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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 9am. Main agenda item is an informational briefing to the Board on the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report for the American River Common Features, 2016 Flood Risk Management Project. Click here for the agenda.
In California water news and commentary today …
Water Year 2025 snow drought current conditions summary and impacts in the West
“Snow drought developed and persisted this winter in pockets of the western U.S., largely driven by lack of precipitation with a lesser role from above-normal temperatures. The most severe conditions have persisted across Arizona and New Mexico into southern Utah and Colorado. Snowpack has nearly disappeared from monitoring stations across the West as dry and warm conditions accelerated snowmelt and early snowpack loss. Snow disappeared early even in areas without widespread snow drought conditions and with above-normal peak snow water equivalent (SWE). Summer streamflow volume forecasts are lower than normal across the West. The impacts of early season snow drought in some regions and the widespread rapid melt out across the West will challenge water supplies, agriculture, outdoor recreation, and tourism, as well as increase wildfire potential. Drought conditions are expected to persist or expand across much of the western United States this summer. Drought emergencies have been declared in several areas, including Washington, New Mexico, and the Navajo Nation. Lake Powell is at 34% of capacity, and Lake Mead is at 31% of capacity. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center is forecasting 45% of average April-July unregulated inflows into Lake Powell. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
State Water Contractors respond to Senate and Assembly budget proposal
“This week, members of the Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees removed Governor Newsom’s proposal for the Delta Conveyance Project from the budget package, a move that would burden ratepayers with costly and unnecessary delays. The Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) is critical to modernizing the State Water Project (SWP), California’s primary water distribution system. The SWP provides an affordable source of high-quality, clean water for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of agricultural land. The DCP will protect California’s $2.3 trillion economy — $19 billion in agriculture alone — and 8.7 million full-time jobs. Statement from Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors: “Despite the headlines, the Governor’s proposal to expedite administrative processes for the Delta Conveyance Project and maintain affordable water supplies for California is very much alive and supported by a growing, broad and bipartisan group from across the state and Legislature. … ” Continue reading from the State Water Contractors.
Wet soils increase flooding during atmospheric river storms
“Atmospheric rivers are responsible for most flooding on the West Coast of the U.S., but also bring much needed moisture to the region. The size of these storms doesn’t always translate to flood risk, however, as other factors on the ground play important roles. Now, a new study helps untangle the other drivers of flooding to help communities and water managers better prepare. The research, published June 4 in the Journal of Hydrometeorology, analyzed more than 43,000 atmospheric river storms across 122 watersheds on the West Coast between 1980 and 2023. The researchers found that one of the primary driving forces of flooding is wet soils that can’t absorb more water when a storm hits. They showed that flood peaks were 2-4.5 times higher, on average, when soils were already wet. These findings can help explain why some atmospheric river storms cause catastrophic flooding while others of comparable intensity do not. Even weaker storms can generate major floods if their precipitation meets a saturated Earth, while stronger storms may bring needed moisture to a parched landscape without causing flooding. … ” Read more from the Desert Research Institute.
Fallowed fields are fueling California’s dust problem
“California produces more than a third of the vegetables and three quarters of the fruits and nuts in the United States. But water constraints are leaving more and more fields unplanted, or “fallowed,” particularly in the state’s famed farming hub, the Central Valley. In a study published in Communications Earth and Environment, researchers showed that these fallowed agricultural lands are producing a different problem: dust storms, which can cause road accidents and health problems and can have far-reaching environmental impacts. Using remote sensing methods, the team found that 88% of anthropogenic dust events in the state, such as dust storms, come from fallowed farmland. California’s frequent droughts could mean a rise in fallowed farmland. In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a policy aimed at ensuring the sustainability of groundwater resources. A report by the Public Policy Institute of California suggested that to meet the SGMA’s demands, farmers may need to fallow hundreds of thousands of additional acres, potentially worsening dust events. … ” Read more from EOS.
