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On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Assembly Committee on Natural Resources beginning at 2:30pm. Click here for more details.
In California water news today …
Extreme ‘thirstwaves’ are an emerging risk in California. Here’s why
“California is a hot spot for “thirstwaves” — multiday stretches when extreme atmospheric conditions can parch landscapes — according to a new scientific study. Among counties across the contiguous United States, those in California averaged some of the most thirstwaves per year, the researchers found. Such events have increased over recent decades, which could have big implications for wildfire risk and agriculture in the future. “Thirstwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer,” said study author Mike Hobbins, a senior research scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. Of the 30 counties with the highest frequency of thirstwaves during the 1981-2021 growing seasons, nine were in California. This was more than any other state. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
California’s drought outlook will lead to more dust storms, poor air quality, study finds
“The Climate Prediction Center’s recent dire drought outlook for California and the western United States has some more bad news: The dry, hot conditions will worsen air quality and introduce more dust and pollen allergens into the air. Meteorologists say Southern California will bear the brunt of the worst air quality and allergens, but the Central Valley may also be affected if wind patterns blow north. “With dry soils, increased wind and early-season heat, we’re expecting more particulate matter in the air this spring — and that means more respiratory issues, especially for sensitive groups,” Andrew Hoell, a research meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Physical Sciences Lab and one of the report’s authors, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Even in areas that had a relatively normal wet season, poor air quality could still become a problem if the right winds pick up.” … ” Read more from the Desert Sun. | Read via Mt. Shasta News.
Trump administration mulls intervention in California dam removal
“In a major twist, the Donald Trump administration is now reviewing regional appeals to halt PG&E’s plans to dismantle the Potter Valley Project — marking the first time the 47th president has weighed in on the fate of the century-old Northern California water system that diverts Eel River flows into the Russian River watershed. The move follows a unified plea from farm bureaus in Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties, which warned that the utility’s plans would devastate local farms, economies and wildfire defenses across the North Coast. In an April 14 letter, the Bureau of Reclamation responded to an inquiry from Aaron Sykes, a board member of the Lake Pillsbury Alliance, which represents the homeowners and stakeholders fighting to keep Scott Dam, the structure that holds back Lake Pillsbury. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Water infrastructure engineers confront an uncertain, changing climate
“To gauge the extent to which our engineering and scientific colleagues in the United States are addressing the challenges of climate dynamism in their water-related projects, the authors conducted a literature review and a survey asking the following questions: Are you accounting for increasingly variable climate patterns and more extreme weather events in your water-related engineering or scientific practice? If so, can you provide examples of design modifications or updates you or your staff have made? Do you believe the standard of practice for water engineers now requires accounting for current or anticipated future changes in climate and weather? Thirty-seven people — representing private engineering firms, academia, and municipalities, among others — responded to the survey and indicated that they are indeed modifying their historical planning and design practices to account for more extreme climate conditions. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
Newly listed smelt in the Delta: Longfin smelt
“Late last summer, on August 29th, 2024, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the San Francisco Bay-Delta distinct population segment of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) as ‘endangered’ under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). With this decision, the Longfin Smelt joins the Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) , the longfin’s infamous cousin species, as a list species under the ESA. Longfin smelt had already been listed as ‘threatened’ under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), but the new federal listing is a sign of the challenges that smelt and the broader Delta ecosystem face. The listing brings additional protections and new regulatory requirements that may further complicate water management in the Delta. This blog post provides an overview of this population of Longfin Smelt, explains what listing means, and then discusses ongoing work at UC Davis and beyond to recover Longfin Smelt populations. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
California waterway invaded by mussels, what the state plans to do about it
“California wildlife officials detected an invasive species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that threatens numerous ecosystems in the northern part of the state. On April 16, officials announced the Golden Mussel Task Force, a statewide interagency group aimed at curbing the spread of the invasive species. Agencies include the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Here’s what you need to know about golden mussels. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record.
