A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
Note to readers: Sign up for weekly email service and you will receive notification of this post on Friday mornings. Readers on daily email service can add weekly email service by updating their subscription preferences. Click here to sign up!
In California water news this week …
Newsom seeks to short-cut process to build $20-billion Delta water tunnel
Sara Nevis / California Department of Water Resources
“Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to accelerate his administration’s plan to build a $20-billion water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by short-cutting permitting for the project and limiting avenues for legal challenges. Newsom urged the Legislature on Wednesday to adopt his plan to “fast-track” the tunnel, called the Delta Conveyance Project, as part of his revised May budget proposal. “For too long, attempts to modernize our critical water infrastructure have stalled in endless red tape, burdened with unnecessary delay. We’re done with barriers,” Newsom said. “Our state needs to complete this project as soon as possible, so that we can better store and manage water to prepare for a hotter, drier future. Let’s get this built.” The tunnel would create a second route to transport water to the state’s pumping facilities on the south side of the Delta, where supplies enter the aqueducts of the State Water Project and are delivered to 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Newsom asks lawmakers to fast-track Delta tunnel project
“Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to fast-track a project to reroute more water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farmers and cities as part of his revised budget blueprint set to be unveiled on Wednesday. “We’re done with barriers — our state needs to complete this project as soon as possible, so that we can better store and manage water to prepare for a hotter, drier future,” Newsom said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “Let’s get this built.” A version of the proposed project has been floating around — first as a canal, then a pair of tunnels — for more than half a century, during which it has reliably brought out opposition from environmental groups and Delta elected officials concerned about habitat loss and construction impacts. Newsom is asking state lawmakers to pass a trailer bill to shorten judicial review of lawsuits challenging the project and streamline its pending water rights permit by removing deadlines for when the project has to be under construction and using water. … ” Read more from Politico.
Governor Newsom’s press release, updated with reactions from tunnel friends and foes
Post includes reactions from Californians for Water Security, the Delta Counties Coalition, Food & Water Watch, Metropolitan Water District, Restore the Delta, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Save California Salmon, Southern California Water Coalition, State Water Contractors, and elected officials. Read the press release and reactions here.
Coalition files petition for reconsideration after State Water Board denies call to cancel Delta tunnel change petition
“A coalition of thirty-two California Native Tribes, environmental justice organizations, Delta counties, water agencies and other Delta advocates has filed a Petition for Reconsideration with the State Water Resources Control Board, urging the agency to reverse its April 11 decision denying a motion to cancel the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Change Petition for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The original motion to cancel the petition — filed earlier this year — was based on DWR’s repeated failure to submit required supplemental information about the State Water Project’s historic water use, as ordered by the Administrative Hearing Officer (AHO). That data is critical to determining whether the proposed Delta Tunnel would initiate a new water right and its potential impacts on existing users and ecosystems. Despite numerous extensions, DWR failed to produce the data. Now, troubling new developments have emerged. … ” Continue reading this press release.
SEE ALSO: State Water Board responds to State Water Contractors regarding Delta Conveyance Project hearing
Uniting the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project would benefit all water users
“An accident of history has left California with two massive, overlapping water projects: the federally operated Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) operated by the California Department of Water Resources. Maintaining and operating two projects that serve the same purpose is inefficient. Moreover, the projects are often beset by controversy and conflict when state and federal administrations change. California set out to build the CVP in the late 1920s but could not finance it due to the Great Depression. The federal government stepped in and began construction of the CVP in 1935 with Shasta Dam—which created the state’s largest reservoir—as its anchor. In 1960, state voters passed the Water Resources Development Act, which funded construction of the SWP. This project included Oroville Dam, which created its capstone reservoir, and the California Aqueduct, which provides water to southern California. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Why a contentious project to raise California’s Shasta Dam could move forward under Trump
“Near the southern flank of Mount Shasta, springs and snowmelt converge to form the McCloud River. This Sacramento River tributary, held sacred by the Winnemem Wintu tribe, teemed with Chinook salmon before Shasta Dam, built in the 1940s, blocked their annual migrations. “The winter run was the main sustenance source for the Winnemem Wintu throughout history,” said tribal member Gary Mulcahy. “We consider them the grandfather of all salmon.” For several years, Winnemem Wintu leaders have collaborated with state and federal officials to reintroduce the critically endangered fish to this wilderness waterway in a historic effort to revitalize the McCloud and reconnect with their past. But a federal proposal to increase the height of Shasta Dam by more than 18 feet to provide more water to farmers now threatens the tribe’s land and could harm salmon runs. … ” Continue reading from Cal Matters.
