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On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee beginning at 9am. Click here for more information.
- PUBLIC HEARING: Delta Conveyance Project water right hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending Petitions for Change of Water Right Permits for the Delta Conveyance Project. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing without participating may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: bit.ly/aho-youtube. DWR is providing brief recaps here. Click here for the meeting notice.
- WEBINAR: Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America from 9am to 10am. Los Angeles Times climate reporter Ian James will host a discussion with fellow environmental journalists Sharon Udasin and Rachel Frazin, co-authors of the new book, Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America. They will be joined by book protagonists and activists Brenda Hampton, Mark Favors and Liz Rosenbaum — all of whom took it upon themselves to try to fix a broken regulatory system and seek justice for PFAS pollution in their communities. The panelists will also offer some room for hope, by focusing on the commitment of regular people to engender change and by exploring some of the technologies and political strategies seeking to rectify a national contamination crisis. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: How California Decision-Makers in Small, Rural, and Tribal Communities Can Finance Wastewater Projects & Build Community Trust from 10am to 11am. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans are an important source of low-cost financing for wastewater infrastructure investments. Yet, many small wastewater systems across the country have not accessed this financing to make needed upgrades to their systems. To take advantage of the CWSRF and WIFIA program, these small systems need assistance navigating the sometimes-daunting process of preparing and applying for these loans. This training series is specifically tailored with these small systems in mind. Click here for more information and to register.
- WEBINAR: ESA Presents: First 100 Days of the Trump Administration from 12pm to 1pm. Join ESA’s team of federal permitting and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) experts as they recap the first 100 days of the Trump Administration’s policy actions and provide insights for navigating the changing procedures to keep infrastructure projects moving forward. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Basin Characterization Exchange: Aquifer Recharge Potential Analysis and Mapping Process from 12:30 to 1:30pm. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has a long history of studying and characterizing California’s groundwater aquifers as part of California’s Groundwater (Bulletin 118). The California Groundwater Basin Characterization Program provides the latest data and information about California’s groundwater basins and data analyses to help local communities better understand their aquifer systems.A new tool and process introduced is the Aquifer Recharge Potential (ARP) analysis, which can be used as a screening tool to identify locations with relatively higher potential for managed aquifer recharge. This presentation will describe the datasets, methodologies, and considerations in creating the ARP maps, as detailed in the ARP Process document. Following this overview presentation, the ARP Process Document will be shared on the BCX Box Hub for review and comment. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
How the Sierra snowmelt fuels California’s water supply
“How does snow in Lake Tahoe help with California’s water supply and drought conditions? Mark Tamayo explains the science behind the annual snowmelt and how it helps fuel the state’s largest reservoirs.”
Should farm fields be used for crops or solar? MSU research suggests both
“As farmers debate whether fields should be used for agriculture or solar panels, new research from Michigan State University says the answer could be both. Jake Stid, a graduate student in the College of Natural Science Hydrogeology Lab, analyzed remote sensing and aerial imagery to study how fields have been used in California for the last 25 years. Using databases to estimate revenues and costs, Stid found that farmers who used a small percentage of their land for solar arrays were more financially secure per acre than those who didn’t. His research, now published in Nature Sustainability, could provide a new roadmap to solvency for farmers struggling to pay the bills. Instead of converting entire fields to solar arrays, Stid hopes this research will help more farmers decide to keep producing crops by strategically placing arrays on lower-yield spots in their fields. “The conversation shouldn’t be as much about solar or agriculture, but solar and agriculture,” Stid said. “They can work together, and it can be a collaboration rather than a conflict.” … ” Read more from Michigan State University.