Congressman Jared Huffman ‘blasts’ decades-long ‘water theft’ by Panoche Water District in Merced and Fresno counties
“Last week, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) responded to finding that the management and staff of California’s Panoche Water District orchestrated a decades-long operation to illegally divert and sell billions of gallons of water from federal facilities: “This wasn’t just a water theft—it was a betrayal of public trust on an almost cinematic scale. For over two decades, while the West endured historic droughts and communities were told to tighten their belts, modern-day water rustlers siphoned off billions of gallons of federally-managed water and sold it for profit. That’s outrageous. The fact that it went undetected for so long demands a serious reckoning—not just with the individuals who pulled it off, but with the federal agency systems that allowed it to happen. We need full accountability—and reforms that guarantee this never happens again.” … ” Read more from the Natural Resources Committee Democrats.
White House budget proposal targets local FSA, NRCS offices for closure
“The Trump administration is proposing steep cuts to USDA programs and staff, including plans to shut down or consolidate many local Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices, according to internal budget documents from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The fiscal year 2026 proposal, outlined in a passback document obtained by reporters, would slash funding for agricultural research, conservation programs, and rural development. Nearly all program areas face reductions, with OMB calling the changes “difficult decisions” needed to meet proposed spending limits. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
A case study of evapotranspiration at five almond orchards on a spectrum of conventional to regenerative management
“In an increasingly unstable climate, it is critical to optimize water needed for crop irrigation to secure food production and livelihoods while reducing environmental impacts. Here, we focus on water use for almonds — a crop that occupies roughly 20% of the irrigated agricultural land in California and has long been the focus of scrutiny. Regenerative agriculture, a term used to describe system designs that increase soil health, biodiversity, resilience to climate, and profitability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and pollution, offers a potential way forward. We used eddy covariance, micrometeorological, and soil moisture measurements from 2022 and 2023 to quantify the evapotranspiration of California almond orchards under different soil and plant management practices and produce comprehensive estimates of the water footprint of different management systems. … ” Continue reading from California Agriculture.
Trade shifts bring mixed outlook for California agriculture
“As global trade trends continue to evolve, Central Valley growers — particularly tree nut farmers — should expect growing international competition. Still, the U.S. is projected to remain the world’s largest exporter of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, according to David Magaña, senior horticulture analyst at Rabobank. While early forecasts predicted economic outcomes based on a 25% blanket tariff on all imports, a more nuanced system has taken shape, with many countries facing a 10% tariff while others, including goods covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, are currently exempt. As such, Magaña explained that the updated tariff structure will result in fewer short-term disruptions for fresh fruit and vegetable growers than initially feared. “The segments of the industry that I cover — mostly fruits and vegetables — that’s going to have definitely a lower impact compared to what we were considering at the beginning,” Magaña said. … ” Read more from the Valley Ag Voice.
California accelerates wildfire resilience with streamlined project permitting
“California has unveiled a major policy shift aimed at reducing the bureaucratic delays that often hinder critical wildfire safety and forest management efforts. In an announcement this week, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration introduced a streamlined online process that can cut state approval timelines for forest and vegetation management projects to as little as 30 days—down from more than a year for complex proposals. The new permitting approach supports Governor Newsom’s Emergency Proclamation on Wildfires and advances core goals outlined in the state’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force’s 25 Key Deliverables for 2025. These regulatory reforms come just ahead of peak wildfire season, with the state already facing some of the most destructive fires in its history this year. … ” Read more from E&E Leader.