New research shows billions in economic risk from continued state inaction on water supply
“A new economic analysis by Jay Lund (UC Davis), Josué Medellín-Azuara (UC Merced), and Alvar Escriva-Bou (UC Davis) shows the high cost of inaction on California’s perpetual water supply challenges, estimating that the state could lose enough water annually to supply up to 9 million households—with economic losses totaling between $3.4 and $14.5 billion per year, depending on the severity of the scenario. The study, Inaction’s Economic Cost for California’s Water Supply Challenges, builds on prior research showing that California’s total water supply is on track to shrink by 12–25% by 2050, a loss of up to 9 million acre-feet per year, equivalent to one or two Lake Shastas. The new report emphasizes that without coordinated state action, these reductions could result in the fallowing of up to 3 million acres of farmland, the loss of 67,000 jobs, and lasting damage to California’s agricultural and rural communities. The research underscores the urgency of Senate Bill 72, authored by Senator Anna Caballero, which would create the first-ever statewide water supply target and direct California to develop 9 million acre-feet of new water supply by 2040. The bill aims to bring federal, state, regional, and local partners together to better plan, invest, and build toward a more secure, reliable, and sustainable water future. … ” Read more from CA Water for All.
University researchers predict improved water yields after forest thinning
“Thinning of forests, generally undertaken to reduce dangers from wildfire and restore the forest to a more natural state, also can create more mountain runoff to mitigate drought effects in the central Sierra Nevada region that relies on snowpack. In fact, researchers from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno found that the quantity of additional water produced by thinned forests can be so significant that it might provide further incentive for forest managers to undertake prescribed burning or tree-removal using heavy equipment and hand crews with chainsaws. Water yields from thinned forests can be increased by 8% to 14% during drought years, found the study undertaken by Adrian Harpold, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, and Elijah Boardman, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences. Harpold, who also conducts research as part of the College’s Experiment Station, is principal investigator of the study funded by the U.S. Forest Service and recently published in Water Resources Research. … ” Read more from UNR.
Legal alert: Spring SGMA snapshot: plans, probation, litigation, and legislation
“This alert provides an overview of the ongoing implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). It details the status of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), recent and pending actions by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB or State Board) concerning probationary designations, developments regarding fee and reporting exclusions, SGMA-related litigation, and pertinent legislative activity. Enacted in 2014, SGMA established a framework for local groundwater management with state oversight, aiming to achieve sustainable groundwater resources statewide. The legislation prioritizes local agency action (Water Code § 10720.1(h)), with state intervention as a backstop. Now, over a decade into its implementation, SGMA is at a pivotal stage, transitioning from initial plan development to implementation, enforcement, and, in some instances, state intervention. … ” Read more from Atkinson Andelson Lloyd Ruud Romo.
