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On the calendar today …
- VIRTUAL EVENT: California Financing Coordinating Committee Spring 2025 Virtual Funding Fair from 9am to 12pm. The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is pleased to invite you to attend our free virtual funding fairs on May 21 and 29, 2025. The funding fairs provide the opportunity to learn more about available grant, loan, and bond financing options for infrastructure projects from federal, state, and local agencies. Representatives from water industry professionals, public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes should attend. This includes city managers and planners, economic development and engineering professionals, officials from privately owned facilities, water and irrigation district managers, financial advisors, and project consultants. For more information about CFCC, please visit the website at www.cfcc.ca.gov. Click here for more information and to register.
- WEBINAR: Planning for a Resilient Water Future in Orange County from 12pm to 1pm. Discover how the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and its retail water agencies are planning today to ensure a reliable and resilient water supply for generations to come. This webinar offers an inside look at OCWD’s newly released Resilience Plan: Adaptive Strategies for Securing Abundant and Reliable Water Supplies –a forward-thinking blueprint that guides long-term investments to strengthen regional water reliability. Learn about the key projects identified in the plan and the collaborative process that shaped its development. Mesa Water District will share an update on the Local Groundwater Supply Improvement Project (Local SIP) – a feasibility study exploring the benefits of brackish groundwater desalination to enhance local and regional water supplies – as one of the priority projects featured in the plan. Click here to register for the webinar.
- WEBINAR: Where Land Meets the Sea: Exploring California Estuaries from 12pm to 1:30pm. Estuaries are a vital part of California’s landscape, supporting a diverse array of birds, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife while also benefitting human communities. Tragically, these ecosystems are at risk from invasive species, pollution, urban development, and sea level rise. In fact, 85% of California’s original estuaries have been lost in the past 150 years. In this lecture, we’ll hear from CDFW experts reporting LIVE from different coastal CDFW Lands as they explore the importance of estuaries, why they’re in trouble, and what CDFW is doing to restore them. Featured estuaries include the Eel River Wildlife Area (north coast), Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve (central coast), and Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve (south coast). Join us for this opportunity to explore estuaries: California’s coastal gems! Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California’s first big heat wave is on the way. Here’s a timeline of impacts
“The first significant heat event of the season is ramping up across California, with temperatures expected to spike sharply across inland areas Friday and Saturday. While early forecasts predicted all-time May temperature records could fall, confidence in record-breaking heat has dropped a bit. What’s clear now is the timing and intensity of the heat, beginning with rapid warming Thursday, widespread triple-digit heat Friday, lingering high temps Saturday and a noticeable cooldown Sunday. Here’s how it will unfold across the state … Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO:
- Western U.S. Is About to See Its First Major Heat of the Year, from the New York Times
- California braces for record-breaking heat wave. How high could temperatures get?, from the Sacramento Bee
Why California is heating up but the rivers are ice cold
“With temperatures climbing into the 100s Friday and Saturday in the Sacramento area, folks are going to be looking for ways to cool off. The rivers looks really tempting, but it’s important to understand the risks they pose. The most important thing you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe when heading to the rivers is to wear a life jacket when you’re on, in or near the water. Every local river and stream is fast and high at this time of year with Sierra snowmelt. At Knights Ferry, the Stanislaus River is flowing at over 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and at a chilly 54°. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Governor Newsom attempts to fast-track Delta Conveyance Project water tunnel; Zone 7 Supports Proposal
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest budget revision, released May 14, includes a proposal to fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project — the 45-mile-long, 36-foot-wide tunnel that would carry water up to 6,000 cubic feet per second from the Sacramento River to the Bethany Reservoir near Mountain House. Previous project reports estimated its completion in 2045. … The SWP operates 20 reservoirs and some 700 miles of canals to supply water to the majority of California. Included is the Zone 7 Water Agency, which manages the Tri-Valley water supply. Zone 7 supports the tunnel project. “What the Delta Conveyance would do for us is basically make (the supply) more reliable,” Zone 7 Director Sarah Palmer said. “We won’t have any more water rights. Nobody would have more water rights from that.” Palmer added that Zone 7 receives up to 90% of its water from the SWP, tying the Tri-Valley’s water reliability to the SWP’s. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent.
