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On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee beginning at 9am. Click here for the agenda.
- PUBLIC HEARING: Delta Conveyance Project water right hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending Petitions for Change of Water Right Permits for the Delta Conveyance Project. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing without participating may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: bit.ly/aho-youtube. DWR is providing brief recaps here. Click here for the meeting notice.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Water Rights Fees Stakeholder Meeting (SGMA fees to be discussed) beginning at 12pm. At the Water Rights Fees Stakeholder Meeting on June 11, 2025, the Office of Sustainable Groundwater Management will present information about possible changes to fees for groundwater pumpers in probationary basins under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Staff will share information about a possible graduated fee schedule and hear feedback from interested parties. Click here for the handout. How to Watch and Listen via Webcast: video.calepa.ca.gov/
- WEBINAR: Benefits for Project Monitoring and Decision-making: the Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program and the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project from 12pm to 1pm. Learn how wetland managers across the Bay Area are collaborating to conduct monitoring at a regional scale to save on costs and gain greater understanding of the factors affecting wetland restoration success. Christina Toms of the Regional Water Quality Control Board will join Restoration Project Lead Scientist Donna Ball for a joint presentation on this Bay-wide collaboration, called the Wetland Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP). Link to register
- MEETING: WIIN Act quarterly update on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project from 1pm to 3pm. On June 10, 2025, Reclamation will hold a quarterly meeting to provide an update on the Long- Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 262 767 956 444 Passcode: f74jJg
- IN-PERSON PUBLIC MEETING: Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project Community Meeting from 6pm to 8pm at the Butte County Library, 1108 Sherman Ave, Chico. Join California Trout and Iron Canyon Fish Passage Project partners for an evening all about restoring fish passage on Big Chico Creek. Partners will present on the project goals and timeline, and there will be a question and answer section of the event. There is street parking near the venue, and we encourage carpooling or public transit when available. Learn more about California Trout’s campaign It’s Not About the Fish here.
In California water news today …
‘Dead on arrival:’ State Sen. Cabaldon, Delta Caucus draw ‘red line’ on fast-tracking Delta tunnel project
“For decades, California officials have debated and discussed various projects to redirect more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta toward communities and farms in the southern portion of the state. The latest iteration of these plans is the Delta Conveyance Project, a single tunnel along the Sacramento River stretching just south of Clarksburg near the town of Hood, to a reservoir near Livermore. This project was proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has spent much of his two terms streamlining its development process. More recently the governor used his May budget revision to fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project, saying that was a critical addition to the State Water Project. That announcement drew criticism from opponents. The 15-member Delta Caucus — a bipartisan group of lawmakers representing Delta communities — sent a letter to Newsom and legislative leaders saying they are “unanimous in strong opposition to the governor’s proposal to fast-track the Delta tunnel.” … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Combating a rising threat to water systems: Inside the Golden Mussel Framework
“Golden mussels, an invasive mollusk, pose a significant threat to natural ecosystems and water infrastructure due to their ability to form dense colonies. First identified in the Delta in October 2024, these invasive mussels are highly adaptable, tolerating a wide range of environmental conditions, including varying salinity levels. Once established, golden mussels can disrupt ecosystems by outcompeting native species for food, altering water quality and biofouling surfaces, leading to costly damage to water systems and infrastructure. Recognizing the need for coordinated action, a dedicated task force was formed in late October 2024. This group brought together eight key agencies, including the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Division of Boating and Waterways, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, all of which have authority or are directly impacted by the presence of golden mussels. By April 2025, the task force released a comprehensive response framework outlining strategies to address this issue. Martha Volkoff, Program Manager with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, provided an overview of the framework at the May meeting of the Delta Independent Science Board. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Rising concerns of climate extremes and land subsidence impacts
“A recent article in Reviews of Geophysics explores land subsidence drivers, rates, and impacts across the globe. It also discusses the need for improved process representations and the inclusion of the interplay among land subsidence and climatic extremes, including their effects in models and risk assessments. Here, we asked the lead author to explain the concept of land subsidence, its impacts, and future directions needed for improved mitigation. Land subsidence (LS) refers to the relative sinking or lowering of the Earth’s land surface. LS is a pressing global issue that warrants action since subsidence can adversely impact infrastructure, humans, and the environment across various landscapes and climates (Figure 1). It may be driven by one or more natural processes and/or human activities that compound to cause localized or expansive ground deformation. Differential LS causes structures and roadways to crack and buckle. LS can also reduce the water storage capacity of aquifers. Notably, LS can be recoverable (e.g., natural variations in groundwater levels) or permanent (e.g., overdraft causing irreversible compaction). … ” Read more from EOS.
