A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
House Republicans vote to remove California fish from endangered species list
“House Republicans passed a measure Thursday that would repeal the government’s decision to place California’s longfin smelt, a finger-sized fish, on the endangered species list. House members passed the resolution, introduced by California Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), in a 216-195 vote that followed party lines. The resolution now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate. “We want to block the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s misguided decision to list the San Francisco Bay Delta population of the longfin smelt as being endangered,” LaMalfa, who represents a rice-growing region in Northern California, said before the vote. He said the agency’s decision last year to declare the fish species endangered was “unscientific” and said it’s making it harder to deliver water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmers. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
California, federal government, Yuba Water Agency partner up in historic project to reopen North Yuba River to native fish
“California is working with state, local, and federal agencies in a historic project to repopulate the North Yuba River with native fish and help protect the state’s waterways and ecosystems. Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new historic agreement to help return spring-run Chinook salmon and other native fish species to their historic habitats in the Yuba River was signed today. The collaborative partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Yuba Water Agency, and NOAA Fisheries, will allow salmon, steelhead, lamprey, and sturgeon, some of the oldest fish lineages on the planet, to access miles of habitat in the Lower Yuba River and North Yuba River not accessible for more than 100 years. “In California, we know that water management isn’t a zero-sum game, and we are happy to see that the federal administration is on board with our strategy to safeguard our precious ecosystems. Today, we stand together with our federal partners to restore our waterways and wildlife, including our native fish,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. … ” Click here to continue reading press releases.
California’s biggest reservoir reaches capacity for third straight year
“California’s largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, reached capacity this week, marking the third straight year it has filled or nearly filled with water. The run of big water years at the reservoir reflects the unusual string of wet winters the state has experienced, and it bodes well for water supplies this year across California. The lake, which stretches across an extraordinary 35 miles in the southern Cascades north of Redding near Mount Shasta, is the cornerstone of the federally run Central Valley Project. Its supplies are sent to cities and farms hundreds of miles away, including the Bay Area. The San Joaquin Valley’s booming agricultural industry is the primary beneficiary. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
California marks third year of decent Sierra snowpack
“For the third time in as many years, snowfall in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains stood at or above average as the rainy season comes to a close, giving the state a further reprieve from the severe drought conditions that have plagued the West Coast in recent decades. “Overall we have made it to above median in terms of our snowfall this season,” Andrew Schwartz, the director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, said at a presentation Thursday. “Which is fantastic news.” A recent storm not only added another 9 inches of snowfall at the research laboratory located at the Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada this week, Schwartz said, but also slowed the snowmelt that has started already as the temperatures have begun to rise. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Wet winter, full reservoirs lead to increased water deliveries from state, federal governments
“Water agencies up and down California will be getting larger allocations from the state and federal delivery systems this year, water managers announced this week. On Tuesday, the California Department of Water Resources announced it would be increasing deliveries to 50 percent of requested supplies from the State Water Project — that’s up from 40 percent in March. Also, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that deliveries to irrigation systems and other water contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta are being increased from 40 percent of requested supplies to 50 percent. Meanwhile, farms north of the Delta, and within the Delta itself, will receive 100 percent of their requested supplies from the federal Central Valley Project. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Chowchilla may be first San Joaquin Valley subbasin to get do-over on inadequate groundwater plan
“The state Water Resources Control Board will consider sending the Chowchilla subbasin back to another state agency for evaluation of its revised groundwater sustainability plan. If Chowchilla makes it back to the arms of the Department of Water Resources (DWR), it will be the first of seven San Joaquin Valley subbasins considered for enforcement action to have made that full U-turn. The recommendation to send Chowchilla back to DWR will be considered at the Water Board’s June 3 meeting. In an assessment released Friday, Water Board staff said Chowchilla’s four groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) adequately addressed deficiencies. “The GSAs show a greater commitment to protecting drinking water users and improved groundwater management,” the assessment stated. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
How California’s farmers can recharge the aquifers they’ve drained
“In parts of California’s Central Valley, so much groundwater has been pumped out of the ground to deal with the region’s persistent drought that the land is starting to sink in. Underground aquifers — layers of sand, gravel, clay, and water — are vital resources that communities can turn to when surface water is scarce. But when more water is pumped out of aquifers than is put back in — as is happening in the southern part of the valley — it can cause the ground to slowly contract, like a drying sponge. After studying this phenomenon, Rosemary Knight, a professor of geophysics at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, became interested in identifying the fastest ways to replenish California’s groundwater using managed aquifer recharge. This technique involves flooding a piece of land with excess surface water and allowing that water to seep through the ground and into aquifers, where it can be stored for later use. Armed with a massive electromagnetic dataset, Knight and a team of researchers set out to analyze sediment types below the surface in the California Central Valley and map out the quickest routes to refilling aquifers. Their research, published last month in the journal Earth and Space Science, found that between 2 million and 7 million acres of land in the Central Valley are suitable for recharge — or between 19 and 56 percent of the valley’s total area. … ” Read more from Grist.