Northern California fishermen and farmers collaborate to boost number of salmon spawning in the Sacramento River
“Approximately 540,000 Sacramento fall-run juvenile salmon spent three weeks growing in large protective net pens in the Tehama-Colusa Canal forebay so that the fish could imprint on Sacramento River water in hopes more will return up the river as adults. When juvenile salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery are trucked to the San Francisco Bay, they miss key olfactory cues that help them navigate back as adults. Because these fish are reared on Battle Creek and do not travel down the Sacramento River, they tend to stray into other rivers when returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn. Straying can impact the hatcheries’ ability to obtain enough broodstock to meet their production goals. “We see the Net Pen Project as a critical piece to a larger effort of diversified release strategies we have been advocating for,” said George Bradshaw, President of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “We look forward to more collaborative projects among fishermen, farmers, water users, and public agencies in the future.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
Trade-offs in California water discussions
Jay Lund writes, “In policy and management, we should always be interested in performance, both overall effectiveness and efficiency of solutions, as well as trade-offs across objectives. These are often depicted on plots of Pareto-optimality, showing the relative performance of alternatives, the performance of efficient (Pareto-optimal) solutions, and trade-offs across these most efficient alternatives, often compared with current performance. Different policy and aspirational discussions seem to imply different views of what potential improvements exist relative to today’s performance (say for fish and money) … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog.
Legal alert: California’s AB 550: A blueprint for balancing development and species conservation
“California’s drive toward a net-zero carbon economy by 2045 is sparking innovative solutions to harmonize environmental conservation with infrastructure development. Assembly Bill (AB) 550, sponsored by Assembly Member Petrie-Norris, aims to amend the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by permitting renewable energy projects to take unlisted but “at-risk” species. The proposed legislation recognizes the dual imperative of advancing clean energy while conserving California’s biodiversity. Historically, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has been unable to authorize the take of unlisted species without a lengthy Natural Communities Conservation Plan. At least one appellate court invalidated efforts by CDFW to provide advance take authorization for unlisted species through a CESA §2081 incidental take permit. In Environmental Protection and Information Center v. California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection (2008) 44 Cal.4th 459, 507 (EPIC), the California Supreme Court noted the Court of Appeal concluded CDFW could not include unlisted species in a §2081 incidental take permit, and that the permittee would have to seek new permits if and when the unlisted species became listed. The EPIC case underscored the limitations within the existing CESA framework, highlighting the need for legislative intervention to address the evolving needs of conservation and development. … ” Continue reading at the Environmental Law Monitor.
Marine protected areas are like parks for fish. What’s in store for them?
“A long, reddish and black sheephead wove through a maze of towering kelp in a marine reserve off Anacapa, a craggy island a dozen or so miles from Ventura. The spot and others around the remote Channel Islands were established more than two decades ago, some of the first in California’s network of marine protected areas or MPAs. Scores of areas with varying restrictions were set up to protect the fish with its sheep-like head, garibaldi, kelp bass, lobsters and other species that live along rocky reefs, sandy bottoms and kelp forests. … Changes could be on the way. State law required a review of the network 10 years after it was completed in 2012. The analysis included years of monitoring data. Now, the California Fish and Game Commission is expected to hear recommendations on a list of proposals in November. Some petitions seek to bolster protection in spots, to add or to expand existing protected areas. Others called for easing restrictions. Any decisions are still months away. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
In commentary this week …
Commentary: Costly, unnecessary infrastructure delays put California’s water supplies at risk
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, writes, “California’s climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can keep up. In the past five years, we’ve seen atmospheric rivers cause catastrophic flooding, prolonged drought has devastated agricultural communities and perpetuated a lack of access to safe drinking water, and inconsistent snowpack makes it difficult for water managers to plan for the future. This is our new norm. Yet, much of California’s water infrastructure was built for a climate reality that no longer exists. Right now, our lack of urgency is a massive gamble with a water system that is foundational to California’s position as the 4th largest economy in the world — and the odds are against us if we don’t act now. To meet our new climate realities, we need to flex a muscle that seems to have atrophied in California. We need to build — a lot — and take creative and decisive action to address our water supply challenges in new ways and on an unprecedented scale. This means investing in and prioritizing water infrastructure like the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), updating and utilizing current regulations to ensure water managers have operational flexibility to adapt to an unpredictable climate, and implementing modern, science-driven regulatory updates like the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
Newsom announces hatchery upgrades as he promotes salmon-killing Delta Tunnel, Sites Reservoir
