Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Delta Conveyance Project water right hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending Petitions for Change of Water Right Permits for the Delta Conveyance Project. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing without participating may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: bit.ly/aho-youtube. DWR is providing brief recaps here. Click here for the meeting notice.
In California water news today …
SGMA creates winners and losers in Central Valley agriculture
“A decade after the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act became law, many California farmers still feel lost in the bureaucracy surrounding its implementation. A new study finds that, despite widespread awareness, real engagement remains low. According to research from CSU-WATER — an initiative encompassing 23 California State University campuses — significant logistical and representational barriers have prevented farmers from meaningfully engaging with their Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. The research is part of SGMA WAVE — short for Water and Valley Economy — a project led by CSU-WATER, a water policy initiative involving all 23 CSU campuses. The study focuses on 72 GSAs across the San Joaquin Valley counties of Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern. The study was led by Dr. Steve Blumenshine of CSU-Water and Dr. Anita Chaudhry of CSU-Chico — input was also received from Dr. Dean Fairbanks of CSU-Chico. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
SGMA implementation accelerates farmland value declines
“California farmland values have been steadily declining since the impetus of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, but 2024 marked a turning point. Last year, land values faced sharp downward pressure driven by a combination of low commodity prices, high farming costs, higher interest rates, and, notably, the mounting effects of SGMA implementation. According to the 2025 Trends in Agricultural Land and Lease Values by the California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, 2024 land values declined across most crop types. As a result, the year saw increased lender pressure, distressed sales, and notable bankruptcies — including Trinitas Advantaged Agricultural Partners and Trinitas Farming LLC’s 7,500-acre almond operation and other major players in tree fruit and wine. “The financial pressures facing many growers are expected to continue in 2025, especially with lenders actively ordering updated appraisals to better understand their current loan to value,” the report explained. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Kern County supervisors look to support local groundwater management
“In recognition that the county’s groundwater supply continues to face severe challenges due to long-term overdraft, the Board of Supervisors will consider a Letter of Support at a special meeting on Monday, May 5 in support of local groundwater management. Specifically, the letter will be in support of two Assembly bills that would strengthen current efforts to bring overdrafted water basins into balance, directly affecting the San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin (and its many sub-basins). The declining water table has resulted in numerous domestic and agricultural wells going dry, impacting communities that rely on groundwater for drinking and irrigation. AB 1413 and AB 1466 speak to how courts should address legal challenges to groundwater sustainability agencies. These locally established agencies – overseen by board members representing elected officials from counties, cities and water districts — are responsible for implementing state-mandated plans to replenish groundwater basins. Recent success in the San Joaquin Valley basin with groundwater recharging is an example of why these plans are essential. … ” Continue reading this press release from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: What are its early impacts?
Ellen M. Bruno and Nick Hagerty, Giannini Foundation Of Agricultural Economics: “In this article we discuss the early effects of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on water-related investments in agriculture. We consider the role of the regulation in driving observable trends in new well construction and permanent crop acreage. Contrary to expectations, we find that future regulation does not yet appear to be affecting the rates of well drilling nor new perennial planting.” Read article here.
State Water Project deliveries from the Delta take another hit
“On April 11, the California Department of Water Resources announced that the State Water Project pumps would be reduced to 600 cfs, about one-tenth of their permitted capacity, while Delta outflows exceed 40,000 cfs. DWR explained that the pumping curtailment is required under a permit to protect five fish species listed under endangered species laws. As of that date, the SWP allocation was 40%. The SWP has nearly 1 million acre-feet stored in San Luis Reservoir, and Oroville Reservoir has slightly over 3 million acre-feet (90% of capacity). That 4 million acre-feet would be sufficient to supply SWP south of Delta contractors with 100% of their contracted amount. However, flood releases from Oroville occurred at 12,500 cfs while SWP exports in the south Delta were at 600 cfs. That is, most of the flood releases were flowing to the ocean and therefore lost from the system. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Bargaining for Tribal water in California
Leslie Sanchez and Eric C. Edwards, Giannini Foundation Of Agricultural Economics: “Stark power disparities between Native American Tribes (tribes) and nontribal entities in California have shaped Tribes’ legal standing to assert water rights claims, bargaining power in resolving claims, and the ability to assert meaningful control over water rights. This article documents the current status of Tribal water rights in California and explains why they differ from other states.” Read more from the Giannini Foundation Of Agricultural Economics.
