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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include numerous NPDES and WDR permits. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: The Power of Parcel Data: Leveraging Land Ownership Information and Water Insights for Smarter Planning beginning at 10am. Discover how land ownership shapes water management in droughts, wetlands restoration, and watershed protection. The Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) has created a nationwide parcel database that unveils land ownership with unmatched precision, crossing jurisdictions and state boundaries. This webinar explores the integration of land and water data, offering new insights into their connection and answering questions like, “Who owns land vital to watershed health?” and “Where do land use patterns impact water access?” Join the webinar to learn about this innovative dataset, see real-world applications, and help shape the future of land-water solutions. Click here to register.
In California water news this weekend …
How changing ocean colors could impact California
“Earth’s oceans have been getting greener at the poles and becoming bluer closer to the equator, according to a study published Thursday in Science. The shift reflects changes in marine ecosystems, which experts say could affect fish populations and create problems for fisheries, including in California. “It has lots of potential implications for the way we use the ocean,” said Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at UC Santa Cruz, who wasn’t part of the new study. The scientists analyzed satellite data from 2003 to 2022 to track ocean concentrations of chlorophyll, a green pigment that phytoplankton use to absorb sunlight and produce sugars. While phytoplankton are often associated with harmful algal blooms, they are also the base of the marine food web, serving as food for fish and other sea creatures. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Water Blueprint and Trump’s Executive Order 14181
“The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley met in person at Fresno State University’s Jordan Agricultural Research Center and on Zoom on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. We’re beginning to hear more and more about the “Water Blueprint” here in the San Joaquin Valley. It’s a volunteer organization working to identify and prioritize plans and projects that will help secure better water supplies for all the people of the San Joaquin Valley. It’s a fairly inclusive bunch. Ag interests are of course represented and those interests include rural Disadvantaged Communities, DACs, environmental concerns. The big take away for this meeting was the Blueprint adopting a proposal on how to implement Executive Orders and both Trump and Newsom Administrations’ concern for a more equitable distribution of water throughout the state. … ” Read more from Water Wrights.
Lawmakers to revisit Delta Conveyance Project audit
Restore the Delta writes, “Lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) are set to reconsider a full audit of the Department of Water Resources’ spending on the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) at an upcoming hearing. The vote for the audit received six “aye” votes and only a single vote against it in what Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom called the most significant and consequential topic for discussion at the committee’s Tuesday hearing. The DWR is currently estimated to be spending $1 million per day on the DCP amidst a myriad of issues including expired water rights, growing legal and environmental concerns as well as broad opposition from tribes, environmental justice groups and fishing communities. Projected construction costs for the DCP are expected to exceed $20 billion, before accounting for inflation or unforeseen expenses. To proceed, the audit needs four votes from Assemblymembers and four votes from Senators on the committee. The audit received strong support from the committee’s Assemblymembers, with a single present member abstaining. Senate members voted with two in support, three abstaining and one no. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
Six more infrastructure projects move forward as California expands access to safe drinking water
“More communities gained access to safe drinking water across the state this spring as the State Water Resources Control Board’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program accelerates infrastructure projects aimed at delivering safe and affordable drinking water for every Californian. New treatment facilities, consolidations and pipelines are among the solutions that have broken ground or reached completion in Fresno, Monterey, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino and Tulare counties in recent weeks. Collectively, these projects received $70 million in construction funding through the SAFER drinking water program and will benefit more than 22,000 people in mostly small, disadvantaged communities. “More and more projects are reaching milestones throughout California as the state hits its stride in expanding access to safe drinking water,” said State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. “Close collaboration with local and regional partners in the early years of the SAFER program allowed us to build a pipeline of projects that is now bringing safe drinking water to communities at a far faster pace and scale.” … ” Read more from the State Water Resources Control Board.
A chillier and windier solstice with increased lower elevation fire risk; All signs still point to more widespread and anomalous heat later in summer
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “Well, it has happened again: California has experienced yet another late spring period that was exceptionally warm across nearly the entire interior and mountain portion of the state–yet simultaneously unremarkable, or even (locally) notably cooler than average, along the coast. This pattern has arisen this time of year on more than a few occasions over the past decade, and seems to have thrown some folks for a loop (based on the messages in my inbox recently!). And it has been notable in that it has meant that the conditions experienced by the majority of California’s population (which is, largely, within 20-30 miles of the Pacific coast) and conditions occurring across the majority of California’s land area (i.e., inland and at higher elevations) has been markedly different. … ” Continue reading at Weather West.