Drought causes significant challenges to California farmers
“California farmers continue to face significant challenges due to recurring drought cycles and stringent water restrictions. Dave Puglia, President and CEO of the Western Growers Association, highlights the urgent need for a multifaceted approach to address the state’s water crisis. He argues that without substantial infrastructure investments, including expanded surface water storage and improved water conveyance systems, agricultural producers will struggle to sustain their operations. A crucial part of his advocacy involves streamlining regulations to maximize the efficiency of existing dams and canals. He contends that current policies often prevent farmers from accessing necessary water resources, despite infrastructure being in place. The state’s water system, originally designed for approximately 19 million residents, must now meet the demands of nearly 40 million people—including the agricultural sector. As water allocation becomes increasingly strained, farmers face growing uncertainty about their ability to irrigate crops and maintain productivity. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Scaling floodplain conservation: How the fish food program is revolutionizing fish recovery in California’s Central Valley
“The Fish Food program is CalTrout’s model for taking floodplain connectivity to scale in the Central Valley. We still believe the Nigiri Project concept is the best way to get juvenile salmonids rearing onto active floodplains. However, there are at least 500,000 acres of floodplain habitat in the Central Valley outside of areas where Nigiri is possible, and that is where we implement the Fish Food program. Because fish cannot, on their own volition, get out to these floodplains, the Fish Food program’s goal is to bring some benefits of the floodplain back to fish within the leveed river system. The Fish Food practice is focused on flooding parcels of land (~85% rice agriculture, ~15% wetland habitat), producing zooplankton and aquatic invertebrates (fish food), draining the floodplain water with the food back to a fish bearing channel (e.g., Sacramento River, Feather River, Butte Creek, etc.), and repeating that cycle as many times as water supply and other constraints will allow. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
New salmon fishing regulations in effect for California anglers
“New salmon fishing regulations are now in effect for California’s ocean waters. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, these rules align with federal guidelines released on May 16, 2025. The ocean salmon season will open for two days on June 7 and June 8, with a summer harvest guideline of 7,000 Chinook salmon. Officials say that if this guideline isn’t met, the season will reopen in July and August. In September, the fishery will open again for four days between Point Reyes and Point Sur, with a fall harvest guideline of 7,500 Chinook salmon. Coho salmon (also known as Silver salmon) retention is prohibited in all California ocean salmon fisheries. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
From cool to cruel summer? California wildfire risk may rise even closer to coast
“The major heat wave expected in California’s Central Valley this weekend will bring triple-digit temperatures and increased fire risk, a harbinger for what figures to be another scorching summer. And this year the typically cool coastal areas may not be spared, raising the possibility of even more widely spread wildfires for a state long beleaguered by them. The summer wildfire outlook by the National Interagency Fire Center foresees an elevated chance of blazes igniting across much of California from June through August, when vegetation has dried after several weeks broiling under the sun with negligible rainfall. Average temperatures in parts of the Golden State are predicted to climb above historical norms for the summer, which is not surprising as the planet continues to warm. But a more unusual phenomenon may be developing. … ” Read more from USA Today.
And lastly … Sacramento River photo gallery
Take a photo tour of some of the most stunning scenic views in US: The Sacramento River, from the Stockton Record
In commentary today …
California’s water security demands action, not more delays
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, writes, “California’s water infrastructure is buckling under the weight of inaction. The State Water Project — the backbone of water delivery for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland — is being pushed to the brink by climate change, extreme weather swings and seismic vulnerabilities. Without action, we’re facing a future of increased water shortages, higher costs and diminished reliability for communities and farms alike. The Delta Conveyance Project is the critical upgrade we need. It’s a well-studied, extensively vetted and urgently needed modernization of the very infrastructure that underpins the health, safety and prosperity of much of California. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
Why is the CVP South-of Delta allocation still so low?
Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “This week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced an increase in the Central Valley Project (CVP) water allocation for south-of-Delta agricultural contractors, raising it from 50% to 55% for the 2025 water year. While this modest increase offers some relief to farmers, farm workers, and rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley, it underscores the ongoing challenges of California’s unreliable water supply system. Insufficient water allocations have far-reaching consequences, not only for agriculture but also for the nation’s food supply. California has favorable water supply conditions this year, the case for higher allocations is strong, yet systemic issues continue to hinder progress. It’s time for California and the federal government to prioritize a resilient water system for all Californians. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coalition.
Functional rivers, landscapes and communities depend upon a modern regulatory framework
David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association, writes, “As part of Northern California Water’s priorities for the next five years, we offer a new riverscape vision for the Sacramento River Basin that blends the wisdom of leading scientists and local knowledge to better understand and take various actions to integrate our wonderful rivers and creeks with our landscapes and communities in a way that will bring the entire region to life through our precious water resources. Three themes capture our priorities and the actions to vitalize this region through the riverscape vision. These actions together will help us all ensure water supply reliability and bring the region to life: Help ensure the human right to clean water for local communities; Implement holistic, nature-based solutions that restore ecological functions and support multi-benefit water management; and Prepare for and adapt to extreme weather and climate change, which requires saving excess water wherever possible. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
Disruptive desalination technology comes to California
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “The concept of deep water desalination has been around for decades, but only in recent years has the enabling technology been available. Innovations pioneered by the oil and gas industry to better service offshore drilling platforms have matured. These include better ways to protect against corrosion of underwater equipment, and replacing hydraulic with electrical systems. Rapid advances in underwater robotic vehicles also promise to reduce construction and maintenance costs. By using technology that is no longer ahead of its time, a California-based company, OceanWell, aims to bring deep water desalination to California and the world. Their product has the potential to dramatically reduce the energy cost, the environmental impact, and the financial cost of large-scale desalination. … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
Environmental Rollbacks: Will the Trump Administration overplay its hand?
Dan Farber with Legal Planet writes, “It’s no secret that Trump is likely to roll back as many environmental regulations as he possibly can, starting with the Biden Administration’s climate rules. In pursuit of that goal, he has pushed agencies to adopt high-risk legal arguments for rollbacks rather than more reliable strategies. But he may run into a serious roadblock, given that in May the Administration lost in 26 out of 27 district court rulings. Before May, Trump was losing about two-thirds to three-quarters of district court rulings. He’ll win some of those cases on appeal, but that’s still an unprecedented loss rate for the federal government. The Administration’s “go for broke” strategy is partly due to an ambition to permanently dismantle regulation and partly for practical reasons. And also partly due to an emphasis on drama – “shock and awe” – rather than the more mundane but more substantive actions. … ” Read more from Legal Planet.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
PG&E customers face $532M bill for dam removal some don’t want
“Six years after first announcing plans to walk away from the Potter Valley Project, Pacific Gas and Electric Company has finally revealed the staggering price tag for dismantling the century-old hydroelectric facility: $532 million. That’s the estimated cost PG&E submitted to state regulators on May 15, a half-billion-dollar teardown that will be funded by PG&E customers, many of whom also risk losing the year-round water supply the system delivers to 600,000 people across Northern California. Tony Gigliotti, PG&E’s senior licensing project manager, told SFGATE the half-billion-dollar figure is still a “very high-level estimate,” but it’s meant to reflect the full scope of the task ahead. “We did the best we could with the information we have today,” he said. “We don’t have engineering completed at this point, but that estimate is meant to be all-inclusive.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Commentary: How many ways can the Potter Valley Project fail?