Northern California is facing weather whiplash
“Northern California’s eastern and western areas are facing starkly different forecasts, with a heat advisory in place for the Sacramento Valley as triple-digit temperatures take hold, and the Bay Area experiencing cool, marine-layer conditions.Widespread heat risk across inland Northern California and northern Sacramento is expected, according to the National Weather Service. Highs are expected to hit 100 to 105 degrees through Monday evening. Breezy onshore winds and a slight chance of thunderstorms — especially across the Sierra, Shasta County mountains and adjacent foothills — could bring brief relief but also pose fire weather concerns. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
California sewage crisis bubbles up in key House race
“A cross-border sewage crisis affecting Southern California could play a role in a prominent congressional race, where a Republican challenger has become a national figure on the issue. Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, has been sounding the alarm recently on Fox News and other conservative outlets about the untreated sewage that’s been flowing from the Tijuana River in Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, contaminating the water and sickening residents. At the same time, he’s seeking to unseat Rep. Mike Levin, accusing the Democratic incumbent of not doing enough to protect residents. “We need to put more leverage on Mexico,” Desmond said in a recent interview. Levin counters that Desmond is a Johnny-come-lately on the matter, though he has praised the Trump administration for taking action. … ” Read more from E&E News.
How a wildfire challenged Boulder County’s water supply in a matter of hours
“Following a wet spring that resulted in a vast amount of vegetative growth, Boulder County, Colorado, experienced a very dry fall. The dry conditions zapped the moisture out of the vegetation. The county was under a red flag for extremely windy conditions. The heavy winds were coming from the west through the east, enveloping the open area of the county. The dry vegetation, combined with the windy conditions, created the perfect recipe for a fire to break out. What ensued over the following hours would be studied for years to come. A case study, titled “Water Utility Resilience: A Case Study of the 2021 Marshall Fire,” was conducted and prepared by Professor Brad Wham, University of Colorado, Boulder, Professor Erica Fischer, Oregon State University, and University of Colorado, Boulder, Graduate Assistant Rachel Geiger. Geiger and Wham presented the findings of their case study at the American Water Works Associations (AWWAs) Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE) in Denver, Colorado, 25 minutes from where the fire took place. … ” Read more from Water World.
In commentary today …
California’s water crisis is a question of infrastructure: It’s time for the Delta Conveyance Project
Charley Wilson, Executive Director of the Southern California Water Coalition, and Richard Lambros, the Executive Director of the Secure Water Alliance, write, “California has often positioned itself as a leader in responding to the dangers of climate change. From pioneering clean energy initiatives to enforcing some of the strictest emissions regulations in the nation, the state has consistently taken bold steps to prepare for the future. Yet when it comes to water infrastructure, which is also an important part of our response to climate change, we are falling dangerously behind. For decades, California has relied on the Sierra Nevada snowpack to store water through the winter, gradually replenishing reservoirs as it melts in the spring and summer. But with climate change, more of California’s precipitation is now falling as rain instead of snow, and the Department of Water Resources projects that climate change could reduce the state’s water supply by up to 23% over the next 20 years. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Yurok Tribe restores sacred lands and salmon in historic conservation deal
“The Pacific Ocean fog hung densely over the narrow mouth of the Klamath River in this coastal rainforest in northern California. Redwood, Douglas fir and alder disappeared into the mist. Seals bobbed nearby, hungry and waiting. An osprey swooped overhead, breakfast clenched in its claws. It was late July, 2024. The salmon run wouldn’t start for several months. But a few chinook salmon arrived early, some poached by birds and mammals, some caught in nets by Yurok fishing from their johnboats. Pergish Carlson, a river guide and Yurok — a member of California’s largest Indigenous tribe — captained a modern motorboat on that morning. We were there to try and get a glimpse of the future, to witness a crucial ecological element connected to the largest river restoration project in U.S. history: the return of nearby Blue Creek and its vast watershed to the Yurok Nation. But Carlson couldn’t help but look to the past; it helped him savor the renewal that lay upstream, he told Mongabay. “Not that many years ago,” he said, “the Indian people, my people, could only fish here at night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. We were run off by the government if we tried to fish earlier. This was always our river, our salmon. But the daylight hours were reserved for sport fishermen.”… ” Read more from Mongabay.
