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 …
- MEETING: Delta Stewardship Council beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include on overview of the Council’s Certification of Consistency and appeal process; a presentation on the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Draft 2025 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy; and the Delta Lead Scientist’s report. Click here for the meeting notice.
In California water news today …
White House rescinds $20m for clean water in pesticide-contaminated rural California
“For decades, thousands of residents in California’s agricultural heartland couldn’t use their wells because the water was too contaminated with pesticides. In December, the Biden administration stepped in with a long-awaited $20m grant to provide clean water, improve municipal sources and relieve the region’s financial and health burden. The Trump administration just took the money away. Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeled the grant a “wasteful DEI program”, though advocates say the move is an act of cruelty. Drinking water in some parts of the Monterey county region, which largely produces strawberries, has not been safe for decades because it is contaminated with staggering levels of highly toxic pesticide ingredients that threaten the health of agricultural workers and others. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
DWR: Securing statewide water supplies part 2: Serious problems require serious solutions
Photo taken on March 22, 2003.
“There is no denying the State Water Project (SWP) is one of California’s most important water supply sources, providing clean, reliable and affordable water for 27 million people across the state and 750,000 acres of farmland. There is also no denying this vital water supply is at risk due to climate change, sea level rise and earthquakes. To address these challenges and more, the Department of Water Resources is pursuing the Delta Conveyance Project. Modernizing the SWP by creating new water conveyance infrastructure in the Delta will allow us to safely capture, move and store water from the big, but infrequent storm events that have become our new climate reality. Importantly, the Delta Conveyance Project will provide the flexibility to help manage fishery and water quality conflicts in the South Delta that currently inhibit the ability to take advantage of these big storms. … ” Read more from DWR.
2025 California almond crop forecast hits 3 billion pounds
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released its 2025 California Almond Objective Measurement Report, estimating this year’s almond crop at a robust 3 billion meat pounds. That figure marks a 7% increase from the USDA’s subjective May forecast and a 10% jump from last year’s harvest of 2.73 billion pounds.This positive outlook was sponsored by the Almond Board of California, which continues to work closely with growers and global partners to drive industry performance and demand. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the environment
“Californians reaffirmed their commitment to environmental protection in passing a $10 billion state climate bond with almost 60 percent support last November. The last election also led to federal environmental policy shifts that are at odds with the state’s policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy. The state government is at a crossroads in determining how much the taxpayers and consumers are willing and able to pay for these programs. Meanwhile, tragic events—starting with the Los Angeles wildfires in January and, most recently, the Texas floods in July—are wake-up calls about a lack of preparedness for the environmental changes underway. These are the key findings of the Californians and the Environment survey on federal and state environmental policy directions, wildfires and extreme weather events, climate change and related policies, and ocean, coast, and marine life that was conducted July 1–July 7, 2025 … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Central Coast oil pipeline firm can’t dismiss California Coastal Commission complaint
“A state judge on Wednesday refused to toss the California Coastal Commission’s claim that the owners of a damaged offshore oil system are violating a cease-and-desist order by continuing unpermitted pipeline work along the Santa Barbara coast. Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle, in a tentative order Tuesday, wrote “the commission has adequately alleged that it made such a request and the county declined to act,” referring to the agency’s right to intervene when local governments fail to enforce the Coastal Act. Sable Offshore Corp., which seeks to repair and restart pipelines linking an offshore platform off the Gaviota Coast to the mainland, argued the commission lacks jurisdiction. The company has faced opposition from the commission and multiple environmental groups. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Microplastics under the microscope: Federal and California proposals target microplastics
“On 17 July 2025, a bipartisan bill aimed at uncovering the potential human health implications of exposures to microplastics in the food and water supply was introduced into Congress. Introduced by Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rick Scott (R-FL), and Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), the aptly named Microplastics Safety Act would direct the US Food and Drug Administration to compile information about the impacts of microplastics exposure on human health and submit a report to Congress that outlines risks to children’s health, the endocrine system, and reproductive health along with detailing any associations between microplastics exposures and cancer and other chronic illnesses. … ” Read more from the National Law Review.
California lawmakers roll back environmental law. Why is high-tech manufacturing now exempt?
“California lawmakers recently 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 Chico News & Review.
California summers are getting hotter. This map shows the most dramatic increases
“California is heating up. Across the state, average temperatures have risen by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1895, according to the state’s Indicators of Climate Change in California Report. But some places have warmed more than others. While greenhouse gas emissions have made temperatures rise around the planet, other drivers have influenced climate conditions too, on a more local scale. The Chronicle examined gridded temperature data trends to find where summers warmed the fastest in California from 1950 to 2024. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
On controlling fire, new lessons from a deep indigenous past
“Climate change is extending the season during which hot and dry weather encourages fire across North America. At the same time, a long post-settlement history of stamping out wildfires has changed much of the continent’s landscape: Forests are thicker, which allows fires to spread up into the canopy, and more uniform, with fewer bare patches that might otherwise slow a fire’s progress. As a result, wildfires now tend to grow hotter and bigger: Some say we are in the age of megafires. Forest ecologist Lori Daniels, at the University of British Columbia, has found evidence in tree rings for surprisingly high rates of fires before the early 1900s, thanks to the Indigenous use of fire to manage huge swaths of forest. In British Columbia, after European settlers put an end to burning, much of the forest changed dramatically: In one study site, Daniels and her colleagues have documented 200 to 775 trees per hectare — more than four times the historical average of 50 to 190 trees. North America, researchers say, is running a “fire deficit.” … ” Read more from Yale e360.