The Friends of the Eel River write, “Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) Potter Valley Project has failed, forever, at the primary purpose for which Cape Horn and Scott Dams and the diversion to the East Branch Russian River were built. After the transformer at the Potter Valley powerhouse failed in 2021, PG&E declined to buy a new one. So the dams will never produce another watt of power. Fortunately, this benefits PG&E’s embattled ratepayers. Between 2005 – 2016, the PVP generated less than ¼ of a percent of all PG&E’s hydroelectric production, yet the PVP cost PG&E (or rather, ratepayers) more than twenty dollars for every dollar’s worth of electricity it made. PG&E cites the significant economic losses of the project as a primary factor in their 2019 decision to withdraw their relicensing application, which led directly to current plans for dam removal. But, while the economic losses started PG&E on the path toward decommissioning, it’s clear that dam safety issues at this century-old, high-hazard facility are what is really motivating PG&E to act quickly to remove this massive liability. … ” Read more from the Friends of the Eel River.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Does a proposed effort to aid Yuba River fish clear a way for predators, too?
“People who know the lower Yuba River see its waters differently. A conservationist may look for the salmon redds, noting the prevalence of eggs or lack thereof. Engineers see how the weather, snowpack and dam releases affect the river’s depth and flow. Farmers who irrigate from its diversion canals want water when they need it. For anglers who fish the river, the relationship to the water is intimate in a different way. That’s not to say they care or know more than wildlife and water workers. But they know the water, and the fish within it, differently. Changes to the intricate variables dictating the river’s flow and ecosystem cause ripple effects throughout the broader system and watershed. To that point, a new project opening access for fish to swim freely to a dammed section of the river protected from predators for decades has caused debate among those who know the river best. “This is a valuable resource that we don’t want to lose,” said Frank Rinella, a Yuba River angler with the conservation arm of Gold Country Fly Fishers. “We want to protect it.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Placer County man sentenced to 2 years for wildlife commercialization
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) reported the Colusa County Superior Court sentenced a Placer County man May 21 to two years in jail for commercializing state wildlife. According to the DFW, Justin D. Lewis conspired to commercialize Pacific lamprey, a jawless fish that is usually sourced commercially from Alaska and highly regarded as bait for sturgeon and other fish. The DFW also noted lamprey have significant food and cultural significance to Yurok tribal members in Del Norte County and other tribal communities in the area. Lewis sourced the fish from the Klamath River in Del Norte County and resold through co-conspirators in Colusa County and elsewhere, DFW confirmed. “Because of a temporary downturn in the bait market, Lewis and others created an illegal commercial market for California lamprey,” the DFW stated. … ” Read more from Gold Country News.
TRPA accepting lottery submissions for new piers on Lake Tahoe
“The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will be accepting submissions for the pier lottery and allocation process from June 1 through 5 p.m. PDT June 30 as required every two years under the Shoreline Plan. The 2018 Shoreline Plan clarified the potential environmental and safety impacts of new shorezone structures and allowed a limited number of new private piers and buoys at a measured rate until the cap is met. Every two years, TRPA can permit up to 12 new piers on Lake Tahoe with a priority for multiple-parcel piers. In July, TRPA will randomly draw from eligible proposals and announce those selected to move forward in the permit process. No additional pier allocations will be available until the next allocation period in 2027. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
PCWA awards $250,000 in grants to Placer County public water purveyors to enhance infrastructure and reliable service
“At the May 19 meeting of the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors, the Board awarded five grants totaling $250,000 to three public water purveyors in Placer County. Funded through PCWA’s Financial Assistance Program, these grants support Placer County water districts with projects that enhance safe and reliable drinking water service, water infrastructure reliability, and water and energy resources stewardship. Funding for these grants comes from Agency-wide revenue, not ratepayers. “This year, we received a dozen requests for grants through our Financial Assistance Program,” said Board Chairman Robert Dugan. “This is our opportunity to assist other county water purveyors with projects that address their unique challenges while aligning with our countywide priorities. The projects chosen all help assure safe, reliable water for our county’s future.” … ” Read more from YubaNet.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Large portion of Tehama County Is sinking, raising concerns for local farmers
“A slow but steady sinking of the ground in Tehama County is raising red flags among local officials, who warn that the consequences could be serious — especially for farmers. “We’re pumping more water out of the ground than is going back in,” said Justin Jenson, Deputy Director of Tehama County Public Works. “That causes the groundwater table to drop. The water moves further and further away from the surface.” Jenson has been closely monitoring the phenomenon, known as land subsidence, particularly in the county’s central region. As groundwater is extracted at a faster rate than it can naturally replenish, underground pockets of empty space begin to form — leading to a gradual sinking of the land above. “If the ground level is sinking in an area, it creates a sort of belly,” Jenson said. “You can start cracking bridges, cracking pavement.” … ” Read more from Action New Now.