The power of mimics in aquatic management and beyond
“Humans might be the ultimate ecosystem engineers in the sense that we constantly modify ecosystems and change the processes which drive them. In some cases, this can harm biodiversity by displacing native ecosystem engineers which deliver important benefits for other species and bolster both habitat and species diversity (Romero et al. 2015). Humans also can leverage their ecosystem engineering to benefit biodiversity, such as through mimicking ecosystem engineering structures as part of restoration. Our recent paper (Goss et al. 2025) reviews how mimicked ecosystem engineer structures might help meet restoration goals, and potential risks with the use of these human-engineered structures. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Scientists map where orphan wells pose threats to aquifers
“For the first time, scientists have mapped groundwater variables nationally to understand which aquifers are most vulnerable to contamination from orphan wells. Oil and gas wells with no active owner that are no longer producing and have not been plugged are considered orphan wells. These unplugged wells can create pathways for contaminants like hydrocarbons and brine to migrate from the oil and gas formation into groundwater zones. Plugging a well seals off these potential pathways. USGS scientists Joshua Woda, Karl Haase, Nicholas Gianoutsos, Kalle Jahn and Kristina Gutchess published a geospatial analysis of water-quality threats from orphan wells this month in the journal Science of the Total Environment. They found that factors including large concentrations of orphaned wells and the advanced age of wells make aquifers in Appalachia, the Gulf Coast and California susceptible to contamination. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
This tiny California town is flooded, broke — and reimagining climate insurance
“On a typical day, Iva Walton, a bar owner and the new mayor of the nearly forgotten city of Isleton, feels like she is trying to save the world. “Even though the present isn’t great right now, I have faith that our city is going to survive,” Walton said. Deep in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s sprawling web of rivers and wetlands, deserted storefronts line Isleton’s Main Street. Walton’s business, Mei Wah Beer Room, presents a stark contrast with its fresh red and green paint. Walton sat across a table from Vice Mayor David Kent at her bar on a Friday morning in January, drinking coffee. They mulled over how to preserve free-spirited Isleton — known for its crawdad and Spam festivals — and the troubles the historic city faces, some of which stem from the nearby Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.Isleton has a high risk of flooding but few resources, with a fifth of the city’s roughly 800 residents living in poverty…. ” Read more from KQED.
How some California farms are getting squeezed by funding freezes and tariffs
“March and April are busy months at Hukama Produce, a 4-acre farm on a flat roadside field just outside downtown Ramona where spring’s garlic, onions and lettuce are primed for harvesting and workers plant the crops that will become summer’s salads and sautés. But this year, tariffs and looming federal funding cuts have led the farm’s owner, Byron Nkhoma, to focus on grant applications, not just growing vegetables. Since early March he has applied for as many grants as he did in all of 2024. His farm is small, and the number of grants he sought is also small — three so far this year — but the heightened pace mirrors his heightened nerves. Consumer spending at farmers markets was already down, Nkhoma said. Then he learned that his biggest clients — two San Diego food banks that account for 60% of his farm’s business — are facing funding cuts that will limit their ability to buy his produce. Combined with tariffs, which raised prices on his supplies, Nkhoma said his business is hurting. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
The future of California’s climate-smart farming programs
“In 2019, as California’s historic drought hit its peak, the well on Lilian Thaoxaochay’s 20-acre family farm, GT Florists and Herbs in Fresno County, looked close to drying up. With rows of Armenian cucumbers, budding dahlias, and blooming jujube trees at risk, the only fix, it seemed, was to dig the well deeper—at a cost of $20,000. “It almost tanked us,” Thaoxaochay recalls of the crisis that threatened her family’s livelihood. Then came a reprieve: the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), a state initiative to help farms adapt to California’s increasingly erratic climate. Using the $58,000 grant, the Thaoxaochays switched their farm from full-flood irrigation to a drip system fed through trenched water lines and monitored by moisture sensors. As part of the upgrade, they also installed a flow meter to help comply with California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which requires farms to track groundwater use. The changes slashed not just water use, but also the energy costs of running the pump, leaving the farm far better equipped for the next drought—which arrived just three years later. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
Could seashells help replace plastics? California researchers think so