California trees rarely grew higher than 12,000 feet. Now one species has busted the record
“The Jeffrey pine, one of the iconic trees of the Sierra Nevada, appears to have eclipsed other pines to become the highest-elevation tree growing in California. A new study documents several Jeffrey pines well above 12,000 feet in Sequoia National Park, where they’re thought to be migrating from lower elevations — faster and farther than most trees — in a remarkable ripple of climate change. The study suggests that the Jeffrey pines “leap-frogged” over other high-elevation trees with the help of a bird known as the Clark’s nutcracker: The bird scatters the seeds of the Jeffrey sometimes far and wide as it collects, transports and stows them for later feeding. The warming climate, in turn, made it possible for the trees to sprout and thrive at soaring elevations once too cold and snowy for them to bear. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
In commentary today …
Precedent, the Trump administration, and endangered species
Dan Farber at the Legal Planet writes, “The Trump Administration is about to embark on overruling a key regulation protecting endangered species. That regulation, which the Supreme Court upheld in the Sweet Home case (1995), protects members of endangered species from being killed or injured indirectly via destruction of their habitat. The Administration does not see Sweet Home as a barrier, because that case applied the Chevron doctrine in reaching its result. Under Chevron, courts upheld reasonable agency interpretations of statutes. Chevron was later overruled, however. The Administration is wrong, however, to believe that this entitles it to ignore Sweet Home. By overruling Chevron in Loper Bright, the Court was not reopening the validity of past statutory interpretations by courts.On the contrary, the Court made it clear that overruling Chevron left intact the past decisions holding that past regulations were valid. … ” Continue reading at the Legal Planet.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Strong salmon run and restoration funding flow into the Eel River, amidst third consecutive state commercial fishery closure
“On April 15, 2025, officials announced a third consecutive closure of California’s commercial salmon fishing season. While salmon continue to struggle across the state, in North Coast watersheds, California Trout and our partners are reporting increasing returns of salmon and steelhead, and recent funding for restoration efforts in the region promises a brighter future ahead for these iconic native fish. CalTrout and our partners operate sonar stations on the South Fork, Middle Fork, Van Duzen, and mainstem Eel River, which document fish as they pass through and provide adult salmon counts for most of the Eel River watershed. The closure of the state’s commercial salmon fishery is based on fish counts in the ocean, but it is difficult to know if these fish are from hatchery stocks from the Sacramento River, or from wild threatened stocks like the Eel River. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Folsom Lake hits highest level in five years, prompting water releases
“Federal officials have begun releasing water from Folsom Lake after recent storms caused it to rise to its highest early-April level in five years. Following late winter and spring snowstorms, the Sierra Nevada snowpack approached normal levels, significantly increasing inflows into Folsom. Last week, the lake surged to 458 feet above sea level, prompting officials to open spillways at both Folsom and Nimbus dams along the American River. This measure aims to accommodate anticipated snowmelt runoff from the mountains. After the early April storm brought inflows around 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) daily, officials significantly increased the lake’s outflow from roughly 1,500 cfs to 7,000 cfs starting Monday. As of mid-week, outflow was approximately 6,547 cfs, closely balancing the inflow of 7,412 cfs, stabilizing lake levels at 458 feet. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
NAPA/SONOMA
Petaluma Valley groundwater
“A recently released report finds that Petaluma Valley’s groundwater levels have recovered from the most recent drought throughout most areas of the subbasin, and that continued improvements are possible as innovative new projects come online. Only three years into its implementation of a landmark 2022 groundwater management plan, the Petaluma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency is achieving its sustainability goals, according to a report released on April 1. The 2024 Petaluma Valley Annual Report shows that groundwater levels in both deep and shallow wells have remained steady over time. Additionally, there have been no signs of problems like poor water quality or seawater mixing into the groundwater. … ” Read more from the Community Voice.
BAY AREA
West Marin water rate increases proposed
“The North Marin Water District is preparing to raise rates in West Marin to help pay for $27.5 million in capital improvements. The agency’s board voted Tuesday to accept a rate study and call for a public hearing. If approved, the new water rate structure would apply to 775 connections for about 1,800 residents in Point Reyes Station, Olema, Bear Valley, Inverness Park and Paradise Ranch Estates. The board also agreed to hold a hearing to consider an 8% increase to Oceana Marin sewer service for about 235 homes in Dillon Beach. Both hearings are set for June 17. Under the proposal, customers would see incremental rate increases over the next five years beginning in July. For a median customer in Point Reyes Station, the bimonthly bill would increase $25.15 to $130.84, a 23.8% hike in the first year. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Why did four whales wash up in San Francisco Bay in a week and a half?