Battle Creek offers a lifeline for endangered winter-run Chinook salmon
“The Sacramento River is home to four distinct “runs” of Chinook (or king) Salmon. Each run is named for the season in which the adult salmon enter freshwater from the ocean as they make their way upstream to spawn: winter-run, spring-run, fall-run and late-fall run. These four runs mean the Sacramento River is home to the most diverse Chinook salmon populations on Earth. The river is capable of supporting this vast diversity of salmon populations becauuse of the diverse landscape that it flows through. Fall-run are a rain salmon, spawning in reaches of the rivers along the valley floor when fall and winter storms swell the Sacramento and its tributaries with water. Spring-run are a mountain fish, silver and sleek, entering the river from the ocean just as warm spring temperatures begin to thaw the snowpack off the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada (and to a lesser extent off the Coast Range). Imagine them “reverse-surfing” the pulse of spring snowmelt up into deep, cold mountain canyons where they will spend all summer waiting to spawn once water temperatures decrease in the fall. Late-fall Chinook behave as a mix between spring and fall. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County approves $25M Russian River floodplain restoration to benefit salmonids and community
“In a move celebrated by environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts alike, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors gave the green light to a transformative project to repair a swathe of the Russian River floodplain. Announced on Earth Day and confirmed by Permit Sonoma, the 358-acre initiative will tackle the restoration of what’s commonly known as the “Hanson Pits”, gravel mining pits located alongside the river’s east bank near Windsor. The project, positioned as a beacon of sustainability, seeks to reshape these areas into thriving floodplain habitats for salmonids, including coho salmon and steelhead, which are federally protected. … ” Continue reading from Hoodline.
BAY AREA
Fuel containment and safety job continues at East Bay boat sinking site
“Emergency and cleanup crews continued fuel containment and safety efforts on Monday at the site of a sailing vessel that sank in the Oakland Estuary next to Alameda. The Alameda Fire Department spent hours on the scene of the “Kaisei,” a large, masted vessel that sank in the Oakland Estuary Sunday and Monday, the department said. The ship is owned by the nonprofit Ocean Voyages Institute and is used for its initiative to raise awareness regarding the global problem of marine debris and ocean trash. Fire crews deployed a boom to ensure that diesel fuel doesn’t drift away from the boat. The state Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard took control of the scene on Monday, according to Alameda Fire Department public information officer Kevin Tidwell. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Camanche Reservoir bans private boats, kayaks to prevent golden mussel invasion
“With temperatures forecast to hit triple digits this week, boat owners and kayakers may be thinking about a day on the water at Camanche Reservoir. But that won’t be happening because the boat launch is closed for the entire 2025 season. Taking a preventive measure, the East Bay Municipal Utility District is prohibiting the launch of private vessels and other watercraft on the 12-square-mile reservoir while authorities try to halt an infestation of golden mussels that was first discovered in the Port of Stockton. The Camanche Reservoir, about 35 miles northeast of Stockton, is blocking more than just motorboats. The ban includes private kayaks and paddleboards as well. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Santa Clarita: Chiquita offers tour of work on leachate, gases
“Two nauseating smells — one likened to rotten milk, another, the acetone in nail polish remover — permeated Chiquita Canyon Landfill on Wednesday during an invite-only media tour of the now-shuttered facility, as Waste Connections, which owns the site, touted its progress there. John Perkey, vice president and deputy legal counsel for Waste Connections, disputed the findings of state and federal regulators regarding the growth of the reaction area while convening a gaggle of reporters in an area he described as the reaction site. Waste Connections said it was organizing the event after two years of working on problems at the landfill to share its progress with residents. … ” Read more from The Signal.
