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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, Land Use Workgroup from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. Agenda items include a refresher proposed pathways, housing-water supply nexus, and group discussion. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
California’s fishermen are struggling. Is this tiny catch their last big chance?
“From the cockpit of his 63-foot fishing boat in Monterey Bay, Porter McHenry is on the hunt for what might be the last lucrative catch in California — though competitors and tariffs are closing in on his profit. To spot his prey, he scrutinizes the behavior of seabirds, the patterns on his sonar screens and especially the tell-tale movements of the boats around him. His tiny target: California market squid, sometimes called Monterey squid, each 6 inches and 10 arms of opalescent white and purple. With salmon season closed for three years in a row and Dungeness crab season dramatically shortened, squid is now the only species in the state that still holds the promise of a massive payday for struggling fishermen. “A good crab season, you could probably gross $3… $400,000,” said McHenry. “Squid here, you could gross well over a million.” But when squid season opened in late April, there was no mad dash for the first catch. Instead, with Chinese tariffs threatening the price, a standoff ensued. Fishermen refused to fish, and their local processors, who buy and freeze their catch for transport, refused to offer a high price in an industry reliant on exports. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fighting for floodplains: Evaluating benefits of floodplain habitat for juvenile chinook salmon in changing climates
“Floodplain habitat provides valuable benefits to juvenile fish, offering shelter from predators and increased nutrient availability and prey abundance. These benefits are especially critical for juvenile anadromous salmonids like Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in California’s Central Valley. As they migrate to the ocean, these young fish must traverse a gauntlet of hazards on their journey through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Floodplains give juvenile salmonids an opportunity to avoid predation and grow larger while they fill up on the plentiful food sources found in these habitats. As the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area have become more populated, rivers have been diverted and disconnected from historic floodplains to provide irrigation for agriculture and flood protection for surrounding urban areas. Although this process has successfully sustained and protected local communities, it has significantly reduced the availability of floodplain habitat for native fish species. The loss of floodplain habitat and its associated benefits is one of the many contributing factors to the ongoing decline of Chinook salmon populations in the Central Valley. … ” Read more from FishBio.
Are spring-fed rivers key to long-term persistence of salmon and trout in California?
“Imagine a giant sponge made of volcanic rock. That’s what scientists have recently discovered in the central Cascades of Oregon, an aquifer that holds fourteen times the volume of water of Shasta Reservoir (Karlstrom et. al. 2025). While the Cascades’ geologically porous volcanic aquifers absorb and store large amounts of snowmelt and rainwater, these aquifers also leak, forming springs from fractures in the volcanic rock. Because volcanic aquifers are relatively shallow the water is not warmed geothermally, and the groundwater remains cold. That makes streams fed from these springs ideal for coldwater fish species, including rainbow trout, steelhead, Coho, and Chinook salmon. In a recent study, researchers from UC Davis showed that rainbow trout in a volcanic spring-fed river are 1.6 times longer and 4.5 times heavier in their first year of life than rainbow trout rearing in an adjacent stream fed by precipitation (Lusardi et. al. 2023). … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Column: Newsom’s power play on the Delta tunnel
Columnist George Skelton writes, “Gov. Gavin Newsom is up to his old tricks, trying to ram major policy change through the state Legislature on short notice. And again lawmakers are pushing back. Not only lawmakers, but the Legislature’s nonpartisan, independent chief policy analyst. The Legislative Analyst‘s Office has recommended that legislators hold off voting on what the governor seeks because they’re being pressed to act without enough time to properly study the complex matter. Newsom is asking the Legislature to “fast-track” construction of his controversial and costly water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The $20-billion, 45-mile, 39-feet-wide tunnel would enhance delivery of Northern California water to Southern California. Delta towns and farmers, environmental groups and the coastal salmon fishing industry are fighting the project and the governor’s latest move to expedite construction. If there are any supporters at the state Capitol outside the governor’s office for his fast-track proposal, they’re not speaking up. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Opposition deepening against governor’s proposal to fast-track delta tunnel project in budget
“Opposition to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to fast-track the costly and destructive Delta Tunnel Project via the state budget is deepening. The broad bipartisan coalition against the tunnel fast-tracking plan now includes more than 100 legislators; cities, counties, and public agencies; good government groups; environmental and tribal organizations; and nonprofits and local businesses. In addition, a recent report from California’s independent Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) raised serious red flags about the tunnel fast-tracking proposal and urged the Legislature to pause the governor’s plan to provide lawmakers with more time to examine the proposal’s wide-ranging impacts. “The deepening opposition to the tunnel fast-tracking plan strongly demonstrates that the Legislature should reject this proposal,” said Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, co-chair of the California Legislative Delta Caucus. … ” Read more from Senator Jerry McNerney.
Stuart Woolfe: Is more water for west side farmers just a myth?