“The juvenile minke whale had been spotted swimming around San Francisco Bay for nearly a week by the time she beached herself off the coast of Emeryville April 8. Scientists had thought she seemed healthy, but after an examination, they determined she was acting abnormally and had to be euthanized due to illness. It was the fourth whale death in the San Francisco Bay in a week and a half. The other three were gray whales, the first of which — a 36-foot-long female — washed up at Black Sands Beach in the Marin Headlands March 30. Its cause of death remains unknown. On April 2, a deceased adult male gray whale was found floating east of Angel Island; its cause of death is also not known, according to the Marine Mammal Center. Then, a subadult male gray whale washed ashore at Fort Point Rock Beach near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco April 4, and scientists determined that it likely died due to a vessel strike, according to the mammal center. Taken together, the deaths have raised the specter of past “unusual mortality events” that caused whales to die in higher-than-normal numbers. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
How PG&E is addressing legacy sediment contamination in San Francisco’s northern waterfront
“As a part PG&E’s commitment to the planet, we are cleaning up impacts to sediment from historic operations. This project will improve water quality and habitat in San Francisco Bay. We have been coordinating work with regulatory agencies, the Port of San Francisco and stakeholders. Work will begin this summer to remediate underwater sediment from former manufactured gas plant operations. The former Beach Street plant operated more than a century ago. In the mid-1800s to early 1900s, manufactured gas plants operated throughout the United States. MGPs were advanced technology at that time. The gas plants used coal and oil to produce gas for heating, cooking and lighting. The former Beach Street plant started operating in 1899 and PG&E purchased it in 1911. The gas plant was located near today’s Fisherman’s Wharf. By providing energy to the city, these gas plants helped create the city that we know today. By 1931, natural gas became widely available in San Francisco, and PG&E shut down the Beach Street plant. As was common at the time, byproducts of the gas-making process were left buried on and next to the site. In their current state, impacted sediment do not pose a human health or ecological risk. Cleanup is needed to be protective of marine life in the event of future dredging activities. … ” Read more from PG&E Hometown.
CENTRAL COAST
Central Coast Water Board refers Sable Offshore to attorney general for pipeline violations
“The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is taking legal action against the new owners of the pipeline involved in the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. On Thursday, the board unanimously voted to refer Sable Offshore Corp. to the California Attorney General for allegedly violating state water laws by polluting waterways. The company is accused of performing pipeline work along the Gaviota Coast without proper permits and dumping waste into nearby streams. Sable reportedly ignored warnings and withheld key information. … ” Read more from KCBX.
Casitas Municipal Water District shelves deep-well plans for more water
“Plans to drill a vertical water well 5,000 to 7,000 feet deep into the Matilija Sandstone Formation have been shelved. On April 9, the Casitas Municipal Water District Board of Directors voted 5-0 to reject all bids for the Matilija Groundwater Supply Project’s pilot well drilling on Casitas property near the Robles Fish Passage Facility. In 2022, the project received a $3.6 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources’ Urban Community Drought Relief Program. Casitas’ contribution to the project would have been $1.2 million, for a total cost of $4.8 million. The project was released for bidding on Jan. 29, with a site visit two weeks later attended by three potential bidders. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
California breaks ground on critical flood protection project in the Central Valley
“California, along with federal and local partners, today broke ground in Stockton on a critical infrastructure project that will improve flood protection for tens of thousands of Californians and billions of dollars in property in the Central Valley. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction for the Tenmile Slough levee project in Stockton. It is a critical component of the larger Lower San Joaquin River Project, a $1.95 billion project funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Water Resources, and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency. Once completed, the project will provide improved flood protection for 122,000 residents and $28.7 billion in property along the San Joaquin River for the North and Central Stockton Area. … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
$2 billion levee project breaks ground in Stockton
“Construction on a $2 Billion levee project that will effectively protect more than a third of Stocktonians’ homes from flooding kicked off this week. Local government officials took part in a groundbreaking ceremony Friday off March Lane at the Tenmile Slough in Brookside to launch the Lower San Joaquin River Improvement Project. “This project is trying to make sure that we are protecting the next generations of San Joaquin County residents,” said 9th District Rep. Josh Harder to a small crowd of officials and government agencies. The first phase of the project, slated for completion in late 2026, will see improvements made to just over a mile of the Tenmile Slough levee, which sits directly in the backyard of many homes in the Brookside area of west Stockton, according to a presentation on the project’s overview. About one mile of the levee will be upgraded to have a seepage cutoff wall, which is an added layer of material preventing water seeping through or under the levee. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
San Joaquin County asks feds for $27M in project funding
“San Joaquin County submitted nearly $27 million in funding requests to federal lawmakers for 10 local projects that will enhance programs, services, and infrastructure. Of the funding requested, county officials have earmarked $2.4 million to purchase land for the Victor Storm Drain Retention Pond project, which involves collecting, transmitting and storing storm water to combat the effects of a critically overdrafted groundwater sub-basin and promote sustainable water practices in the region, the county said. The funding request comes a year after the county requested $2.41 million from federal lawmakers for the project. In addition, $2.7 million was requested to purchase six generators that will improve water and storm drainage, as well as system reliability and resiliency, across the county, and $4.2 million was requested to build an Emergency Medical Service Agency administration facility that will provide pre-hospital training and a warehouse. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel.
