Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Risk-Based Framework for Fit-for-Purpose Water Reuse: State of the Science from 11am to 12pm. Risk-based water reuse management continues to gain traction throughout the U.S. This presentation will introduce the recent EPA report Risk-Based Framework for Developing Microbial Treatment Targets for Water Reuse, which describes the conceptual framework underpinning these approaches and provides a detailed discussion of current scientific assumptions for conducting the associated quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRA). In addition to enabling calculation of new fit-for-purpose water treatment levels, it includes computed pathogen log reduction targets (LRTs) across a variety of municipal and onsite reuse configurations. Implementation considerations, key sources of uncertainty, and future research needs are also identified with an emphasis on removal crediting processes. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Building Trust, Securing Water: Inclusive and Innovative Strategies for SGMA Compliance from 12pm to 1pm. This webinar will explore how meaningful, inclusive stakeholder engagement is not just a requirement of SGMA compliance, but the foundation for lasting groundwater sustainability. Drawing from real-world examples across California, including Sonoma County and Central Valley GSAs, we’ll examine how innovative outreach strategies can transform resistance into collaboration, and disengagement into active participation. From initial pushback — “What the [heck] is SGMA?” — to partnerships built on mutual respect, this Cast offers actionable insights into designing equitable and effective engagement strategies that turn stakeholder input into real solutions. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Southern California Water Dialogue from 12pm to 1:30pm. The Water Dialogue will showcase three innovative projects that advance both sustainability and resiliency. OceanWell and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District are partnering to pilot California’s first Blue Water farm. OceanWell’s novel desalination approach operates modular reverse osmosis farms off-shore 1200 feet below sea level. Energy use is reduced by up to 40%, pristine quality water is delivered onshore, and there is no harm sea life – all with a very small onshore footprint. OASIS is an unconventional direct potable reuse project from Moulton Niquel Water District. Using a watershed approach, urban runoff is captured and then treated in the watershed. As a result, the treated drinking water is put directly into drinking water with additional benefits to downstream creeks and beaches. Project Nexus is a trail-blazing project from Turlock Irrigation District in partnership with DWR, UC Merced, and Solar Aqua Grid. The pilot “solar panels over canals” project will install five megawatts of solar canopies over TID’s existing canals for water supply, water quality and energy saving benefits. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Land Repurposing Research Round Up from 2pm to 3pm. As land repurposing continues to gain momentum in both practice and research, this quarterly round up series aim to keep the research community connected and informed. Our goal is to showcase the latest science, tools, and strategies shaping land repurposing efforts, emphasizing climate resilience, water sustainability, equity, and multi-benefit outcomes. Topics are Dust and Heat from Fallowed Agricultural Fields in California and There’s a path forward in the San Joaquin Valley to benefit farmers, communities, and nature—but only if we plan…and plant Learn more here. Join here: Teams Meeting (Link) / Meeting ID: 248 015 066 624 1/ Passcode: TB2fN65u
- WEBINAR: Localizing California Waters Quarterly Good Fire Panel beginning at 3:30pm. Central California Native Fire Ecologists Featuring Hon. Chairman Ron Goode, Dirk Charley and Ray Gutteriez; Legislative Update with Dennis O’Connor; and LCW Network updates from the LCW team and participants. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Newsom warns that California’s water system may be ill-prepared to cope with hotter, drier future
“California’s existing groundwater infrastructure may fail to quench the state’s thirst in an increasingly arid future, even as officials celebrate widespread conservation achievements, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) warned on Tuesday. “The data doesn’t lie, and it is telling us that our water system is unprepared for California’s hotter and drier climate,” Newsom said in a statement. The governor was referring to data published in a semiannual report by the California Department of Water Resources that morning. The report, which indicated California is collecting more groundwater data than ever before, showed a 2.2 million acre-foot increase in storage last year. Nonetheless, the governor’s office stressed that the Golden State still lacks adequate water infrastructure to provide Californians with the resources they will need in future projected climate conditions. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Newsom hypes boosted groundwater storage in push for Delta Tunnel
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing to push for the controversial Delta Tunnel project to help move water from the Sacramento River to Southern California. The California Natural Resources Agency released its semi-annual groundwater update on Tuesday, with Newsom using it to advocate for water infrastructure projects, including the Delta Tunnel. By the numbers: According to the report, California’s groundwater storage has increased by 2.2 million acre-feet during Water Year 2024. That comes after an increase of 4.1 million acre-feet of groundwater in the previous water year. … ” Read more from the SJV Sun.
