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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Filling the Gaps in Drought Resilience for Rural Communities from 12pm to 1pm. Presented by Julie Ekstrom, Senior Environmental Scientist, California Dept. of Water Resources. Join the webinar: ucanr.zoom.us/j/99691746842?pwd=XnpPcse4azHVm6evgXabKioZ3b9zYQ.1
- LEG HEARING: Assembly Committee on Natural Resources beginning at 2:30pm. Click here for more details.
In California water news today …
A look at Water Year 2025: Wet season’s end
“California’s Water Year runs from October 1 of the previous calendar year through September 30. California’s “wet” season is traditionally October 1 – April 1. The rest of the year (and often parts of the “wet” season) is usually dry. We can get major storms into April, but often not. So almost all of this Water Year’s precipitation has fallen already. Statewide precipitation this wet season has been unusually average overall (104%), but a bit weird otherwise. The north was unusually wet (and without major floods), but the south was unusually dry – so extremely dry for months that the south had extensive wildfires in January! … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Lower Yuba River ‘fishway’ advances. The anglers who fish there have concerns
“An agreement to build a waterway allowing fish to swim freely past a dam on the lower Yuba River has moved forward as part of an initiative that also includes returning a threatened salmon species to another part of the watershed. Federal, state and local agencies have partnered on the potentially $100 million project and tout its goal of restoring access for a variety of fish species to parts of the river system walled off for more than a century. “Together, these actions will help us fight challenges to fish health and repopulation in the Yuba River through creative, science-based solutions,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, in a news release. “This initiative will also lead to better water supply reliability, as we modernize an old water diversion in a collaborative, comprehensive approach between water users and fisheries agencies.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Troubling trifecta: Multi-year salmon season closure continues for a third year
“Earlier this month, news of the 2025 commercial salmon fishery closure off the coast of California was announced for an unprecedented third consecutive year. Although the outcomes of last year’s salmon season – or lack thereof – seem bleak, FISHBIO has taken the opportunity to crunch the numbers and examine key findings from previous years’ salmon abundance projections, estimated escapement, and harvest values to help understand how salmon populations are faring across the Central Valley in response to fishery management decisions. The 2024 salmon population, sadly, continued the downward trend that was exhibited in previous years. Although the fishery has remained closed for three consecutive wet water years, the overall spawner abundance (termed “escapement”) has not shown signs of recovery and continues to fall short of statewide management goals. While there are some positive developments from the 2024 population, threats facing salmon in California continue to be multifaceted. … ” Read more from FishBio.
The growing impact of ENSO on extreme drought and flood events
“Extreme hydroclimate events, such as droughts, floods, and heavy rainfall, account for a substantial portion of weather-related disasters in the United States, leading to significant socio-economic losses involving agriculture, water resources, and public health, among others. For instance, from 1980 to 2024, droughts were responsible for approximately $368 billion in economic losses for the United States, while inland flooding was responsible for $293 billion in damages. In a new study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, scientists showed an increase in future winter extreme hydroclimate events in the United States, with extreme droughts becoming more common in the Southwest and extreme floods becoming more common in the Southeast and Northeast. The study found that these changes are fueled by increasing El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impact and regional rainfall trends. … ” Read more from NOAA.
Officials uncover rare win-win solution for flood protection and wildlife recovery — and the results stunned everyone
“It’s rare to see a project with multiple projected benefits achieve success in every way. The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback Project is a fantastic example. This project has been in the works for decades as an effort to increase flood control management, ecosystem restoration, and regional planning. California is no stranger to flooding, with all 58 counties enduring floods at least once in the last quarter century. It’s hard to imagine, given the more recent news that has been extensively focused on wildfires in the Golden State. In addition to flooding and wildfires, the state is experiencing a significant drop in the salmon population because of human-driven environmental factors. The latter is a direct result of the former, and both the environment and California residents are reaping the rewards. LEBLS resulted in a floodplain habitat loaded with zooplankton, a key food source for young salmon. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Fallowed agricultural lands dominate anthropogenic dust sources in California
“Air pollution remains a major problem in many parts of California, significantly impacting public health and regional climate. However, the contribution of anthropogenic dust from agricultural sources, among major pollutants in California’s semi-arid Central Valley, remains largely unclear. Here, we used the Cropland Data Layer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to identify crop types and land use/cover and leveraged satellite-derived estimates of major dust events between 2008 and 2022 over California. We identified fallowed land—an unplanted agricultural land parcel—as a key anthropogenic dust source in California. Specifically, we find that the Central Valley accounts for about 77% of total fallowed land areas in California, where they are associated with about 88% of major anthropogenic dust events. We also find that the geographic coverage of these fallowed lands expanded between 2008 and 2022 with associated increasing anthropogenic dust activities. … ” Continue reading at Nature.
