A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Surprise atmospheric rivers, toxic seafood: How NOAA cuts could impact California
“Coast Guard rescue missions failing after running into unexpected currents. Surprise atmospheric river storms flooding downtown San Francisco. Seafood contaminated by unseen algal blooms. California scientists fear these scenarios, and more, are possible under the Trump administration’s recommendation to reduce the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget by $1.7 billion. Several scientific programs in California are slated for significant reductions or elimination if the budget proposal is pushed through Congress. Scientists say the cuts would hamper weather forecasting, disrupt critical ocean data collection and decimate climate research. One of the programs at risk is the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System. The association receives roughly $3.3 million annually from NOAA to manage instruments that monitor winds, water levels, ocean currents, heat and other data critical for business, forecasts and safety. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
NASA tracks snowmelt to improve water management
The C-20A aircraft, based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flies over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California for the Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission on Feb. 28, 2025. The DUST mission collected airborne data about snow water to help improve water management and reservoir systems on the ground. NASA/Starr Ginn
“As part of a science mission tracking one of Earth’s most precious resources – water – NASA’s C-20A aircraft conducted a series of seven research flights in March that can help researchers track the process and timeline as snow melts and transforms into a freshwater resource. The agency’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) installed on the aircraft collected measurements of seasonal snow cover and estimate the freshwater contained in it. “Seasonal snow is a critical resource for drinking water, power generation, supporting multi-billion dollar agricultural and recreation industries,” said Starr Ginn, C-20A project manager at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “Consequently, understanding the distribution of seasonal snow storage and subsequent runoff is essential.” The Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission mapped snow accumulation over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Mission scientists can use these observations to estimate the amount of water stored in that snow. … ” Read more from NASA.
Mapped: What a barrage of 56 West Coast atmospheric river events looks like
“The previous six months have proven to be a tale of the haves and have-nots when it comes to atmospheric river events impacting the West Coast. According to data from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 56 atmospheric rivers impacted the western U.S. during late 2024 and early 2025, with the majority affecting Oregon and Northern California. Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow corridors of concentrated moisture that transport air from tropical regions and release precipitation over generally cooler areas. According to NOAA, these features typically range from 250 to 400 miles wide and can stretch over 1,000 miles in length. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
Looking to the Pacific, scientists improve forecasts of atmospheric rivers
“As atmospheric rivers pounded the U.S. West Coast last winter, scientists deployed increasingly advanced observing tools over the Pacific Ocean to improve forecasts of the powerful storms. Using airborne observations and ocean buoys, scientists targeted remote regions in the Eastern Pacific that most influence the development and path of atmospheric rivers. Those observations were fed into leading forecast models, enhancing 1- to 5-day predictions in ways that helped safeguard not only vulnerable West Coast communities but the entire nation. “These targeted observations provide a huge payoff,” said U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) scientist Christopher Davis. “By taking these observations, we improve forecasts of atmospheric rivers for the West Coast and, because the storms keep moving east, we also improve winter forecasts for the entire continental United States.” Davis is one of the mission directors of Atmospheric Rivers Reconnaissance (AR Recon), a major effort involving multiple federal agencies, universities, and other partners. It’s led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, which is based at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. … ” Read more from UCAR.
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).
The new math for reservoir management amid climate change
“The summer of 2022 brought worrying news for California’s water supply. Shasta Lake, the state’s largest reservoir and a critical source of water for millions, saw its levels drop to 38% of capacity in July — a historic low for that time of year. That drought laid bare a growing challenge: how to balance immediate water demand with long-term supply in an era of increasing climate uncertainty. In a working paper, UCLA Anderson’s Felipe Caro, University of Mannheim’s Martin Glanzer and UCLA Anderson’s Kumar Rajaram develop a model for the management of reservoir systems over the long term. It’s designed to minimize societal costs of a water shortage. In a case study of California’s Sacramento River Basin, the authors’ management policy reduced average shortage costs — the cost of getting water from other, last-resort, sources — by 40% compared with the current policy, potentially remarkable savings. … ” Read more from the UCLA Anderson Review.