Dan Bacher writes, “In an apparent effort to boost his increasingly tarnished environmental image, California Governor Gavin Newsom on May 8 announced upgrades to 21 state fish hatcheries to “boost salmon populations” — at the same time that he is promoting water policies that have driven Central Valley salmon populations closer and closer to extinction. A statement from the Governor’s Office claims, “California continues to support and build its salmon and trout populations, with new upgrades to 21 trout and salmon hatcheries.” “The project helps build the California salmon and trout supply, which are central to the health of California’s biodiversity but also indigenous peoples, communities, and the state’s multimillion-dollar fishing industry,” Newsom explained. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
California’s future water supply requires a new approach
State Senator Anna Caballero writes, “Imagine watching two Lake Shastas’ worth of water slip through our fingers—gone, not because we lacked rain, but because we lacked the infrastructure and strategy to store it. That’s the reality we’re facing in California. Our water system was built for a different century, a time before climate change intensified droughts and supercharged winter storms, before California grew to nearly 40 million people and before we understood how interconnected our ecosystems, farms and communities truly are. Today, we’re living with the consequences: aging infrastructure, unpredictable supply and a fractured approach to managing one of our most essential resources. That’s why I introduced Senate Bill 72, which would establish a statewide target for water supply, something California shockingly does not have. This bill sets a bold, clear goal: to achieve 9 million acre-feet of additional water supply by 2040, and tasks the Department of Water Resources with creating a longer-term target for 2050. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian.
Freeing farm markets is better than tariffs and welfare
Opinion columnist Steve Greenhut writes, “The simplest way to provide food for the population is to, you know, let farmers grow what they want to grow, sell their products to whomever they choose, export them in response to demand and so forth. The more important the product—and food certainly ranks high on any list—the better it is to allow markets to work. Instead, our government micromanages the situation with complex regulations and subsidies that distort the market, raise prices and pick winners and losers. Farm policy has been a mess for decades, with both parties to blame. Every politician (and voter) loves farmers, who are perfect fodder for gauzy backdrops of real Americans nurturing the land, flying the flag and epitomizing everything good and wholesome about the nation. The early Iowa caucuses reinforce this dynamic. Farming is a tough and risky business, but it is in fact mostly a business. Creating a mythology about it only makes it harder for lawmakers to address farm policy in a sensible manner that benefits everyone. … ” Read more at the LA Daily News.
What is a just land transition?
Amanda Fencl, Director of Climate Science, Climate, and Energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes, “For many reasons, California’s agricultural regions are in a state of flux. A fundamental land use transition is underway, motivated in part by the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act more than a decade ago and market forces, such as changing crop prices and tariffs, which are currently hitting the agricultural sector hard. What we know is that the future will not look like the past. And that could be a good thing. For much of the 20th century, if not earlier in some instances, a pattern of large-scale farm consolidation continually privatized the profits and socialized the harms. Large landowners, like financial investors, multi-billion-dollar farming companies, and individuals like the wonderfully infamous Stewart Resnick benefit from the status quo. And just to be clear, the status quo is that in the fourth largest economy in the world, we have some of the poorest and most polluted communities barely making it. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
In regional water news this week …
‘Stunning’: Wildflowers are blooming along revived Klamath River following dam removals
“While the largest dam removal project in U.S. history was taking off on the Klamath River last year, members of the Yurok Tribe got to work hand-sowing millions of native wildflower seeds and thousands of trees and shrubs along their soon-to-be revived ancestral waterway. Last week, the tribe announced that the massive revegetation project has already yielded “a stunning wildflower show” where reservoirs once sat. Photos posted by the tribe on April 30 show vibrant splashes of orange flowers blooming along the river’s edge, sloping down the riverbank on what used to be the shores of one of three reservoirs supplied by stymied waters from the now-demolished dams. Flowers and plants planted by the Yurok Fisheries Department’s Revegetation Crew include western goldenrod, California Lomatium, blue wild rye, California poppies and yarrow, the tribe wrote on Instagram. Along with smaller plants, Fremont cottonwood trees planted by the crews are now standing 6 to 10 feet tall. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Mendocino Water leaders clash over future of Scott Dam
“Water politics took center stage at the Ukiah Valley Water Authority’s May 1 meeting, as tensions surfaced over conflicting strategies for the future of the Potter Valley Project. Committee members grappled with competing priorities among local agencies, raising questions about alignment, accountability, and the direction of long-term regional water planning. After the meeting call to order and approval of the March minutes, the Committee members turned to item 4.a. “Consideration of Statement of Policy Regarding Support for Inland Water and Power Commission.” There was an elephant in the room that had to be addressed. The UVWA Executive Committee Chair Adam Gaska is also the Executive Director of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau. Gaska is also the Board President of the Redwood Valley County Water District, which is a member agency of both the UVWA and the Mendocino County Inland Power and Water Commission. … ” Read more from Mendo Fever.