Tribal clash stalls CEQA consultation reform bill
“An intense dispute between federally- and non-federally recognized California Native American tribes over a bill intended to give tribal governments more control over development that encroaches on their sacred lands has convinced the author to pause the measure. After significant negations over the last few weeks failed to bring the opponents together, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) turned her proposal, AB 52, into a two-year bill to allow the two sides time to come closer together. The bill – sponsored by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake – attempts to address a problem that has long plagued California’s Native American tribes: lead agencies under the California Environmental Quality Act who rely on the expertise of outsiders instead of the tribes when negotiating access to Tribal Cultural Resources (TCR). … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
Wildfires this year expected to exceed historical averages: Report
“Wildfires could ravage between 7 million and 9 million acres of U.S. land this year, exceeding seasonal averages from the past two decades, meteorologists are warning. Between 60,000 fires and 75,000 fires are expected to ignite, with between 7,500 and 9,000 occurring in California alone, according to the report, released Wednesday by AccuWeather. This year has already been off to a rough start, beginning with Southern California blazes that caused an estimated $250 billion to $275 billion in total damages, the report noted. The fire threat will soon likely escalate again, with months of heat and prolonged drought on the horizon. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Wildfire-induced enhancement in downstream flood discharge in watersheds of California.
“Global climate change is increasingly associated with the prevalence of extreme precipitation and large wildfires. The influence of large wildfires on downstream flood discharge is concerning, particularly from a flood risk management perspective, where understanding the impact at a watershed scale is still fairly limited. This study investigates the impacts of wildfires on down-stream flood discharge in 30 Californian watersheds using a Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Substantial post-fire discharge increases, with an average 17.1% increment in 83.3% of watersheds, were found during the first post-fire year. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the enhancement in discharge volume and the percentage of burned watershed area. The study also showed that incorporating historical wildfire activity significantly raised the probable maximum flood. These wildfire-induced increases are on par with California’s climate change projection, underscoring the need to factor in wildfire effects in flood risk assessments and water management strategies at this type of location. … ” Read more from Prevention Web.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s new director talks freshwater ecology at science series
“Stephanie Hampton, the Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s (TERC) new director, took to the stage as part of the Center’s science series to speak about her work in freshwater ecology, what excites her about lakes, and why she came to Tahoe to work at the TERC. Hampton’s only been at the TERC for seven weeks, but she has two decades of experience in freshwater ecology research—which has helped inform stakeholders and policymakers in the environmental world. She previously worked as deputy director for the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as director of the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach at Washington State University, where she was also a professor. During her talk, Hampton highlighted the scarcity of fresh water on Earth and how important it was to protect and steward that tiny amount. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Tahoe’s most influential laboratory is aboard this 48-year-old repurposed fishing boat
“Sunlight glimmers on Lake Tahoe on a spring morning in April as the John LeConte, the 48-year-old research vessel for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, motors across the glassy water. The engine turns over with a rhythmic revving that eventually fades into a background hum. Gentle waves ripple out from the prow, but the water is otherwise completely still. I’m onboard the John LeConte with a group of scientists. We’re heading to the middle of Lake Tahoe to get a picture of what’s happening beneath the surface of the water, all the way down to the deepest parts of the lake. A fishing boat customized into a floating laboratory, the John LeConte is an iconic fixture on Lake Tahoe. On any given day, so long as the weather is clear, UC Davis scientists are on the boat, collecting samples of cold water from the deepest parts of Lake Tahoe, dropping a jellyfish-shaped net to catch zooplankton or leaning over the edge of the deck to watch a white frisbee-shaped disk sink into the water. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