Federal officials reviewing the Potter Valley Project, letter states
“In response to a letter urging federal officials to prevent the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project, the acting commissioner of the federal Bureau of Reclamation advised that the matter is under review. “Thank you for your letter … to President Trump regarding funding to the Potter Valley Project,” a letter dated April 14, 2025, and signed by Acting Commissioner David Palumbo, states. “Your February letter is consistent with other perspectives we have heard in recent weeks from the Lake County area, and will be taken into account as the funding to this project is reviewed by agency leadership. The Bureau of Reclamation is committed to our mission of supplying water and power to the West and will continue to develop strategies to help ensure water supplies for current and future generations.” … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal.
How a new wetland restoration could expedite transforming the Delta from a carbon source to a carbon sink
“Staten Island lies in the heart of California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and exemplifies the woes of this troubled region. More than one quarter of the Delta―about 200,000 acres―is deeply subsided. This extreme soil loss puts stress on the levees encircling the islands. And, because the soil there is peat and so rich in organic matter, subsidence in the central Delta also spews carbon into the air. “It’s like a chimney of greenhouse gases,” says Sydney Chamberlin, project director for Climate & Nature-based Solutions at The Nature Conservancy, which bought Staten Island in 2001. “The Delta is on an unsustainable trajectory if we continue business as usual.” Staten Island has lost so much soil over the last century that its northern end is about 10 feet below sea level. Its southern end is even deeper. “The water is high on one side of the levee and then you look on the other side and it’s about 25 feet down,” Chamberlin says. “It’s mind-boggling.” But Staten Island also offers among the best hope for solving the Delta’s soil loss and greenhouse gas emission problems. The Nature Conservancy is testing ways of halting and even reversing subsidence on the island, and the latest project is a wetland restoration slated to begin as early as this summer. … ” Continue reading this Notebook Feature.
Finding the best places to recharge groundwater in California
Groundwater recharge is a key part of securing California’s water supply. But how do we ensure our efforts to store more water underground will work? Stanford’s Rosemary Knight shares new research that could help the state recharge its aquifers faster and more efficiently. Q: Tell us about your project. What problem is it trying to solve, and how? A: In California, our groundwater system is out of balance. More water is going out than is coming in, which is causing a host of problems—falling water levels, domestic wells going dry, land subsidence, ecosystems under stress, and water quality problems. There’s a lot of space in the aquifers after all the groundwater pumping, and natural recharge isn’t filling it adequately. We could supplement with managed aquifer recharge (MAR). That means sending the excess water in wet years to locations where it can move downward and replenish our groundwater systems. Spreading water in a dedicated recharge basin, agricultural field, or floodplain could move it efficiently down below the surface, depending on the geologic characteristics of the site. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
State water official says more work needed as SGMA evolves
“The California State Water Resources Control Board heard an update on implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to bring groundwater basins into balance by 2040 and 2042. Under SGMA, critically overdrafted groundwater basins have until 2040 to achieve sustainability. Since 2020, when groundwater agencies submitted their sustainability plans, they have also been required to avoid undesirable results that include lowering of groundwater levels, seawater intrusion, water quality degradation, land subsidence and depletions of interconnected surface water. If the agencies do not have an adequate plan, SGMA gives the state the authority to step in through a state intervention process that lasts until the agencies demonstrate adequate management of their basins. Since 2023, the California Department of Water Resources has determined that plans for seven basins were inadequate. In March 2023, it referred six basins to the state water board for intervention. The state water board may consider probation for the Delta-Mendota, Chowchilla and Pleasant Valley subbasins later this year. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Annual report shows major declines in farmland values
“The value of much of California’s farmland declined from 2023 to 2024, according to figures published last month by the state’s chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Authors of the ASFMRA chapter’s annual Trends report attributed the declines in farmland value to multiple factors, including low commodity prices, high inflation and interest rates, overall high operating costs and regulatory impacts. Since the adoption of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014, appraisers have noted a divergence in the value of farmland with two reliable sources of water and so-called “white area” farmland that depends entirely on groundwater. That trend accelerated last year, according to the report, with white area orchards in parts of the San Joaquin Valley losing more than half their value in the space of a year. The steep drop came as the California State Water Resources Control Board, the enforcement arm of SGMA, held the first probationary hearings under the landmark groundwater law. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
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.
