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On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife beginning at 9am. Click here for the agenda and audio link.
- WEBINAR: Rapid Response Webinar on Cap-and-Trade Revenues from 10am to 11am. Join the Southern California Water Coalition for an online Zoom webinar titled “Cap-and-Trade Unpacked: Funding Critical Water Infrastructure Solutions that Improve California’s Climate Resilience.” This insightful session will explore the implications of California’s 2025-26 budget proposal, including discussions between the Governor and Legislature on reauthorizing the cap-and-trade program beyond 2030. We’ll also examine opportunities to allocate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) revenues toward critical water infrastructure investments that enhance climate resilience. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Judge backs Reclamation in fight over California water contract conversions
“A federal judge agreed on Monday with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that conversion of temporary water contracts from the California Central Valley Project doesn’t require a new environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act or the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston, a Joe Biden appointee, ruled on cross motions for summary judgment that the bureau’s interpretation of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act was more plausible than that of the environmental advocacy organization that sued five years ago. “Given the layered complexity of the multiple statutory schemes at issue, it is easy to lose track of the central issues in this case,” the Fresno, California-based judge said. “The question is whether Reclamation’s obligations under the WIIN Act regarding contract conversion make it impossible for the agency to exercise discretion for the protected species’ benefit.” … ” Read more from Courthouse News.
SGMA implementation shifts from planning to reality
“Since the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act’s enactment in 2014, its impact on California’s groundwater management has unfolded gradually. However, a true turning point occurred in April 2024, when the Tulare Lake Subbasin — one of seven critically overdrafted basins — underwent its probationary hearing and was subsequently placed on probation. This marked the first time the state exercised its enforcement authority under SGMA. According to a May article by the professional law corporation Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, SGMA implementation has reached a critical juncture. The seven critically overdrafted basins deemed inadequate by the Department of Water Resources include the Tulare Lake Subbasin, Tule Subbasin, Kaweah Subbasin, Kern County Subbasin, Delta-Mendota Subbasin, Chowchilla Subbasin, and Pleasant Valley Subbasin. This critical juncture has prompted closer scrutiny of the seven overdrafted basins now facing direct state oversight. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Recharge big part of groundwater management
“The amount of data on groundwater in the state is overflowing. “When it comes to water management in California, it’s important that state and local water decisions are made with the latest, most accurate data in mind. Thanks to the information collected from our local partners, we’re gaining more knowledge about the challenges our groundwater-dependent communities are facing and their progress towards meeting the overall goals set by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” Paul Gosselin, deputy director of Sustainable Water Management for the state Department of Water Resources, said in a statement. The state agency recently released its Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update, which includes information on statewide groundwater levels, groundwater storage, recharge, land subsidence, well infrastructure and the status of California’s groundwater conditions. The report marks the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which created the framework so the state’s groundwater basins are sustainable by 2040. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Rice: The other climate- and wildlife-friendly solution for the Delta
“Rice acreage is growing rapidly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s agricultural core. It nearly tripled in the Delta’s Primary Zone between 2018 and 2022, according to data compiled for the Delta Protection Commission’s March 2025 Socioeconomic Indicators Update (PDF). That took it from the zone’s No. 11 crop to No. 9. Rice acreage is still dwarfed by corn. At nearly 60,000 acres, corn remained the Primary Zone’s No. 2 crop in 2022. But corn acreage is falling: It dropped 43% in the same period rice was rising. “We could be looking at 15,000-20,000 acres of rice in the Delta this year,” said Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Delta Crops Resource Management Advisor for the UC Cooperative Extension. “I’m learning of rice going in places it hasn’t gone before,” she said. “The Delta community seems really coalesced on developing a rice industry.” … ” Continue reading from the Delta Protection Commission.