“Consumers cut up plastic soda can rings before putting them in the trash because they know they could end up in the ocean. But what if that waste did not have to be harmful to the sea turtles and other marine life? Inspired by the coronavirus pandemic, which exacerbated the use of single-use plastics, University of Southern California Professor Eun Ji Chung used her biomedical engineering expertise to look for a potential solution. “I started creating these habits at home where we’re starting to reuse things and, you know, I kind of went overboard, but I also started kind of thinking about just our lab and then also just plastics in general,” Chung said. During graduate school, Chung helped develop orthopedic biodegradable implants, such as bone screws. These implants received Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval and are used on patients today. She thought this concept could apply to other materials, but instead of medicinal use, it could be used for items we use every day. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
LC CAP supports Lake County Board of Supervisors on Lake Pillsbury
“Lake County’s Community Action Project, or LC CAP, wholeheartedly supports the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ decision to send letters to state and federal government agencies, urging a halt to PG&E’s attempt to decommission Scott Dam on Lake Pillsbury. This issue is far too significant to be decided without meaningful input from Lake County residents, yet our community has been sidelined from critical discussions about our own future. This dam’s removal will profoundly and detrimentally affect our local economy, environment and public safety. Both Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury are completely inside Lake County’s boundaries. Yet for years, PG&E, along with agencies and coalitions from outside of Lake County systematically failed to engage with the people who will bear the greatest burden of such an action and continue to trivialize the negative impact on Lake County. It is unacceptable that such a major action is being pushed forward without ensuring the residents of Lake County — those who live, work, and rely on Lake Pillsbury — have a real seat at the table. … ” Read more from Lake County News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Hundreds protest razing trees on Sacramento’s American River. ‘This affects all’
“An orchestra performed by birds, rippling water and swaying trees alongside the American River Parkway was accompanied Sunday by hundreds chanting to protest a plan ripping up vegetation for erosion protection measures. “The river is my family,” said Rylen Wiseman, 6, who marched alongside his mother from Larchmont Park to just under the Watt Avenue Bridge. Another group walked from Kadema Drive River Access point also to the Watt Avenue Bridge. Organizations such as the American River Trees, Save the American River Association and others have been raising alarm for months following the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed plan to remove at least 500 trees and fortify riverbanks for a possible levee failure. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Officials celebrate as Folsom Lake sees dramatic change — here’s why this matters
“After a stretch of dry seasons and shrinking reservoirs in recent years (especially notable in the early 2020s), California’s often-dry Folsom Lake is making a splash in the best way possible recently. Following a series of late winter and spring storms, the lake reached its highest water level for early April in at least the last five years, as Gold Country Media reported. It is among the California lakes that reached more than 130% of its historical average in April, as SFGate reported. Located near Sacramento in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Folsom Lake is fed by snowmelt from the nearby mountains. Thanks to a near-normal snowpack this year, officials at the Federal Bureau of Reclamation opened the dam’s spillways to make room for more snowmelt. It’s a rare sign of water abundance in a state and region that’s become all too familiar with drought. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
BAY AREA
Surfers Beach sand dredging project is out to bid
“The Harbor District will likely decide on a contractor for the long-awaited project to stem erosion at Surfer’s Beach May 8, with work to begin sometime in June, Harbor District General Manager James Pruett said. The Harbor District is overseeing the project — which aims to dredge and relocate around 100,000 cubic yards of sand along the inside of the Pillar Point Harbor to the Surfers Beach area — and has obtained $2.7 million in state construction funding for the work. No contractors have submitted bids yet, Pruett said, but an April 18 pre-bid meeting with more than 20 in-person attendees is making the district hopeful they’ll have a well-regarded, experienced contractor to work with. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Jacobs awarded contract to operate largest water recycling system in Southern California
“Jacobs has been selected by the West Basin Municipal Water District to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility and four associated sites. The five-year contract covers what is described as the largest water recycling system of its kind in the United States. Located in El Segundo, California, the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility produces approximately 40 million gallons of recycled water per day. It is the only facility in the country that delivers five different types of fit-for-purpose recycled water, including supplies for irrigation, cooling towers, a seawater intrusion barrier, groundwater recharge, and low- and high-pressure boiler feeds. … ” Read more from Smart Water Magazine.