DWR developing plans to protect SWP infrastructure from invasive golden mussels
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is developing plans in order to protect California’s waterways from the spread of the invasive golden mussel. A spokesman with the Department of Water Resources said that watercraft inspections at Lake Oroville and surrounding State Water Project facilities are set to begin within the next month. Officials say that golden mussels, which first appeared in the waters of California in October 2024, pose a significant threat to the state’s water systems. These mussels could impact water quality and infrastructure if not controlled. Golden mussels range from three-quarters of an inch to two inches in size and have yellowish-brown shells. They reproduce quickly and spread easily through infested waters. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Desert reservoirs found to trap organic carbon in sediment
“In 2021, while revelers across America celebrated the fourth of July, three researchers waded through a shallow river delta in the New Mexican desert. PhD student Abby Eckland (now graduated), INSTAAR faculty fellow and associate professor of geological sciences Irina Overeem and postdoc Brandee Carlson (now University of Houston) stood in what remained of the Rio Grande—years of drought had shrunk the river to a few small channels. Just downstream, the channels entered the Elephant Butte Reservoir—New Mexico’s largest. Then, all of the sudden, the water started rising. First, to the scientists’ calves. Then above their knees. The river became muddy and turbid. Debris—tamarisk leaves, pine needles and trash—floated down the widening channel. Dead fish rose to the surface and came to rest in the weeds on the riverbank. It was a flash flood. At this point, a normal sightseer would probably head for the hills, but the scientists, instead, responded with excitement. This was an opportunity for inquiry into an ephemeral natural phenomenon. Eckland bottled up water samples while Overeem and Carlson checked on the sensing equipment they had placed in the river that morning. … ” Read more from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
4 California critters making a comeback with help from UC researchers
“The mountain yellow-legged frogs of Yosemite National Park are in an epic fight for survival. Theirs is a tale of devastation and redemption, luck and suspense, and amphibians in helicopters. And in an era of grim headlines about the state of nature, a recent UC study about them offers a rare glimmer of hope: These frogs, which were plagued nearly to extinction by a deadly fungus just a few years ago, are now poised for a comeback. This Earth Day, we’re celebrating stories from the past year of UC research that illustrate the resilience of life on our planet and demonstrate the power of humans to help solve problems of our own making. Once the most abundant amphibian in California’s high mountain lakes, the mountain yellow-legged frog has lately fallen victim to a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. From its origins in Asia, Bd has spread around the globe, an accidental byproduct of “human commerce and our propensity to move things from one place to another,” says UC Santa Barbara biologist Roland Knapp, who has devoted the past 20 years to helping the species endure Bd. … ” Read more from the University of California..
We used to agree on Earth Day. Political division has changed the environmental priorities
“This year marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, but rather than enjoying its golden years, the planet is facing a new kind of peril. In recent weeks, the Republican party — the same party that oversaw the creation of the eco-conscious holiday back in 1970 — has delivered considerable blows to the environment, including taking steps to undo critical Nixon-era policies that protect the nation’s air, water, natural lands and threatened species. President Nixon presided over the first Earth Day, founded in large part as a reaction to a devastating oil spill off the coast of California. Nixon and his wife, First Lady Pat Nixon, planted a tree on the White House lawn to commemorate the occasion. The holiday ushered in a decade of environmental activism and legislation under his conservative leadership, including the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the signing of the Clean Air Act in 1970; the Clean Water Act in 1972; and the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Now the landscape looks considerably different. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: Earth Day: How Trump’s environmental decisions are affecting California, from the San Jose Mercury News
Meet the seed collector restoring California’s landscapes – one tiny plant at a time
“Deep in California’s agricultural heartland, Haleigh Holgate marched through the expansive wildflower-dotted plains of the San Luis national wildlife refuge complex in search of something precious. She surveyed the native grasses and flowering plants that painted the Central valley landscape in almost blinding swaths of yellow. Her objective on that sweltering spring day was to gather materials pivotal to California’s ambitious environmental agenda – seeds. “Over there it’s a brighter yellow, so I know those flowers are still blooming, rather than going to seed production,” she noted. “Versus over here, it’s these hues of deeper reds and deeper gold. That seed is ready.” As a seed collection manager with the non-profit Heritage Growers native seed supplier, Holgate is tasked with traveling to the state’s wildlands to collect native seeds crucial for habitat restoration projects. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
In commentary today …
Dan Walters: California’s economy was already sluggish before Trump’s global tariffs
“Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of President Donald Trump’s broad imposition of tariffs on imported goods. “President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy, driving up prices and threatening jobs,” Newsom said in a statement. The tariffs could have all of those negative impacts, but California’s economy was already sluggish. As Gabe Petek, the Legislature’s budget analyst, said in a January response to Newsom’s state revenue forecast, “These gains are not tied to improvements in the state’s broader economy, which has been lackluster, with elevated unemployment, a stagnant job market outside of government and healthcare, and sluggish consumer spending.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California can’t wait for the political winds to shift. My bipartisan wildfire bill would save lives.