In search of clean water, scientists are improving desalination technology
“Drought and climate change are impacting water supplies around the world. But desalination — pulling fresh, drinkable water from saltwater— can offer some relief. Desalination technology has existed for a while; dry countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia and Spain have used it for years. Most desalination technology uses a lot of energy, and leaves behind a toxic byproduct: all the salt extracted from the water. Scientists and entrepreneurs are working to improve its capabilities, from moving the process offshore to running mobile desalination hubs on solar power. One of those entrepreneurs is Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell, based in California. The company is testing desalination pods at a reservoir near Los Angeles. Eventually, the pods will go into the ocean to create fresh water. “We’re a small startup team that is set out to develop an extremely eco-friendly desalination system of a new type,” Bergstrom said. “We call it submerged RO, for reverse osmosis.” … ” Read more from WLIW.
In commentary this week …
Why California should support Delta tunnel proposal
Mike Mielke, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s senior vice president for environment and energy, writes, “If our state wants to remain economically competitive, it must re-engineer the troubled estuary that serves as the hub of California’s elaborate water-delivery system — the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The best and most viable way to do this is via the single Delta tunnel project proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, which the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and our 350 members support. The water that flows through the Delta serves nearly 27 million people in our state and ensures 3 million acres of farmland stays productive. Yet, the current Delta water delivery system – comprised often of simple earthen levees – is fragile and extremely vulnerable to catastrophic disruption from earthquakes, floods, and rising seas. If this outdated system were to fail, salt water from the nearby San Francisco Bay would knock out the freshwater supply for most of the state, causing untold economic and environmental damage. This cannot be allowed to happen. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times.
California lawmaker wants to clean nitrates, arsenic out of rural towns’ water
The Fresno Bee editorial board writes, “Outside of major cities like Fresno and Clovis, drinking-water quality for San Joaquin Valley residents can be dicey. The Valley is full of examples of rural water systems failing to either produce enough supply or deliver fresh water that is not tainted by contaminants, be they manufactured, like farming chemicals, or naturally occurring elements in local soils like arsenic. The Bee has reported on such water problems for years, at places like Lanare and East Orosi. Now, Rep. David Valadao, a Republican from Hanford, is teaming up with Rep. Norma Torres, a Democratic legislator from Southern California, on a new bill that would amend the federal Safe Drinking Water Act by adding a special focus on nitrate and arsenic pollution in groundwater. The amendment would authorize the federal government to allocate $15 million a year in grants to clean up failing water systems in rural communities. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
Outdated water supply regulations need reform
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley writes, “Plenty of things change over the course of 25 years. When conditions change and a regulation is delivering limited or no measurable benefits, it’s time to take another approach. That’s the case with water supply limits imposed by a system of regulations called D-1641, emerging again last week when the April 15 to May 15 requirements began restricting water deliveries. Adopted in 1999 by the State Water Resources Control Board, various provisions of D-1641 are intended to provide several benefits, including to protect salmon, Delta smelt, and water quality. Sadly, despite the longstanding implementation of all of D-1641’s requirements, fish populations have continued to decline, leaving biologists…and water users…questioning what, if any benefit this requirement is providing. … ” Read more from the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley.