California ag could use a little more heresy
Jeffrey Mitchell, Chair of the Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Center and professor at UC Davis, writes, “A little-known fact that is relevant to California farmers today is how the book, Plowman’s Folly, published in 1943 by Edward Faulkner, asserting that “no one has ever advanced a scientific reason for plowing,” probably prompted more debate in our country than any other agricultural subject since. To this day, the book occupies the eleventh position all-time – a mere four spots behind Charles Darwin – in the list of the Top Twenty Historical Monographs by Citation Counts in soil science literature. While Faulkner’s thesis focused a vigorous nationwide dialogue in the years after its publication, and eventually contributed to the rise of no-tillage innovation in response to the devastation caused by intensive tillage with the moldboard plow, it was the debate itself that was the important thing. It got a lot of people talking about what was going on in agriculture at the time. Rural sociologists studying the tensions that were raised during this period that were stirred up by the book talk about how it goaded “the American farmer for his close-minded traditionalism,” and how agriculture would do well to have more heresy about how it operates. The relevance for California farming is clear. … ” Continue reading at the Western Farm Press.
Rich Kreps calls out California’s water crisis narrative
“In a recent conversation with AgNet West’s Nick Papagni, agricultural consultant and American Pistachio Growers board chairman Rich Kreps voiced strong concerns over water allocations for California’s Westside farmers. Despite three strong water years, Kreps said growers are only receiving 55% of their expected allocations—a number that policymakers treat as a victory. “They act like we should have a party because they bumped us from 30% to 40% to 50% and then 55%,” Kreps said, “not realizing… our farmers paid to set this program up a long time ago with the promise of surface water delivery.” … ‘ Read more from Ag Net West.
Country clubs are flying high. But there’s growing pressure to tackle a high-stakes problem.
“Woodland Hills Country Club in Los Angeles is using clay to help conserve water across 43 acres of its historic golf course. The effort, spearheaded by Palo Alto, California-based agri-tech company Desert Control, involves irrigating soil with a special liquid naturally designed to help prevent desertification in dry climate. It can achieve water savings of up to 25% — a big deal for golf courses, which often use tens of millions of gallons of water each year. Woodland Hills also isn’t paying for the services upfront. It will instead pay Desert Control out of monthly savings it achieves from its reduced water bills. The next golf-course client for Desert Control is Berkeley Country Club, also in California. … “What we are really seeing of late is the value of water, the price of water is such that golf courses are becoming a lot more efficient,” said Jason Morris, a land-use attorney at law firm Withey Morris Baug. “Like any business, you try and plan around that for the long term to help your bottom line.” … ” Read more from BizWomen.
It’s time for California to act on nitrogen pollution
Arohi Sharma, NRDC Senior Policy Analyst, and Dr Daniel Rath, NRDC Agricultural Soil Carbon Scientist, writes,”For more than 40 years, nitrogen waste has been a major pollutant in Californians’ water and air, exacerbating health problems and the climate crisis. California’s water quality protection agency has a critical opportunity this year to solve the nitrate pollution crisis and curb climate emissions by limiting nitrogen discharges from agricultural lands. They must act with the urgency this problem requires. Plants need nitrogen to grow, but when too much is applied to agricultural fields as fertilizers, it pollutes the environment and contributes to the climate, biodiversity, and public health crises. Today, about 30 to 50 percent of the nitrogen fertilizers applied to farmlands are used by crops, and the rest is lost to the environment, causing significant and multifaceted harms. … ” Read more from the NRDC.
The Great Lakes, who? Big Bear Lake voted best in the US
“It can be difficult determining the best lakes in a country as large as America. But the people have spoken, and it turns out, California is home to two. Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County was voted the best lake in the United States by USA TODAY 10Best, in which an expert panel nominates their picks for readers to vote on. It’s a popular destination for visitors eager to get out on the water; Fishing, boating, waterskiing, paddleboarding and summertime swimming are just some of the ways people can enjoy the stunning lake located in the San Bernardino National Forest of Southern California. … ” Read more from the Victorville Daily Press.