How have water and floods shaped Yuba-Sutter history? New museum exhibit explains
“In the beginning there was water and land, rivers and floodplains. Now there are levees and dams, and centuries of history brought by the rivers dictating the fate of Sutter and Yuba counties. Knowing the history of the land, a reasonable person may wonder how — more than why — people have lived there for so long. A new exhibit at the Sutter County Museum delves into that answer, showing the history of floods and human intervention in the Yuba-Sutter area. “Especially with flooding, that’s something people have been wanting for a long time, to have a more thorough flood exhibit that really tells more of the Yuba-Sutter story,” said Molly Bloom, Sutter County Museum director. “That’s been a big void in our permanent exhibit. I know that means a lot to a lot of people here because it is so personal.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
BAY AREA
East Bay boaters navigate new inspection process to fight spread of invasive golden mussel
“All across Northern California, the fight is on to prevent the spread of an invasive shellfish called the golden mussel. It has the potential to do billions of dollars in damage to water infrastructure and, as a result, the East Bay Regional Park District has announced changes to the way boaters can operate on its lakes. When golden mussels were first discovered on a float near the Port of Stockton last year, it sent shockwaves through Northern California water agencies. The invasive mollusk, native to Asia, can thrive in most kinds of water and reproduces rapidly, fouling pipes and motors and just about anything it gets a hold of. And that spells bad news for fishermen like Ali Moayedi. “It just feels like the ecosystem is really fragile and any minute you could lose whatever lake you’re fishing at. So, it’s kind of … it is scary, to say the least,” said Ali. “I’m scared to go to the Delta because then I might not be let back into here. Which is kind of scary, too!” … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area.
USGS: Linking tidal-creek sediment fluxes to vertical sediment accretion in a restored salt marsh
“A newly published study from USGS combines time-series measurements of sediment fluxes, repeat elevation surveys, and sediment core analysis to assess the long-term progress and future vulnerability of a restored marsh in South San Francisco Bay, part of one the largest wetland restoration projects on the U.S. West Coast. Salt marshes are critical coastal ecosystems, providing habitat for fish and wildlife and protecting coastlines from storms and flooding. Historically, San Francisco Bay was surrounded by 77,000 hectares of tidal wetlands. Human activities have reduced that area by almost 80 percent around the Bay; in South San Francisco Bay, 83 percent of salt marsh has been lost. In an effort to reverse decades of marsh loss, nearly 6,000 hectares (~15,000 acres) of former salt-production ponds in South San Francisco Bay are being restored into salt-marsh habitat. However, few restoration sites have been monitored in detail to understand the physical processes responsible for marsh recovery. Coastal marshes rely on accumulating sediment to rise along with sea levels. If they can’t keep pace, they risk being submerged—called “marsh drowning.” … ” Read more from the USGS.
USGS: What are key conditions for marsh survival amid rising seas?
A new study led by USGS scientists uses advanced 3D modeling to identify the key factors that determine whether a marsh gains or loses sediment—findings that could improve efforts to protect these vital ecosystems. For a marsh to keep pace with sea-level rise, it must build up enough sediment via accretion to counteract erosion. This sediment can come from nearby rivers, bays, and mudflats, but the process of sediment transport is complex and often poorly understood. In the study, researchers used on-the-ground observations from China Camp Marsh in San Francisco Bay to create a numerical model incorporating flow, waves, vegetation, and sediment movement in order to better understand which conditions help or hinder marsh survival. … ” Continue reading from the USGS.
CENTRAL COAST
Soquel completes construction of water recycling project
“Soquel has finished construction on a water reuse project that’s been in the works for 10 years. The Pure Water Soquel project will divert a quarter of the water coming out of the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility to an advanced water purification plant. From there, injection wells will pump treated water back into the ground. Soquel Creek Water District general manager Melanie Mow Schumacher says the project will address two major problems with the mid-county groundwater basin. “There’s been too much water over time historically that has been extracted than has been replenished by natural rainfall,” Mow Schumacher says. That over-extraction creates seawater intrusion. … ” Read more from KAZU.
Swimming in this California lake has been banned since 1953. That might change.