NOAA Fisheries weighing ESA protection for Chinook salmon
“The National Marine Fisheries Service, or NOAA Fisheries, will determine whether spring-run Chinook salmon in the Pacific Northwest warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act beginning in the fall. Under a stipulated settlement agreement filed June 26 in U.S. District Court’s Portland division, the agency has until Nov. 3 to determine whether listing Oregon and California coastal salmon as threatened or endangered is warranted, and Jan. 2 for Washington coastal salmon. “We are unable to comment on matters of litigation,” NOAA Fisheries spokesman James Miller told the Capital Press. … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
Vitamin deficiency is killing salmon in California
“A vitamin deficiency linked to an enzyme found in anchovies that breaks down Vitamin B1, or thiamine, is threatening the survival of Chinook salmon in California and far beyond. “An interesting piece of the puzzle is that we don’t have evidence for diminished sources of thiamine in the ocean food web,” said Nathan Mantua, a research scientist with NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, Calif. “Instead, we have evidence that anchovy carry an enzyme called thiaminase that destroys thiamine in the predator’s stomach when the anchovy is digested.” Mantua is part of the team of 37 coauthors of a new research paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America that links Vitamin B1 deficiency to the anchovy-dominated diet that likely resulted in the death of nearly half of California’s wild winter-run Central Valley Chinook salmon fry in 2020-2021. … ” Read more from National Fisherman.
Golden mussels could clog California’s water system, starting with Lake Oroville
“The invasive two-inch wide golden mussel showed up near the Port of Stockton last fall. Since then, it’s spread south, extending to other waterways in the Delta and some in the San Joaquin Valley. Now, eyes are looking north to Lake Oroville, where the mussels could pose a large threat if they’re introduced. The reservoir is the second largest in California. It’s part of the state’s system that delivers water through a network of pipes and pumps to more than two-thirds of residents and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. Golden mussels like to stick to hard surfaces — like those pipes and pumps — and that has state officials concerned. “They’re going to grow, they’re going to settle out, attach onto the walls, and then begin forming those colonies,” said Tanya Veldhuizen, an environmental program manager with the Department of Water Resources. “They just keep adding layers and layers and mussels until that pipeline is completely blocked.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Parts of California could be spared extreme heat, July forecast shows
“July 2024 shattered temperature records across California and registered as the hottest month on record but this year might be a different story. New forecast data for July 2025 suggests parts of California may catch a brief respite, at least compared to last year. The Climate Prediction Center’s latest outlook shows scorching temperatures likely for much of the nation this month, with coastal California standing as the lone exception. There, residents face equal odds of experiencing above or below average temperatures, a striking departure from the blistering heat expected inland. For now, the first day of the month will start out with a lot of murk in the morning and relatively average temperatures across the Bay Area. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
New membrane technology could expand access to water for agricultural and industrial use
“Approximately 40 percent of the U.S. water supply comes from underground water reserves, but far more brackish groundwater is available–much of it too salty from calcium and magnesium content, however, for practical use. In fact, the amount of brackish groundwater in the U.S. is more than 800 times the amount of fresh groundwater pumped from all other sources every year, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates. By sufficiently treating brackish groundwater to separate salts and other contaminants, the U.S. could significantly expand its available water supply. A new technology equips membranes used in the reverse-osmosis desalination process with electrical conductivity, improving their ability to separate salts and other contaminants from hard-to-treat waters. Active Membranes, a California-based company, licensed the technology originating from UC Riverside and UCLA to advance its development and bring it to market. … ” Read more from Berkeley Lab.
Algae pump toxins into the ocean. Can we catch them early?
“After starting her PhD studies in 2018, Monica Thukral would go for a swim off the coast of San Diego two to three times a week. The regular, physical connection with the waters helped to anchor her in her research at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “I had an understanding of the physical processes: how the temperature and the wave energy change throughout the year,” Thukral recalls. “I was the first to know when an algae bloom was taking place.” In the laboratory, Thukral transformed that intuition into something more systematic. Using cutting-edge analytical tools, her team in the environmental systems biology lab of Andrew E. Allen—who also teaches at the nearby J. Craig Venter Institute, a genomics research foundation—strove to understand what was happening in the water on a molecular level. … ” Read more from Chemical & Engineering News.