CA Ocean Protection Council adopts roadmap to protect 30% of waters by 2030
“California took a big step Tuesday toward the goal of conserving 30% of land and waters by 2030. The Ocean Protection Council adopted a roadmap to decide which protected waters will count toward the goal. “We’re now at 21.9% of coastal waters conserved,” said Michael Esgro, the council’s senior biodiversity program manager and tribal liaison, “so more than three-quarters of the way to our 30 by 30 goal, here at the halfway point of the initiative. We have another almost 300,000 acres to conserve by 2030.” The Council refined the roadmap over the past year in a series of public workshops and consultations with tribes. The next meeting in September will delve further into the specific criteria for evaluating improvements in biodiversity in protected waters. … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
The California Legislature Halftime Report
“Thank you for joining me for the California Legislature Halftime Report, it is an exciting time of change with many updates to share. A new Senate President pro Tempore was just selected. I’m pleased to share that it is Senator Monique Limón (District 21), who I am personally pleased about this because she is my representative and she has done a remarkable job for our community and our state, but most importantly for this post, it is wonderful news because Senator Limón is a fierce environmental champion. The house of origin deadline passed on Friday June 6, meaning bills that are advancing have cleared their first chamber. These bills will now be heard in the second house through September 12. The Governor has one month to take action on the bills that survive thereafter. In other words, we are halfway there. At the same time, the all too important California Budget process is taking place, as the Budget Bill came into print in the early hours of Tuesday June 10. Lawmakers are busy working on the budget, trying to navigate a high budget shortfall and lessen negative impacts for their constituents. … ” Read more from Legal Planet.
Burgum tells California Democrats that budget cuts are higher priority than some ‘solid’ programs
“California Democrats tried on Thursday to dissuade Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum from cuts to water infrastructure funding. Instead, they got a clear view of the Trump administration’s priorities. The water security programs may be working, but budget cuts are more important, Burgum told lawmakers during a House hearing on President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the Department of the Interior. “When you’re trying to make the kind of reductions we are against the tremendous budget deficit we have, sometimes even programs that are solid programs end up on the list,” Burgum said. “So, it’s nothing in particular about this program. It’s just trying to find a way to make sure that we do our part overall to help reduce the size and the deficit of the federal budget.” … ” Read more from NOTUS.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘Un-naming’ of Mad River being considered by Humboldt County agency
“The “un-naming” of the Mad River is on the agenda of a Humboldt County agency, which this week received a report on the implications of recognizing the waterway’s traditional name, Baduwa’t. Michiko Mares, general manager of the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, told the Eureka Times-Standard that the board of directors’ discussion of the matter represents the initial step in the process and that “a lot of groundwork still has to be done.” The memo prepared by District Counsel Ryan Plotz said there is an active movement by the Baduwa’t Watershed Council and Wiyot tribal members to reclaim the waterway’s original name. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Restoring rivers, protecting species: new effort launches a landscape-scale restoration initiative to reduce sediment in Northern California watersheds
“A major new restoration initiative is launching across Northern California to protect imperiled aquatic species and improve the health of sediment-impaired watersheds historically impacted by cannabis cultivation and rural development. The project, Sediment Reduction on Cannabis Farms in Priority Northern Watersheds, is funded through the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s Cannabis Restoration Grant Program, and was awarded to Cannabis for Conservation (CFC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose programs conserve wildlife and restore habitats in cannabis-impacted landscapes. The project will reduce harmful sediment production and restore degraded watercourses across the Mattole, Eel, Mad, and Trinity River watersheds. These vital river systems are home to some of California’s most threatened and endangered species, including Coho and Chinook Salmon, Northern California steelhead, and newly proposed northwestern pond turtle. … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Water deliveries from Spaulding Reservoir near as repairs ahead of schedule
“Repair work continues on the Spaulding powerhouses and water deliveries from the reservoir are near, Nevada Irrigation District General Manager Jennifer Hanson reported Wednesday, while adding that PG&E is reporting that they are two days ahead of schedule. “We should start seeing water filling in the tunnel into June 28-June 29,” said Hanson. “We will be getting South Yuba Canal ready a little bit prior to that. We expect water supply to have a little bit more of a decrease than last year but hopefully we can get water getting in sooner and we can flatten that out, just because it was so much hotter this year and we didn’t have that May storm like we did last year. That storm really topped us off last year.” Full service of the powerhouses are expected to return in August, depending on how testing goes during July. The testing requires a release of water into the related tunnels. It is still unknown, Hanson said, whether or not PG&E will place restrictions on flow intake. … ” Read more from The Union.