SAN DIEGO
Pollution from the Tijuana River is ending up in the air near the border, study finds
“Researchers have found that pollutants in the Tijuana River, which carries raw sewage and industrial waste from Tijuana, are also turning up in the air along the coast near the U.S.-Mexico border. After collecting samples from air and water along the coast, scientists from UC San Diego determined that fine particles of various pollutants from wastewater are in the air in parts of San Diego County. They found that sea spray aerosols contain illicit drugs and drug byproducts that occur in human urine, as well as chemicals from tires and personal care products. The researchers said the pollutants are carried in wastewater and stormwater runoff, and become airborne in spray where the river meets the crashing waves near the border. Pollutants also likely enter the air from churning waters in the river itself, they said. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Study reveals air pollution from Tijuana River discharge, from the Courthouse News Service
Along the Colorado River …
From crisis to collaboration: The past and future of Colorado River management
“The Colorado River’s water future was a major topic on the agenda at the inaugural meeting of the Metropolitan’s Subcommittee on Imported Water, where Bill Hasencamp, Manager of Colorado River Resources, delivered an update on the ongoing post-2026 guidelines negotiations. These discussions will set the course for managing the Colorado River’s dwindling resources at a time when water reliability is more critical than ever. Reflecting on past challenges like the 2003 loss of 700,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water, Hasencamp highlighted how decades of collaboration, adaptation, and strategic storage helped Metropolitan rebuild resilience. Now, with the current guidelines nearing expiration, finding solutions amid shifting conditions and tough negotiations is paramount. Here’s what he had to say. … ” Continue reading this article from Maven’s Notebook.
Arizona State University climatologist forecasts a stormy summer
“Discussing the weather is small talk for most of us. But ask Erinanne Saffell her thoughts on the topic and you may be flooded with details about everything from the drought to dust storms. Saffell is the Arizona state climatologist and an associate teaching professor at Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. From her office in the Walton Center for Planetary Health, the Global Futures scientist follows the atmosphere through weather models, real-time online weather observations, radar and satellite. And the five large windows in her office provide a perfect place for weather watching. On the ground, she uses hundreds of weather stations across the state to track dangerous heat conditions. And while people typically slow down during the summer, things heat up for Saffell, as she follows flash floods, thunderstorms and other weather patterns that are less predictable than the sunny days that dominate most of the year. … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
SEE ALSO: ‘Above normal’ precipitation predicted for Arizona’s upcoming monsoon, from Channel 12
Governor Katie Hobbs to continue kitchen table talks with rural communities on groundwater issues amid legislative inaction
“Today, Governor Katie Hobbs released a statement as the legislative majority has continued to stall commonsense, bipartisan groundwater reforms. Rural Arizonans face ongoing threats to their groundwater and generational challenges to securing their future. For over a decade, rural communities have sought solutions from the Legislature, only to be let down year after year. After visiting Willcox in September 2024 and announcing the Rural Groundwater Management Act of 2025 in January, Governor Katie Hobbs is continuing her commitment to implementing science-based policies that address groundwater depletion. While the legislature sits idly by, Governor Hobbs will be meeting with rural Arizonans to hear their needs firsthand and pushing for meaningful reform. “Protecting groundwater for Arizona’s rural communities demands urgent action. While the legislative majority refuses to come to the negotiating table, I am meeting Arizonans at their kitchen tables,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. … ” Read more from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs.
Colorado has unique protections for river recreation, but do they have enough legal muscle?