California lawmakers approve last-minute, sweeping rollbacks of environmental law
“California lawmakers today approved one of the most substantial rollbacks of the state’s signature environmental review law in decades, including a controversial exemption that would allow high-tech manufacturing plants to be built in industrial zones with no environmental review. The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act were embedded in a last-minute budget bill that sailed through the Senate and the Assembly. The new law exempts nine types of projects from environmental reviews: child care centers, health clinics, food banks, farmworker housing, broadband, wildfire prevention, water infrastructure, public parks or trails and, notably, advanced manufacturing. Aiming to streamline and lower the cost of construction in California, the new law also restricts legal challenges under CEQA by narrowing which documents courts can consider. It also allows limited environmental reviews of projects that don’ t have an array of impacts. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
SEE ALSO: How enviros lost CEQA, from Politico
Ag bills clear first legislative hurdle
“After the House of Origin deadline hit on June 6, some Senate and Assembly bills packed their bags and got a ride to the other chamber. The final night of the legislative year is September 12. Any bill passed will be sent to the governor’s desk for a final decision by October 12. Three water bills opposed by various agricultural groups cleared their respective houses and are now headed to the next. The bills — AB 1146, AB 929, and SB 601 — share a common theme of expanding or altering state water oversight. AB 1146, now being considered by the Senate, would give the state more power to penalize water releases deemed to be under “false pretenses.” The origins of these false pretenses trace back to water releases ordered by the Trump Administration from Success Lake and Kaweah Lake in January. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Western states step up to save their wetlands
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency dramatically weakened protections for millions of acres of the West’s essential wetlands and streams. Under the ruling, only bodies of water with a “continuous surface connection” to a “relatively permanent” traditional, navigable water body can be legally considered part of the waters of the United States (WOTUS) and therefore covered by the Clean Water Act. The court’s definition excludes wetlands with belowground connections to bodies of water as well as those fed by ephemeral or intermittent streams. In effect, an estimated 60% of wetlands have lost federal protection, according to a National Resources Defense Council report. The language in the decision was ambiguous — exactly how wet a wetland has to be to fall under WOTUS and qualify protections was left up to federal agencies. … ” Read more from High Country News.
Investing in the West’s water future: Why Congress must fully fund the WaterSmart program
“With drought and climate pressures intensifying across the West, Audubon and partners are sounding the alarm: Congress must fully fund the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program before it’s too late. Alongside a diverse coalition of 103 national, regional, state, and local organizations representing Tribes, water managers, conservationists, farmers, and business leaders, Audubon submitted a letter last week urging Congress to fully fund the WaterSMART program—an essential tool for helping communities adapt to a changing climate and safeguard limited water resources for birds, people and local economies. As Congress finalizes appropriations for the coming fiscal year, this diverse show of support highlights the widespread need for continued investment in this impactful program and water throughout the West. … ” Read more from Audubon.
In commentary today …
Public land sale is off, but California’s forests aren’t out of the woods
Columnist Marek Warszawski writes, “Three million acres of public land across California and 10 other Western states won’t be auctioned to the highest bidder following bipartisan backlash and widespread public rebuke. But mass sell-off or not, America’s forests aren’t out of the woods under this administration. The Utah Republican behind the misguided idea withdrew the provision from the sprawling tax and spending bill making its way through Congress that President Donald Trump wants passed by July 4. Senator Mike Lee, in a feeble attempt to save face, blamed the timeline rather than admit his ham-fisted solution to the housing shortage facing many communities wouldn’t fly. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Engineering firms drive massive Klamath River restoration
“Global engineering leader Stantec has assumed a central role in restoring five critical tributaries of the Klamath River—one of the largest river rehabilitation efforts in U.S. history. Operating under Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), Stantec is implementing complex engineering designs to reconnect waterways disrupted for over a century. In summer 2024, the removal of four major dams on the Klamath River reopened an estimated 400 miles of habitat for salmon, steelhead trout, Pacific lamprey and other native species. This milestone US project, managed by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), creates significant demand for specialized environmental restoration services—a growing segment within the infrastructure and compliance market. Stantec’s contract outlines detailed engineering tasks across five tributaries: Beaver, Jenny, Spencer, Camp and Scotch Creeks. … ” Read more from Energy & Environment Leader.