Banning plastic bags works to limit shoreline litter, study finds
“At tens of thousands of shoreline cleanups across the United States in recent years, volunteers logged each piece of litter they pulled from the edges of lakes, rivers and beaches into a global database. One of the most common entries? Plastic bags. But in places throughout the United States where plastic bags require a fee or have been banned, fewer bags end up at the water’s edge, according to research published Thursday in Science. Lightweight and abundant, thin plastic bags often slip out of trash cans and recycling bins, travel in the wind and end up in bodies of water, where they pose serious risks to wildlife, which can become entangled or ingest them. They also break down into harmful microplastics, which have been found nearly everywhere on Earth. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Plastic bag bans seem to work, at least when it comes to shoreline pollution, from the LA Times
Gray proposes Valley Water Protection Act
“Two Central Valley Democrats are pitching a new water bill designed to protect water access for the region’s farmers. Rep. Adam Gray (D–Merced) introduced the Valley Water Protection Act last week and was joined by Rep. Jim Costa (D–Fresno). The big picture: The Valley Water Protection Act would amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to protect farmers from enforcement actions that could pose national security threats or regional economic harm. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Podcasts …
CALIFORNIA SUN: Josh Jackson discovers California’s BLM lands
Josh Jackson, author of the new book “The Enduring Wild,” found a hidden refuge in the mountains and prairies of California’s 15 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands. In times of crisis and uncertainty, we often turn to nature for solace and perspective. These overlooked “commons,” dismissed as leftover lands too harsh for homesteaders and too ordinary for national parks, offer free camping, wildlife corridors, and democratic access to wilderness. They now face threats from proposed selloffs and budget cuts.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Groundwater’s Value
Have you ever wondered where the water comes from in towns that have no significant rivers or lakes? You may not realize it but the water that you count on for everyday living in these areas comes from beneath your feet. Many times, at great depth. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388NPR: This federal program helps track America’s ecosystems. Trump’s budget would gut it
Buried in the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget is the near elimination of something called the Ecosystems Mission Area. It’s a program that monitors living things and the health of the land and water they inhabit. NPR’s Ari Daniel reports that career scientists are deeply concerned about the potential cut.
In regional water news and commentary this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Commentary: A half bet at the Keno Dam
“Last August, Northwest salmon caught a break when four dams on the Klamath River, which flows from mountain country in southwest Oregon through northern California to the Pacific Ocean, were demolished. But it was a limited break. The goal of that $500 million project, possibly the largest of its kind in American history, remains unreached, and serious effort still is needed to fulfill it. A fully free-flowing Klamath River may be beyond us for a while, but certain half-measures could help. Hanging over it is the shadow of the decision this month by the Trump administration to abandon a regional agreement involving breach of the four lower Snake River dams in Washington state, also partly for fish run purposes. In centuries past, salmon spawned in the upper reaches of the Klamath headwaters, then swam to the Pacific and back to reproduce. Starting at the dawn of the 20th century, people built dams along the river, blocking them. A massive 2002 fish die-off on the Klamath helped spur an “Un-dam the Klamath” movement of environmental groups, tribes and others, and it succeeded in this decade. Most of the dams had been used for hydropower by Pacificorp and its predecessors but were deemed no longer economical. The two remaining Klamath dams have been signed over to the Bureau of Reclamation. … Read more from the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Healing waters: indigenous youth lead historic expedition down free-flowing Klamath
“Around 30 indigenous teens launched a 310-mile kayaking journey down the newly undammed Klamath River, reconnecting with their heritage and the land. The “First Descent” includes youth from the Klamath, Yurok, Karuk, Quartz Valley, and Hoopa Valley tribes. They were given a ceremonial sendoff by elders before beginning the monthlong trip from the river’s headwaters in Oregon to its mouth in Requa, California. “This is about connecting with our sacred water, our people, and our identity”, said Klamath Tribal Council Chairman William Ray, Jr. The youth were trained through the Paddle Tribal Waters program by the nonprofit Rios to Rivers. Their journey follows the removal of four hydroelectric dams that blocked the Klamath for over a century. … ” Read more from KRCR.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Robot, volunteers, and science power new push to keep Kings Beach and the Tahoe Basin clean
“A real-life Wall-E is hitting the beaches–but this one’s mission is to keep trash from overshadowing Tahoe’s natural beauty. A solar-powered robot rolled onto the sand at Kings Beach on Monday, June 16, officially kicking off an expanded effort to tackle shoreline litter at one of Lake Tahoe’s busiest public beaches. The robot—known as the BEBOT—is the centerpiece of the newly expanded Tahoe Blue Beach Program, a multi-year initiative led by Marilee Movius, Sustainable Recreation Manager at the League to Save Lake Tahoe (Keep Tahoe Blue). Developed in partnership with ECO-CLEAN Solutions, the Desert Research Institute (DRI), and other community organizations, the project is funded through TOT-TBID Dollars at Work grants from the North Tahoe Community Alliance. The program aims to address the region’s growing waste problem by integrating science, education, engineering, and enforcement. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun.