Indigenous youth prepare for the first descent down the Klamath River after dam removal
“On Thursday, a group of young kayakers from a variety of Indigenous tribes will embark on the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath River since the country’s largest dam removal project was completed last fall. An organization called Paddle Tribal Waters will lead the journey after years of intense training to prepare 43 Native American youth to kayak the entire length of the river — from the headwaters in Southern Oregon to the estuary in Northern California. The group aims to connect young people from rural and Indigenous communities to the rivers that support them. “The dams are actually out,” said 15-year-old Tasia Linwood, an Indigenous kayaker who has been training for this descent for two-and-a-half years. “It’s one thing to hear that they’re removed, but it’s different when your hands are in the water. You can feel it in your heart and soul.” … ” Read more from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Modoc National Forest visitors warned of potential toxic algal mats
“An algal mat alert has been issued for the Tributary to Pit River, SF in the Jess Valley area on or near the Modoc National Forest. According to the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, visitors should exercise caution when traveling to impacted areas. Officials say that harmful algal blooms, or HABs, are caused by algae or cyanobacteria. The United States Forest Service says these can sometimes form algal mats that may produce toxins, posing a potential risk to humans and pets. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
In California, a biomass company’s expansion raises fears of more fires
“Wood pellets, by design, are highly flammable. The small pieces of compressed woody leftovers, like sawdust, are used in everything from home heating to grilling. But their flammable nature has made for dangerous work conditions: Since 2010, at least 52 fires have broken out at the facilities that make wood pellets across the U.S., according to a database of incidents compiled by the Southern Environmental Law Center. Of the 15 largest wood pellet facilities, at least eight have had fires or explosions since 2014, according to the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit founded by a former director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the same time, the world’s largest biomass company, Drax, is cutting down trees across North America with a promise to sell them as a replacement to fossil fuels. But even its track record is checkered with accidents. … ” Read more from Grist.
From risk to resilience: How Tahoe neighbors are getting ahead of wildfire
“Wildfire season is just around the corner in the Lake Tahoe Basin. And for many mountain communities, preparing for fire has become a year-round effort. In Meyers, on the south shore of Tahoe, residents are teaming up to make their neighborhoods safer. On a Thursday in June, a group of neighbors gathered at Tahoe Paradise Park in Meyers. They talked about wildfires. “It’s not a matter of if our next fire is coming, it’s when our next fire is coming,” said Leona Allen, who’s been the neighborhood leader for the North Upper Truckee area in Meyers for about seven years. These meetings are part of a growing effort across the basin called the Fire Adapted Communities program. Allen said it’s not just about protecting your own home, it’s about caring for the entire neighborhood. “If your house burns, my house burns,” Allen said. … ” Read more from KUNR.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Hearings scheduled for Oroville’s quest to discontinue fluoridation in water
“The City of Oroville’s quest to discontinue fluoridation of tap water continues, and the process is lasting much longer than Mayor David Pittman had hoped to see. Oroville City Councilors on May 22, 2024 directed Cal Water to begin the process of lifting the requirement by the California Public Utilities Commission — a requirement that residents petitioned for in the 1950s. In the meeting, councilors voted unanimously to remove the requirement, citing “personal choice” for residents not to have the chemical in city drinking water. Mayor David Pittman said Monday that the CPUC is seeking to hear residents’ input on the matter with a public participation hearing, but expressed disappointment in repeated hearings. … ” Continue reading at the Chico Enterprise-Record.