California groundwater levels see another bump — but long-term trend still grim
“California saw a notable bump in groundwater supplies last year, marking a second straight year that the crucial underground reserve wasn’t drawn down by thirsty cities and farms, new state data shows. Moderately wet weather, in combination with efforts to proactively recharge aquifers and limit pumping, is largely responsible for a gain of 2.2 million acre-feet of water across the dozens of groundwater basins tracked by the state. The increase is equal to about half of what can be held in California’s largest reservoir, Shasta Lake. While the increase is modest, it comes amid a decades-long slide in groundwater reserves. The result across much of California has been dried-up wells and sinking land, which happens when too much water is removed from the rocks and soil beneath the surface. The biggest issues have been in the state’s agricultural heartland, the San Joaquin Valley. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
How is SGMA affecting growers’ planting and drilling decisions?
“California is now ten years into a revolution in groundwater management. In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) which requires newly formed local groundwater sustainability agencies to develop long-term plans to reduce overdraft by 2040. To date, more than 250 local agencies have written and begun implementing groundwater sustainability plans, with more than 100 plans in action. This has taken enormous effort and represents a significant departure from the prior status quo for groundwater management in California. Many wonder, however, if SGMA is affecting behavior around the use of the groundwater resource yet. Are farmers making decisions around planting or drilling new groundwater wells with future SGMA reductions in mind? If so, are they switching away from permanent crops that may not have available water through 2040? We set out to answer those questions with publicly available data. … ” Read more from UCANR.
DWR highlights successful partnership with California’s farming community to protect groundwater supplies
“Thanks to a collaborative and forward-thinking partnership with groundwater sustainability agencies and California farmers, the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) LandFlex Program has protected thousands of community wells, furthered California’s groundwater recharge efforts, and protected critical water infrastructure from subsidence, all while keeping farms operational and sustainable. LandFlex first launched in 2022 when California was in its third year of a severe drought and hundreds of drinking water wells were going dry in the Central Valley, impacting frontline communities. To address these impacts, DWR awarded $23.3 million in grant funding to six groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in the Central Valley. These GSAs distributed funds to small and mid-sized farms to help transition to more sustainable practices while eliminating groundwater overdraft and protecting drinking water supplies. In total, 52 farms participated in the program and enrolled 4,474 acres of farmland. As a result, the program helped save over 100,000 acre-feet (AF) of groundwater, protected 16,500 drinking water wells, and reduced the over-pumping of groundwater on Central Valley farms. … ” Read more from DWR.
SEE ALSO: California LandFlex Saves Water and Supports Farms, from Farms.com
Groundwater markets 101
“Water markets have long been touted as a way to increase economic efficiency by letting those who need water buy it from willing sellers. Yet many obstacles have prevented water markets from flourishing in California. Perhaps the most serious obstacle has been the proliferation of misconceptions about what water markets are and who they serve. In this and future blogs, we hope to demystify water markets and to explain the potential of groundwater markets to help farmers adjust to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ” Continue reading at the PPIC.
Gov. Newsom, California lawmakers are close to reaching budget deal
“The California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom are close to reaching a budget deal, but the governor’s office indicated Tuesday night there is more work to be done. The governor’s office confirmed Newsom’s signature on the state spending plan will depend on whether lawmakers send him a bill that would make it easier to build new housing by making major changes to California’s Environment Quality Act. The governor has been publicly pushing for these changes since May. … Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his proposed spending plan, said he wanted to fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project, a 45-mile tunnel that would divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and send it to Southern California. Budget documents show that won’t be happening. … ” Read more from KCRA.