Willow Springs Water Bank moves closer to meeting WSIP milestones
“At its April meeting, the California Water Commission received an update from the CIM Group and representatives of the Southern California Water Bank Authority, proponents of the Willow Springs Water Bank Conjunctive Use Project. They sought to assure the Commission that the project was progressing steadily toward meeting the remaining Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) requirements. Proposition 1 of 2014 dedicated $2.7 billion for investments in public benefits of water storage projects. The California Water Commission is administering the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) to fund the benefits associated with these projects. In July 2018, the Commission made maximum conditional eligibility determinations (MCEDs), awarding $128 million to the Willow Springs project. To receive the funding award, the project must complete environmental documents, execute contracts for public benefits, and obtain necessary permits and approvals. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act may worsen dust storms
“A new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment says the Central Valley accounts for about 77% of total fallowed (unplanted) land in California and is associated with about 88% of major anthropogenic dust events, caused by human actions. Local residents are well familiar with blowing dust and this paper says it’s getting worse. Dust can carry infectious soil-dwelling fungal spores, which cause coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) when inhaled. The Central Valley is a hotspot for coccidioidomycosis in California, where incidences have increased by 800% between 2000 and 2018, and dust exposures have been linked to increased infection risk. Previous studies showed that substantial fractions of dust deposited on Sierra Nevada snow are from the Central Valley and that the deposited dust can change snowmelt timing over the Sierra Nevada and substantially impact California’s vulnerability to water resources. … ” Read more from the Hanford Sentinel.
‘We need to plan for a more water-resilient future:’ Q&A with Richard G. Luthy, urban water expert
“Richard G. Luthy is the Silas H. Palmer Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, and the former director of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), a four-university consortium. His work focuses on ways to ensure that water overflows in both urban and rural California can be captured and stored underground — a requirement now as the ability to construct new dams for overground storage has almost vanished. Felicity Barringer, the editor and lead writer for “& the West,” conducted this interview. … ” Read the Q&A at … & the West.
USGS Water data centers may soon close, threatening states’ water management
“Across the country, the data collected at stream gauges managed by the U.S. Geological Survey are used to implement drought measures when streamflows are low, alert local authorities of floods, help administer water to users on rivers and issue pollution discharge permits required by the Clean Water Act for communities across the country. But more than two dozen USGS Water Science Centers that house the employees and equipment to manage those gauges and equipment will soon have their leases terminated after being targeted by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk. Data collected by the centers inform studies of the condition of the country’s water resources and shape local and state water management plans. It’s the latest in the Trump administration’s assault on science and federal agencies, and means that centers from Alaska to Massachusetts will close once their leases are up, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit that supports government employees. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
How California partners with the federal government on water and weather forecasts
“There’s a lot in the news about changes underway at federal agencies, including agencies California relies on for water and weather forecasts. The reductions in funding and workforce will have implications for the state. As these changes continue to unfold, it’s worth taking a step back to examine exactly how the state partners with the federal government on forecasts. We asked climate scientist Daniel Swain to explain. Q: How is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) involved in weather forecasting in California? A: NOAA operates a vast array of instruments that measure weather, including satellites, radar, wind sensors, weather balloons, and thermometers. NOAA also brings the data together and makes it available for free to the public, including easy-to-use visualizations, such as the NOAA Climate at a Glance portal. It’s a fundamental public service used by researchers, businesses, local governments, and others. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
McNerney’s taking on water, Newsom and Trump
“Sen. Jerry McNerney is stepping into the fight over one of the biggest modern-day water projects in California — a tunnel to reroute more water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta south to farmers and cities — just as it’s heating up. Representatives of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region have long railed against the project for its potential impact on the environment and local water supplies. But McNerney, a 22-year veteran of Congress who came to the state Senate last year to represent San Joaquin County, which will bear the brunt of the tunnel’s construction, sees political forces aligning in a way that they haven’t in decades. “It’s going to be more of a challenge for us to keep the discussion to actually the benefit and cost of this thing, as opposed to just the will to get it done,” he said. … ” Read more from Politico.