Senator Alex Padilla writes, “No matter how many times you’ve seen it, nothing can prepare you for the devastation you find in the aftermath of a wildfire. Nothing. I’ve visited the Forest Service’s Incident Post in Quincy as fire crews battled the raging Dixie Fire in 2021. And I toured what’s left of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods that were hit worst by this winter’s fires. What I’ve seen is heart wrenching. Car wheels melted into the sidewalk. A sea of embers and ashes, interrupted only by chimneys and fireplace mantels where family photos once rested. In some cases, brick sidewalks and doorways that once led to baby cribs and kitchen tables, that now lead to nowhere. No one could walk away after seeing what I’ve seen, year after year in California, and still deny the threat of climate change. We have to do more. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Reclamation releases 2025 Klamath Project Annual Operations Plan
“Anticipated water demands for Klamath Project water contractors are likely to be met as the Klamath Basin hydrology pivots from consecutive years of drought. Described in the 2025 Klamath Project Annual Operations Plan today’s initial water supply allocations from the Bureau of Reclamation are based on modeled estimates of water available for irrigation delivery and incorporate current reservoir storage, precipitation, and snowpack, as well as projected inflow forecasts. “After eight years of dry hydrologic conditions and regulatory challenges, the Klamath Project water users are poised to have a full and successful water year,” said Reclamation Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “We are experiencing the wettest hydrologic conditions since 2017, and an extremely positive start to the 2025 irrigation season.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Yurok Tribe’s Klamath restoration efforts featured in PBS docuseries
“This week, the efforts of the Yurok Tribe to restore the Klamath River watershed and the wildlife in and around that watershed will be featured on national broadcast television. At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, in an episode titled “River Restoration,” PBS’s “Changing Planet” will explore the Yurok Tribe’s contributions to post-Klamath dam removal restoration efforts, as well as showcase the tribe’s role in the recovery of the California condor (or prey-go-neesh in the Yurok language). “The Klamath Dam removal and the Yurok Tribe’s California condor recovery programs both speak to the kind of scale that the Yurok Tribe and other tribes in the area are talking about when we talk about ecosystem restoration,” Wildlife Department Director Tiana Williams-Claussen told the Times-Standard in a phone interview. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Bill to ban plastic water bottles near Lake Tahoe moves forward in Nevada Legislature
“A bill aimed at protecting the watersheds of Lake Tahoe by banning the sale of plastic water bottles in the basin is moving forward in the Nevada Legislature. Senate Bill 324, sponsored by senator Melanie Scheible, passed in the state senate Friday with a 16-4 vote with one lawmaker absent. SB324 would prohibit a person from selling, offering for sale or distributing for sale water in a disposable plastic bottle that has a capacity of not more than 4 liters in any community which abuts the Lake Tahoe watershed. … ” Read more from Channel 4.
Lake Tahoe ski season winds down as resorts announce closing dates
“As the 2024-25 ski season comes to a close, several Lake Tahoe Basin resorts are preparing to end their runs, while others have already shut down for the season. Mt. Rose is set to close on Sunday. April 27, followed by Sugar Bowl on Monday, April 28. Palisades will remain open until May 25, offering skiers and snowboarders a few more weeks to enjoy the slopes. … ” Read more from Channel 4.
BAY AREA
Bay Area oceanfront ranch with clothing-optional beach bought for preservation
“A hidden ranch south of Half Moon Bay, with a half mile of shoreline and a little-publicized clothing-optional beach, is being purchased by a Bay Area conservation group, adding to the vast network of protected lands along the San Mateo County coast. Peninsula Open Space Trust announced Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement to pay $10 million for the 195-acre oceanfront property at the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 84. POST officials say their intention is to keep the mix of bluffs, sand dunes and marsh from being developed and expand public access at the site. Known by some in the area as San Gregorio Ranch, the land is currently owned by a family trust and managed by a couple of ranch hands who have generally allowed people to come and go for a small fee. Beach walkers, fishermen and clothing-free sunbathers are among the regulars. There’s also a perennial herd of cattle on the property, and two small dwellings. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: What a view! Famous Bay Area nude beach preserved in $10 million deal, from the San Jose Mercury News
Deadline approaches for San Leandro clean water grants
“The deadline is quickly approaching to apply for an Alameda County Clean Water Program Community Stewardship Grant, offering up to $6,000 per project to support San Leandro grassroots initiatives that prevent stormwater pollution and promote the health of local watersheds, creeks, and the San Francisco Bay. The application deadline is less than three weeks away — May 9. … ” Read more from The Patch.
