now more than ever, we must increase water agency coordination and the resiliency of our local water supply through the LA County Water Plan,” Supervisor Horvath said. … ” Read more from the LA County Dept. of Public Works.
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.
US rejects Mexico’s request for water as Trump opens new battle front
“The United States has refused a request by Mexico for water, alleging shortfalls in sharing by its southern neighbor, as Donald Trump ramps up a battle on another front. The state department said on Thursday it was the first time that the United States had rejected a request by Mexico for special delivery of water, which would have gone to the border city of Tijuana. “Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture – particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley,” the state department’s bureau handling Latin America said in a post on X. The 1944 treaty, which governs water allocation from the Rio Grande and Colorado River, has come under growing strain in recent years due to the pressures of the climate crisis and the burgeoning populations and agriculture in parched areas. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