In commentary this week …
Will the ‘abundance’ agenda make California great again?
Steven Greenhut, western region director for the R Street Institute, writes, “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. The Brown administration built most of the State Water Project in less time than it would take to complete an Environmental Impact Report these days. … ” Read more from Reason.
C-WIN: The DCP: Financially strapped households pay, the politically connected prosper
“The cost of living in California has always been high – and it’s getting worse for low-income and working-class residents. While the focus typically is on housing, home energy and food, water costs often go overlooked. But water rates have been rising quickly across the state, further stressing household budgets and necessitating public response. In Southern California, urban water agencies have been making critical investments in conservation and local water supplies to buffer against intensifying droughts triggered by climate change. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state provided over $385 million in water debt relief. Managing the impacts of these investments on water bills has been a significant challenge, but Governor Newsom nevertheless is aggressively pushing for the construction of the Delta Tunnel – also known as the Delta Conveyance Project – which could cost upward of $40 billion after the inevitable construction cost overruns and interest on bonds. … ” Read more from C-WIN.
The federal government is fighting new California water-quality regulations
Molly Taylor with Northcoast Environmental Center, writes, “The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are fighting against having to comply with the Clean Water Act. Instead of fixing its broken roads that bleed sediment into salmon-bearing streams, the federal agencies are opposing new regulations that would hold them accountable for repairs. We think this stinks. The Clean Water Act is an interesting law. Although it is a federal law, it leaves implementation to individual states. In California, we implement the Clean Water Act through the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Under Porter-Cologne, the state is broken into various districts, each with the responsibility to regulate water quality pollution to achieve water quality objectives—roughly that all waters should be drinkable, fishable and swimmable. Logging has significantly impaired water quality across the state. In our region, many rivers are “impaired” because of sediment pollution. The federal government, as the largest landowner in the region, has a significant role in the historic and ongoing impairment of water quality. Too many poorly maintained roads bleed sediment into nearby streams, sometimes slowly but continuously, and sometimes in a dramatic large sudden burst. … ” Read more from EPIC.
Edward Ring: How to add 10 MAF/yr to California’s water supply
Edward Ring writes, “There is a good chance that a Californian is going to be nominated to become the new Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. One source of opposition to his confirmation could be senators representing states that share with California the waters of the Colorado River, concerned that a Californian will not sufficiently take into account their interests. But if California invests in projects to increase its water supply, it won’t need as much water from the Colorado River. What follows are ways California, and only California, has the potential to increase its annual water supply by 10 million acre feet per year. That’s enough to cope with a prolonged drought without starving cities or farms of water. It’s also enough to make generous deals with the other states that withdraw water from the Colorado River. … ” Continue reading this commentary by Edward Ring.
Outdated water regulations: A call for action
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs for the Milk Producers Council, writes, “Despite the fact that California has very full Northern California reservoirs and plenty of capacity in the major aqueducts and space to store water south of the delta, the state and federal delta pumping plants sit virtually idle, allowing tens of thousands of acre-feet of fresh water to flow out to the ocean every day. As the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley pointed out in a statement this week, the reason this water is heading to ocean is a 25-year-old regulation called D-1641. This regulation, enforced by the State Water Resources Control Board, severely restricts pumping from the delta between April 15 and May 15 each year. The regulation is designed to help fish and water quality. What the Blueprint statement points out is that “despite the longstanding implementation of all of the D-1641 requirements, fish populations have continued to decline, leaving biologists…and water users…questioning what, if any benefit this requirement is providing.” This restriction will cost California water users about 250,000 acre-feet of water this month and is part of the reason that, despite having an above average precipitation year, State Water Project contractors and federal south-of-delta water contractors are only being allocated 40 percent of their contracted supplies. The Blueprint statement calls on both the state and federal governments to update the regulations to be more efficient in providing environmental benefits as well as increasing the water supply for human needs. … ” Read more from the Milk Producers Council.