NAPA/SONOMA
An ancient Greek grape holds promise for California winegrowers as climate pressures mount
“A boomerang-shaped Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, Santorini is renowned for its striking natural beauty and whitewashed buildings, which are crowned in domes of indigo blue. One of about 220 islands that comprise the Greek Cyclades, modern Santorini was formed by a massive volcanic eruption about 3,600 years ago. Left in its wake was a vast caldera and deposits of mineral-rich ash, which transformed the soil into a fertile medium for growing wine grapes. Chief among them is Assyrtiko (ah-seer-teeko), a white variety resistant to the island’s intense summer heat, lack of water and powerful winds. Vibrant in acidity, with fresh salinity and a distinct flintiness, it’s a grape that begs for shellfish. … In California, where the rising climate has winegrowers rethinking which grapes to grow and how to grow them, vintners like Mark Neal of Neal Family Vineyards in Napa Valley have started planting Assyrtiko. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
‘They eat everything’: Wild pigs increase around the Bay Area, causing headaches for homeowners, parks and water agencies
“The wildlife you see on your next hiking trip? The rustle in your backyard at night? It might not be a raccoon or a deer. A steady increase in the population of wild pigs — a marauding, non-native animal that can grow sharp tusks and weigh 250 pounds or more — is causing growing problems for parks, water districts and homeowners across the Bay Area. The hogs wallow in streams, dig up lawns and gardens, eat endangered plants and animals and occasionally charge at people. They carry diseases like swine fever and can spread pathogens like E. coli to crops in farm fields. “We’ve seen the impacts increasing,” said Doug Bell, wildlife program manager at the East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland. “They are omnivores. They vacuum up California quail, Alameda whipsnakes and other wildlife. They eat everything. They’ll come in and destroy lawns and all your landscaping overnight. Sometimes people can be hurt by them. We had a hiker who was run over by a wild boar and injured her leg. A firefighter was knocked down by one in 2020. They can be frightening.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Contra Costa Water District working to repair canal for $1 billion
“During the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association Members and Leaders monthly luncheon in May, Contra Costa Water District Board President, Ernesto Avila provided an update on the district’s current work and plans. They include repairing 20 of the 48-mile canal at a cost of $1 billion, keeping water rates as low as possible and expanding service to keep up with growth. The district includes the Central County cities and communities of Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Clayton, Pacheco, Clyde, Port Costa and portions of Walnut Creek, and in East County, the cities and communities of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, Bay Point, and portions of Brentwood. Half of the district’s water is provided to treated water customers and the other half to raw water customers, Avila stated and then spoke about ensuring adequate “water supply during disasters such as fire and earthquake emergencies.” “When PG&E outages occur all of our tanks go full,” he shared. “Water only stays sweet for six to seven days to meet the water quality requirements of the state.” … ” Read more from the Contra Costa Herald.
A fog-free San Francisco? Scientists ponder California’s climate future
“As most of the U.S. sweltered in mid-July 2022 − when temperatures in many major cities reached the high 90s and even triple digits − a national weather map showed San Francisco topping out at 65 degrees. It was just a typical foggy summer day in the city by the bay, which averaged 62 degrees that month, about the same as the next two Julys. Now the advent of climate change raises the question of whether summertime visitors will stop rushing out to buy sweatshirts upon arrival and instead feel perfectly comfortable in shorts and T-shirts. The future of San Francisco’s iconic fog has been debated in media stories during recent years, and some experts note a diminished cloud cover along the California coast that could lead to a warming trend. … ” Read more from USA Today.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
More than a park: One year at Dos Rios
“A year ago, California opened its first new state park in more than 10 years—right in the middle of the Central Valley, where wildlands, public access, and outdoor recreation that boosts community health and well-being are in short supply. “We were looking for opportunities to identify parks in the Central Valley of California next to big rivers and close to park-starved communities,” says California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “We wanted to create an opportunity locally for people to enjoy where they live.” For years, State Parks was considering restoring an area on their own to turn into a park—that is, until they found River Partners’ Dos Rios Ranch. For more than a decade, River Partners worked to transform former farmland at Dos Rios Ranch near Modesto into the largest public-private floodplain project in California history. “We are so excited to have launched the first new state park in over a decade at one of our flagship projects, located at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers,” says River Partners President Julie Rentner. … ” Read more from the River Partners.