“In a candid interview with Nick Papagni, “the Ag Meter,” Stuart Woolfe [sic] of Woolfe Farming and Processing expressed a deep frustration shared by many California farmers—especially those on the state’s west side. When asked if farmers would ever see increased water access, Woolfe’s response was stark: “I think that’s a mythical dream. It shouldn’t be.” For decades, water policies shaped by environmental objectives have diverted critical supplies away from agricultural communities. According to Woolfe, the unfortunate truth is that despite these diversions, environmental outcomes haven’t improved—and yet the policies persist. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Northern California weather: Heat advisory, thunderstorms continue
“Parts of Northern California could experience record heat Monday afternoon, followed by thunderstorms just hours later. A high-pressure system that centered itself over the Pacific Northwest on Sunday and brought 90-degree temperatures to parts of Washington and Oregon is predicted to shift eastward Monday, but not before another day of heat. The area of high pressure is too far away to prevent cool, cloudy skies in San Francisco, but the northern Sacramento Valley is on the outskirts of the blocking weather pattern. A heat advisory remains in effect until 11 p.m. Monday in Redding, Red Bluff (Tehama County) and Paradise (Butte County) for highs up to 108 degrees. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Town hall presents opposing views on controversial plan to decommission Potter Valley Project
“The vastly different viewpoints around whether or not the Potter Valley Project should be decommissioned — and dismantled — took center stage at a special event in Lakeport at the end of May. The Lake County Chamber of Commerce hosted the Lake Pillsbury and Potter Valley Project town hall on the evening of Wednesday, May 28, at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport. The Potter Valley Project includes the Potter Valley powerhouse, Cape Horn Dam and Van Arsdale Reservoir, Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has operated the project for decades but in 2019 the corporation abandoned its license for the hydroelectric facility after determining it was “uneconomic” for its customers to maintain. The negotiations about the future of the project, and in particular Lake Pillsbury — located in northern Lake County — have seen Lake County largely sidelined by larger regional and political interests. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
BAY AREA
Marin Municipal Water District allots $1.25M for pipeline environmental review
“The Marin Municipal Water District has approved spending up to $1.25 million for environmental review of a proposed pipeline that would boost the county’s supply. The district board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Panorama Environmental Inc., a San Francisco firm, to provide environmental compliance and permitting services for the project intended to convey more Sonoma County water to Marin reservoirs. The “atmospheric river capture” project would tap into an existing aqueduct with a new pipeline. “I’m super proud of our beginning investment in this massively important project,” said Jed Smith, a district board member. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
EASTERN SIERRA
Wildfire causes major damage to infrastructure at Mono Lake natural reserve
“On the afternoon of May 22, a wildfire sparked next to Highway 395 near the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, causing major damage to the reserve’s infrastructure. The Inn Fire took off quickly, fueled by high and erratic winds that caused it to jump across the highway, where flames burned into the reserve. Before nightfall, it had destroyed about half of the boardwalk and interpretative signage inside the park, said Kaytlen Jackson, spokesperson for the Sierra District of California State Parks. It took two weeks for fire crews to contain the 728-acre blaze. … ” Continue reading from SF Gate.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Calexico wastewater plant rehabilitation approved
“The Calexico City Council Wednesday night approved the repair authorization of its wastewater treatment plant that was built in 1965. Interim City Manager Rick Daniels said the plant is part of the city’s Capital Improvement Projects. He told the council the 60 capital improvement projects have been funded but have yet to be done. If the projects are not done by 2029, the grant money must be returned. The city had planned to do the wastewater project in 2018 but never did, so that one became a priority, Daniels said. “It’s like the other 59 projects that were funded but never done,” he said. “It’s no different than the other 59 projects.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley.
SAN DIEGO
Sweetwater Authority, already draining extra water supply, looks for more to combat algal bloom
“Facing its largest seasonal algal bloom in 20 years, the Sweetwater Authority may need to buy water to address the problem. At its May 28 board meeting, the South Bay agency agreed to increase its budget for the year in case it must purchase more water to dilute the water supply. The agency says doing so would help mitigate changes to the water’s taste and odor caused by the algae. With the new budget approved, the agency will gauge whether it will need to go through with the purchase, said Justin Brazil, the authority’s water quality director. “We hope we don’t need to but we got to a point where we were getting pretty, pretty close to the bottom of that water budget,” he said. “We just want to make sure we have it there if we need to continue mitigating for algae blooms for the remainder of the fiscal year.” … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
Along the Colorado River …
“The time for action is now”: Pressure mounts for negotiations over the Colorado River’s future
“Almost 300 water wonks converged on Boulder Thursday for two days of sobering conversations about the river’s future punctuated by frustration, pleas for creative solutions and references to everything from the musician Lizzo to the kids movie “Frozen.” The Colorado River Basin is in dire straits: The water supply for 40 million people has been dwindling, and climatologists say the climate future is bleak. State officials have spent months mired in thorny negotiations over things like how to split painful water cuts in the driest conditions — with scant progress to report publicly. The lack of progress and insight into the talks had some conference-goers feeling frustrated. Concerned. Uncertain. High-ranking federal officials joined the Boulder event to reassert the federal government’s frequent role in talks over the Colorado River’s future: The parent ready to stop the car if the kids can’t stop fighting.In the event that the states can’t agree on how to manage the river’s reservoirs and water supply in a timely fashion, Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is ready to wield his federal authority over reservoirs, water contracts and more in the basin. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Experts say Western water use is ‘outpacing melting snowpack’
“In May, hydrologists forecasted that spring runoff into Lake Powell would be the lowest in years. A month later, the projections have only gotten worse. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center reported on June 1 that the amount of water expected to flow into Lake Powell between April and July this year will be 45% of average. “Average,” in forecasting, refers to the average runoff between 1991 and 2020. The June forecast follows a consistent decline since the start of winter. … ” Read more from KPCW.