Salmon fishing shutdown marks a grim milestone. Why California shouldn’t give up hope
Chuck Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, writes, “This week, a public federal process determined there will be no commercial salmon fishing off California’s coast for the third year in a row. It’s a grim milestone for our state. While we will see some recreational ocean fishing, we’re at the low-water mark. With so few fish available, we know this won’t be enough to meet the demand of our state. That’s hard news in hard times. Thirty years ago, the idea we would be implementing — yet alone discussing — these restrictions would have been unthinkable. Back then, millions of salmon swam through the rivers of California every year. It was a bountiful, thriving species. But last year, the number of adult salmon in the Sacramento Index, a critical measure of the Sacramento River salmon population and an indicator of the overall health of California’s salmon, shrunk to roughly 100,000 fish. It’s a tiny fraction of salmon’s former might. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Central Valley farmers need a fighting chance to survive. This bill will help
Robin Singh, of Madera and owner Singh Farms, writes, “I’ve owned farmland and grown almonds here in Fresno County for nearly two decades, including for the last eight years in Cantua Ranch, a beautiful stretch of land that has been the backbone of my operation and my family’s livelihood. But now, the land I’ve poured years of labor and love into is at risk – not because we lack the knowledge, equipment, or will to farm it, but because these fields are drying up. That’s the reality for growers like me across the Central Valley. In 2014 California passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a well-intentioned law to protect California’s water future. I support the need for sustainable water use. But as SGMA implementation rolls out, farmers like me are being told we may have to drastically cut back groundwater pumping, so much so that we might only be able to farm a fraction of our land. In my case, projections suggest I could be limited to putting just one-sixth of my land into permanent crops. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
‘Abundance’ is the best way to Trump-proof California
“Up until the 1970s, California was a state known for its commitment to boundless opportunities, with the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown governorship reflective of the can-do spirit that drew people here from across the world. Given the degree to which modern California is noted for its ineffectiveness, wastefulness and regulatory sclerosis, it’s difficult to imagine a California that took its Golden State moniker seriously. Brown “envisioned a future in which economic growth would be driven by a network of state-of-the-art freeways to move people, reservoirs, and canals to capture and transport water and intellectual capital from low-cost institutions of higher education. He sold that vision to the public and, in doing so, as the late historian Kevin Starr wrote, putting California on ‘the cutting edge of the American experiment,’” per a Hoover Institution retrospective. The state grew dramatically as a result. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Proposition 4: A call to fund multi-benefit floodplain projects
The Northern California Water Association writes, “In November 2024, California voters passed Proposition 4 to fund projects for water, wildfire prevention, and protection of communities and lands. On behalf of the Floodplain Forward Coalition, we urge the Legislature to fund floodplain reactivation and priority projects through Proposition 4 and other available funding to address the urgent needs of fish and wildlife as well as water resiliency for California’s communities and economy. This important funding will help the state and diverse coalitions like ours continue to implement adaptive management principles to enhance floodplains as natural infrastructure that provides multiple benefits, including improving conditions for threatened salmon, sustaining the vulnerable Pacific Flyway, improving flood protection, and supporting groundwater sustainability. … ” Read the letter at the Northern California Water Association.
The California ESA and habitat protection
Eric Biber, a specialist in conservation biology, land-use planning and public lands law, writes, “Following up on my prior post about the proposed changes to the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations that protect against habitat modification, what might California do to protect the species within its border? California currently has 140 federally listed animal species, and 182 federally listed plant species, 19% of the 1684 species listed under the ESA in the United States. California also has its own endangered species law, the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), which provides substantial protections for listed species independent of the federal ESA. Thus, California can provide an important backstop for protection of endangered species within its borders, regardless of what happens under the federal ESA, and because of the number of listed species in California, California’s efforts would make a significant impact in protecting biodiversity. … ” Read more from the Legal Planet.
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.
Is there common ground for Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump on forestry? Timber!