In commentary today …
What the clarity of Lake Tahoe says about the precious jewel of California
Julie Regan, executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Jason Vasques, executive director of the California Tahoe Conservancy, write, “The clearness of Lake Tahoe’s deep, blue waters tells a story. The lake’s incredible clarity, which today averages 60 to 70 feet deep, is among Lake Tahoe’s most famous features. Despite having been on the ropes at times over the past 100 years, that clarity endures. The most recent report on Lake Tahoe’s clarity from the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center shows that the visibility of the lake’s water averaged 62 feet last year. By any standard, being able to see a 10-inch white disk descend six stories into a body of water is amazing. But as the report states, clarity could be better, could be worse and must be better understood. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
California needs a little less farmland, a lot more solar power
Sammy Roth at the LA Times writes, “Amid a string of setbacks for clean energy — tariffs, the Trump administration, Tesla’s declining sales numbers — California officials delivered a big win last month, approving the nation’s largest solar-plus-storage project. Planned for 14 square miles in Fresno County, the project will provide up to 1,150 megawatts of solar energy and 4,600 megawatts-hours of battery storage. Dubbed the Darden project, it should be able to power 850,000 homes after dark. The developer, Intersect Power, will pay hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes over time. And because Darden will be built on retired farmland in an area running low on water, rather than pristine public lands in the desert, there are few environmental conflicts. No Joshua trees to chop down or endangered tortoises to displace. An easy place to build renewable energy and slow the climate crisis. … ” Read more from LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Indigenous youth complete first descent of undammed Klamath River, reaching the sea
“On July 11, several dozen indigenous youth from the Klamath Basin and beyond completed a historic 310-mile, month-long source-to-sea “first descent” of the recently undammed Klamath River. They began their journey in Oregon and ended at the mouth of the river on the Yurok Reservation. Rios to Rivers, a nonprofit conservation group, observed that “as the youths approached the sand spit adjacent to the Klamath’s mouth in their bright-colored kayaks, tribal elders, family members, friends and supporters waved and cheered them on.” The moment was a long time in the making. “I feel so proud to have completed this trip, and am feeling grateful for the support of my family and the fact that I got to honor my grandma’s legacy in her fight for dam removal,” said 18-year-old Ke-Get Omar Dean V, a member of the Yurok Tribe. “We got to complete this journey because of the people that came before us and ensured a free-flowing river.” … ” Read more from Chico News & Review.
Dam, a deal! Humboldt approves historic Potter Valley Project pact
“The various and competing interests surrounding the Potter Valley Project have now come together in an agreement that Humboldt County has signed onto. Many years in the making, the agreement unites water users in Mendocino and Sonoma counties with environmental groups, tribes and Humboldt County on a plan to manage Eel River water diversion and habitat restoration. Approved by Humboldt’s Board of Supervisors at its July 22 meeting, the agreement charts the removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, as well as the continuation of water diversion through a new facility built and operated by a new joint powers authority (JPA). PG&E now operates the Potter Valley Project (PVP) but is getting out of it and will submit a decommissioning plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by July 29. … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
Humboldt Supervisors to see full Eel River water diversion agreement
“A water diversion agreement for the Potter Valley hydroelectric project is set to see its approval by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, about a week before PG&E aims to submit its plan to decommission the Scott and Cape Horn dams. This full agreement contains more details on what future water diversions from the Eel River would look like. While the project itself hasn’t generated power for four years, the utility’s decommissioning of the seismically threatened facilities have sparked conflict around how a century of water diversions from the Eel River might remain in place. The basic outlines of this plan were approved by the Humboldt Supervisors in February. Tuesday’s discussion is for approval of a full agreement, before PG&E will submit its license surrender application and decommissioning plan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by July 29. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Area researchers raising funds for new drone to better study Lake Tahoe algae
“Sunny skies, clear water, the perfect day to relax out on Lake Tahoe… or do some research. Research associate Brandon Berry was among the crew from UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center who spent their Wednesday morning doing the latter. “We are looking for two types of algae, attached algae and unattached algae. So those are both gonna be growing in the nearshore of Lake Tahoe,” said Berry. Berry said the organisms are typically fine on their own, but the group was also keeping an eye out for the potential development of nuisance algae clumps, which can present a public safety risk. … ” Read more from KTNV.