CENTRAL COAST
Civil Grand Jury warns against Monterey’s wharves posing growing safety risk
“While Monterey’s iconic wharves bring in residents and tourists from all over year-round, the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury warns that serious structural issues are mounting and are calling on city leaders. The wharves — Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Commercial Wharf — have been rated in “poor” condition since at least 2017. Despite multiple inspections and reports from licensed engineering firms over the past seven years, many recommended repairs remain unaddressed, the report found. The investigation revealed widespread deterioration of timber, steel, and concrete supports, exacerbated by storm damage and seawater corrosion. Some portions of the wharves are in “serious” condition, with visible cracks, rusted reinforcements, and weakened structural components supporting walkways, buildings and public access areas. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Southern California fishing boat captain ordered to pay more than $16,000 for polluting local waters
“The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that a local fishing boat captain has been fined for illegally dumping toxic waste into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast. William Porter McHenry, who owns and operates McHenry Fisheries, Inc., allowed waste known as “stick water” to be dumped in the ocean, according to a VCDA release. The vessel run by McHenry Fisheries, the 67-foot Sea Pearl, was observed by authorities heading out to sea while releasing stick water and then returning on Dec. 6, 2024. Stick water is created during the squid fishing process, Ventura County officials said, explaining that squid are caught with nets and placed in the boat’s fish hold, which is filled with saltwater. … ” Read more from KTLA.
SEE ALSO: Prosecutors say fishing boat fined for dumping polluted water too close to Ventura County coastline, from KCBX
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Settlement reached in California water use lawsuit against Foster Poultry Farms
“The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and Foster Poultry Farms have reached a settlement of the lawsuit filed against Foster Poultry Farms in 2020. ALDF’s complaint alleged that Foster Poultry Farms unreasonably uses water to slaughter and process chickens at its poultry-processing plant in Livingston, California in violation of Article X, section 2 of the California Constitution, which mandates that all water use in the State of California must be reasonable. While Foster Poultry Farms completely denies ALDF’s allegations regarding its water use and animal welfare practices, it has agreed to continue to work to improve water conservation and animal welfare at its Livingston poultry-processing plant, which is the largest chicken poultry-processing plant on the West Coast. “This settlement will increase water conservation in a critically overdrafted groundwater basin, which will benefit communities and wildlife in the region,” says ALDF Senior Staff Attorney Christine Ball-Blakely. … ” Read more from the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Work on East Orosi’s decrepit sewer system can’t start soon enough, according to residents fed up with waiting
“East Orosi residents were told that work on their failing sewer system could begin as early as next month. But it’s not soon enough. “I wish we could put a rush on whatever needs to be done,” said resident Angie Moreno. “These people have waited too, too long already. We go to meeting after meeting and hear ‘We’re waiting for this and we’re waiting for that.’ We need someone to get out there and run and get all the documents together and let’s make this work. “We want this to get moving.” Residents have suffered sewage overflows, improper billing and other problems for years. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Annual Kings River fundraiser held in new location on Saturday
“The Kings River Conservancy’s annual Spring Fling on the Kings will be held April 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a new location, Cricket Hollow Park in Reedley. Entry is free. The event will feature live music, vendors and food trucks. Food sales will benefit the conservancy’s projects, such as education programs and trail maintenance. The family-friendly event will also include river safety demonstrations and games for children. The first 100 children in attendance will receive a free life jacket rated for 30-50 pounds. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
City of Malibu considers sewer upgrades in fire-prone beach zones
“The City of Malibu is evaluating more resilient wastewater infrastructure alternatives for properties in fire-prone areas, particularly along the city’s beachfront, officials announced this week. As part of that effort, Malibu Public Works is conducting a study to examine the feasibility of connecting local properties to the Los Angeles County and Hyperion wastewater systems. The goal is to improve long-term sewer service reliability in areas impacted by wildfires, which have historically strained existing infrastructure. City officials will present preliminary findings of the study at a public meeting on Thursday, April 24, at 2:00 p.m. at Malibu City Hall. … ” Read more from the Santa Monica Mirror.