Opinion writer Tom Philp writes, “In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to cut down lots of little trees for fire protection. President Donald Trump wants loggers to cut down bigger California trees for lumber. Between these two oft-warring leaders, is there a policy marriage of sorts in the woods? At first blush, the answer appears to be yes. The governor wants to reduce the fire dangers on a million California acres a year. The president wants to increase timber harvests by 25% on the state’s national forests. On paper, these two agendas are entirely compatible. But it’s one thing to order more trees to fall in a national forest. It’s another to plan for large-scale forestry operations, which takes staff and time. Trump’s team so far has shown more interest in cutting forestry staffing in California than cutting down trees. And that may stall any real changes on the ground, despite an executive order signed by the president demanding action. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
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.
How the world is catching up to and surpassing California’s clean tech sector
Andrew Chang, the chief growth officer of New Energy Nexus, writes, “As someone born and raised in Oakland, I’m proud of the Bay Area’s reputation as a hub for innovation. From the solar rooftops of Berkeley to the battery breakthroughs of Silicon Valley, this region has shaped the global clean energy conversation. But as I prepare to attend San Francisco Climate Week, I’m struck by how narrow that conversation still feels. We’re at risk of being trapped in a bubble. Recent federal rollbacks on climate and clean energy policy have made looking abroad for signs of progress even more urgent. Because here’s the truth: Some of the most exciting and impactful climate tech revolutions today are happening beyond the U.S. — they’re unfolding in China and emerging markets like Vietnam and Pakistan. These countries aren’t just catching up. In some ways, they’re pulling ahead. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
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.
Perspective: Is now the time to rethink our assumptions about NEPA?
Eric Beightel, Federal Strategy Director for Environmental Science Associates, writes, “It’s no secret that it is difficult to build infrastructure in America. Anecdotes of decades-long planning and permitting for highways, pipelines, mines, transmission lines, and various other “big” things are everywhere. As we acknowledge this challenge, there are numerous theories about how to solve it—generally lumped together under the label “permitting reform.” Congress has a role to play, to be sure, but despite recent bipartisan talks on the topic, a legislative solution is far from certain. The president’s decision to rescind the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) implementing regulations presents a more immediate opportunity. In his “Unleashing American Energy” Executive Order, the President directed the CEQ to rescind the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations that have provided federal agencies with consistency in applying NEPA across government for nearly 50 years. … ” Read more from Environmental Science Associates.
In regional water news this week …
Reclamation announces official full water allocation, water users express mixed responses
“Agricultural irrigators expressed a mix of emotions in response to the Monday afternoon announcement of a full water allocation for the 2025 season. A letter from the Bureau of Reclamation announced a full Klamath Project water allocation as defined by the 2024 Biological Opinion, which totals 330,000 acre-feet of water. “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 Herald & News.
Commentary: Understanding ‘full allocation’ for Klamath farmers
Gene Souza, Klamath Irrigation District, writes, “The term “full allocation” is central to discussions about water rights for farmers on and off the Klamath Reclamation Project, but its meaning is often misunderstood. For the more than 220,000 acres of farmland in the Klamath Reclamation Project, a “full allocation” of water is not a single number but a range of measurements tied to contracts, legal adjudications, and the practical needs of crops. As poor federal policy continues to strain the region’s water resources, clarity on this term is essential for informed, on-farm decision-making. According to some contracts, such as the 1905 contract entered into by the Klamath Irrigation District, and for Tule Lake Irrigation District, which cover more than 100,000 acres within their borders, a “full allocation” is defined as water sufficient for beneficial use without waste. That number is unknowable …but able to be roughly estimated as exceeding 300,000 acre-feet for these two districts in an average year. … ” Continue reading at the Herald & News.
Water Forum turns 25: Reflecting on the past, shaping the future with Water Forum 2050
“April 24 marks the 25th anniversary of the Water Forum Agreement. While the story of how the Water Forum came together has been told many times, it deserves reflection on how a diverse group of business leaders, citizens, environmentalists, water managers, and local governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2000 focused on the region’s water future. This visionary coalition recognized the Water Forum as crucial to securing a reliable water supply and protecting the lower American River’s environment for years to come. Over the past 25 years, the Water Forum has set an example for collaborative problem-solving. By coming together to support each other’s priorities, the diverse group of stakeholders facilitated significant infrastructure projects, improved salmonid habitat in the lower American River, developed an improved pattern of flow for the fisheries (the Flow Management Standard), built a culture of trust, and enabled quick responses to crises like drought, all without resorting to gridlock or litigation. … ” Read more from Water Forum.