Wildfire prevention in the Sierra Nevada region with the Yuba Watershed Institute
“Though recent wildfires have sparked new conversations about wildfire management and response, groups like the Yuba Watershed Institute have been monitoring the forests and water resources of the Sierra Nevada region for decades, managing approximately 5,000 acres of land with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and about 7,000 acres in private land partnerships. The goal of the Institute is to work with local communities and land agencies to improve watershed and forestry management through informed practices and public outreach. Historically, the Sierra Nevada region experienced smaller-scale wildfires every 10-15 years, but there hasn’t been a major fire in most of the Yuba River watershed in over 100 years, leaving the ecosystem out of balance and increasing the risk for even more severe burns. As a result, the Yuba Watershed Institute’s goal is to go into these areas and remove excess fuels and vegetation in the same way a wildfire might in order to minimize the extent and severity of future burns. … ” Read more from the Environmental Monitor.
American River: Expert issues warning after ripping common plant out of ground: ‘It spreads so fast’
“A botanist took to TikTok to complain about an invasive species appearing in his area. TikToker Jessie Dickinson (@sacramentofoodforest) shared a video in which he called out the presence of horehound in the Oak Woodland next to the American River in Sacramento. “One of the most common invasive species you will find near water in Sacramento is the invasive mint, horehound,” he said in the caption. Horehound was brought to the United States by colonists in the 18th century as a cultivated herb, and it was believed to escape cultivation and become invasive for the first time in 1833 in California, according to the Native Plant Trust. It has been touted as a cough suppressant for centuries and gained popularity as an ingredient in cough drops. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Staffing cuts to National Weather Service river forecast center could leave Sonoma, Napa counties ‘flying blind’ ahead of storms
“The closer you live to the Russian River, the likelier it is you’ve spent time on this no-frills website, whose wavy, colored lines alert users when the river is approaching flood levels, and when it will recede. The site is maintained by the California Nevada River Forecast Center, or CNRFC, under the umbrella of the National Weather Service. It’s one of 13 forecast centers preparing “timely river and flood forecasts” for some 4,000 river locations across the nation. The California Nevada forecast center is a small field office, based in Sacramento. But its work has outsized importance to North Bay residents. The data it collects during heavy rains helps emergency service officials figure out who needs to be evacuated as the region’s largest rivers rise, none packing a more destructive, dangerous punch than the Russian. The CNRFC also provides information vital to Sonoma Water, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies, as they make decisions on when to release water from reservoirs, and how much. But now, in the face of cuts and attrition engineered by the Trump administration, that office is operating with a little over two-thirds of its usual workforce. Under Trump, staff shortages have become endemic in offices throughout the National Weather Service. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Rising tides, tough choices: Pacifica allowed to bolster seawalls as a stopgap plan
“Pacifica can continue using old seawalls and reinforce or expand them to protect the city from crashing waves, erosion and sea level rise over the next two decades, the California Coastal Commission ruled Thursday. The controversial ruling serves as a stopgap so the city can develop a long-term strategy to deal with sea level rise, which was mandated by a state law passed in 2023. The city is known for its sweeping beach, homes with views of the Pacific Ocean, big waves for surfing, a shoreline Taco Bell and hiking trails. However, many of the reasons people love and live in Pacifica are at risk from the effects of climate change, primarily rising seas and flooding from intensifying storms. … ” Read more from KQED.