As heavy as 100 Eiffel Towers: Monumental L.A. County fire debris removal could finish by June
“A small army of laborers, heavy-equipment operators, hazmat technicians and truck drivers have cleared more than one-third of the home lots left in charred ruin by January’s firestorms — a frenetic pace that suggests the bulk of the vast government-run cleanup in Los Angeles County could be completed as early as June, officials say. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officers overseeing the effort said the crews of mostly private contractors are working at a record clip for a wildfire recovery, clearing nearly 120 lots a day and operating at close to the capacity that roads — and residents close to the fire zones — can tolerate. Although the bulk of the work is likely to be finished sooner, the Corps of Engineers still projects total completion in January of 2026. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Local agencies condemn IEUA’s rushed rate hike vote, cite lack of transparency and accountability
“In a stunning disregard for public opposition and local economic realities, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) voted unanimously last Wednesday to approve an 18% rate hike, spread over two years, despite clear opposition from multiple member agencies, concerns from the public, calls for more transparency, and requests for more time to study the matter. In a joint statement, local agency leaders for Chino, Montclair, Monte Vista Water District, and Ontario called IEUA’s vote “deeply disappointing and procedurally flawed,” pointing to the agency’s refusal to grant additional time for review, or to meaningfully collaborate with the cities and agencies most impacted. “This wasn’t collaboration—it was a box-checking exercise,” said Chino Mayor Eunice Ulloa. “IEUA mischaracterized the process as thorough, while withholding key documents and dismissing any agency or person who raised concerns. Even the rate study that underpins this decision was withheld until the legal deadline, leaving no time for cities or residents to evaluate its assumptions or implications. Public governance requires more than legal compliance—it demands transparency, accountability, and respect.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
From wetlands to rocket fuel, how CSULB is fighting climate change
“California’s climate story is often told in extremes — droughts and floods, wildfires and coastal erosion, smoggy freeways and warming waters. But at Cal State Long Beach, a quieter kind of climate work is underway: in labs, along the coast and in classrooms where students engage with more than 150 sustainability-related courses. And it’s not just theoretical. Faculty — especially in the colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Engineering — are tackling climate change head on: advancing clean energy, building resilient infrastructure and protecting wildlife. Their research informs policy and drives innovation while opening doors for under-resourced students whose communities often are the first and hardest hit by global warming.CSULB is also part of the new, CSU-wide Consortium on Climate Adaptation to advance climate literacy and research. In celebration of Earth Day, here’s a look at some of the most significant climate work being funded at The Beach. … ” Read more from Cal State Long Beach.
Sea lions, dolphins, now a whale: Ocean giant is latest victim of SoCal’s toxic algal bloom
“A minke whale that was swimming in Long Beach Harbor earlier this month died from domoic acid poisoning associated with a toxic algal bloom that has stricken many other sea creatures, according to officials. Michael Milstein, spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast regional office, said test results showed the whale had high levels of domoic acid in its urine at the time of its death. “This is consistent with the many other marine mammals we have seen affected by domoic acid produced by the harmful algal bloom off Southern California first detected in February,” Milstein said in a statement. “The tests are taking longer since the lab is processing so many.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: Whale trapped in Long Beach harbor died from domoic acid poisoning: report, from KTLA
Ailing ocean: What’s behind harmful algae bloom
It’s one of the most widespread ocean toxicity events in years for portions of coastal California, and scientists say they are expecting more impacts to sea birds, dolphins and sea lions before conditions begin to improve. Meteorologist Rob Mayeda reports.