Lake Tahoe water clarity holds steady, 2024 report finds, but progress stalls
“Lake Tahoe’s long-term clarity record is not trending worse, nor is it improving, according to the 2024 annual clarity report from the University of California, Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC). The report, released this week, documents steep declines in clarity through the 1990s before leveling off in recent years. In 2024, the annual average clarity for Lake Tahoe was 62.3 feet. That is down from last year’s average of 68.2 feet, but it is not statistically worse, the report notes. The number is a measure of the depth at which a white disk remains visible underwater. “We should embrace the improvements we have seen since the 1990s. It’s not, at this point, noticeably worse. But it’s not getting better, and we need to find out why,” said Stephanie Hampton, director of TERC and a UC Davis professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. … ” Read more from Snow Brains.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Shasta Dam’s 80th anniversary brings citywide celebration Friday
“The community is set to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the completion of Shasta Dam, a key structure in California’s Central Valley Project. The celebration on Friday, June 20 promises a full day of events in The City of Shasta Lake. Construction of Shasta Dam began in 1938 and was completed in 1945. President Truman once referred to the dam as “symbolic of the hopes and aspirations of generations who would make the broadest, wisest uses of their natural resources.” The festivities will kick off Friday morning with a Shasta Lake business mixer at the Shasta Dam Visitors Center at 10 a.m. A celebration program will follow at 11 a.m., and an open house will start at noon. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Cal Water drills well in downtown Oroville, first in 69 years
“For 69 years, Cal Water did not need to drill another well in Oroville, relying happily on water fed from the Thermalito Power Canal and four supplementing wells in the city. After Cal Water found a well with high levels of PFAS in 2019, and subsequently decommissioned it, the water utility is now replacing that well with a new one located at Bird Street and Feather River Boulevard, where temporary sound-dampening walls can be seen. Those walls have been erected to help dampen sound when contractors begin near 24/7 drilling beginning 1 p.m. Sunday, for about four to five days, according to Loni Lind, local manager of the Cal Water Oroville District. Lind said the well will “give the system a much needed boost in reliability,” and will be treated for contamination. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
BAY AREA
Marin sea-level rise study focuses on transportation network
“Elevating a flood-prone section of Highway 101 through Marin City on a causeway or viaduct could protect it and the nearby Bay Trail from rising seas. The proposed project is one of the potential strategies in a new report on protecting roads, paths and transit in seven areas in Marin County that are most vulnerable to sea-level rise. An executive committee of the Transportation Authority of Marin voted unanimously this month to recommend the report to the agency’s board for approval. The final adaptation study and plan is expected to be presented at the board’s meeting on June 26. Mikaela Hiatt, planner for the agency, said that when the study began two years ago, several other local, countywide and regional sea-level planning efforts already were underway. That includes sea-level studies such as Marin County’s BayWAVE and CSMART studies as well as Caltrans’ study on state highway vulnerability. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Tackling emerging contaminants in drinking water
“Emerging contaminants, also known as “contaminants of emerging concern,” are substances in the environment that may be detrimental to wildlife and/or human health. Some emerging contaminants are chemicals and compounds entering bodies of water like lakes and rivers, which are identified, tracked, studied, and ultimately regulated by agencies such as the US Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California State Water Resources Control Board. And thanks to improved capabilities, some of these emerging contaminants are also showing up in drinking water. That sad fact has been making headlines lately — and understandably so. It’s unsettling to hear that man-made chemicals like perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been detected in rainwater across the globe. Such reports raise valid questions about what’s in our drinking water and what that means for our health. … ” Read more from the Los Gatan.