Officials stumped at long term fix to brown water in Hayfork
“Residents of Hayfork are grappling with a water crisis as their tap water emerges discolored, resembling Coca-Cola but without the flavor. According to several residents, water discoloration has been an ongoing issue for years, but the past month and a half has been the worst they have experienced. From hair dressers in town to residents farther out into the hills, people across Hayfork are reporting brown water coming out of their faucets regularly, while no official orders have been released from county officials. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Cost overruns and dam plans shape Mendocino County water discussions
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
PG&E continues efforts to restore Tuolumne main canal water supply
“The Tuolumne Utilities District continues to request that customers conserve water while repairs are being made by PG&E to the main Tuolumne Canal flume. It is the primary water supply serving the TUD system. TUD anticipates that water will be fully restored and operations will return to normal by midday Tuesday, July 1st. Crews are walking water down the ditch system today and will continue the efforts throughout this evening. … ” Read more from My Mother Lode.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Chico issues swim advisory for Sycamore Pool due to elevated bacteria levels in water
“The City of Chico has issued a swimming advisory at Sycamore Pool in Bidwell Park. They say that elevated levels of bacteria are present in the water, which presents an increased risk of illness to children, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems. The City of Chico Park and Natural Resources Manager, Shane Romain, spoke on the situation. “Sycamore Pool is a Chico treasure that has been enjoyed by residents and visitors for decades; however, the safety of our community comes first. Right now, the water in Sycamore Pool has increased levels of bacteria, swimming is not recommended. We are working closely with Butte County Public Health to monitor the situation.” … ” Read more from KRCR.
NAPA/SONOMA
BAY AREA
Stinson Beach gets its first-ever price tag for coping with sea level rise — and it’s gigantic
“By 2060, a third of Stinson Beach’s fabled sandy beach could be permanently underwater. By 2085, when sea levels are expected to rise by 3.3 feet, nearly all seaside homes could flood in a major storm. Those are some of the conclusions of the most comprehensive sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation plan yet for Stinson Beach, released by Marin County this month. Different approaches to mitigating those expected climate change impacts could add up to at least $1.2 billion, the report finds — the equivalent of $2.4 million apiece for each of its approximately 500 residents. But the cost of doing nothing would be much worse, planners say — and because the town already sees regular beach erosion and flooding, they recommend that some measures be taken right away. “We’ve identified this as the most vulnerable space in West Marin,” said Kathleen Kilgariff, senior planner for the Marin County Community Development Agency. The beach itself also plays an important role in the broader Bay Area, she said. “It really is a recreational resource for so many people, not only those who live there.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Floodwall plan splits advocates for creek improvements
“A regional plan to bolster flood control near the San Francisquito Creek remained on shaky grounds Thursday as city leaders and water agency officials charged with implementing it squabbled this week over the budget and an allegation that the Menlo Park mayor had threatened to “blow up the project” if it included floodwalls. The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, which includes officials from Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, has been exploring ways to protect neighborhoods in the three cities ever since the devastating February 1998 flood. After completing its first major project in the particularly vulnerable area downstream of U.S. Highway 101 in 2019, the agency has spent years planning for its second project, which would the “Reach 2” area between the highway and the Pope-Chaucer bridge. In 2023, the creek authority reset its plans after a heavy rainstorm upended its hydraulic assumptions. … ” Read more from The Almanac.
CENTRAL COAST
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Whopping $600-a-month water rate approved for this Stanislaus County community
“The Western Hills Water District board on Saturday approved a huge increase in water service rates in an attempt to maintain a water supply for the 600-home Diablo Grande community in western Stanislaus County. The Kern County Water Agency, some 200 miles away, had threatened to stop water deliveries June 30 if the financially troubled Western Hills district did not resume payments for an annual 8,000 acre-feet allocation. Mark Kovich, president of the Western Hills board, said at Saturday’s meeting that district representatives would meet with KCWA officials Monday to discuss the next steps. Last week, Kern’s board took action to extend the deadline related to the potential water shutoff to Sept. 30.KCWA has said it would continue deliveries through Dec. 31 if the Western Hills district came up with money to make monthly payments, so that date remains in effect with the water rate increase approved Saturday. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Using fallowed ag land for solar farms opens training, job opportunities for local workers
“In all the talk about the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater restrictions and resulting loss of agriculture, it’s important to consider how transitioning from farming operations to clean-energy production creates construction job opportunities for thousands of area workers. The mandate to meet state clean energy goals by 2045 — and the loss of farmland due to groundwater restrictions under the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act — have opened the door to a vast solar resource that can keep land economically productive and local people employed in good jobs for the long term. But current law makes these land transitions cumbersome and complicated, hampering the region’s potential to become a solar energy hub. If corrected, the switch from unusable farmland to low-water-use, clean energy projects would generate billions in tax revenue and labor income while lowering household electric bills and cleaning up our air. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
Grand Jury: Fowler making progress to fix drinking water issue
“A new Fresno County Civil Grand Jury report found that the City of Fowler has been working to address its drinking water not meeting state standards. The grand jury report, which was released on Monday, detailed that while the city’s water does not currently meet state standards, the city has been working for the past seven years to rectify the situation. The backstory: Microplastic 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) was found in Fowler’s drinking water after it was detected above the legal limit in one of the city’s wells. TCP is a pesticide that was used from the 1950s to the 1980s. … ” Read more from the SJV Sun.