Round Valley Meadow in Mount San Jacinto State Park is restored
“The Round Valley Meadow is an exceedingly uncommon and fragile wetland habitat, made all the more rare by its isolation high above the Southern California desert. At elevation 9,100’, Round Valley is less than 5 miles as the crow flies from the urbanization and often-oppressive heat of Palm Springs, which is located at only 400’ elevation. Covering less than 10 acres, Round Valley Meadow is unmatched in its wetness and richness within the nearly 14,000-acre Mount San Jacinto State Park. An inviting “halfway-point” respite for hikers seeking Mount San Jacinto from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Round Valley has been a destination in itself for well over a century, including for modern wilderness campers and others seeking water, tranquility, and interaction with nature and wildlife. … ” Read more from California State Parks.
SAN DIEGO
Mexican sewage gushing into Navy SEAL training waters is US’ ‘next Camp Lejeune,’ vets warn
“”Disgusting,” said Navy SEAL veteran Rob Sweetman in describing the smell and mist of Mexican sewage spewing into U.S. waters as he stood on a hill overlooking the Tijuana River estuary in California. Sweetman, a Navy veteran who served on the SEALs for eight years, spoke to Fox News Digital to sound the alarm on a water crisis rocking the San Diego area, including where SEALs train, taking a camera with him to show viewers firsthand how the contaminated water flows into the U.S. Just one mile away from where Sweetman spoke, SEALs and candidates train in the same water, which has sickened more than 1,000 candidates in a five-year period, per a Department of Defense watchdog report released in February. … ” Read more from Fox News.
Along the Colorado River …
White House ousts top official in U.S.-Mexico water wars
“The Trump administration on Monday demanded the resignation of the top federal official overseeing a dispute between the United States and Mexico over untreated sewage flowing across the border into California.Maria-Elena Giner, who leads the International Boundary and Water Commission, said in an interview Monday that White House officials asked her to resign by the end of the day and threatened to fire her otherwise. The commission plays a crucial role in navigating cross-border water conflicts, including the ongoing sewage crisis facing coastal California communities, and dwindling water deliveries to farmers in South Texas. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
SEE ALSO: Trump administration replaces commissioner overseeing management of sewage crisis, from the San Diego Union-Tribune
An ancient irrigation system may help farmers face climate change
“On a stormy spring day, Devon Peña stood atop a sagebrush-covered hill and looked down on Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Dark clouds had unleashed a deluge just a few hours earlier, but now they hovered over the mountains, veiling the summits above. Below, rows of long, narrow fields extended from Culebra Creek toward a man-made channel, the main artery of the valley’s centuries-old “acequia” irrigation system. This was the “People’s Ditch,” a waterway holding the oldest continuous water right in Colorado. The channel carried water from tributaries of the Rio Grande, high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, down to the fields below. There, the flow was diverted into smaller ditches that irrigated fields of alfalfa, cabbage, and potatoes, the water seeping naturally through the earthen walls. In the San Luis Valley as a whole, 130 gravity-flow ditches irrigated 30,000 acres of farmland and 10,000 acres of wetlands. “This is an incredibly productive, resilient, and sustainable system,” said Peña, founder of The Acequia Institute, a nonprofit that supports environmental and food justice in southern Colorado. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
On the Colorado River, doing the accounting with care
“It’s easy to take for granted the accounting innovations in the Colorado River governance regime’s 2007 guidelines, which have governed river management and the upstream-downstream relationships between the upper and lower basins. “Intentionally Created Surplus” (ICS) is now part of the lexicon, and the idea behind it shows enough promise that it’s at the heart of the current negotiations over the post-’07 guidelines management of the river. But we need to be careful about the lessons that we learn, and the details of how we implement the successor to ICS. How should the successor to ICS related to action levels for reservoir management? How do we ensure that water in ICS-like accounting pools is really conserved water, part of a sincere effort to reduce basin consumptive use? … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
Arizona: Where the border wall ends, wildlife survives. Advocates fear losses if the gaps close
“From atop the south end of Arizona’s Huachuca Mountains, the borderland paths of America’s solitary jaguars and ocelots sprawl across Sonoran Desert scrublands. To the south: Mexican wildlands shelter breeding cats that periodically send bachelor scouts into their once-and-maybe-future strongholds in the United States. To the east: a border wall stretching for 70 miles from the foothills almost to New Mexico blocks the path of these rarest of American mammals, especially at what might otherwise be prime cat-cloaking tree cover along the shallow San Pedro River. But to the west, a back door of sorts: Arizona’s remote San Rafael Valley rolls out, fortified by a chest-high fence of horizontal steel rail barriers that block vehicles but not four-legged wanderers. President Donald Trump and previous presidential administrations have yet to wall off the rippling wilds spreading toward the Patagonia Range. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Arizona: Groundwater and soil at Phoenix site officially off of Arizona list of contaminated locations