California’s long-awaited salmon season closes early after anglers exceed quota
“The first recreational salmon season in California in three years made such a big splash on its opening weekend that the next three dates have been canceled. More than 9,000 Chinook salmon were taken statewide by 10,505 sport anglers during the season opener on June 7 and 8, exceeding the harvest limit of 7,000 fish for the summer season. As a result, the remaining summer dates on July 5-6, July 31 through Aug. 3 and Aug. 25 through 31 have been closed, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced Monday. The opening weekend offered “some of the best fishing many longtime anglers can remember,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife in a media release. “We’ve seen so many pictures and heard many stories of people enjoying their time on the water with family and friends,” said director Charlton H. Bonham. “By all accounts, the weekend was a huge success … ” Read more from Lookout Santa Cruz.
Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn
“Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. A new study led by CIRES researchers, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed water quality in more than 500 watersheds across the Western U.S., and is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality. “We were attempting to look at notable trends in post-wildfire water quality across the entire U.S. West, to help inform water management strategies in preparing for wildfire effects,” said Carli Brucker, lead author and former CU Boulder and Western Water Assessment PhD student. … ” Read more from Smart Water.
Democrats take on their problem climate policy
“President Donald Trump is threatening California’s marquee carbon-trading program. But it’s in-state Democrats who are taking aim at the state’s other emissions market for transportation fuels. Credit prices in California’s low-carbon fuels market dropped $4 per ton Tuesday morning on the recognition of a credible threat in SB 237, a bill introduced overnight that would cap prices instead of letting them rise as planned in service of encouraging refiners to sell more biofuels, electricity and other non-fossil fuels. This isn’t some potshot from marginalized Republicans — it’s a gut-and-amend bill from seven Democratic senators during the thick of the legislative session, blessed by Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire. “This critical legislation will reduce costs for drivers across the Golden State while continuing to move our climate and energy goals full steam ahead,” McGuire said in a statement. … ” Read more from Politico.
Long-term satellite data reveal how climate shapes West Coast shorelines
“New research uses decades of satellite data to show how climate variability—particularly El Niño and La Niña cycles—drives shoreline change along the North American West Coast. The research, led by the Université de Toulouse and partners, highlights how coastal erosion and shoreline movement vary significantly with time and with latitude. By analyzing waterline positions—where land meets ocean—between 1997 and 2022, scientists found that in the Pacific Northwest, seasonal waterline movements often exceed 25 meters, while shifts in Southern California and farther south rarely top 10 meters. The driving forces behind these changes also vary by region. Wave power is the dominant force in the northern parts of the coast, while farther south, sea-level fluctuations and southern hemisphere swell become important. This reflects a transition in how wave climate affects coastal processes from north to south. … ” Read more from the USGS.
Excerpt: ‘California Against the Sea’
“The California coast grew and prospered during a remarkable moment in history when the sea was at its tamest. The Beach Boys crooned of crimson sunsets and golden dawns, woodies, and palm trees in the sand. Laguna Beach and Malibu sparkled white, their wide, sandy beaches dotted with seashells at low tide and surf shacks mere steps from the sea. Wooden piers staked each city’s claim along the 1,200-mile shore, which beckoned to the millions who came west and felt the ocean calling. But the mighty Pacific, unbeknownst to all, was nearing its final years of a gentle but unusual cycle that had lulled dreaming settlers into a deceptive endless summer. … ” Read more from Alta.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Six things to know about the Potter Valley Project and Eel River restoration
“Since CalTrout’s inception 50 years ago, we have worked tirelessly to protect and restore the Eel River. This remarkable river, the third largest in California, holds immense potential to recover a harvestable population of wild salmon. These salmon have long served as an economic driver on the North Coast and have been vital to the communities that have lived near the river for thousands of years. As PG&E moves forward with its plans to remove Scott and Cape Horn dams as part of its decommissioning of the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project, here are six things to know about how and why this is happening. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
California’s oldest lake is in crisis