The story behind the Kern Water Bank
“The origin and purpose of the Kern Water Bank is often mischaracterized in the context of California’s water infrastructure and supply. For example, Alexandra Nagy, California director for the advocacy organization Food and Water Watch, is quoted in Forbes Magazine as saying: “Assets like this (the Kern Water Bank) that were once in public control and now are in private control need to be returned to the public.” Since this concept has been perpetuated in one form or another for nearly two decades, it is worth understanding the accurate history of how the Kern Water Bank came to be, to ensure the facts are part of the broader conversation. J.B. Haggin formed the Kern County Land Company in 1870. It grew to control vast acreages around Bakersfield, developing much of the water infrastructure, and was instrumental in forming many of the public water districts — including North Kern Water Storage District. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Boaters hold “portage protest” over low flows on upper Kern River
“Six rafting enthusiasts held a grueling protest Sunday to draw awareness to what they say are inadequate flows in a 16-mile stretch of the Kern River because of Southern California Edison’s diversions to its Kernville power plant, Kern River 3 (KR3). The boaters floated from Johnsondale Bridge to the Fairview Dam, where Edison takes water out of the river, running it through a flume high across the mountains to penstocks that deliver it to KR3, leaving the river bed with a fraction of its natural flow. Then they carried, or portaged, the 100-pound, 8-person raft provided by Whitewater Voyages 16 miles down Sierra Way to KR3, where Edison releases water back into the river. Julianne Finch, Kate Adamson, Omar Ramirez, Jonathan Yates and Juan Vargas, all of Bakersfield, along with James Boster of Bishop, started their day driving to the launch site at 5:30 a.m., ending it back in the river, finally, at 5:30 p.m. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Focus SoCal: Delta Conveyance Project
“Eng also sits down with Assemblymember Lori Wilson to discuss the Delta Conveyance Project, which was not included in the final state budget. Wilson, along with other Delta lawmakers, opposed the project that would create a massive underground tunnel to reroute a big chunk of the state’s water supply. “This was a policy proposal that would have Southern California foot the bill for a $20 billion-plus project,” said Wilson. “We saw the increase in this project over the last few decades, and you can imagine what it would be by the time this got done.” Wilson offered alternative solutions that the Delta Caucus would consider, strengthening the state water system without impact on the Delta. “We think that there should be levy fortification. We’ve said that for a number of years, that there needed to be an investment in there,” she said. “Most of the levies are, you know, hundreds of years old, sticks and mud in some places. And we really need to be sure that we’re prioritizing levy fortification.” Listen at Spectrum 1.
Landfill draws rebuke over misinformation claim
“The Castaic landfill producing more than 1 million gallons of leachate every week drew a strong rebuke from officials and residents Friday over claims by Waste Connections that L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger called “deeply troubling.” “There are no risks to public safety,” read the hand-distributed flyer that showed up on doorsteps in the Castaic and Val Verde community last week. The flyer also accuses “politicians” of making Chiquita Canyon Landfill “the target of misinformation attacks and deployed rhetoric to mislead the community about the mitigation efforts.” Data from the landfill’s paid consultants, according to the flyer, “show decreased surface emissions, which means there is less landfill gas that could be leaving the landfill,” which also reflects a “decrease in emissions and show improvement in offsite air quality.” … ” Read more from The Signal.