Failed water policies spawn unprecedented third commercial salmon season closure
Dan Bacher writes, “Coastal towns, river communities, and tens of thousands of salmon fishermen and women, businesses, and employees that serve both the sport and commercial salmon fishery will be harmed by an unprecedented third consecutive closure of the commercial salmon season, according to a press release from the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA). “On Tuesday, April 15, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to close the 2025 commercial season and highly restrict sportfishing to a few days,” the group reported. “Fisheries managers were forced to take the drastic steps in response to a forecasted low number of Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon. Salmon fishing is a major part of the annual income for many of these families and businesses.” “This closed commercial and token recreational fishing season is a human tragedy, as well as an economic and environmental disaster,” said Scott Artis, executive director of Golden State Salmon Association. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Whatever happened with Proposition 4?
Sheridan Karras, Research Manager for the California Policy Center, writes, “Voters were sold a shiny promise — now California is billions deeper in debt. Last November, California voters approved Proposition 4, which authorized $10 billion in bonds for “safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, and protecting communities and natural lands from climate risks.” It started with SB 867 (Allen-D, Hollywood), which was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Newsom last year, and subsequently put on the November ballot. The bill (or rather, the approved bond measure) states that “Fifteen of the 20 most destructive wildfires in state history have occurred in the last decade alone… These wildfires have claimed more than 100 lives, tens of thousands of homes and structures lost, and more than 2,000,000 acres burned.” Sadly, the Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes fires would break out just over two months after voters passed this bond, accentuating the need for effective wildfire prevention in the state. However, with an already-strained budget, California doesn’t need to resort to this exorbitant borrowing and spending to enact effective fire prevention strategies. … ” Read more from the California Policy Center.
California can lead on PFAS reform—but not with SB 682
Lance Hasting, President & CEO of the California Manufacturing & Technology Association, writes, “At a time when California’s global economic leadership is under pressure, we cannot afford to adopt sweeping policies that put entire industries at risk without clear, science-based justification. Yet that’s exactly what Senate Bill 682 (Allen) threatens to do. Reintroduced this year without addressing previous critical concerns from legislators and stakeholders, SB 682 would create a vague and overly broad regulatory framework that could put California’s economy at risk. SB 682 seeks to ban the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of any consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), including in processes where they are used safely and are considered essential by federal standards. While the intent to protect public health is commendable, the bill’s current language ignores real-world applications and consequences. It casts such a wide net that it would effectively ban a range of products—including some cookware, dental floss, cleaning products, and food packaging—all items which many Californians consider critical to daily life and are vital sectors of our economy. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
Science, humility, and snail darters
Paul S. Weiland writes, “Scientists in contemporary society are constantly subjected to competing forces. On the one hand, there are commonplace reminders of the limits of human knowledge and, therefore, the importance of humility. That force should lead scientists to be cautious when reporting the findings of their research and more so in drawing inferences and conclusions on the basis of those findings. On the other hand, even now when trust in established institutions is waning, society looks to scientists for “clean narratives” — that is, descriptions of a body of scientific research that leave little or no room for ambiguity and that de-emphasize uncertainty — and scientists all too often are happy to oblige. That force encourages scientists to be arrogant, promoting their own research and its importance, understating uncertainties associated with their findings, and overstating the implications of those findings. The tale of the snail darter provides an important reminder of the tension between humility and clean narratives. … ” Read more from the Center for Water Resources Policy and Management.
New MWD policy could be revolutionary
Bruce Reznik, executive director of LA Waterkeeper, writes, “The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California recently adopted what could be a revolutionary policy. Metropolitan’s new Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water will “provide the roadmap that will guide [the agency’s] future capital investments” in this era of climate extremes, potentially upending how we have managed water since William Mulholland famously extorted, “There it is, Take it!” in 1913. Metropolitan is the water wholesaler for 19 million Southern Californians. It’s the 800-pound gorilla in any project that transports water long distances to power the showers, water the lawns, and fill the drinking glasses of residents from the Mexican border north to Ventura County. The agency was formed in 1928 to import water from the Colorado River to support growing southern California communities, later expanding to bring in even more water from Northern California through the State Water Project. … ” Continue reading at Capital Weekly.