CPUC judges issue proposed decision that may help Cal Am’s desal ambitions, but questions remain.
“A proposed decision from two California Public Utilities Commission administrative law judges dropped Friday afternoon, May 9, that could have major implications as to whether Cal Am—the investor-owned utility that supplies water the Monterey Peninsula—will be able to move forward with its proposed desalination project in Marina, which has been a lightning rod of controversy for more than a decade. The ruling was solely focused on adjudicating what the Peninsula’s annual water supply and demand would be by 2050, a benchmark set to inform the CPUC, and the California Coastal Commission, about whether a desalination project is necessary to meet the Peninsula’s water demand for the next 25 years. The question was borne out of the expansion of Pure Water Monterey, a recycled water project led by Monterey One Water and Monterey Peninsula Water Management District that will add 2,250 acre-feet annually to the Peninsula’s supply when it comes online later this year, putting the Peninsula’s total annual water supply at over 12,000 acre-feet—according to MPWMD—while the current demand is down to about 9,000 acre-feet annually. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
Gallo Winery practices threaten Fresno drinking water, regulators say
“Central Valley water regulators want the world’s largest winery to stop using its wastewater on local crops — a decades-old waste management practice — because it’s threatening Fresno’s drinking water supply. The Central Valley Water Regional Quality Control Board issued a tentative Cease and Desist Order to E. & J. Gallo Winery in March for allegedly violating 2015 waste discharge requirements. The stipulated order says the winery at Olive and Clovis avenues is “threatening to adversely impact groundwater beneath the Facility.” Specifically, Gallo’s practice of applying some of its untreated wastewater from the grape crush and press process directly to 400 acres of local cropland has resulted in concentrations of nitrate and other contaminants above allowable levels. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
Judge orders groundwater agency to speed up records release in lawsuit over sinking Friant-Kern Canal
“A Tulare County judge agreed that a local groundwater agency was dragging its feet producing documents in a lawsuit filed by Friant Water Authority but also chastised the authority for being “passive” about what it wanted and when. This is the latest twist in the legal saga between Friant and the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Friant had filed a motion April 14 to get Eastern Tule to ramp up its production of records showing how much groundwater each of its landowners were credited and how they used that groundwater – on their own crops, storage or selling to other landowners. Eastern Tule’s groundwater crediting system is at the heart of Friant’s lawsuit alleging the agency broke its agreement to help pay for damage done to the Friant-Kern Canal by farmers over pumping in Eastern Tule’s boundaries. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Kern River opinion appealed to state Supreme Court
“Groups trying to bring water back to the dry Kern River bed through Bakersfield have petitioned the California Supreme Court to review an appeals court decision that knocked down an order that had kept flows going for a few months last year. “I hope this appeal to the state Supreme Court shows the people of Bakersfield how much we care about the river and how much we believe in this mission to restore our city’s river,” wrote Kelly Damian in a text message. Damian is a spokesperson for Bring Back the Kern, which is suing the City of Bakersfield over how it operates the river along with Water Audit California and several other public interest groups. The main lawsuit, filed in 2022, is still ongoing with a trial date set in December. That suit seeks to force Bakersfield to study its river operations under the Public Trust Doctrine, which requires water be put to the highest public benefit, including environmental protection and public access. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Press release: The urgent need for groundwater management in the Indian Wells Valley
The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority writes, “Groundwater is the only source of water for the city of Ridgecrest, the U.S. Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and the farms and businesses located throughout the Indian Wells Valley. At current pumping rates, this basin will likely run out of water within 40 years. That may seem like an issue for future leaders. Yet the longer the problem is ignored, the more difficult it will be to solve. And this problem has been ignored for decades. This situation is not exclusive to the Valley — aquifers around the world, in places ranging from Spain and Chile to Iran and China, are among those experiencing rapidly dropping groundwater levels. But according to recent research published in the science journal Nature, the Indian Wells Valley Basin is one of a handful of California regions experiencing some of the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers. In a 2024 interview with CalMatters, Scott Jasechko, co-author of the study and an associate professor of hydrology, water resources and groundwater at UC Santa Barbara, said, “The rates of groundwater level decline occurring in California really are some of the highest in the world. It’s a sobering finding.” This is not an unsubstantiated opinion. It is a fact — and a reality those of us living or working in the Valley neglect at our own peril. … ” Read more from the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority.