Local students complete rigorous water quality testing course
“Rolling Hills Middle School 7th-graders and Louise Van Meter Elementary 5th-graders have completed an in-depth water monitoring educational course that highlighted what life as a professional H20 monitor would be like. As part of the Poseidon Education’s Stormwater Quality Leadership Program, the kids took samples, learned about toxic substances, gained presentation skills and earned a certificate of completion. “The kids actually took stormwater samples when it rained,” said Patti Zachary, the president and CEO of Carlsbad-based Poseidon. “The samples got sent to a certified lab. And then they got results back, as if you were in a stormwater management program in a city.” The Van Meter Students presented to representatives from the Town and Los Gatos Union School District, sharing their vision to protect waterways like the Los Gatos Creek and Guadalupe River. … ” Read more from the Los Gatan.
CENTRAL COAST
The San Lucas Water District votes in favor of a potential solution to their water issues.
“Valentin Resendiz-Luna, a San Lucas resident for 20 years, has seen the community shrink over time due to the chronic lack of clean drinking water. For nearly 14 years, San Lucas residents have been receiving their water on a limited schedule: On Tuesdays, households can pick up two 5-gallon containers, and on Thursdays, 15 gallons total. But this doesn’t cut it for many families – meaning they must drive eight miles to King City to purchase more water that’s safe to drink. “When my kids come over and we have cups of coffee, on a good weekend, I’ll go through 10 gallons easy,” Resendiz-Luna says. “I can just imagine how families that have six, seven or eight people are living.” The community of roughly 324 has been stuck for years due to concerning levels of nitrate, manganese and iron in their water, which has made it unsafe to drink. The issue has stalled housing development and has become a problem for local schools. But Tuesday, June 10, the San Lucas County Water District held a hearing which ended in a 5-0 vote in favor of a long-term drinking water solution. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SoCal is broiling, but lower temperatures are on the way — along with dangerous winds
“Southern California sweated through another scorcher Wednesday amid an extended heat advisory and saw temperatures soar across the region. Cooler weather is around the corner, but an upcoming weather system could bring fierce winds in some areas and increase the risk of large wildfires, forecasters say. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s heat advisory remains in effect through 8 p.m. across Orange County’s inland areas — including Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Garden Grove, Orange, Fullerton and Mission Viejo — as well as the Inland Empire and San Diego County’s valleys and mountains. Around 4 p.m., temperatures hit 118 degrees in Death Valley National Park, 113 degrees at Palm Springs International Airport and in eastern Riverside, 104 in Palmdale, 103 in San Bernardino, 100 in Santa Clarita, 95 in Thousand Oaks, 93 in Burbank and Northridge, 91 in Yorba Linda, 90 in Altadena, 88 in West Covina, 86 in Orange, 84 in downtown L.A. and Eagle Rock and 83 in Fullerton. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Saugus water reports show need for continued cleanup
“A June quarterly monitoring report from a Department of Toxic Substance Control order for the Saugus Industrial Center, former home of the Keysor-Century Corp., revealed groundwater contamination levels many times above the state’s limits as cleanup continues and plans for nearby properties are filed at City Hall. A Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency spokesman said Thursday the reports are from monitoring wells and not from any sources in circulation for customers. Water-contamination concerns in that area are expected to cost tens of millions of dollars for the agency for years to come, according to officials in court records and past statements. The music stopped decades ago at the manufacturing plant in the 26000 block of Springbrook Avenue, where pelletized polyvinyl chloride from vinyl chloride monomers were turned into the 12-inch LPs millions loved from 1958 to about 2002. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Santa Ynez Reservoir to return online in late June, says LADWP
“The Santa Ynez Reservoir, a critical water source for the Pacific Palisades, is expected to be back online by late June, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The reservoir has been offline since early 2024 due to a significant tear in its floating cover, which affected compliance with state drinking water regulations. LADWP says crews and contractors have spent months repairing the damage. The department says final inspections and testing are now underway, and the reservoir is being refilled. “The LADWP’s mission is to deliver clean, safe, and reliable drinking water to our customers,” the agency said in a statement. “While we recognize the urgency in getting the reservoir back up and running, our priority remains ensuring safety.” … ” Read more from the Westside Current.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea: California’s largest and most polluted lake is even more toxic than thought
“The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, is producing more toxic hydrogen sulfide gas than previously thought, according to a new study. The levels are so high that they exceed the state’s air quality standards, posing a potentially greater risk to the health of local communities. The lake is located around 257 kilometers (160 miles) east of Los Angeles. Although bodies of water filled the basin before, the existing sea formed in 1905 after the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal. This overflow water started the Salton Sea, which has mostly been maintained by runoff from the surrounding basin since 1907. Some of this runoff is produced by agricultural wastewater, which flows into but not out of the lake, making it more saline than the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from IFL Science.