“After more than 25 years of cleanup, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality recently announced that the groundwater and soil at a site near 16th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix is officially considered safe. The area, between 17th and 15th streets, from Camelback Road south to Highland Avenue, was contaminated by tetrachloroethene, known as PCE. Almost a century ago, businesses like dry cleaners relied on PCE as a degreaser. They didn’t know yet that it would pose a public health risk by seeping into the soil and contaminating the groundwater. By 1999, the central Phoenix site landed on Arizona’s priority list for contaminated site cleanups, the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund Registry. Since then officials have been working to fix it, using natural microbes to help break down the underground contamination and keeping a close watch to make sure levels keep naturally declining. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona: Massive corporations are draining rural communities’ water resources — but this town is fighting back
“Welcome to Cochise County, Arizona, where residents pursue their passions, care for their land, and fight against large corporations to protect their water. A small town in this county recently made an important case for putting politics aside to safeguard the Earth. “Water isn’t Republican or Democrat. When your well is dry, it’s dry,” said Ed Curry, a fourth-generation farmer, according to a report featured in the Environmental Defense Fund’s Vital Signs newsletter. But farmers never imagined that the water table below their crops would go dry. In 1998, resident Steve Kisiel aimed to build a house among the scrubby mesquite trees of Cochise, first digging a well to ensure he could have running water at home. At 370 feet, he tapped into a stable, bountiful source of groundwater and started on his dream home. But “in 2012, even though he and his wife only lived there part-time, the well ran dry. In a little over a decade, the water level had dropped more than 100 feet,” the EDF reported in Vital Signs. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Commentary: Some in Phoenix live without water while industry guzzles it
Cody Hays, a PhD student at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, writes, “Arizona is in the midst of a water reckoning. The state’s long-running illusion of endless growth — more data centers, more developments, more strawberries in the desert — collides daily with the basic reality of a finite water supply. The Colorado River is shrinking. Groundwater levels are dropping. And in Phoenix, a new analysis shows more people are living without running water than ever before. The crisis isn’t coming. It’s already here. Industry has a role to play in shaping Arizona’s water future. But the real question isn’t whether companies can become more efficient. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Nevada leaders urge release of federal land, groups raise concerns over water
“As Nevada leaders urge the federal government to release more land to ease the state’s housing crisis, conservation groups raise concerns over water use — and whether Lake Mead and the Colorado River can sustain a growing population in the Las Vegas Valley. Thursday, Assembly leaders overwhelmingly passed AJR10, urging the federal government and Congress to act to release land to the state. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto spoke before legislators in Carson City, Thursday, reiterating her efforts to urge Congressmembers to act to pass land bills. “Make appropriate federal land available for housing, for economic development– while also protecting sensitive landscapes,” Cortez Masto said. … ” Read more from Channel 5.
Utah: Snowflakes, death threats and dollar signs: Cloud seeding is at a crossroads
“Humans have the technology to literally make snow fall from the clouds. In the drought-stricken Southwest, where the Colorado River needs every drop of water it can get, there are calls to use it more. Utah, home to the nation’s largest cloud seeding program, is at the crossroads of the technology’s past and future. The state has become a proving ground for cloud seeding in the West, with water managers, private sector investors, and conspiracy theorists keeping a close eye on their progress. Advocates say the technology works, and now they need to figure out exactly how much. For a practice that has launched millions of dollars in funding, countless snowflakes and a string of death threats, the technology itself is strikingly uncomplicated. … ” Read more from KUNC.
With future funding of Colorado’s water projects uncertain, lawmakers begin to hunt for solutions
“With a critical source of funding for Colorado’s water projects facing an uncertain future, lawmakers want to task a group of experts with providing recommendations for solutions. Severance taxes, which are imposed on nonrenewable energy extraction like oil drilling and coal mining, have long served as a key source of revenue for water-related initiatives. The funding stream, however, is also one of the state’s most volatile due to extreme swings in the energy market. Over the past two decades, tax revenue has gone from skyrocketing one year to plummeting the next. The issue has compounded in recent years due to state budget writers siphoning some of the money to help balance the state’s spending plan. … ” Read more from the Aspen Times.