After the wildfires: Rebuilding and protecting Los Angeles
“Los Angeles has long ranked high on ASCE’s annual list of the Best Places for Civil Engineers, which generally focuses on such criteria as salaries, cost of living, and job availability. Tragically, while the 2025 Best Places data were still being analyzed, the Los Angeles County region suffered an unprecedented series of wildfires that raged for more than three weeks during January, killing at least 29 people, burning more than 49,000 acres, and destroying more than 16,000 structures. Civil Engineering spoke with more than a dozen wildfire experts in the design industry, academia, and public policy to explore the critical role that civil engineers will play in the rebuilding of the built environment in and around LA County, as well as ways to better protect the region from future fires. In these efforts, many disciplines will be involved, including those educated in fire science, forestry, architecture, and community resilience, among other fields. … ” Read more from ASCE’s Civil Engineering Magazine.
Water now safe to drink from all fire-affected utilities in L.A. area, state says
“Tap water is now safe to drink in areas served by all nine water systems where damage from the firestorms in Altadena and Pacific Palisades had prompted “do not drink” notices, state regulators said Friday. The last water utility with such a notice, the Las Flores Water Co. in Altadena, was cleared to resume delivering drinking water and lifted its “do not drink” and “do not boil” advisory on Friday, four months after the notice was issued. Las Flores has recommended to customers that when they resume using water, they take various steps to flush the household system, including running all the faucets for at least five minutes before using. Officials from the State Water Resources Control Board said they have been working with utilities to help assess damage, test for potential contamination and ensure it’s safe to resume water service. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Geologically rich but economically poor, Salton Sea communities want a say in their lithium future
“The Salton Sea is a haven for wildlife, a repository of critical minerals and the site of some of the worst environmental and economic conditions in California. The contrast between its natural riches and its impoverished population has sharpened as companies seek to mine vast deposits of lithium, a mineral used to make batteries for electric cars, computers and cellphones. “Today, the Salton Sea region stands at a critical juncture with a chance to become a major domestic supplier of lithium,” state Sen. Steve Padilla, who represents parts of Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties, recently told the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. The Chula Vista Democrat wants to give the region a bigger say in how it grows amid the projected lithium boom. His bill, SB 534, would create a “green empowerment zone” around the sea that would govern how to use public money, invest in local communities and support the transition to a renewable energy economy. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Water agency toxic chemicals saga at Sweetwater Reservoir continues
“Late last year, the Sweetwater Authority water agency made a startling announcement: There were elevated levels of toxic industrial chemicals in the reservoir supplying much of southern San Diego County’s drinking water. Agency officials said they discovered the chemicals in October during a federally mandated round of testing at the Sweetwater Reservoir in Bonita. The chemicals, known as PFAS or “forever” chemicals, were once widely used in common household and industrial products and have been shown to cause cancer and other health problems in laboratory testing. The agency hired a public relations firm and embarked on an outreach campaign to alert its customers about the issue. “Sweetwater Authority is committed to keeping you informed,” a PFAS information page on the agency’s website says. But according to a former agency governing board member, Sweetwater Authority in fact has known for years it had a PFAS problem in its reservoir – and said nothing “because they didn’t want to expose themselves to liability or alarm the public.” … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE: Water Supply & Demand Assessment Program Update – Current Watershed Efforts and Additional Watersheds Selected
NOW AVAILABLE: New Public Viewing Access for the Projects and Management Actions (PMA) Module on the SGMA Portal
NOTICE: Water Right Temporary Urgency Change Petitions for the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power withdrawn