Community-led water system in historic Stanislaus town struggles to supply locals
“Knights Ferry has a major drinking water problem in its small water system, and it’s had it for a long time. The residents have largely learned to live with the near constant leaks, equipment failures and sporadic shutoffs. The community was established in the 1850s on the northeastern edge of Stanislaus County. Home to the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi and a park run by the Army Corps of Engineers, it’s a destination by out-of-towners for recreational opportunities and preserved Gold Rush-era history. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Bakersfield lost its river. Residents are fighting to revive it
“For decades, residents of Bakersfield have lived with a river that’s little more than a channel of dust. The Kern, which pours from the snowy peaks of the southern Sierra, descends upon California’s ninth-largest city and, in all but the wettest of years, runs dry. A sandy, weed-strewn corridor is left winding unremarkably through the downtown, beside roads, beneath bridges and behind businesses. “Any major city that has a river or that sort of thing, they try to take advantage of it and make it an asset rather than an eyesore,” said Bill Cooper, who grew up near the Kern and has lived in Bakersfield most of his life. “A river can really add to a community. But nobody wants to live in our crappy town. Unfortunately, Bakersfield has that reputation.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Tehachapi: Pumped for the future
“The Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District hosted a public tour of three of its pumping facilities last week. These pumps enable nearly 10,000 gallons of water per minute from the California Aqueduct to rise nearly 3,500 feet up a mountainside west of Stallion Springs. From the San Joaquin Valley floor near the base of the Grapevine, it’s pumped up into Brite Lake in Cummings Valley. From Brite Lake the water is distributed by other local water districts to customers across the Tehachapi Valley. There are three pumping plants, each located at different elevations along this uphill route. Each plant has four giant, natural gas-fired, 1200-horsepower engines with pumps attached. At peak summer months, they power pumps that run 24 hours per day, 7 days weekly. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Indian Wells Valley Water District adjudication allows Meadowbrook Dairy and Searles Valley Minerals to challenge Navy water rights
“Through its adjudication efforts filed in 2021 against all water users in the Indian Wells Valley basin, the Inland Wells Valley Water District has opened the door for Meadowbrook Dairy and Searles Valley Minerals to challenge the federal reserved water rights of the Navy’s Air Weapons Station China Lake. The lawsuit poses significant risks and threatens water rights stability in the region that affects the Navy, the residents of Ridgecrest, agriculture and industry. The adjudication lawsuit is a tactic for the water district to claim more water rights after a Groundwater Sustainability Plan approved by the state in 2022 found that the total sustainable yield for the Indian Wells basin is only 7,650 acre-feet per year – considerably less than the roughly 20,000 acre-feet per year that is being overdrafted today. “The water district’s adjudication lawsuit was filed without verifiable evidence and has a negative rippling effect that impacts water ratepayers,” said Scott Hayman, chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “Regardless of however the district tries to position it to the public, there is no possible scenario in which water ratepayers will be better off if the lawsuit proceeds. The only entity that stands to benefit from this costly legal exercise is Meadowbrook Dairy if they successfully secure more water rights and then sell back to the water district, with costs passed on to their customers.” … ” Continue reading this press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Where Burbank’s water comes from and the rising costs
“Water is essential to daily life, but few people realize the journey it takes before reaching their taps. In Burbank. Every drop of drinking water originates from hundreds of miles away, making Burbank uniquely dependent on external suppliers. The cost of importing this water continues to rise, and it is important to understand the factors driving these costs and how they may impact our community in the future.Unlike other cities that can tap into local rivers or lakes, Burbank’s drinking water is entirely purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). This imported water originates from two sources – water from the San Francisco Bay Delta, which includes runoff from melting snow in the Northern Sierra Nevada mountains, and the Colorado River. This water travels through an extensive network of reservoirs, and hundreds of miles of aqueducts and pipelines. … ” Read more from My Burbank.