“Clear Lake is the heart of Lake County, a popular spot for bass fishing and water sports about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco. It is also, according to a recent letter sent to the California Legislature, “choking on past pollution and toxic blooms” and “exceedingly malodorous.” That description comes courtesy of a coalition of stakeholders in Lake County who are requesting upward of $15 million in state funds to rehabilitate Clear Lake. In the warmer months, the lake turns dangerous when toxic algal blooms and cyanobacteria surge. Tests have found cyanotoxins in 56% of homes that draw water from the lake, posing health risks ranging from rashes to liver damage. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Marlette Lake Dam project underway near Lake Tahoe
“After silver was discovered in Virginia City in 1859, it became a boomtown after a massive influx of miners and speculators arrived to make it rich. To supply water to the town and the mines, Marlette Lake was created by installing a dam on what was known as Goodwin Lake, and Hobart Reservoir was created. The water was diverted to Virginia City via an ingenious system of flumes and pipelines, including the world’s largest inverted siphon in 1873. This included a 3,994-foot-long tunnel through the watershed basin divide, and an ingenious inverted siphon pipe to get water through Washoe Valley. The Marlette Lake Dam is a National Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. … ” Continue reading from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation celebrates 80 years of Shasta Dam and Shasta Powerplant
“The United States Bureau of Reclamation celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Shasta Dam and Powerplant’s completion, a key element of California’s Central Valley Project. Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels honored the 4,700 workers and their families who contributed to this engineering milestone from 1938 to 1945. “We are proud to celebrate the completion of Shasta Dam and honor the more than 4,700 workers and their families who made this place their home from 1938 to 1945,” Nickels said. “Their dedication created one of the most iconic engineering achievements in Reclamation’s history.” On June 20, 1945, the Bureau of Reclamation officially took control of both the dam and power plant from Pacific Constructors, Incorporated. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
SEE ALSO: View Shasta Dam Cam when it gets placed to celebrate dam’s 1945 completion, from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
Chico: Supervisors consider options for Five-Mile basin project
“Winter storms, combined with debris from the Park Fire, pushed the Five-Mile basin in northeast Chico to its limits for flood control. Butte County Public Works Director Josh Pack received a nod from the Board of Supervisors during Tuesday’s meeting to look into a job order contract to mitigate flood risk, ideally before winter. Pack said the Five-Mile Sediment Removal Project would consist of two phases with the first made up of any work that can be completed this year and the second being the long-term work next year and beyond. Pack said the goal of the first phase is to begin work by Aug. 15, creating a strict timeline to get the project rolling. “Staff is working aggressively to create a project of size and scope,” Pack said. “… The target date is Aug. 15 to begin work this season. The more work we can do this year, the more we can reduce the risk of future flooding.” … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County gains 1,500 acres of protected redwoods in historic land transfer
“In a landmark moment for conservation in Sonoma County, more than 1,500 acres of redwood forest have officially been added to Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. The newly acquired land—known as the Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion—was purchased by Save the Redwoods League for $24 million and immediately transferred to Sonoma County Regional Parks for long-term stewardship and future public access. The property includes 1,287 acres of coast redwood forest, with some trees reaching old-growth status—including one massive tree with a 14-foot-wide base. Once used for timber harvesting, the land is now protected for its ecological value and recreational potential. The expansion links a vast stretch of 22,000 contiguous acres of protected open space, connecting the Bohemian Highway to the Sonoma Coast and north to Jenner Headlands. It also includes key tributaries of the Russian River—home to endangered coho salmon and steelhead trout. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
SEE ALSO: Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park Quadruples in Size with Newly Conserved Addition, from Sonoma County
Permit Sonoma unveils plan to balance local environment and development needs
“Sonoma County says it wants to speed up building permits and protect endangered species all under one big plan called Conservation Sonoma. Permit Sonoma and local cities are working with state and federal wildlife agencies on the long-term effort to protect habitats, while streamlining permits for developments such as housing, said John Mack. “I would describe as, you’re balancing protection of the species and the natural habitats with sensible development that’s not overwhelmed by bureaucracy,” Mack said. Mack is the natural resources division manager for Permit Sonoma. … ” Read more from NorCal Public Media.
BAY AREA
The Bay Area is swimming with salmon & steelhead!