“David Hajoglou sat on the rocks next to a rushing stretch of river in Golden, Colorado. As he scouted a kayak route through the riffles and waves, he thought back to the first time he visited this spot, the Clear Creek Whitewater Park, nearly 20 years ago. “Boy howdy, did it kick my butt,” he said. “I swam a few times. I chased a kayak probably all the way to 10th Street there, whatever the cross street is, and it was just a riot.” Hajoglou — better known as Hojo in the local kayak scene — has come back to this stretch of Clear Creek more times than he can count since that first rowdy run through the waves. And since then, the park has grown in stature. It’s a series of rocks strategically placed in the river to create waves, pools and eddies that form a watery playground for kayakers such as Hojo. It holds a legendary status among Colorado’s paddlers and river advocates. This stretch of Clear Creek was the first to receive legal protections that guarantee a certain amount of water will always flow through it. That was the result of a high-profile legal battle nearly 25 years ago. … ” Read more from the Water Desk.
Colorado communities have spent millions of dollars on whitewater parks. Are they worthwhile?
“There’s an old catchphrase that Colorado kayak park proponents used in the early 2000s to sell the idea that keeping water in streams mattered just as much as water for big farms or new housing developments: “The greater the flow, the greater the dough.” “You would have thought it was an Economics 101 class,” said Glenn Porzak, a Boulder attorney who worked on behalf of the city of Golden and the towns of Breckenridge and Vail to secure the state’s first water rights for recreation. Some towns saw these recreational in-channel diversions, or RICDs, as a way to boost tourism dollars and spur economic development by drawing kayakers and spectators to a whitewater park. So, giving legal standing and recognition to a growing sector of Colorado’s economy — outdoor recreation — was the argument that legal experts focused on. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
In national water news today …
Supreme Court sets tighter limits on NEPA reviews
“The Supreme Court on Thursday placed new limits on environmental reviews for major federal projects such as pipelines and railways. In a unanimous 8-0 ruling, the justices found that a lower court should more narrowly tailor National Environmental Policy Act analyses to focus on effects that are close to projects under review and fall directly under the purview of approving agencies. “Simply stated, NEPA is a procedural cross-check, not a substantive roadblock. The goal of the law is to inform agency decisionmaking, not to paralyze it,” said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing the opinion for the court, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a separate concurrence with the court’s judgment, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from considering the case. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Looking ahead at summer drought in 2025
“Across the U.S., warmer-than-normal temperatures are favored in June through August 2025. The Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Great Plains have greater chances of below-normal precipitation. The Eastern U.S. is favored to see a wetter-than-normal summer. Parts of the Southwest and southern Texas are entering the summer in Extreme and Exceptional Drought (D3-D4). Arizona and its western border are favored to receive slightly more precipitation than normal during its summer monsoon season. However, given existing dry conditions and early runoff, seasonal forecasts favor drought persistence in the region through August. Though short-term drought conditions improved in parts of the Southern Plains, hydrologic drought in central Texas will probably need more than one good season to recover low surface and groundwater storage. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn
“Get ready for several years of even more record-breaking heat that pushes Earth to more deadly, fiery and uncomfortable extremes, two of the world’s top weather agencies forecast. There’s an 80% chance the world will break another annual temperature record in the next five years, and it’s even more probable that the world will again exceed the international temperature threshold set 10 years ago, according to a five-year forecast released Wednesday by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.K. Meteorological Office. “Higher global mean temperatures may sound abstract, but it translates in real life to a higher chance of extreme weather: stronger hurricanes, stronger precipitation, droughts,” said Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, who wasn’t part of the calculations but said they made sense. “So higher global mean temperatures translates to more lives lost.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Earth could cross a key climate threshold in two years. Here’s why it matters.
“Seven years ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that the world wouldn’t warm 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels until 2040. Then two years ago, the group predicted the world would pass that threshold between 2030 and 2035. Now, new data from the World Meteorological Organization released Wednesday indicates that the Earth will cross this point in just two years. The accelerated timeline is due to higher-than-expected temperatures over the past few years, diminishing air pollution that cooled the Earth, and greenhouse gas emissions that continue to rise globally despite the growth of renewable energy. And it means that irreversible tipping points in the climate system — like the melting of Arctic ice sheets or the wide-scale collapse of coral reefs — are closer at hand than scientists previously believed. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
SEE ALSO: ‘It’s pretty bleak’: A warming planet is poised to get even hotter, forecasters warn, from the LA Times