Lake Tahoe’s biggest threat spotted: Golden mussels
“Golden mussels are an invasive aquatic species that disrupt ecosystems, filter away nutrients and damage shorelines – and they were recently spotted on a boat trying to enter Lake Tahoe. The golden mussel, a shellfish growing up to two inches in size, looks a lot like a mussel you might order at a restaurant. While they are native to Southeast Asia, the yellow-tinted water-dwellers are considered ecosystem engineers based on how heavily they can alter – or destroy – a non-native habitat. The mussel found on a boat visiting Lake Tahoe threatens not only the boater but Tahoe’s entire ecosystem. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Investing in a resilient Sacramento River basin through floodplain reactivation
“The Floodplain Forward leaders are advancing a Portfolio for Fish and Wildlife, which together will help reactivate our floodplains for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and people. This landscape-scale portfolio of integrated restoration projects is designed to restore ecological function to the Sacramento River Basin – in harmony with communities and farms – through the following restoration priorities … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
BAY AREA
Editorial: Marin Municipal Water District must look into Nicasio flooding concerns
“While the Marin Municipal Water District is diligently working to bolster its storage capacity for water, it should not allow that goal to obscure possible ramifications. Some Nicasio residents are worried that the district’s plan to increase the capacity of Nicasio Reservoir could increase local flooding. Their concerns deserve an honest and independent evaluation. Rightly, the district’s leadership has been focused on increasing the district’s supply. It was only about four years ago that the district, after enduring a prolonged drought, worried that its supply had dwindled – despite strict conservation measures – to levels where it could run out of water. It was busy working toward building a costly emergency pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge when it started raining, refilling MMWD’s chain of reservoirs. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Suisun City Council opens door for California Forever land annexation
“The Suisun City Council approved the first step toward annexation of 22,873 acres of California Forever-owed property on Tuesday with 15,740 acres slated for future development. The proposed Suisun Expansion Specific Plan, which was approved 4-1 at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, would add 150,000 residents by 2048 and achieve full build out by 2071. The Suisun meeting documents do not state the full build out population, but the original California Forever proposal was designed to eventually accommodate up to 400,000 residents. The move comes after California Forever, a billionaire-backed group that had been secretly buying land for years, pulled a ballot measure to establish a new city on the same land last July after preliminary review of the proposal highlighted environmental concerns and projected it would cause nearly $200 million in annual county and agency deficits and polls showed substantial opposition to the project. … ” Read more from the Vallejo Sun.
CENTRAL COAST
Grover Beach votes to increase wastewater rates
“The average single family in Grover Beach can expect their city wastewater bill to more than double by 2030—increasing from roughly $25 bi-monthly to about $58. Starting in July, rates will start ticking up at 17.8 percent a year for the next five years to help the city pay for an estimated $11 million in needed upgrades to its aging sewer lines, lift stations, and storm drains. The Grover Beach City Council passed the rate increase unanimously at its June 9 meeting, capping off two years of controversy surrounding the issue. “I know that a couple of people have made the comment that it’s too steep or we don’t want this,” Councilmember Jules Tuggle said at the meeting. “We’re all in this together. I’m a neighbor, too, and I would love to not pay it. That would be my first choice. … This can’s been kicked down the road for a long time, and now we’re stuck in this place.” … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Oil foil: A judge puts a temporary restraining order on Sable’s progress as environmental organizations sue to prevent another disaster
“For dozens of Refugio State Beach’s visitors on May 18, stepping into the ocean was a solemn act of remembrance. Local environmental groups co-hosted a morning paddle out that Sunday—one day shy of the 10th anniversary of the Refugio oil spill. Three offshore oil rigs connected to the May 19, 2015, disaster were within eyesight of paddlers, who were not aware at the time that one of these platforms recently broke its decade-long dormancy, according to Center for Biological Diversity Senior Counsel Julie Teel Simmonds. “They didn’t even know that they were out there paddling around, and oil was flowing under the ocean,” said Simmonds, who represents one of the nonprofits that organized the event. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Sun.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Diablo Grande residents demand answers over threat of water shut off
“Residents of Diablo Grande packed a heated meeting on June 4, demanding answers from the Western Hills Water District as the community faces the threat of having its water shut off at the end of the month. The Kern County Water Agency has notified Western Hills that it will halt water deliveries on June 30 unless the district catches up on unpaid bills dating back to 2019. Western Hills currently owes Kern more than $13 million. Now the water district is proposing a significant rate hike, raising monthly water bills from roughly $200 to nearly $600, giving residents a difficult choice: accept the increase or risk losing water service entirely. If approved, the higher rates would keep water flowing through the end of the year while the district searches for alternative water sources. The situation stems from a contract created in 2000, originally designed to serve more than 5,000 homes. Only about 600 homes were ever built in the community, leaving a small group of homeowners responsible for the major debt. … ” Read more from CBS News.