“Thank you to everyone who participated in our iNaturalist campaign this past winter to document salmon and steelhead in Bay Area rivers and streams! The submitted photos and observations help us build a more complete picture of how fish migrate through and use Bay Area watersheds to inform restoration and management efforts. We loved following along with your observations as you explored your local rivers and streams, finding fish, alive and deceased! At CalTrout, we focus our efforts where we can make the biggest impact. These decisions are driven by science and your observations helped us build out our Bay Area data pool. Understanding where fish are showing up, especially in places we might not have realized, reveals where we should build out more comprehensive monitoring programs and explore future restoration opportunities. This is especially true for California’s critically endangered coho salmon. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
The people will keep fishing, despite forever chemicals in the fish
“Lifelong San José resident Apollo-Genesis Braddock-Layton has fished the Pacific Coast’s shore for as long as he can remember—catching horseshoe crabs, smelt, and stingrays while listening to his grandfather’s stories of fishing in the Philippines. “That’s how he had to feed his family,” Braddock-Layton says. “If they didn’t catch fish that day, they didn’t eat.” Subsistence fishing became Braddock-Layton’s reality when he was just 17 years old. For over a year, he spent nights in his car and lived off of his daily catch—often three-inch fish like perch or smelt, laid on top of a bed of rice. “That was my dinner,” he says. Now, housed and working, fishing is for fun, not survival. He often spends his day off fishing with his grandfather in Santa Cruz, or sometimes solo at Dumbarton Bridge in the South Bay, hoping for a meaty piece of striped bass to roast with lemongrass or make sinigang, a tangy Filipino soup stewed with tamarind and ginger. But it’s likely that these fish contain PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been manufactured by chemical companies since the 1940s. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
CENTRAL COAST
Los Osos fears seawater push inland contaminating groundwater
“Famously the unincorporated town of Los Osos on the California Central Coast, was the subject of a 35-year building moratorium that was only lifted earlier this year. The community of 15,000 is overseen by the county Board of Supervisors who has now allowed a few residential projects that would hook up to the local groundwater supply to move forward. Currently Los Osos water supply is 100% sourced by groundwater.The supervisors use a formula that is dependent on the health of the groundwater aquifer as measured each year. For years, there has been a debate within the community over whether we are pumping too much of that groundwater allowing seawater to intrude into the community’s aquifers.But now a new “more accurate” groundwater model released this month appears to show the town may not have the water to sustain growth without significant new initiatives. Without new hook ups – seawater is already moving in, says the model. What to do? … ” Read more from Sierra 2 the Sea.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Deal that relied on Kern County water for housing 200 miles away sours, potentially leaving residents high and dry
“The Kern County Water Agency is poised to cut off the only water source for a 600-home development in Stanislaus County as of June 30 unless residents there agree to a 200% increase in water rates, jacking up their bills to $600 a month. Even then, the increase will only buy a bare minimum of water through Dec. 31, according to a letter from KCWA to the Western Hills Water District. The Western Hills board president Mark Korvich declined to comment, directing SJV Water to documents on the district’s website. Western Hills serves the Diablo Grande development, once planned as a sprawling 5,000-home luxury golf community in the foothills west of Patterson. Even so, KCWA put Western Hills on notice April 2 this year that it intends to terminate the 24-year-contract under which it has been delivering water to the community. KCWA’s stance is that Western Hills stopped paying the water delivery costs five years ago, racking up $13 million in debt, and KCWA can no longer carry that load. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SEE ALSO: Diablo Grande residents face water shutoff without massive rate hike approval, from ABC 10
Salmon restoration groups host Stanislaus River trip
“Earlier this spring, approximately 50 people gathered at Orange Blossom Bridge on the Stanislaus River six miles upstream from Oakdale to raft from there to the Highway 120 bridge. This was a free event to visit a major chinook salmon restoration project, learn about river ecology, and experience the peaceful flow of the river, said organizers. The trip was sponsored by the non-profits Restoring the Stanislaus River (RSR), Friends of the River, the Columbia College River Ecology Club, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Kramer Fish Sciences. A free lunch was provided by RSR at the restoration site, where staff were on hand to explain the fish restoration project purpose and goals. Photos and diagrams were on display. … ” Read more from the Oakdale Leader.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LA County issues pollution warning for water around busy Santa Monica Pier
“L.A. County officials have issued an advisory warning people not to swim, surf, or play in the water 100 yards on either side of Santa Monica Pier due to high levels of bacteria. Public health officials warn that people who swim in water with these contaminants could develop rashes, ear and upper respiratory infections and stomach bugs. Heal the Bay, which issues a weekly beach pollution report card based on its own testing, says the area is a repeat offender. “From a scale of A-plus to F, in 2025 the Santa Monica Pier has gotten only Fs,” said Naomi Meurice, a water quality data analyst at Heal the Bay. … ” Read more from the LAist.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Palm Springs flood tunnel upgrades remove 500+ properties from FEMA high-risk zone