“Officials in Santa Barbara County are exploring the possibility of allowing visitors to swim in Lake Cachuma, a human-made reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley where swimming has been banned since its creation in 1953. The idea was first brought up at a recent Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting by District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino. Lavagnino’s office has been looking into what it would take to start allowing swimming at the lake for some time now, according to Cory Bantilan, Lavagnino’s chief of staff. “It just seems to us that the lake is such a great resource in the county for locals and for visitors, and it’s just really underutilized,” Bantilan told SFGATE by phone. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
City has no comment on water district letter responding to Garrett
““No comment.” That was the response on April 24 from Key Budge, spokesperson for the city of Tehachapi, regarding a letter from Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District sent to City Manager Greg Garrett on April 10. The letter was referenced by water district General Manager Tom Neisler during the April 16 water board meeting. It was in response to Garrett’s letter of March 24 ending negotiations on a new contract with the water district. The war of words between the two public agencies has spilled out of the courtroom where three lawsuits remain pending and into the public realm with comments by the water district — but no comment from the city beyond those made by the city manager in his March 24 letter. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A rare glimpse inside the mountain tunnel that carries water to Southern California
“Thousands of feet below the snowy summit of Mt. San Jacinto, a formidable feat of engineering and grit makes life as we know it in Southern California possible. The 13-mile-long San Jacinto Tunnel was bored through the mountain in the 1930s by a crew of about 1,200 men who worked day and night for six years, blasting rock and digging with machinery. Completed in 1939, the tunnel was a cornerstone in the construction of the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct. It enabled the delivery of as much as 1 billion gallons of water per day. The tunnel is usually off-limits when it is filled and coursing with a massive stream of Colorado River water. But recently, while it was shut down for annual maintenance, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California opened the west end of the passage to give The Times and others a rare look inside. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
After the Eaton fire, Altadena dirt was sent to Tujunga. Then came the backlash
“Residents in the rugged enclave of Tujunga became suspicious in January after dirt-filled trucks began inundating their neighborhood streets, dumping their loads on nearby county-owned property. Their inquiries revealed that the trucks carried winter storm sediment dredged from catch basins that were quickly inundated with runoff in and around fire-scarred Altadena. The basins, essential to flood control in the San Gabriel Mountains, are largely located above residential burns areas, according to the county. But the hauling and dumping operation has led to a dramatic fallout between county officials and Tujunga residents and is another example of a community fearful of accepting debris related to the Eaton and Palisades fires. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Where’s the federal aid for Los Angeles County fires?
“In the aftermath of the deadly January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to L.A. and Washington, D.C. to lobby President Donald Trump and members of Congress for federal aid. But three months later, Congress has yet to move on Newsom’s $40 billion request, reports CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff. Meanwhile, frustrations from Democratic voters over Trump’s other policies put mounting pressure on the governor to push back — even though Newsom must still work with Trump to secure disaster relief. Newsom met the president during a particularly tense time in their relationship: Trump had repeatedly threatened to withhold federal disaster aid; and the state Legislature wrapped up a special session, called by Newsom, to earmark funds for potential legal clashes against Trump’s administration. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Algal bloom death toll raises “serious concern for ocean health”
“An outbreak of domoic acid linked to one of the largest harmful algae blooms ever recorded along the Southern California coast has led to the illness and deaths of thousands of marine mammals and birds in recent months, including California sea lions, common dolphins, and confirmed cases in at least two species of whales. Results of postmortem analysis carried out on a juvenile female humpback whale and a subadult male minke whale confirmed the presence of high levels of domoic acid – a potent neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms – in multiple samples from both, including within their faeces, stomach contents, and urine. … This is the fourth consecutive year with a domoic acid outbreak off Southern California, an event that has – according to researchers and on-the-ground conservations – been occurring earlier and earlier each year with greater severity. … ” Read more from Oceanographic Magazine.