Solar on Ag Land: Farmers turn to clean energy amid water cuts
“Faced with water shortages, some California farmers are turning to solar energy as a sustainable way to use fallow land. A new bill, AB 1156, could let farmers lease land for solar panels. SGMA regulations are forcing many growers to leave land fallow. Energy demand in California is expected to rise 80% by 2045. Some Central Valley farmers see solar as the next best option to farming. … ” Read more from Channel 23.
Water usage rate to increase over 30% as early as July 1 in Bakersfield
“The city of Bakersfield is expected to hike up the water usage rate starting July 1 for 165,000 residents. On Wednesday evening, only one person came to speak against it at the City Hall meeting. “We’ve suffered quite a bit in the agricultural arena, as well as the trickle down effect in the grocery markets,” said Katie Bassey, a concerned citizen. “Adding water to that list could create a hardship for a lot of people. So, I vote nay.” There were only 77 written protests against the price jump. Starting July 1, the water usage rate will increase by 34%. That comes out to $11.48 more a month for the average household, mainly impacting residents West of Highway 99. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Cal Water putting in large water tank for benefit of customers, BC
“A four-month construction project starting this month is planned to serve the dual purpose of upgrading local water storage for customers of California Water Service and strengthening Bakersfield College’s ability to fight fires. Cal Water is putting in a 500,000-gallon water tank that will replace an aging, 200,000-gallon tank serving the area. It will be located east of BC around Wenatchee Avenue and Panorama Drive. The project was approved as part of Cal Water’s 2021 infrastructure improvement plan, meaning its cost has already been incorporated into rates paid by the company’s customers. As part of a cooperative agreement between Cal Water and BC, the company will pay for increasing storage in the area while the college covers the cost of booster pumps and any needed electrical upgrades. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian.
EASTERN SIERRA
Mono Lake may be losing its California Gulls
“For centuries California Gulls have migrated east across the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada to nest at Mono Lake. Their graceful, raucous, and quirky presence is a distinct and iconic part of the Mono Basin along with granite peaks, brine shrimp, tufa towers, and volcanic islands. For generations gulls have played an important role in the biodiversity of the Mono Basin and Eastern Sierra, and their health is a measure of the health and abundance of the Mono Lake ecosystem. Now, three decades after the California State Water Resources Control Board ordered that Mono Lake must be allowed to rise to 6,392 feet above sea level—which it has not yet reached—California Gulls are not only struggling to recover, they’re also struggling to survive. A new report documents record nest failure last year, signaling serious trouble for the gull colony as chronically low lake levels and continuing stream diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) are damaging the lake’s ecological health. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Pressure is mounting for soil testing post-fire cleanup. The Newsom administration is downplaying the concerns
“Elected officials in California are calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Newsom administration to pay for soil testing on properties destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, underscoring the public health risk and financial burdens that could be faced by survivors seeking to rebuild in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. FEMA, the agency leading the wildfire recovery efforts, has come under heavy criticism for its decision not to test properties for contaminants after removing wreckage and up to 6 inches of top soil. That policy differs from how California has handled virtually all wildfire recoveries in the recent past. After every major wildfire since 2007, federal and state disaster agencies have conducted soil sampling to ensure that debris-cleared properties do not contain unhealthy levels of lead and other toxic metals. In these cases, at properties where agencies detected high levels of contaminants, they typically deployed cleanup crews to remove another layer of soil, and then would perform another round of soil testing. This would be repeated until testing showed that the soil met state standards. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego high schoolers push for bill to hold polluters accountable
“A group of local high school students is taking a stand against environmental injustices, advocating for legislation that would make major polluters pay for climate damage. The students are from high schools all across San Diego County, and they’re a part of a statewide coalition called “Youth v. Oil”. It works as part of a local nonprofit called San Diego 350, which focuses on climate justice. Youth v. Oil is backing SB 684, known as the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025. According to CALMATTERS, the bill would establish the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Program to be administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency to require fossil fuel polluters to pay their fair share of the damage caused by greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere during 1990 to 2024. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
NASA sensor on space station eyes contamination off California coast
“An instrument built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to map minerals on Earth is now revealing clues about water quality. A recent study found that EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) was able to identify signs of sewage in the water at a Southern California beach. The authors of the study examined a large wastewater plume at the mouth of the Tijuana River, south of Imperial Beach near San Diego. Every year, millions of gallons of treated and untreated sewage enter the river, which carries pollutants through communities and a national reserve on the U.S.-Mexico border before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Contaminated coastal waters have been known to impact human health — from beachgoers to U.S. Navy trainees — and harm marine ecosystems, fisheries, and wildlife. … ” Read more from NASA.