Chino: 18 percent hike to be imposed without Prop. 218 ballots
“An 18 percent sewer rate increase over the next two years approved by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) will go into effect July 1 without Prop. 218 election mail-in protest ballots. The reason is that both Chino and Chino Hills held Prop. 218 elections in 2023 and factored in the projected IEUA increases at that time to avoid another costly election just two years later. Chino’s Prop. 218 election included trash and sewage treatment increases while Chino Hills’ Prop. 218 election included sewer rate increases. The IEUA board on Wednesday adopted a 9 percent increase for fiscal year 2025-26 and another 9 percent increase for fiscal year 2026-27 at 9 percent, for a total of 18 percent. … ” Read more from the Chino Champion.
Orange County: Watching your water
“While most of Orange County’s cities and school districts have transitioned to video streaming their meetings in recent years, a good chunk of local water districts still do not, keeping nearly 400,000 ratepayers in the dark. Along with the two cities of La Palma and Rancho Santa Margarita in OC, there are five water districts that do not provide a video or audio livestream of their meetings, including the Moulton Niguel Water District, Mesa Water District, East Orange County Water District, Laguna Beach County Water District and Emerald Bay Service District. These water agencies range in size from fairly large, like Moulton Niguel with over 170,000 ratepayers, to small, like Emerald Bay Services District with 2,000. Video streaming governing board meetings – allowing residents to track government meetings from home – has increasingly become the norm in California. … ” Read more from the Voice of the OC.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The All-American canal: the lifeline of Southern California’s agriculture—and its perils
“Imagine a river of life, carved not by nature but by human hands, snaking through a sunburned desert and turning it into a green oasis. This is the story of the All-American Canal—a marvel of engineering that’s as vital as it is controversial. Stretching across the blistering sands of California’s Imperial Valley, this waterway doesn’t just carry water; it carries hope, prosperity, and, sometimes, heartbreak. Its shimmering surface belies a tale of bounty and danger, of communities nourished and lives lost. For nearly a century, the All-American Canal has fueled the fields that feed millions, but its hidden costs still ripple through the land and its people. … ” Read more from Wild Science.
SAN DIEGO
Where did the sand go? Oceanside looks to bring it back
“Beach erosion is shrinking shorelines along the California coast, and in Oceanside, it’s pretty visible. “There’s no beach… that’s pretty much the biggest thing that I’ve noticed,” Oceanside resident Jessica Shanahan said. Coastal Zone administrator Jayme Timberlake tells ABC 10News the city’s beach loss is part of a bigger issue. “Whenever we have these constructs that we build in the watershed and we don’t have a fully natural watershed, you’re going to see an interruption in how beaches function naturally,” Timberlake said. A local factor is the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
San Diego beaches see spike in dolphin deaths, possibly due to domoic acid poisoning
“A series of dolphin deaths along San Diego’s coastline has raised concerns among researchers and marine life experts. Over the past three weeks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has collected more than a dozen deceased dolphins from local beaches, with the latest incident involving three dolphins found washed ashore Friday morning near Belmont Park in Mission Beach. Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography suspect these deaths are linked to domoic acid poisoning, caused by neurotoxins produced by algae blooms. Clarissa Anderson, Director of the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System at Scripps, stated, “The entire Pacific, at least along the California coast, is being impacted.” … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Nearly 1K Imperial Beach residents join lawsuit over sewage crisis affecting health and property values
“Nearly a thousand Imperial Beach residents are joining a lawsuit against the operators of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, including Veolia Water, over the ongoing sewage crisis that has plagued the community for decades. Residents report health problems, devalued homes and diminished quality of life due to billions of gallons of sewage flowing from the Tijuana River into their community. “I started going to the emergency room because I cannot breathe. They gave me different inhalers,” said one affected resident. The lawsuit, filed by Frantz Law Group in November, is one of five similar legal actions initiated in the past year. It accuses Veolia Water of negligence and conscious disregard for community safety by exposing South Bay residents to raw sewage and contamination. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River snowpack takes major dive; streamflow projections lowered