By removing invasive bullfrogs, scientists help Yosemite’s native turtles recover
“Sidney Woodruff has spent multiple summers hiking six or seven miles to a remote corner of Yosemite National Park where she has camped out next to ponds and lakes. “At night,” Woodruff says, “you look out, it’s pitch black, but you have the moon reflecting off the water.” Soon, however, the dark quiet would be broken by the telltale sound of an American bullfrog. “Once one starts, another one starts, and then it becomes this big deafening chorus of bullfrog calls happening at once,” she says. And when Woodruff, who’s an ecology PhD candidate at UC Davis, flashed her headlamp over the water, she says a constellation of eyes blinked back at her, reflecting the light. … ” Read more from NPR.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Lawmakers revive effort to expand Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
“California’s federal lawmakers are reviving plans for a vast expansion of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, but the effort comes as the Trump administration seeks funding cuts that some fear could lead to the area being severed from the National Park system. Legislation recently reintroduced by U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) would add more than 118,000 acres of what is known as the Rim of the Valley corridor to the roughly 154,000-acre recreation area, dubbed the world’s largest urban national park. U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) plans to introduce the House version. The Rim of the Valley corridor is a noncontiguous area that stretches from the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains to the Verdugo and the San Gabriel mountains, creating a “green belt” that encircles the San Fernando, Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi and Conejo valleys. It also encompasses existing parks and historic sites, including Griffith Park and Olvera Street in the city of L.A. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea is emitting foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, triggering health concerns
“On scorching days when winds blow across the California desert, the Salton Sea regularly gives off a stench of decay resembling rotten eggs. New research has found that the shrinking lake is emitting the foul-smelling gas hydrogen sulfide more frequently and at higher levels than previously measured. The findings document how the odors from the Salton Sea add to the air quality problems and health concerns in communities near the lake, where windblown dust drifts from exposed stretches of lakebed and where people suffer from high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. “The communities around the Salton Sea are on the front lines of a worsening environmental health crisis,” said Mara Freilich, a co-author of the study and assistant professor in Brown University’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
The situation at Calif.’s most contaminated lake is likely worse than we thought
“The Salton Sea, one of California’s most unique and beleaguered inland lakes, is a major source of hydrogen sulfide, a noxious, colorless gas that can cause a slew of respiratory and neurological symptoms — and according to a recent study, hydrogen sulfide emissions surrounding the area are likely much higher than researchers previously thought, threatening the health of half a million people who live in nearby Imperial and Coachella valleys. The gas, which has a pungent rotten egg smell, typically lingers over the desert during warm summer months when temperatures in the basin can reach over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. But according to a May 31 paper published in the environmental science journal GeoHealth, these hydrogen sulfide emissions are more than just malodorous: The gas, which is toxic when inhaled, often exceeds state standards in areas surrounding the lake. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: Study: Salton Sea is emitting foul gas at levels worse than official monitors show, from the Desert Sun
SAN DIEGO
Podcast: Tijuana River pollution reaches crisis point in San Diego County, scientists warn
“The South Bay in San Diego County is the site of one of the nation’s worst environmental disasters. Fifty million gallons of untreated sewage and industrial chemicals flow daily into the Tijuana River and out of Imperial Beach. New research connects the waste to worsening air quality, which has been linked with headaches, skin infections and gastrointestinal problems in the local population. We’ll talk about why solutions could be years away.” Listen at KQED.
Study shows chemicals in coastal aerosol from Tijuana River pollution
“A new study by the UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography, published last week in the journal Science Advances, shows that South Bay residents are being exposed to inhalation of tens of nanograms per hour of chemical concentrates through pollution in the river water. Using benzoylecgonine as a sewage tracer, scientists discovered that wastewater compounds include chemicals from tires, personal care products such as sunscreen, and a mix of illegal drugs, which are aerosolized in the air. Compounds released directly from the river “can also be introduced into the ocean through treated and untreated wastewater discharge, land runoff, and direct industrial release from Maquiladoras in Mexico. Once the pollutants enter the ocean, they can become transferred into the air via sea spray aerosol,” the study explained. The paper also discussed how the aerosol is formed. “Sea spray aerosol is created when waves break and bubbles rupture at the surface, releasing chemical and biological components into the air in aerosol particles.” … ” Read more from the Eagle & Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Navajo Nation declares drought emergency
“The Navajo Nation declared a drought emergency recently, following a similar one issued by the state of New Mexico as severe dryness and escalating fire risk settle over the area. Navajo Nation president Buu Nygren says he declared the state of emergency in late May, though he didn’t publicly announce it until this week. The resolution leans on a U.S. Department of Agriculture assessment of seven counties in Arizona and New Mexico encompassing the Navajo Nation that it identified as disaster areas due to drought conditions. Those include Coconino and Navajo counties. Nygren said 900 windmills and 7,500 stock ponds are losing capacity on the Nation. The declaration calls for more than $6 million in tribal funds to help farmers and ranchers. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Groundwater bill stalls; no help for rural communities this year
“Residents of rural communities concerned about depleted groundwater levels will likely have to wait longer for a solution after the latest groundwater bill stalled in the Legislature. Senate Bill 1520 would allow the creation of Basin Management Areas, which would impose a series of restrictions intended to preserve groundwater in Gila Bend, Hualapai Valley and the Willcox Groundwater Basin. The legislation would repeal the Willcox Active Management Area, established to preserve the existing groundwater supply in the Willcox Basin, and convert it into a Basin Management Area. However, the bill is unlikely to be finalized before the Legislature adjourns, especially since lawmakers are expected to begin advancing budget bills within the next couple of weeks.“We’re not giving up on the overall conversation,” Sen. Tim Dunn, R-Yuma, the bill’s sponsor, said. “The reality of getting something done before the end of the session … there’s really no time for that.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Capitol Times.