SEE ALSO: Space station sensor helps detect water pollutants off California coast, from Fox 5
U.S., Mexico fast-track solution to Tijuana River pollutants
“A joint effort between the U.S. EPA and Mexico will accelerate expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) from a planned two-year timeline to just 100 days. Expansion of the plant’s treatment capacity from 25 million gallons per day (MGD) to 35 MGD is intended to end “the decades-long Tijuana sewage crisis,” reads a statement from EPA spokesperson Mike Bastasch. The 120-mile Tijuana River is ranked by American Rivers as the second-most endangered U.S. waterway in 2025 — behind the Mississippi River — blaming mismanagement, under-investment in wastewater infrastructure, and Clean Water Act violations for its condition. The Tijuana River dumps millions of gallons of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean daily. … ” Read more from Water Online.
Along the Colorado River …
Why climate change must be part of the Colorado River conversation
“Brad Udall was on a panel on June 5 at the annual Colorado River conference hosted by the Getches-Wilkinson Center at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s School of Law. In his brief slot on the panel, Udall was first a cheerleader for Colorado River problem solving but reminding listeners that climate change was the elephant in the room, as several speakers later in the conference acknowledged. Following are his remarks, lightly edited … ” Read more from Big Pivots.
Arizona politicians must OK painful water cuts. What could possibly go wrong?
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Arizona is almost certain to lose a sizable amount of Colorado River water after 2026. But it could still be months until we know exactly how much pain that could cause for our state. The goal is to finish a draft analysis of alternatives by the end of the year, with a final plan of action completed by next summer. If so, that may not leave much time for Arizona to work through an extra step that only our state faces: Legislative approval. Presuming it’s December before this required federal analysis is completed, that basically leaves next year’s legislative session to figure out how Arizona responds to it. The good news — if you want to call it that — is that we’ve been through this before in 2019 with the Drought Contingency Plan, which also thrust painful Colorado River cuts on Arizona. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Arizona is losing groundwater at an alarming rate, study shows
“Water is the essence of life, and nowhere is that more clear than in hot, dry Arizona. The Colorado River is drying up, and Southwestern states are currently engaged in contentious talks — that seem to be going nowhere — over how to divvy up the drought-stricken river’s water in the future. When the current allocation agreement expires after next year, Arizona may find itself in a tough spot, with fewer water rights than it had before. That’s a problem, but an even bigger one lurks beneath the surface of the state. According to a new study, Arizona is using up its groundwater — water from underground aquifers — faster than any other state in the Colorado River Basin. … ” Read more from New Times Arizona.
In the Arizona desert, a farm raising fish raises questions about water use
“Storks scatter, white against blue water, as Dan Mohring’s pickup truck rumbles down the dirt road. He’s towing a trailer full of ground-up beef, chicken, fish and nutrient bits behind him, ready to be shot out of a cannon into the ponds below. It’s time to feed the fish. Mohring fires up the machine and the food flies out in a rainbow arc. Then the water comes alive. Hundreds of thrashing, gobbling barramundi wiggle their way to the surface, all fighting for a piece. Until, in a few months, they will become food themselves. In the desert of landlocked Arizona, where the Colorado River crisis has put water use under a microscope, Mainstream Aquaculture has a fish farm where it’s growing the tropical species barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, for American restaurants. … ” Read more from ABC News.
Pew commends Nevada leaders for forward-thinking water and wildlife conservation initiatives
“The Pew Charitable Trusts today commended Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) and the state Legislature for the passage and signing of two bipartisan bills: one that would conserve freshwater and reduce groundwater decline, and the other directing the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to report on priority wildlife connectivity project locations. … ” Continue reading from the Pew Charitable Trust.