“A late-season rollercoaster ride this year turned into a steep decline for snowpack levels that feed the Colorado River. Since April 9, when snowstorms pushed snowpack from 91% to just over 100% in a single day, conditions have changed dramatically and levels have fallen to 70% of normal as of Friday, April 18. That’s concerning for 40 million people who rely on the river for water. … Projections from the federal government have been adjusted, showing less water flowing into Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir. Streamflow at Lake Powell is now expected to be about two-thirds of normal this year (67%). Just two weeks ago, projections showed it would be about three-fourths of normal (74%). … ” Read more from KLAS.
How Trump tariffs could make Nevada water projects more expensive
“The Southern Nevada Water Authority’s head official is closely tracking how construction costs may snowball under the federal government’s tariff structure. John Entsminger, the water authority’s general manager, presented the agency’s proposed budget at a public meeting on Thursday, with that caveat about construction costs. Since initially touting tariffs on the campaign trail and in his first months in office, President Donald Trump has put a temporary pause on them, with the exception of those aimed at China. In Las Vegas, consumer costs are anticipated to rise in the largely tourism-based economy, from the restaurant industry to real estate. Multimillion-dollar water infrastructure projects are not immune to shifts in the economy, Entsminger said. “Our crystal ball is no better than anyone else’s,” Entsminger said. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Commentary: Water plays a role in the nation’s most significant housing shortage
Natasha Majewski, Climate and Energy Consultant for the Nevada Wildlife Federation, writes, “According to the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority, Nevada has the most significant housing shortage in the nation, and Las Vegas, in particular, needs 80,000 more affordable housing units to address it. To complicate the matter, housing prices in Las Vegas have reached a record high, with a January 2025 median price of $485,000 while the median household income stands around $70,000. In March, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., reintroduced the bipartisan public lands bill, the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (SNEDCA), which would open 25,000 acres of public land in Clark County for purchase by housing and business development. While the bill does not specifically set aside land for “affordable” housing, it does allow local governments to submit applications for affordable housing purposes to be prioritized. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun.
In national water news today …
Trump administration severs ‘lifeline’ for families struggling to pay utility bills
“As a particularly cold winter sputters to an end, Pennsylvania’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps residents pay their heating bills, closed on Friday—several weeks earlier than expected. Funding for LIHEAP has dried up because federal workers who administer the program were recently laid off by the Trump administration, said Elizabeth Marx, the executive director at the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, a legal advocacy group that assists people struggling to pay their utility costs. About $19 million has yet to be sent to the state. The state Public Utility Commission sent a letter this week to Congress about the shortfall and called the fund a “lifeline for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable households.” Marx said the delay in federal funds couldn’t happen at a worse time. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
AWWA, AMWA back latest cybersecurity legislation
“The American Water Works Association has thrown its support behind new legislation that would create a collaborative approach to cybersecurity in the water sector. The Water Risk and Resilience Organization (WRRO) Establishment Act (H.R. 2594), introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 2, authorizes an independent, non-federal organization to lead the development of cybersecurity requirements in the water sector, supported by oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “This bill represents exactly the kind of thoughtful collaboration we need to address a very serious threat to our nation’s water systems,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “The best and most efficient way to protect water operations and customer information is to leverage the knowledge of cybersecurity experts and utility leaders, while assuring strong federal oversight. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin says Trump deregulatory actions won’t have adverse effects on people and the environment
“Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said Sunday that he can “absolutely” guarantee Trump administration deregulations won’t have an adverse health impacts on people and the environment. “We have to both protect the environment and grow the economy,” Zeldin said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” As part of President Trump’s pledge to unleash American energy, Zeldin announced in March that the EPA would reconsider rules across a number of sectors, including regulations on power plants, on mercury and air toxic standards that target coal-fired power plants and on wastewater regulations for the development of oil and gas. The Trump administration touted the 31 deregulatory actions as the “most momentous day” in EPA history. The decisions are the start of what’s expected to be a yearslong effort to repeal or revise dozens of environmental rules, much to the dismay of climate experts and advocates. … ” Read more from CBS News.