Arizona approves new standards for pollutants in groundwater
“The Governor’s Regulatory Review Council has approved new aquifer water quality standards. The standards are Arizona’s legal safety limits for pollutants in groundwater. The changes include new or revised caps on seven contaminants like arsenic and uranium, which can harm human health at high concentrations. If contamination exceeds those limits, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) can require corrective actions, like treatment, containment or cleanup. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
In national water news today …
Will Congress defy trump on water infrastructure spending?
“President Donald Trump has proposed a nearly 90 percent cut to the two funds that are the primary source of federal support for drinking water and sewer systems. The state revolving funds, which loan money at below market or zero-interest rates, have traditionally attracted bipartisan support, and Congress has objected to previous administrations that suggested trimming the program. With Trump in the White House, how will the Republican-led Congress respond this time? To address that question, Circle of Blue’s Brett Walton spoke with Mae Stevens, partner and water practice lead at Banner Public Affairs, a lobbying firm. A veteran of D.C. water policy, Stevens said that lawmakers could follow their accustomed path and buck the president’s recommendation to gut the funds. Returning the funds to their current level of more than $2.7 billion would be the goal. But with such a large proposed cut the negotiations will not be easy. … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
See which U.S. cities report ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
“Water pouring from the faucets of at least 42 million Americans is contaminated with unacceptable levels of “forever chemicals,” according to a USA TODAY analysis of records the Environmental Protection Agency released on June 2. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a family of manmade chemicals engineered to be nearly indestructible. Studies have shown they can accumulate over time in human bodies, leading to certain cancers and other health complications. Over the past two years, the EPA has collected complete sets of test results from about 6,900 drinking water systems, with thousands more expected as the PFAS testing initiative continues another year. … ” Read more from USA Today.
Amazon to expand number of data centers using recycled water to 120
“Amazon is expanding the number of locations that will use treated wastewater for data center cooling from 20 to 120. The company this week announced it will expand its use of water recycling to more than 120 locations in states and counties where the cloud giant has data center operations by 2030. “By scaling our use of recycled water—water that has been previously used and treated—we expect to preserve over 530 million gallons of drinking-water supply in our communities throughout the US each year,” the company said. Though data centers typically reuse water by recirculating the same water through their cooling systems multiple times, it is often drawn from potable (drinkable) sources. As the water can collect bacteria and limescale, it is treated with chemicals, leaving it unsuitable for people to drink once it leaves the facility. Exactly how much drinkable water the data center industry uses is unclear, but estimated to be in the billions of gallons annually. … ” Read more from Data Center Dynamics.
Taking “take” into account: Proposed rule to the Endangered Species Act
“In our industry, we must consider compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act (FESA) when a proposed project or action has the potential to affect species federally listed as endangered. Since 1973, FESA1 has been in place to provide a framework for the protection of endangered and threatened species and their habitat. FESA has resulted in the development of recovery plans for species classified as endangered or threatened, the designation of critical habitat, and the requirement for interagency cooperation (including cooperation with states and the authorization of financial assistance). Additionally, FESA oversees the issuance of permits for prohibited activities. FESA prohibits the “take” of endangered species. Under the law, “the term ‘take’ means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” Over time, FESA implementing regulations have evolved to define “harm” to mean “an act which actually kills or injures wildlife. … ” Read more from ESA.
Trump cuts would scrap USGS biological research arm
“The Trump administration wants to unplug a high-powered U.S. Geological Survey research program whose scientists have helped protect wildlife, manage forests, thwart pests and illuminate nature for over three decades. Eliminating the biological research branch of the USGS, as called for in President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal, would accelerate the administration’s targeting of scientific experts and studies already shown in layoffs and grant cancellations at the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. But the potential scrapping of the USGS program is also goading some scientists out of their labs and into lobbying, as they deploy letters, phone calls, professional advocates, social media messaging, virtual rallies and more in their bid to save a nearly $300 million-a-year program. … ” Read more from E&E News.