Las Vegas commentary: Region’s water supplies dwindle, but Nevada has chance to fight it
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board writes, “Nevada’s future — and that of the American West — depends on how seriously we confront the collapse of the Colorado River Basin’s water supply. Many of our conversations have centered on the visible: the shrinking surfaces of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, parched reservoirs exposed like bones in the desert. And while the depletion of surface water is an important measure of the health and sustainability of the Colorado River Basin, there are indicators below our feet that the West’s water crisis may be even worse than imagined. A new study published by researchers at Arizona State University shows the Colorado River Basin’s hidden groundwater reservoirs, the invisible but vital lifelines stored in soil and rock, have lost more than 13 trillion gallons of water since 2002. That’s more than the entire capacity of Lake Mead, vanished in little more than 20 years. Worse yet, this depletion is accelerating, occurring three times faster in the last decade than in the previous one. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun.
Las Vegas commentary: How to save our water supply
Alphecca Muttardy and Don Siefkes with the Coalition for a National Infrastructure Bank write, “Last November, the Department of Interior released five proposed alternatives to manage Colorado River water after December 2026, when current guidelines expire. None of these alternatives brings new water to the Colorado River. We believe it is imperative to bring new water to the Colorado if we want to sustain the Colorado Basin system. This basin contributes at least $1.4 trillion in GDP, serves more than 40 million people with water and irrigates 5.5 million acres of farmland producing tens of billions of dollars worth of food for the entire country. Las Vegas and the rest of the Southwest could not exist in their current form without that water from the Colorado River. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Utah: This city is exploring an unconventional solution to water scarcity: sewage
“Water scarcity, population growth and climate change are on a collision course in the American West. That’s clear in cities like St. George, a desert community surrounded by stunning red rock cliffs and mesas in Utah’s southwest corner. The population is booming and climate change is making heat more intense and rain less reliable. But local leaders have a plan to stretch the area’s water supply by turning to its sewage — a solution that could help other drought-stricken cities, too. That plan started with a simple math problem. “All the water has been used. It’s been called for. But yet, we have one of the fastest-growing communities in the Western United States,” said Zach Renstrom, general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District in St. George. … ” Read more from NPR.
In national water news today …
May brought storms and heavy rain from the South to the Northeast; spring was the second warmest on record
“Thirteen states experienced one of their five wettest Mays on record, while dry conditions persisted across much of the Northwest. Two significant severe weather outbreaks on May 15–16 and May 18–20 resulted in over 200 tornado reports, very large hail and damaging winds. Alaska had its second-wettest May on record with exceptionally heavy rainfall in the Southeast. Several sites across Hawai`i observed their warmest spring on record. Widespread drought improvement occurred along the East Coast and across much of the Plains. … ” Read the full report from NOAA.
See how marine heat waves are spreading across the globe
“In recent decades, the oceans have warmed. Marine heat waves, once rare events, have become more common. One particularly intense event known as “the Blob” lasted years and devastated plankton populations, starving millions of fish and seabirds and damaging commercial fishing. Recently, high temperatures have persisted. In January of 2024, the share of the ocean surface experiencing a heat wave topped 40 percent. Unusual heat waves have occurred in all of the major ocean basins around the planet in recent years. And some of these events have become so intense that scientists have coined a new term: super marine heat waves. “The marine ecosystems where the super marine heat waves occur have never experienced such a high sea surface temperature in the past,” said Boyin Huang, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in an email. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
The NASA science missions that would be axed in Trump’s 2026 budget
“President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request, if approved by Congress, would kill many of NASA’s plans for robotic exploration of the solar system. Gone, too, would be multiple space-based missions to study Earth, the sun and the rest of the universe. Among the planets that would get less attention are Venus, Mars and Jupiter. But the planet facing the biggest drop in scrutiny from space is our own. The Trump budget proposal calls for reducing Earth science funding by 53 percent. Also spiked: a mission that would take a close look at Apophis, a jumbo asteroid that will pass just 20,000 miles from Earth — closer than geosynchronous satellites — on April 13, 2029. The White House Office of Management and Budget said in its request that NASA’s current spending of more than $7 billion a year on nearly 100 science missions is “unsustainable.” “The budget provides $3.9 billion for [NASA’s science directorate], supporting a leaner, more focused Science program that reflects the Administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility,” the budget request states. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