Federal laws don’t ban rollbacks of environmental protection, but they don’t make it easy
“President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin have announced their intent to reconsider dozens of current regulations in an effort to loosen standards originally imposed to protect the environment and public health. But it’s not as simple as Trump and Zeldin just saying so. A few of the changes, such as reconstituting the membership of EPA’s Science Advisory Board and Clean Air Act Scientific Advisory Committee or using enforcement discretion to avoid targeting favored industries, are administrative measures that can be changed with the stroke of a pen. But many, including carbon emissions standards for power plants and motor vehicles, wastewater limits for refineries and chemical plants, or air pollution standards, can only be revised in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law first passed in 1946. That process includes public notice of the proposed changes, an opportunity for the public to comment on those proposals, and a review of those comments by the responsible federal agency. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Weather service prepares for ‘degraded operations’ amid Trump cuts
“The National Weather Service is preparing for the probability that fewer forecast updates will be fine-tuned by specialists, among other cutbacks, because of “severe shortages” of meteorologists and other employees, according to an internal agency document. An agreement signed on April 10 between the service and the union representing its employees describes several measures that forecasting offices will take to manage the consequences of the Trump administration’s drive to reduce the size of the government. The document also says the service might reduce or suspend the launches of data-gathering weather balloons and eliminate the testing of new forecasting methods and technologies. More than 500 people this year have already left the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service. Nearly 200 of those departures were people who work in weather forecasting offices, which had already faced serious understaffing. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Trump cuts would cripple NOAA’s wide-ranging science partnerships
“Researchers in Oklahoma are hard at work on a new lifesaving weather forecasting system. In Michigan, they’re keeping tabs on toxic algae blooms. In Florida, they’re studying tropical cyclones by flying into the hearts of hurricanes. These are just a handful of the hundreds of research projects ongoing at NOAA’s cooperative institutes, a network of 16 science consortiums involving 80 universities and research institutions across 33 states. But many CI scientists are worried their work — and their jobs — may soon be on the chopping block. A new proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget would dramatically reorganize NOAA and gut most of its climate research programs in fiscal 2026. Part of that plan includes terminating funding for NOAA’s cooperative institutes and its 10 laboratories, which are heavily staffed by CI researchers. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Burgum launches broad Interior reorganization
“The Interior Department is moving forward with sweeping reorganization and consolidation efforts that will be overseen by a former member of the Elon Musk-led workforce reduction team. Interior began circulating basic outlines for the reorganization last week, which a department official familiar with the plan said at the time would include consolidating communications, financial management, contracting, human resources, grants, civil rights and interactive technology. Another Interior official confirmed last week that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which has spearheaded President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting efforts across the government, would lead the task. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a secretarial order Thursday that confirmed most of those details. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Trump opens a huge marine protected zone to commercial fishing
“President Trump on Thursday said he was allowing commercial fishing in one of the world’s largest ocean reserves, introducing industrial operations for the first time in more than a decade to a vast area of the Pacific dotted with coral atolls and populated by endangered sea turtles and whales. Mr. Trump issued an executive order opening up the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, which lies some 750 miles west of Hawaii. President George W. Bush established the monument in 2009 and President Barack Obama expanded it in 2014 to its current area of nearly 500,000 square miles. A second executive order directed the Commerce Department to loosen regulations that “overly burden America’s commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries.” It also asks the Interior Department to conduct a review of all marine monuments and issue recommendations about any that should be opened to commercial fishing. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