Farm board urges supervisors not to overlook agriculture
“The Imperial County Board of Supervisors discussed the value that both agriculture and lithium production bring to the Imperial Valley during its regular meeting Tuesday, June 17. Paula Pangle, president of the Imperial County Farm Bureau, said that with new geothermal industries emerging in the Valley, the community should not lose sight of the value of agriculture in the region. “Agriculture is not just our past,” Pangle said. “It is our present and our future.” She praised the Valley’s “critical role in national food security,” which she said cannot be replaced by mining or technology trends. Pangle said local agriculture supports families on both sides of the border and recognizes Imperial Valley growers for producing food with minimal water. She said Imperial Valley agriculture, marked by “efficiency and sustainability,” contributes $2.7 billion to the local economy and brings “revenue, stability, jobs, identity and pride” to the county. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
Along the Colorado River …
An ‘amicable divorce’ proposed in Colorado River negotiations
“New details are emerging of what’s being negotiated between the seven states who rely on the Colorado River — an “amicable divorce” between the Upper and Lower Basins. At a meeting of a council made up of farmers, ranchers and other Colorado River water users here, the head of the Colorado River Authority of Utah disclosed some of what was being negotiated. “We have not agreed to anything yet,” Colorado River Authority of Utah Executive Director Amy Haas cautioned. “This, however, seems to be the one option that has the most traction in terms of getting a seven state proposal.” … ” Read more from Fox 13.
Colorado River water market could help fish and farmers alike
“A market-based approach to managing water in the Colorado River basin could provide more reliable supplies for farmers, communities, and industry amid ongoing drought and excess demand. The right market design and a little extra investment could also help threatened fish species, researchers have found. The study, published June 20 in Nature Sustainability, details a new system for leasing rights to water from the basin while reallocating some water to imperiled habitats. When the seven states of the Colorado River basin first divided water rights in the 1920s, they allocated more than the river could reliably deliver, especially during periods of drought. Today, the basin supplies drinking water to 40 million people and irrigation to 5 million acres of farmland across the southwestern United States, 30 tribal nations, and parts of Mexico. Climate change has exacerbated shortages, with studies indicating that recent Colorado River flows are near their lowest in at least 2,000 years. “The Colorado River is a marvel in terms of the scale of its impact on ecosystems, agriculture, economies, and people across the western U.S. and Mexico,” said Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability hydrologist Steven Gorelick, a senior author of the new study. “Given the overallocation of the river water, we explored how the needs of people and the environment can both be served.” … ” Read more from Stanford News.
Why this Arizona water expert says Ted Cooke is a great choice to lead the Bureau of Reclamation
“President Donald Trump this week nominated Ted Cooke to lead the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Cooke is the former manager of the Central Arizona Project, whose canals bring water to the Valley. If he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Cooke will have a big role in trying to bring the seven Colorado River basin states to an agreement on new rules for the river — likely including cuts to water allocations. Cooke’s nomination has largely been praised in Arizona, although water officials in some of the other basin states have expressed concern that he may play favorites, given his ties to Arizona. Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, joined The Show to discuss.” Listen or read more at KJZZ.