“Major updates to Palm Springs’ $16 million stormwater diversion tunnel, known as Line 41, are already making an impact. The tunnel, which runs under Highway 111, was instrumental in preventing flood damage during Hurricane Hillary in 2023. Thanks to recent infrastructure improvements, more than 500 structures in the city have now been removed from FEMA’s high-risk flood zone. These changes were made official with the approval of updated flood maps by Riverside County. For property owners, this shift could lead to significantly lower flood insurance premiums. The FEMA zone removal officially takes effect on July 18, giving homeowners time to evaluate new insurance options and potentially save money. Officials urge residents to review their flood coverage and consider how the updated maps may affect their rates. … ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs.
SAN DIEGO
‘Above-normal fire potential’: SDG&E prepares for peak wildfire season
“Buckle up for another potentially dangerous peak wildfire season in the San Diego area. “We’ve only had about 50% of the normal rainfall, and temperatures are expected to be warm as we get into this summer,” Brian D’Agostino, meteorologist and vice president of wildfire and climate science at San Diego Gas & Electric, said Monday. A combination of dry vegetation and hot weather increases the risk for brush fires and potential wildfires across the county in the coming months. “We are expecting above normal fire activity as we head through this summer,” D’Agostino said. “And I expect our above-normal fire potential to last into fall.” … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
County Water Authority votes June 26 whether to withdraw from water conservation garden: Petition launched to save garden’s funding
“On June 26, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) will vote on a staff recommendation to end its sponsorship and funding for the Water Conservation Garden. The Garden says accessibility to the public is at risk if SDCWA withdraws, and started an online petition campaign to request that an option to stay, be added to the Committee’s agenda. The petition has received 1,319 signatures in its first 24 hours. One can also send an email addressed to committee members via their clerk at kwalker@sdcwa.org. The proposal to end SDCWA’s support of the Garden will go first to the Administration and Finance Committee at 9 a.m. which will consider two options: to withdraw, or to withdraw and donate $150,000 over the next two years. The result of the Committee’s vote will then move to a list of consent items at the full SDCWA Board meeting at 2p.m. … ” Read more from East County Magazine.
San Diego County may designate a ‘Sewage Crisis Chief’ to coordinate Tijuana River pollution response
“San Diego County supervisors will weigh new options to mitigate impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis on South Bay communities and may designate a “Sewage Crisis Chief” to coordinate the county’s response. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer partnered with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, who is running for the District 1 supervisor seat in an upcoming special election, to take up a version of Aguirre’s South Bay Action Plan for consideration by the county. The plan reads like a menu of recommendations the county could pursue, including stormwater upgrades to reduce toxic hotspots in the river, upgrades to air filtration systems at schools and daycares and a study on chronic exposure to hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas researchers have already identified as emanating from the river. It also includes an economic impact study. … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
County to explore plan to monitor, mitigate Tijuana River sewage pollution
“San Diego County leaders are committing the county to stepping up efforts to help residents bearing the brunt of the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to explore what it would take to administer a plan that calls for further monitoring and mitigation of cross-border pollution from Mexico and implementing health protections. The plan, proposed by Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and brought before the board by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, consists of five key elements: study the health impacts of chronic exposure to the toxic sewer gas hydrogen sulfide; assess the full scope of crisis-linked economic losses; eliminate a hot spot along the Tijuana River to lessen aerosolization of the gas; and create a county sewage crisis chief position. It also suggests giving schools and child care centers air filtration that’s engineered to remove hydrogen sulfide from the air if the county can show that the infrastructure will effectively eliminate odors. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Despite good snowpack, only 54% of average runoff made it into Lake Powell
“The agency that delivers Colorado River water throughout Arizona got some grim news Tuesday about this past winter’s runoff. While snowpack was 92% of average, only 54% of average runoff made it into Lake Powell. Central Arizona Project Analyst Nolie Templeton says that’s due to a number of factors related to higher temperatures. “The soils are thirstier, then they’ll take more of that water. I think one of the more recent studies has shown that for every one degree Celsius increase in temperatures in the Colorado River basin, we’ve seen about a 9% decrease in flow,” Templeton said. CAP board member Justin Manuel called that figure “startling” and said Colorado River users will need to adjust to a drier future. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
A deadline looms for a new Colorado River plan. What happens if there isn’t one?