Innovative stormwater improvement project strengthens Burbank’s power system
“In drought-prone Southern California, Burbank Water and Power has implemented a groundbreaking stormwater capture and reuse system that saves more than eight million gallons of water annually. This award-winning project not only enhances operational reliability and sustainability, but also serves as a model for urban industrial water conservation. In the arid landscape of Southern California, water is not merely a utility—it is the lifeblood that sustains millions of residents, numerous businesses, and the region’s economic vitality. The Greater Los Angeles area, which includes the City of Burbank, faces an ongoing challenge that has only intensified with climate change: securing adequate water supplies while managing growing demand and increasingly unpredictable precipitation patterns. … ” Read more from Power Magazine.
LA fire property owners who chose to clear debris themselves must have it completed — or face consequences
“After the L.A. fires, property owners had the option to let the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers handle debris removal, or they could choose to take care of it on their own dime. For those who didn’t join the program, the deadline has arrived — the land must be cleaned up by June 30. What if a property still isn’t cleared? If the properties aren’t cleared of debris by this week, they could be declared a public nuisance. If that happens, the county could later remove fire ash and debris and charge the property owner for the work. … ” Read more from the LAist.
SAN DIEGO
Environmental groups sue SeaWorld San Diego over fireworks
“Two environmental groups are suing SeaWorld San Diego for allegedly failing to follow its Clean Water Act permits. They claim that has led to pollutant discharge violations during the theme park’s nightly fireworks. Nonprofits San Diego Coastkeeper and Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation filed a lawsuit against SeaWorld on March 6 for not following its Clean Water Act fireworks permit and waste discharge permit. By not adhering to its permits, the groups claim the theme park is discharging large amounts of pollutants into Mission Bay. “SeaWorld’s reckless disregard for its environmental obligations threaten the health of Mission Bay and the people and wildlife that rely on it, and contradicts the company’s stated mission to conserve wildlife worldwide,” Phillip Musegaas, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, said in a press release on March 10. … ” Read more from The Center Square.
Along the Colorado River …
North American monsoon drought status update
“Over the past year, drought developed and intensified in the Four Corners region and southern California and Nevada, with the most intense drought conditions in Arizona and New Mexico. The 2025 North American Monsoon began last week in parts of New Mexico and West Texas, bringing helpful rains to drought-stricken areas but also dangerous flooding. Other states (Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, Utah) await their first monsoonal precipitation. Monsoonal rainfall only provides a fraction of the West’s water supplies, with the majority coming from snowpack. However, it can meaningfully reduce local drought impacts by reducing demand for water stored in reservoirs, recharging soil moisture and groundwater, benefitting agricultural production by improving grassland health for livestock and filling stock ponds, and reducing wildfire risk. Outlooks favor above-normal monsoonal precipitation for the Southwestern U.S. in July. This could improve drought conditions and provide short-term relief, but dry landscape conditions leading into the monsoon mean drought is likely to persist. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicts drought improvement (but not removal) for the area near the Arizona-New Mexico border in July. However, precipitation in the first half of July is not a predictor of precipitation during the rest of the Monsoon season. … ” Read the full update from NIDIS.