In regional water news this week …
Amid pleas to ‘Santa Trump,’ dam removals remain on track as feds rule out takeover of PG&E’s Potter Valley plant
“Despite pleas from leaders of regional farm bureaus, Lake County and communities including Cloverdale and Lake Pillsbury, President Donald Trump’s administration says it has no intention of assuming control of the Potter Valley hydroelectric power plant that’s slated for decommissioning by PG&E. The decommissioning, if approved, is likely at least a decade away and would involve tearing down the Cape Horn Dam in Mendocino County and Scott Dam in Lake County. … Many North Coast elected officials and residents strongly oppose the plan, insisting it might not provide the four counties with enough water ― especially during dry, summer months punctuated by fire risk. They also worry about the impact on Lake Pillsbury, which would shrink significantly with Scott Dam’s removal. Potential intervention by branches of the federal government ― especially the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees dams and water management issues under the U.S. Department of the Interior ― has been seen as a last resort for officials who want to maintain existing conditions. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Commentary: Setting the record straight: Inviting Trump to interfere with the Potter Valley Project
Phillip A. Williams, water lawyer and much more, writes, “Our community – in a larger sense than perhaps many of us first imagine – is facing an existential question regarding our future water security. This question is being posed, not at our own initiative or design, but by circumstance. As many of us may know, even though we may not all fully apprehend its consequences, PG&E is surrendering the Potter Valley Project. How we will answer the only question that really matters will require the best from each of us. … For over 120 years, the entire Russian River watershed, from Potter Valley to Jenner, has directly benefited from PG&E’s storage, release, and diversion of Eel River water into the Russian River watershed. Once those waters met PG&E’s uses, partly for hydropower, and landed in the Russian River watershed, it was considered abandoned flow under California water law. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
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.
Marin Water’s planned pipeline would be its largest water supply project in over 40 years
“Marin County’s water supply could get a healthy boost during wet years if a pipeline project initiated this week by the Marin Municipal Water District Board comes to fruition. On Tuesday, the board voted to approve a contract for design and engineering work on the Atmospheric River Capture Project, or ARC. “In the 2021 drought our reservoir levels went really low, so we’ve spent the last four years doing a strategic water supply assessment,” said Lucy Croy, water quality manager for the district. During the drought, and with only about six months of water left in its reservoirs, the district began to focus on ways to improve water storage capacity, conservation, groundwater banking and, among other things, bringing in additional supplies from the Russian River. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
Facing possible state action over groundwater, farmers in small west Fresno district vent frustrations, accusations
“The grim reality for agriculture under the state’s new groundwater law has pitted farmer against farmer in several regions, including the Pleasant Valley subbasin. An April 22 meeting of the Pleasant Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) erupted in accusations of conflict of interest as some farmers demanded the resignation of GSA General Manager Brad Gleason. “I do not want you making decisions for my farms or my family. The leadership is not there anymore,” grower Jim Anderson said. He accused Gleason of acting in his own best interests and outside the scope of his authority as president of the Pleasant Valley Water District and manager of the GSA. Specifically, Gleason was accused of signing a $25 million loan application without board approval. The alleged application was with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a proposed pipeline that would bring surface water to the subbasin where Gleason has land, according to a letter sent to the board by grower Phillip Christensen. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Altadena water companies grapple with future, as Eaton fire renews debate over consolidation
“The mammoth Eaton fire has rekindled a long-running debate over whether to consolidate Altadena’s decades-old cluster of water companies. Three mutual water companies, Las Flores, Lincoln Avenue and Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association serve customers, who are also shareholders in the companies. Pasadena Water and Power services a small portion of Altadena, and the Kinneloa Irrigation District is a special district that operates water service for the Kinneloa Mesa neighborhood. The diversity in types of water providers is reflected in their varying perspectives on the best way to move forward post-disaster. As the area recovers after the mammoth blaze, differing positions stem from incentive structures and operations that no two companies share. Whether to consolidate the separate water companies into one water authority for the town is a familiar one in Altadena, where the question has simmered for years. But it has resurfaced in the days after the human and structural toll of the Eaton fire, and as leaders and residents plan a rebuilt town. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News (gift article).