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.
A unique San Francisco Bay marine lab faces closure. It has days to raise millions.
“Ecologist Katharyn Boyer must shutter the beloved marine research center she manages on the San Francisco Bay’s shores — unless she can raise millions of dollars by next week. Scientists, conservationists and community members statewide have rallied to save the Estuary and Ocean Science Center since San Francisco State University announced earlier this year that it could no longer afford to keep the doors open on its 53-acre Tiburon campus. University representatives told KQED this week that $10 million would allow them to keep the lab open at least in the short term. Boyer, the center’s interim executive director, is still scrambling to convince donors to pledge the money before the start of May. Otherwise, San Francisco State will start phasing out the center’s operations over the next six months. “It’s very little time and a lot of money, and I am starting to lose hope,” Boyer said. “There are some folks that are interested in supporting us. Whether that can happen fast enough is a really big question.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Complaint filed against SFPUC for water mismanagement
“[Yesterday], the Tuolumne River Trust filed a formal complaint alleging that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is engaging in unreasonable use of Tuolumne River water, harming both the environment and Bay Area ratepayers. At the heart of the issue is the SFPUC’s outdated and overly conservative drought planning model—known as the “Design Drought”—which has led to environmental degradation, inflated infrastructure investments, and skyrocketing water bills. “The SFPUC’s planning is based on a drought that is 72% worse than any California has experienced in the last 1,100 years. That’s not responsible management—it’s hoarding water based on fear, not fact,” said Peter Drekmeier, Policy Director for the Tuolumne River Trust (TRT). … ” Read more from the Tuolumne River Trust.
Patterson: Residents urged to contact officials as water termination deadline approaches
“Western Hills Water District had a public meeting Saturday to discuss the termination of water service to the Diablo Grande community they are currently facing and other viable water source options. WHWD Board President Mark Kovich said they have had discussions with Patterson Irrigation District on what would have to happen in order to purchase water through them instead of Kern County Water Agency, whom they owe more than $13.5 million to. Kovich said the good thing about working with PID would be that they would not have to purchase a minimum amount of water like they do with Kern County Water Agency, because of the State Water Project, and they will sell the district water at market price, only selling what the district uses. While that is a great long-term option, Kovich said it does come with challenges. … ” Read more from the Patterson Irrigator.
The LA fires left behind millions of tons of debris, some of it toxic. Where does it all go?
“For more than two months, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has been leading efforts to clear properties damaged in the Eaton and Palisades fires to prepare them for rebuilding. The operation includes scraping the top six inches of soil and ash, cutting down damaged trees, removing concrete walls and foundations compromised by heat and pulling gnarled melted metal for recycling. The Army Corps estimates that across nearly 14,000 parcels, as much as 4.5 million tons of material will be removed by the time operations wrap up (hopefully) in the fall. This is the largest municipal wildfire cleanup operation in recent history. For comparison, the deadly 2023 fires in Hawaii generated roughly 400,000 tons of debris. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Malibu: Debris removal progress yields some answers, but yet more questions
“On April 15, city staff and consultants met for a second time with homeowners whose beachfront properties burned down, reviewing debris removal progress, addressing policies that apply to most, if not all beach lots, and providing answers to detailed questions unique to various lots. Noting that the first beachfront homeowners meeting occurred five weeks previously, Yolanda Bundy, environmental sustainability director for the City of Malibu, showed a video demonstrating that there has been significant improvement in debris removal on beachfront lots. “It’s a sign of hope and that we are moving forward and that you will be rebuilding your homes,” Bundy said optimistically, adding that the city and its residents owe, “a big debt of gratitude to the Army Corps and the contractors who are helping with removal for those who opted in as well as those who opted out of having the Army Corps of Engineers remove their debris.” … ” Read more from the Malibu Times.