Hobbs signs bipartisan ‘ag-to-urban’ water law, but rural conservation deal remains elusive
“A new Arizona law signed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs Monday is meant to increase the state’s housing supply while conserving groundwater. The bill, SB1611, is known as “ag-to-urban.“ It lets housing developers buy groundwater rights from farmers in metro Phoenix and Pinal County who give up their agricultural land for homes. Those homes would only use a fraction of the water the farms had used. The bill is the result of years of bipartisan negotiations and considered a win-win by proponents. Sen. T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) sponsored the bill and calls it the most consequential water legislation in decades. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona approves ‘Ag-to-Urban’ water conservation plan
“In a bipartisan compromise between state lawmakers and the executive branch, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs approved a program estimated to conserve nearly 10 million acre-feet of water and facilitate thousands of new housing developments across central Arizona. State Senator T.J. Shope’s Senate Bill 1611 met Hobbs’ pen Monday morning, setting in motion what state officials refer to as the “Ag-to-Urban” plan. The legislation, backed by a Senate supermajority and bipartisan coalition in the House, creates a voluntary program for farmers in the Phoenix and Pinal County active management areas to sell portions of their land and the accompanying water rights to developers to build new urban communities with a lower demand than the previous agricultural use. “Hard-working Arizonans will be able to pursue their American dream of homeownership as home supply increases in Maricopa and Pinal Counties and prices naturally ease,” Shope, a Republican from Coolidge, said in a press release. “Our farmers, who are ready to retire, can reap the benefits of their land while also allowing the state to save water. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Moab groups file lawsuit against Kane Creek development over water rights
“Two local organizations have filed a lawsuit that could bring development plans for the Echo Canyon resort along the Colorado River to a halt, alleging the project lacks a valid water supply under Utah law. On June 28, Living Rivers and Kane Creek Development Watch filed a complaint in Grand County’s Seventh Judicial District Court, arguing that the developers—formerly known as Kane Creek Preservation and Development, LLC, and now operating as Echo Canyon—have forfeited their groundwater and Colorado River water rights by failing to use them for more than seven consecutive years. Under Utah law, rights not put to “beneficial use” for that length of time are subject to forfeiture. … ” Read more from Moab Sun News.
Critical repairs on tubes that allow water to pass downstream from Lake Powell complete
“Federal engineers have finished critical repairs at one of the largest dams on the Colorado River. The patched-up tubes allow water to pass downstream from Lake Powell. The tubes are rarely used, but they’re pivotal to the Colorado River system. Lake Powell is getting lower after more than 20 years of megadrought and steady demand. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
In national water news today …
What does climate change mean for agriculture? Less food, and more emissions
“New research spotlights the challenge of growing food on a warming planet. Two recent studies — one historical and the other forward-looking — examine how rising temperatures have made and could continue to make agricultural production less efficient, fundamentally reshaping the global food system as producers try to adapt to hotter growing seasons. The findings illuminate the bind that farmers and consumers find themselves in. Agricultural production is a driver of climate change; it’s estimated to be responsible for somewhere between a quarter and a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But it is also hampered by the changes in weather patterns associated with climate change. While producers struggle to harvest the same amounts of food in the face of droughts, heat waves, and hurricanes, shoppers are more likely to face climbing food prices. … ” Read more from Grist.
EPA employees sign ‘declaration of dissent’ over agency moves under Trump
“A group of Environmental Protection Agency employees on Monday published a declaration of dissent from the agency’s policies under the Trump administration, saying they “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment”. More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation, according to Jeremy Berg, a former editor-in-chief of Science magazine who is not an EPA employee but was among non-EPA scientists or academics to also sign. The latter figure includes 20 Nobel laureates. The letter represents rare public criticism from agency employees who could face blowback for speaking out against a weakening of funding and federal support for climate, environmental and health science. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health made a similar move earlier in June. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Data crucial to hurricane forecasts will continue, but for one month only
“The Department of Defense on Monday reversed course, temporarily, on canceling the availability of satellite data that is key to monitoring hurricane movements and structures. The data will now be available to hurricane forecasters through July 31, rather than the previous June 30 deadline. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration announced last week that data from three satellites jointly run by NOAA and the Defense Department would become unavailable for researchers and forecasters no later than June 30. “Recent service changes” was the only explanation provided. An announcement from NOAA on Monday cites a “significant cybersecurity risk” as the reason for taking the data offline. The decision to continue supplying the data came in response to a request from a NASA scientist, according to the update. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Pentagon will no longer share satellite data that tracks hurricanes overnight, from the Washington Post
Trump administration shuts down U.S. website on climate change
“The Trump administration on Monday shut down a federal website that had presented congressionally mandated reports and research on climate change, drawing rebukes from scientists who said it will hinder the nation’s efforts to prepare for worsening droughts, floods and heat waves. The U.S. Global Change Research Program’s website, globalchange.gov, was taken down along with all five versions of the National Climate Assessment report and extensive information on how global warming is affecting the country. “They’re public documents. It’s scientific censorship at its worst,” said Peter Gleick, a California water and climate scientist who was one of the authors of the first National Climate Assessment in 2000. “This is the modern version of book burning.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