Snow should be gone soon with Colorado at just 36% of snowpack norm for date
“It’s been a wet several weeks in Colorado, but as Coloradans know, moisture tends to come in the form of rain at this point in the year. And as snowpack continues to dwindle around the state, several regions are far behind their snowpack norm for the date. According to data provided by the USDA, the state of Colorado is at just 36 percent of the snowpack norm for June 12. While all parts of the state have below-average snowpack, southwest Colorado is where the biggest gap between the norm and the current situation is seen. Snowpack in the San Miguel-Dolores-Animas-San Juan River Basin is at just 16 percent of what’s typical for mid-June, with snowpack no longer at a measurable level in the Gunnison River Basin (slightly before norm) and snowpack at just 27 percent of the norm in the Upper Rio Grande River Basin of southwest and southern Colorado. Meanwhile, western Colorado is hurting for snowpack, too, with the Colorado Headwaters river basin at just 28 percent of what’s typical. … ” Read more from Out There Colorado.
In national water news today …
Trump administration pulls US out of agreement to help restore salmon in the Columbia River
“President Donald Trump on Thursday pulled the U.S. out of an agreement with Washington, Oregon and four American Indian tribes to work together to restore salmon populations and boost tribal clean energy development in the Pacific Northwest, deriding the plan as “radical environmentalism” that could have resulted in the breaching of four controversial dams on the Snake River. The deal, known as the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, was reached in late 2023 and heralded by the Biden administration, tribes and conservationists as historic. It allowed for a pause in decades of litigation over the harm the federal government’s operation of dams in the Northwest has done to the fish. Under it, the federal government said it planned to spend more than $1 billion over a decade to help recover depleted salmon runs. The government also said that it would build enough new clean energy projects in the Pacific Northwest to replace the hydropower generated by the Lower Snake River dams — the Ice Harbor, Little Goose, Lower Monumental and Lower Granite — should Congress ever agree to remove them. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
SEE ALSO:
- Trump topples $1 billion Columbia River settlement deal, from E&E News
- Trump Withdraws From Agreement With Tribes to Protect Salmon, from the New York Times
Trump orders stepped-up wildfire efforts in executive order
“President Donald Trump on Thursday directed federal wildfire agencies to more closely coordinate efforts but stopped short of calling for creation of a new wildfire agency separate from the Forest Service. In an executive order, the president directed the Agriculture and Interior departments to consolidate “to the maximum degree practicable” their wildland fire programs within 90 days. He directed the departments to recommend additional measures to advance the objective, which could include the new wildland fire service the administration proposed to Congress in its budget request for fiscal 2026. … ” Read more from E&E News.
SEE ALSO: Trump to merge wildland firefighting forces, despite warning of chaos, from The Guardian
Soaring temperatures threaten crops, so scientists are looking to alter the plants
“The world’s bread baskets are heating up, threatening the global food supply. Climate change has already shrunk yields for major crops like wheat and maize, and crop losses are likely to worsen in the coming decades. But researchers are trying to avoid that future by helping plants deal with heat. “There’s a lot of excitement in identifying why it is that some crops that are grown in the most extreme conditions are able to survive,” said Carl Bernacchi, a crop researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the author of one of a trio of papers on crop modification that were published Thursday in the journal Science. Farmers can help crops beat the heat with water-based cooling, but that method has limitations. Modifying crops, either through traditional crossbreeding, artificially sped-up mutation or direct genetic editing, offers control over how plants respond to heat. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
The legal pitfalls of Zeldin’s climate rule rollback
“EPA’s proposal to stop regulating power plant climate pollution is built around a bold claim that experts say could create legal stumbling blocks. The U.S. power industry is the nation’s second-highest emitting sector. But in its draft rule repeal, EPA argues that the industry emits too little heat-trapping pollution to be worth regulating. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday that his agency would repeal two 2024 power sector standards: one to limit climate pollution and another to curb mercury pollution. He accused the Biden administration of enacting the rules to kill off “baseload” coal and natural gas generation. “That’s not the unintended consequences of the decisions that are made by the Biden EPA,” he told an audience of reporters and industry representatives. “That was the intended consequences.” … ” Read more from E&E News.