Santa Ynez Reservoir in Palisades must be drained again after more leaks found
“For months, Los Angeles city officials and an outside contractor have worked to ensure that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, the 117-million-gallon water complex in the heart of Pacific Palisades, could return to service by early May. Since early 2024, the reservoir had sat empty due to tears in the cover that floats across its surface. The reservoir was empty during the Jan. 7 Palisades fire, sparking anger from residents and prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for an investigation. With repairs complete, crews with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were refilling the reservoir last week when they discovered further tears and “pinhole sized leaks” in the floating cover. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Los Angeles River restoration could face setback due to climate change, wildfires
“A new movement is happening to revitalize the Los Angeles River with life, but the recent wildfires have put the progress at risk. Amid the concrete flood channels are rare green pockets within the LA River are proving essential not just for the wildlife but for the city’s resilience. The natural spaces are helping LA adapt to a hotter, drier and more unpredictable future. Long before the freeways and skyscrapers, the LA River sustained the Tongva people and Spanish settlers. Currently, it faces threats from pollution and climate change. “It’s really critical for us to understand that the river is LA’s origin story,” said Candice Dickens-Russell, the CEO of Friends of the LA River. “LA is where it is because the river is where it is and all roads lead to the river when it rains, everything finds its way here.” … ” Read more from CBS LA.
San Diego County water rate hikes won’t be as painful as feared
“Wholesale water rates — a key driver of the water bills of residents and businesses across the county — are not expected to rise nearly as much next year as previously thought. County water officials on Thursday lowered their projected wholesale water rate hike for next year from 18% to 12%, thanks primarily to higher projected water sales to local agencies over the next three years. The higher sales projections are based partly on the particularly dry winter and spring San Diego has experienced, which has increased demand for irrigation water from farmers and people with large lawns. Higher sales help the finances of the water authority because it is contractually obligated to buy more water than its member agencies typically need, forcing it to raise rates to cover its built-in costs. But the dry winter has pushed the expected demand from member agencies for next year about 10% higher than was estimated just last month — from 300,000 acre-feet to 327,000 acre-feet. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
EPA chief urges Mexico to help deliver ‘100% solution’ to clean up polluted Tijuana River
“U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday called for Mexico and the U.S. to develop a “100% solution” to stop the flow of raw sewage from Tijuana that has polluted the Tijuana River and left communities near the border coping with foul odors and beaches that are often closed because of high bacteria levels. “Americans on our side of the border who have been dealing with this for decades are out of patience,” Zeldin said during a news conference in San Diego. “They want action and they’re right.” Zeldin visited the river north of the border and met with Mexican government officials as well as local officials in San Diego County. He said the Trump administration is seeking “max collaboration and extreme urgency to end a crisis that should have ended a long time ago.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Colorado River Basin states have just weeks left to agree on plan
“During a tour of the Western Slope last week, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said he was frustrated with the pace of negotiations that could determine how the Colorado River is shared in the future and that the Upper Basin states may be pushing back too hard. A deal should have been reached last summer, he said. “Colorado should have a right to keep the water that we have been using the way we’ve been using it, and I don’t think we should compromise that,” Hickenlooper said. “But there are a lot of things we could do to give a little to be part of the solution to the Lower Basin and get to a collaborative solution. Again, I’m frustrated by our lack of progress.” The remarks came during a Q&A with reporters April 15 after a roundtable in Glenwood Springs with Western Slope water managers, many of whom spoke about their projects that were promised funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, which was earmarked for environmental and drought issues. That funding has since been frozen by the Trump administration. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE of Petitions for Temporary Urgency Change Petitions for Sonoma County Water Agency
NOTICE of Petitions for Temporary Urgency Changes for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