“The clock is ticking on the Colorado River. The seven states that use its water are nearing a 2026 deadline to come up with new rules for sharing its shrinking supplies. After more than a year of deadlock, there are rumblings of a new plan, but it’s far from final. So what happens if the states can’t agree before that deadline? There’s no roadmap for exactly what would happen next, but policy experts and former officials can give us some ideas. It would likely be complicated, messy and involve big lawsuits. “I think people are looking for a concise answer here,” said Brenda Burman, former commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. “But there isn’t a concise answer.” … ” Read more from KUNC.
Arizona Legislature passes bipartisan ‘ag-to-urban’ bill to increase housing supply
“The Arizona Legislature passed a bipartisan bill Monday intended to increase the state’s housing supply while conserving water. The bill is known as “ag-to-urban.” It allows developers to buy water rights from farmers who give up their agricultural land for homes in metro Phoenix and Pinal County. The homes would use only a percentage of the water the farms had used. The bill was prompted by a moratorium Hobbs set on new housing construction in the Phoenix suburbs due to low groundwater levels. This legislation would give developers a new pathway to build homes in those restricted areas. Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) called it a win-win-win. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
New Grand Canyon alert system warns visitors about flash floods in areas without cellular signal
“Visitors to backcountry areas of Grand Canyon National Park can now subscribe to a new emergency warning system that works in areas where cell phone signals are absent. The Grand Canyon River Alert System is a free, subscription-based service specifically designed to send custom hazard-related alerts to satellite messaging devices, the first system of its kind in the nation. Visitors can also get the alerts through a cell phone when reception is available. Alerts may include information on boating hazards, missing persons, critical streamflow-related operations for the Colorado River and flash flood warnings. The system was developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with Arizona’s Coconino County Emergency Management department, the National Weather Service and the National Park Service, drawing on the unique capabilities and data resources of each organization. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
Front Range water providers request state hearing to air concerns about Western Slope water rights deal
“Four major Front Range water managers have requested a state hearing to fully air their objections to a Western Slope plan to purchase historic, coveted Colorado River water rights. The Colorado River Water Conservation District, which represents 15 Western Slope counties, is leading the effort to purchase the $99 million water rights tied to the century-old Shoshone Power Plant, owned by a subsidiary of Xcel Energy. The district wants to buy the rights to protect historical water resources for Western Slope communities long into the future. Front Range water managers — Aurora Water, Denver Water, Colorado Springs Utilities and Northern Water — also want to maintain the historical flows past Shoshone which provides stability for their water supplies. They just disagree over the numbers, namely how much water is included in the deal. If the number is too high, it could throw a wrench in their water systems. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Millions of acres of Colorado forest under threat after Trump reverses longstanding roadless rule
“The Trump administration Monday reversed the “roadless rule” protecting 30% of National Forest land from development after nearly a quarter century of land set-asides, knocking down one of the hard-fought pillars of open space protections in Colorado and across the nation. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who announced the turnabout at a meeting of western governors in New Mexico, said the move opens the way for roadbuilding to help mitigate wildfire damage and promote timber harvests that dwindled under increasing forest protections. “This outdated administrative rule contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands,” the agency said in announcing the change. “Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.” … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Climate science and the case of the missing moisture
“The unusual mid-winter timing of this year’s devastating and deadly Los Angeles fires caught many off guard. But meteorologists had seen the signature of approaching ‘fire weather’ in atmospheric conditions. In the days, weeks, and months ahead of the fires, the air was far drier than usual. With climate change, this phenomenon is becoming more common worldwide, bringing destructive fires to communities from Canada to southern Europe to the US Southeast. The knowledge that climate change will parch some regions is not new. But there’s an as-yet-unexplained twist to this story, and getting to the bottom of it could help communities protect themselves against future extreme conflagrations and other climate impacts. As the climate warms, the atmosphere can hold more water. The rate, according to the widely accepted Clausius–Clapeyron relationship, is about 7% more moisture for every degree Celsius of warming. We see its effect in the deluges that flooded Pakistan, Germany and New York City. Climate models represent this trend as increased atmospheric moisture the world over. But here’s the kink in the line: over drylands, the atmosphere is not accumulating more moisture, as the models expect. … ” Read more from Nature.