Baron & Budd and Diab Chambers file lawsuits on behalf of four water suppliers affected by 2025 Eaton Fire
“Today, the nationally recognized law firms of Baron & Budd P.C. and Diab Chambers LLP, filed lawsuits on behalf of Las Flores Water Company, Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association, Lincoln Avenue Water Company, and Kinneloa Irrigation District against Southern California Edison (SCE) for damages to water systems and critical infrastructure resulting from the January 7, 2025 Eaton Fire. The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures, including churches, temples, mosques, senior centers, parks, open space, and historical landmarks, displaced tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents, and tragically resulted in the fatalities of at least 18 individuals. “The water agencies have mobilized resources to restore these systems for the safe and reliable delivery of water to Los Angeles County residents,” said Torri Sherlin, a shareholder with Baron & Budd, outside counsel for the water agencies in this action. “This legal action seeks appropriate compensation for the repair of this critical infrastructure and disruption to system operations.” … ” Read more from Business Wire.
What’s in the Burnt Remains of the LA Wildfires?
“Wildfires tore through Los Angeles in January 2025, burning more than 16,000 structures, uprooting neighborhoods and displacing entire communities. As the infernos raged, DRI scientists with a wide range of expertise in soil science, air quality, and post-wildfire impacts put together a plan for collecting ash, dust, soil, and building material samples from the burn zones. To them, these urban fires presented a unique opportunity to understand how materials like plastics, metals, and even lithium batteries from electric cars can transform into environmental contaminants when they burn. “The community members affected by these fire scars will need this information in order to make decisions about whether to rebuild and how to safely live in these areas after risk reduction through proper cleanup” said Vera Samburova, Associate Research Professor of Atmospheric Science at DRI who led the effort. “This is an important thing to understand all across the West, because fires in the wildland-urban-interface are increasing everywhere, including in Nevada.” … ” Read more from Desert Research Institute.
L.A. lifeguards taking mental health leave as beach algae bloom takes toll
“Spencer Parker has never seen so many dolphin strandings in his more than 20 years as an L.A. County lifeguard. Since he started in 2002, only twice had he seen them come ashore before this year. But in just the last two weeks, there have been four. Now, things have gotten so bad that L.A. County lifeguards have begun taking mental health days off to cope with the devastation as an algae bloom is poisoning and killing marine life from San Diego to Santa Barbara. “We’re human beings and we have feelings and we care about marine life — that’s one of the reasons we chose this profession,” said Parker, a captain in the county Fire Department’s lifeguard division. “When these dolphins and sea lions come to shore and they’re still alive, we do our best to make them comfortable and sometimes it doesn’t work out and that takes a toll.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Tiny bubbles create big ripples in Lake Elsinore
“Dustin Thompson has been running along the shores of Lake Elsinore several times a week for the past eight years. Over time, he noticed the water getting murkier and murkier. Then, about a year ago, he was able to see aquatic life under the water’s surface. “It was so sad to see the water quality go downhill,” he says. “So, it has been wonderful to see the sizable improvement in the water quality over the last year or so.” The water clarity Thompson noticed is the result of years of concerted effort by the city of Lake Elsinore. Climate change has significantly warmed the largest freshwater lake in Southern California, causing toxic algae blooms and health advisories for humans and pets. In recent years, the city began exploring ways to restore its crown jewel that once attracted Hollywood celebrities like Steve McQueen. … ” Read more from Western City.
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.
EPA head pushes Mexico to address Tijuana River sewage in recent San Diego visit
“Water knows no borders. Unfortunately, neither does sewage. Each day, the Tijuana River carries millions—and sometimes billions—of gallons of sewage across the U.S.-Mexico border into California, where it dumps into the ocean. This wave of waste frequently overwhelms wastewater treatment plants in both countries, fueling a public health and environmental crisis in nearby San Diego communities. The problem has gotten worse in recent years as budget-strapped infrastructure deteriorates and climate change fuels increasingly intense storms. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, visited San Diego County to urge a “100 percent solution” from Mexico and the U.S. for ending the flow of untreated wastewater. He told reporters that a meeting with Mexico officials went well but stressed that the U.S. is “all out of patience.” “There’s no way that we are going to stand before the people of California and ask them to have more patience and just bear with all of us as we go through the next 10 or 20 or 30 years of being stuck in 12 feet of raw sewage and not. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