SAN DIEGO
Carlsbad water and sewer rates to climb 49% in 3 years
“Carlsbad’s residential water and sewer rates will increase 20% on July 1 and a total of 49% over the next three years under a plan approved Tuesday by the City Council. Several residents opposed the rate hikes, but city staffers said they are needed to pass along a 14% increase in the price of water purchased from the San Diego County Water Authority and to cover inflation and the rising costs of maintenance and capital improvements. “It sounds like a lot … but everything is going up,” said Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel. The City Council approved the new rate structure on a 4-1 vote with Councilmember Melanie Burkholder opposed. Burkholder said the higher bills would be bad for business, and that the city should “do more with less” and consider deferred maintenance. Other council members said any delays in maintaining the water system will compromise service and are likely to cost ratepayers more in the long run. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
It’s more than just sewage: 175 toxic chemicals found in water samples, scientist says
“Turns out there’s a lot more than sewage polluting our rivers, oceans and air, according to scientists who study the cross-border sewage crisis. More than 175 toxic chemicals have been found in water samples collected from the Tijuana River Valley, according to Dr. Paula Stigler Granados, who spoke at the Coronado High School Stop the Sewage Health Forum on Wednesday. “These chemicals are bad actors,” said Granados. “These are things that should not be in our waters.” She said that out of the 392 chemicals found in samples, 224 appear on a regulatory list, and 175 appear in the EPA Toxic Substance list. In addition, many of the chemicals are what scientists call an “emerging concern,” which means no one knows just how toxic they are yet. … ” Read more from The Coronado Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Podcast: Colorado River states were supposed to agree on a water plan. Where’s that at today?
“Water is worth more than gold in the nation’s driest state. Every year, we watch snowfall in the Rocky Mountains to see if enough snowmelt trickles down the Colorado. We watch the rise and fall of Lake Mead. We replace grass with desert landscapes. And we watch managers of water in Colorado River states to see if they can come up with a good new plan to conserve more water. So where are we today?” Listen at KNPR.
Why does the Colorado River seem to vanish at a certain point in Glenwood Canyon?
“The Colorado River is starting to swell with spring runoff, but just a few months ago, Avi Stopper clocked a gap in the Western United States’ most important water supply. Stopper was driving back to Denver from an event in Carbondale. Heading east on Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon, he saw the Colorado River perform a curious trick. “What I would consider the lower part of Glenwood Canyon had the Colorado River in its normal state: Raging amongst the stones and rapids and that sort of thing,” Stopper said. “And then as we drove a little farther east, all of a sudden, there was no river. There were some puddles, but it wasn’t really even flowing.” Stopper found the observation curious because he was traveling upriver. Even more curious, a mile or two later, the water was back. It wasn’t that the water had dried up. It’d just gone away for a minute. … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio.
Commentary: One way to stretch Nevada’s dwindling water supplies
Denise Moyle, a second-generation farmer in Diamond Valley, writes, “Farmers are the backbone of our country, and this is especially true for the Diamond Valley in Eureka County. This area is known for its production of crops such as wheat, oats and alfalfa hay, which contribute significantly to Nevada’s billion-dollar agricultural industry. My family’s farming heritage in Diamond Valley began in the late 1970s when my father moved here to grow the area’s staple crop, alfalfa. Over the years, we purchased more land, growing our farm into one of the largest in the valley. Each new property came with water rights, vital to our farming operations. As we grew older, my sisters and I rejoined the family business, purchasing land from our parents and neighbors to continue our family’s legacy of growing crops to help feed American families. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Arizona: A 35-mile pipeline would help Flagstaff address drought. New study brings it a step closer
“The Bureau of Reclamation recently agreed to take the first step in a major water project for northern Arizona, and it could impact Flagstaff’s future water supply. The water supply at Flagstaff’s Red Gap Ranch has been in the city’s hands for nearly two decades. Now a new study could bring the long-planned water pipeline one step closer to reality. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona: Patrick Adams: A fresh approach to the long history of water policy
“Patrick Adams serves as the senior adviser for water policy to Gov. Katie Hobbs, where he helps implement her plans for Arizona’s water future. In an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times, Adams discussed his passion for water policy and how he keeps a positive outlook as the state faces myriad water challenges. … ” Read more from the Arizona Capitol Times.