In national water news today …
Stripping federal protection for clean water harms just about everyone, especially already vulnerable communities
“Before Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, U.S. factories and cities could pipe their pollution directly into waterways. Rivers, including the Potomac in Washington, smelled of raw sewage and contained toxic chemicals. Ohio’s Cuyahoga River was so contaminated, its oil slicks erupted in flames. That unchecked pollution didn’t just harm the rivers and their ecosystems; it harmed the humans who relied on their water. The Clean Water Act established a federal framework “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” As an attorney and law professor, I’ve spent my career upholding these protections and teaching students about their legal and historical significance. That’s why I’m deeply concerned about the federal government’s new efforts to roll back those safeguards and the impact they’ll have on human lives. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Facing shortages, cities tap sewers to bolster drinking water supply
“On a hot day, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing drink of water. But how would you feel if that water was sourced from the sewer? As cities across the West brace for a drier future, they’re investing in advanced water purification technology. It flushes out the contaminants in wastewater so that the murky stuff that goes down your toilet can eventually come out ready to drink at your sink. “There’s a lot of uncertainty here in terms of water resources, so we think that this is that next bucket of water that we need to tap into,” said Nazario Prieto, assistant director of Phoenix Water Services. The city of 1.6 million people is building its first advanced water purification plant that could eventually process up to 15 million gallons of wastewater a day. … ” Read more from WBUR.
From sewer to solution: Stanford engineers reinvent wastewater purification to unlock valuable resources
“Wastewater isn’t just waste – it’s packed with hidden value. Stanford researchers are developing cutting-edge resins – porous beads that together act like a coffee filter – not only to remove contaminants but also to recover valuable products, like ammonia for fertilizer. With global demand for drinkable water projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030, the project has the potential to make water treatment cheaper, more efficient, and even profitable. “Amidst efforts to reduce the emissions, energy, and cost of chemical manufacturing, selective resins can enable circular economies that convert pollutants into products by using wastewater as a feedstock,” said William Tarpeh, assistant professor of chemical engineering and one of the project’s principal investigators. “Wastewater treatment plants are increasingly being reconceptualized as water resource recovery facilities that achieve multiple co-benefits at once.” … ” Read more from Stanford News.
AI cooling demands push data centers into deep water
“With AI driving rapid growth in global data center infrastructure, the water required to cool those facilities is emerging as a significant financial, operational, and reputational risk. According to a recent Moody’s report, “water stress” is escalating in key data center markets. The consulting firm identifies water scarcity as a growing credit risk for data center operators, particularly hyperscale providers supporting AI workloads that require denser compute power and higher thermal loads. “As cloud computing and hyperscalers build or lease new data centers to meet escalating computing demand, their water consumption may strain resources in some markets,” the report cautions. … ” Read more from Data Center Knowledge.
EPA orders staff to begin canceling research grants
“Following in the footsteps of other federal science agencies under President Donald Trump’s administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week ordered its staff to start canceling grants already awarded to universities and research institutes, according to an agency source and an email seen by Science. Although EPA is not a large funder of R&D compared with other federal agencies, it does provide $35 million to $40 million each year to researchers studying the impacts of pollution and ways to reduce them. The internal email, sent between senior agency administrators, gave no reason for scrapping the grants, but the Trump administration has also been downsizing EPA activities in other ways. … ” Read more from Science.
EPA administrator defends sweeping grant terminations amid legal blowback
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday defended his agency’s abrupt cancellation of billions of dollars in federal clean energy and environmental justice grants, insisting the EPA retains discretion to terminate awards despite a federal court ruling that sharply questioned the legal basis for the move. Facing mounting scrutiny, Zeldin held a press conference ahead of his Earth Day trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to address sewage contamination. He said the terminations were a responsible effort to prevent “lighting billions of dollars on fire” and repeated his claims of program mismanagement and political favoritism, which have been challenged in court. The money at issue is the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) initiative created under the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate clean energy lending and community investment. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