Treated Like Dirt: Uncovering the toxic soil lurking in L.A.’s burn zones
“The wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January incinerated more than 16,000 structures and unleashed tons of toxic material into the air, water and soil. Many Pacific Palisades and Altadena homeowners who lost everything hoped the government debris-removal process would at least offer a fresh start for the land where their houses once stood. That peace of mind may prove elusive. The government is not testing soil on supposedly cleared properties for toxic substances — so The Times did it and found evidence that the decision not to test is leaving potentially dangerous levels of contamination behind. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Along the Colorado River …
Commentary: Research on dust in Utah has never been more important. Trump’s proposed cuts put our economy and public health at risk.
Kristina Young, PhD, an ecosystem ecologist and former biological science technician with the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, writes, “The wind-blown dust that settles over Moab, Blanding and the greater Four Corners region isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a serious economic and public health threat. And much of what we know about how to manage it comes from the scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) in Moab. Now, that work — and the foundation it provides for responsible land and water use across Utah — is at risk of disappearing. The White House has proposed eliminating the entire Ecosystems Mission Area of the USGS in its 2026 budget. This includes the SBSC, a powerhouse of dryland research that directly informs how we manage dust, drought and land restoration across the desert Southwest. For Utah, especially in southeastern parts of the state, this cut would represent a serious setback with real consequences for local economies and public health. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
In national water news today …
NACWA: Proposed EPA budget puts Americans’ water at risk
“Last week the White House released its FY2026 Budget Request that proposed significant cuts across the federal government including a 55% reduction in annual spending at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In total, the administration’s budget proposal looks to cut $163 billion in federal government spending. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) was among the first in the water sector to react to the news, saying in a press release that such a reduction in EPA spending could only be made possible by kneecapping the primary water infrastructure financing programs. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
EPA to dissolve research office
“EPA will cut staffing to Reagan-era levels and gut its stand-alone Office of Research and Development, Administrator Lee Zeldin said Friday. The agency will move some scientists in its research office to other divisions, with the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention set to gain “more than 130 scientific, bioinformatic, technical, and information technology experts,” the agency said in a news release. That office is charged with reviewing new chemicals and pesticides. “In this reorganization, the agency is shifting its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices to tackle statutory obligations and mission essential functions,” Zeldin said in a video message. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Zeldin outlines new EPA actions to combat PFAS
“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin recently provided some details on upcoming agency action to address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Zeldin announced a long list that included, in part, the designation of an agency lead for PFAS, the creation of effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) for certain PFAS to stop these forever chemicals from entering drinking water systems, and initiatives to engage with Congress and industry to establish a clear liability framework that ensures the polluter pays and passive receivers are protected. In line with Zeldin’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative, the agency said it will work in this space to advance Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American, and Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
EPA reorganization signals end to climate work
“EPA is getting rid of the two offices that are primarily responsible for regulating climate and air pollution. The move to eliminate the Office of Atmospheric Protection (OAP) and Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) by the end of the fiscal year signals a likely end to much of the agency’s climate work. EPA political appointees announced the reorganization plan during a Friday town hall with employees of the Office of Air and Radiation, which houses both OAP and OAQPS. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will likely move programs to curb smog, soot and toxic emissions into other offices. But most of OAP’s work seems destined for the dust bin — including a program that requires the country’s biggest polluters to report their greenhouse gas emissions. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Republicans detail plans for oil and gas sales, permitting
“The House Natural Resources Committee unveiled its part of the Republicans’ tax, national security and energy megabill Thursday night, detailing plans to meet the president’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda. Committee Republicans and the Congressional Budget Office project the legislation would decrease the deficit by about $15 billion over a 10-year window, driven by increased revenue from expanded oil, gas and mineral production. Notably absent from the bill’s text are sales of public land, which Republicans had considered. Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) has scheduled a markup on the legislation for Tuesday as nearly every House committee races to approve their corner of the Republicans’ budget reconciliation package, which would bypass the Senate filibuster. … ” Read more from E&E News.