Colorado: How Zebra Mussels could impact summer activities
“Zebra Mussels are freshwater, bivalve mollusks that are an invasive species across the world. This includes parts of Western Colorado. Right now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said Zebra Mussels have infested Highline Lake, the Highline Canal, and parts of the Colorado River that is downstream of the Beavertail Tunnel in De Beque. Currently, only juvenile Zebra Mussels have been found in the Colorado River, but things could change at any time. With summer coming, more people are expected to be having fun on the water. Zebra Mussels could have an impact on these activities. Their sharp shells make shorelines dangerous. However, if locals aren’t careful, they could become a much bigger issue. … ” Read more from KJCT.
Colorado: The price of conserving water
“When Colorado convened a working group on water speculation, its members shared stories of times in which they’d seen or thought they might have seen investment water speculation occurring — when water rights are purchased with a primary purpose of profiting from the future sale or lease of that water as demand drives up its price. On the list was the notion that buyers with no real interest in agriculture would buy agricultural land and water rights with the primary intention of enrolling in a program that pays water rights holders not to use that water. The concern, essentially, was that programs that compensate farmers for fallowing fields like the Upper Colorado River Basin’s System Conservation Pilot Program, and nonprofits that fundraise to keep water in streams weren’t sufficiently guarded against abuse, particularly when it comes to an increasingly constrained Colorado River system. … ” Read more from Water Education Colorado.
In national water news today …
River water temperatures swing from hot to cold: major discovery shows value of open-source environmental data
“Scientists have unveiled rapid fluctuations in river water temperature across the United States (US), with rivers controlled by dams showing more frequent and volatile thermal changes. Experts at the University of Birmingham and Indiana University based their research on national scale, open-source data from the US Geological Survey. Such data are an essential scientific resource for understanding environmental variability between different places and over time, especially in a warming and increasingly human-dominated world. In this research, the authors leveraged 15 years’ worth of high-resolution temperature data nationally in the first study of its kind globally. The research team built on conventional river water temperature focussing on extreme or average values and analysed how quickly river water temperature changes, which dictates whether animals can adjust or find safe places to survive during thermal shifts. This research – which has been recently published in Environmental Research Letters –revealed the prevalence of rapid temperature changes, with 6,507 surges (temperature rises) and 4,787 plummets (temperature falls) being identified at 88 of the 102 stations assessed. … ” Read more from Water Magazine.
A siege on science: How Trump is undoing an American legacy
“Across seven decades and a dozen presidencies, America’s scientific prowess was arguably unmatched. At universities and federal agencies alike, researchers in the United States revolutionized weather forecasting, cured deadly diseases, and began monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. As far back as 1990, Congress directed this scientific might toward understanding climate change, after finding that human-induced global warming posed a threat to “human health, and global economic and social well-being.”Donald Trump and his new administration evidently disagree. In the first 100 days of his second stint in the White House, the president has released a slew of orders that destabilize this apparatus. … ” Read more from Grist.
Trump’s NOAA downplayed a huge finding: CO2 surged last year
“Climate-warming carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere grew at a record-breaking speed in 2024, surging by 3.7 parts per million, a recent NOAA data analysis has found. It’s one of the agency’s biggest scientific findings of the year — yet the research largely has flown under the radar after NOAA officials took steps to minimize the announcement. Instead of publishing a press release or a featured article online, the agency described the findings only in social media posts on Facebook and on X. And the posts failed to highlight the dataset’s most important finding: that last year’s CO2 concentrations jumped by an unprecedented amount. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Zeldin’s plan for endangerment finding: Accept warming, contest its costs
“One of the biggest mysteries surrounding President Donald Trump’s EPA is how it plans to revoke the endangerment finding — the lifeblood of most climate regulations. Hints about its strategy may have been hiding in plain sight for a month now — ever since EPA announced a slew of deregulatory actions in a single afternoon. Experts said EPA may be betting that it can upend the scientific finding — which paved the way for the nation’s rules on climate pollution on cars, power plants and across other sectors — without taking direct aim at the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are driving up global temperatures. Instead EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other officials whom the president tasked in January with undoing the finding could raise questions about whether a sector — or even the whole country — contributes enough climate pollution globally to warrant regulation. They may also try to redefine how air pollution can harm the public — a necessary predicate for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. “Maybe they’ll change their mind, but they seem to have an idea of how they want to go about revoking the finding,” said Jeff Holmstead, who served as EPA’s air chief under President George W. Bush. … ” Read more from E&E Magazine.