Arizona developments face lawsuit over federally reserved groundwater
“Fifty-five southern Arizona subdivisions have been illegally siphoning water from federally protected wetlands since at least 2006, conservationists say in a new lawsuit. The Center for Biological Diversity and San Pedro 100 are challenging 100-year water supply designations for Sierra Vista subdivisions, citing a 2023 ruling that quantified water rights for the San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area in response to Congress’s 1988 protection of the San Pedro River. The lawsuit urges the Arizona Department of Water Resources to reassess whether the developments can proceed without draining the Southwest’s last free-flowing river. “Governor Hobbs and Director Buschatzke refuse to acknowledge that over-pumping in Sierra Vista is violating the San Pedro River’s water rights,” Robin Silver, co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a Thursday press release. “They refuse to act despite laws requiring review of inaccurate water adequacy designations and consumer protections requiring full disclosure of those facts. So we’re taking Arizona to court.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
GOP lawmakers, Hobbs strike deal to use water from farms to build homes
“Developers who have seen tens of thousands of potential home sites on the fringes of metro Phoenix stranded because of a lack of an assured water supply are getting a lifeline that resurrects their projects under a deal cut between Republican lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs. The proposal known as “ag to urban’’ allows homebuilders to buy water rights from farmers who retire their agricultural land if they promise to use only a certain percentage of the water the farm has been using to supply the new housing. The agreement was confirmed Wednesday by Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, who said both GOP lawmakers and the Democratic governor “think it’s the most consequential water bill that’s been passed and will get signed since the 1980 Groundwater Act.’’ What’s in the deal immediately affects only Maricopa and Pinal counties. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.
$43-million water project to bring clean tap access to Western Navajo
“A major water infrastructure project is underway that will deliver clean, dependable water to the LeChee Chapter and the growing Antelope Canyon Economic Development Corridor. Known as the LeChee Water System Improvement project, the $43 million effort is the largest among the Western Navajo Pipeline Phase I developments and is a key step toward securing long-term water access for communities in the region. “This is not a secret,” said Naatsis’áán native Earl Tully, the Chinle Agency commissioner for the Navajo Nation Water Rights Commission, Wednesday morning at a water blessing/groundbreaking ceremony near Antelope Point. “It’s sacred. And therefore, we give true reverence in that aspect of it.” … ” Read more from the Navajo Times.
In national water news today …
The Supreme Court’s NEPA shift and its ripple effect on water law
“NEPA implementation is evolving. And change is dominating the conversation — as colleagues previously reported. Recently, in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado (Seven County), the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed a D.C. Circuit opinion. Factually, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition sought to install 88 miles of new railroad construction from Utah oilfields to the national railway system. This kind of operation must first be approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). 49 U.S.C. § 10901. The Board approved the new rail segment after a full NEPA analysis, including an environmental impact statement. The D.C. Circuit’s’ opinion concluded that the STB violated many laws when it approved a rail line project. Those laws include the Administrative Procedure Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
Researchers discover game-changing method to unlock clean water for billions of people: ‘Can also be used to distill groundwater’
“What if a hunk of hot metal could unlock clean water for billions of people? A team of researchers in Japan has developed a groundbreaking new method — and it’s powered by something as abundant as sunlight. A team led by associate professor Masatoshi Kondo at the Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a method to use liquid tin to desalinate seawater and recover valuable metals simultaneously, utilizing solar heat as the primary energy source. Unlike traditional desalination, which consumes significant amounts of electricity and generates toxic brine, this method is low-waste, low-energy, and high-reward. “Unlike conventional methods, large consumption of electricity is not necessary, enabling the development of a sustainable process,” said Dr. Kondo. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Why imperfect climate models are more helpful than you think
“Our knowledge of future climate change is largely dependent on complex computer simulation models. These models are huge – they are made up of more than 1 million lines of computer code representing knowledge from dozens of scientific subfields – and no individual scientist fully understands all of a model’s inner workings. What’s more, rather than focusing on just one model, climate scientists develop and compare dozens or more of such models in various climate model intercomparison projects. The opportunity multiplies but so does the complexity. As a philosopher of science, I am fascinated with the way model comparisons help scientists pull real insights out of this tangle of complexity and uncertainty. Inspired by a recent Eye on the Storm post written by climate modeler Ricky Rood, here I reflect on how models designed for one purpose often end up generating insight in unexpected ways. Climate scientists regularly proclaim, citing statistician George Box, that “all models are wrong but some are useful.” But what exactly is meant by “wrong?” … ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections.