Climate change: The trio of tricky problems
“The water industry faces many challenges. Loss of intellectual knowledge is happening at alarming rates as industry professionals retire. Aging infrastructure is resulting in main breaks, leakages, and asset failures. Urban growth continues to drive demand for already stressed water resources. Increasing regulatory requirements often result in more work and require costly investments. In addition to these challenges, the water industry must be resilient to the impacts of climate change. Extreme heat and cold, longer droughts, and more frequent flooding are impacting water quality and threatening water security. Over the last 10 years, floods have caused more than $400 billion in damage and almost 60,000 casualties worldwide. Four billion people worldwide experience severe water scarcity for at least one month every year. Approximately two billion people worldwide consume water that is contaminated. It’s estimated that by 2030, demand for water will exceed supply by 40 percent. The impacts of climate change are resulting in not enough water, too much water, and dirty water. This is what I call the trio of tricky problems. … ” Read more from ESRI.
What are the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence?
“While most people think about AI in terms of the apps on their phones or the chatbots they interact with, the real environmental story happens behind the scenes—in massive facilities called data centers. These are the physical buildings filled with thousands of computers that process every AI request. Data centers come in many shapes and sizes, from small server rooms in office buildings to warehouse-sized facilities operated by tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. But the newest generation of data centers, specifically built to handle AI workloads, are fundamentally different from their predecessors. They require far more powerful processors called GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), consume dramatically more electricity, and need significantly more water for cooling. A single AI-focused data center can use as much electricity as a small city and as much water as a large neighborhood. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Trump bid to repeal forest protections faces hurdles
“The Trump administration’s announcement Monday that it’s lifting timber-harvesting restrictions on more than 58 million acres of national forests is just the beginning of what’s likely to be a drawn-out fight. Rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced at a meeting of Western governors, will require formal rulemaking and is sure to prompt legal challenges from environmental groups, said people who’ve worked on issues related to the regulations over the years. And if the administration succeeds, then come the hurdles that confront any Forest Service logging project: limited staff capacity to prepare new timber sales, managing environmental reviews and navigating volatile timber markets that can make harvesting on public lands a money loser for taxpayers. … ” Read more from E&E News.
A Republican plan to sell off millions of acres of public lands is no more — for now
“A controversial proposal to sell off millions of acres of public lands across Western states — including large swaths of California — was stripped Monday from Republican’s tax and spending bill for violating Senate rules. Senator Mike Lee (R–Utah) had advanced a mandate to sell up to 3.3 million acres of public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for the stated purpose of addressing housing needs — an intent that opponents didn’t believe was guaranteed by the language in the provision. Late Monday, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian — who advises the government body on interpreting procedural rules — determined the proposal didn’t pass muster under the the Byrd Rule, which prevents the inclusion of provisions that are extraneous to the budget in a reconciliation bill. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Huge Public Land Sale Stripped from Senate Bill—For Now—But Assault on Federal Land Protections Continues, from Inside Climate News
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Shasta River: Flows Declining – Coordination of Diversions Encouraged