Protecting our lifeline: Why the Clean Water Act is essential for the Yuba River
“The Yuba River is an iconic California landscape, providing vital clean water, supporting salmon populations, and offering unparalleled recreation opportunities. Its beauty and ecological importance underscore the need for strong protections that keep our water clean and safe. One of the most important tools for safeguarding rivers like the Yuba is Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act. This provision grants states (like California) and Tribes the authority to certify that federally permitted activities will not violate the state’s water quality standards. This includes hydropower operations, dam construction, pipeline crossings, and dredge-and-fill projects that discharge into waters of the U.S. like the Yuba River and its tributaries. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
2025 was a spread-out planting season for California rice
“The 2025 planting progress for rice in California was a bit unusual compared to other years. I am looking at the USDA figures and while they are not perfect, I think they give a pretty good general indication of planting. Some things to note for the graph shown in Figure 1. Due to a warm dry spring, 2025 started off fast with 20% of the acreage planted by April 27 and 35 % by May 4. These values are much higher than for an average year. There was a lull in planting in early to mid-May which is unusual. This was likely due to a lot of wind and the forecast of rain (although in most cases rainfall amounts were small). … ” Read more from UCANR.
American River debris removal nears fruition
“The removal of metal and concrete debris from the American River is closer to fruition after the Placer County Board of Supervisors authorized for the contract to be finalized Tuesday. The State Route 49 Bridge broke into three pieces and was washed away in December 1964, when the partially constructed Hell Hole Dam failed during an atmospheric river event. The debris was never removed, as construction of the Auburn Dam three miles downstream was authorized, and still lies in a stretch of the river within the Confluence of the Auburn Recreation Area 60 years later. … ” Read more from Gold Rush Media.
BAY AREA
Red Rock draws crowds to raw water
“The turnout at Red Rock Spring, just south of Stinson Beach, is packed with 40 or more cars on sunny summer afternoons. Though the trail to beach below, once proclaimed by the Light as the “friendliest nude beach on the North Coast,” begins here, the bigger attraction is the fresh water tumbling from copper pipes across the road. People gather to fill plastic barrels—some call it water harvesting—while children play in the reeds. Talismans and tiny statues line the area, and an imported Italian brick oven in the back of Matter Daddy Pizza’s food truck serves pies on weekends. Social media and a recent New York Times article have brought Red Rock Springs a surge of popularity. But the spring has long been a gathering point for “raw water” veterans, newly recruited believers and curious tourists, all interested in the health benefits of untreated water. … ” Read more from the Point Reyes Light.
CENTRAL COAST
When momentum meets politics: How Pajaro River levee funding is struggling for priority in Trump’s Washington
“Since the catastrophic breach of the Pajaro River levee in March 2023, the long-overdue project to replace it has been all momentum. Intergovernmental deals were inked, a rare combination of state and federal dollars flowed in, and design began for the 15 miles of new flood walls to protect the surrounding farmworker community and agricultural land. And later this summer, or early fall, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to break ground on its first of five phases, 70 years after the 1955 breach, when the community first discovered the existing levee wouldn’t fully protect them. However, the project’s construction is funded only through this initial phase, and future funding has recently met unexpected political hurdles in Washington, D.C. … ” Read more from Lookout Santa Cruz.
Marina voicing dispute over CalAm Water Desalination Plant
“The City of Marina is speaking out against plans for a new Cal-Am water desalination plant while calling for people to contact the CPUC ahead of their meeting discussing the project on Thursday, July 24th. The CPUC is voting on whether to approve new water demand estimates of 13,732 acre feet per year and a current water supply of 11,204 acre feet per year by 2050. Marina officials say that if those estimates are accepted, it could lead to the project going ahead with construction. The new plant is meant to ensure that Monterey Peninsula will have enough water resources for its future population expectations. The City of Marina says that it disputes these water demand estimates, saying that local agencies like the Marina Coast Water District and Monterey Peninsula Water Management District don’t expect water demand to increase past 11 thousand acre feet per year over the next 25 years. … ” Read more from KION.
Residential well owners can’t protest Paso groundwater rates. Is that legal?
“Property owners who pump water for their farms or businesses from the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Basin may soon need to pay for their groundwater. Right now, they have the opportunity to protest those fees. Residential well owners, however, won’t be charged those fees directly — which means they can’t protest them either, according to Ryan Aston, a consultant who developed the proposed rates. Templeton resident John Tucker said he thinks residential well owners have a legal right to protest the fees though. He launched a petition protesting the process on June 30 through his advocacy group, Paso Basin Stakeholders. As of Friday, about 500 people had signed the petition. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Foreseeing the floods: Is Lodi vulnerable to catastrophic flooding seen elsewhere this summer?
“City of Lodi staff said there is a chance that the flooding seen in other parts of the country this summer could happen here. Deputy Public Works Director Sean Nathan said the likelihood of storms along rivers are studied by the Army Corps of Engineers, which develops flood maps for each region of the country. He said flood maps for much of the Lodi area indicate there is a 1% chance of flooding each year. However, he said studies have shown that there is a .2% chance Turner Road, which runs south of Lodi Lake, could flood each year. Lodi could flood during larger storm events, but Nathan said that depends on what one’s definition of “larger” is. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel.
Port of Stockton nixes planned hydrogen plant to settle environmental lawsuit
“Stockton’s port commissioners have rescinded their approval of a project to create hydrogen from methane, settling a lawsuit brought by two environmental groups that alleged the process would have created air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. The settlement also says that if BayoTech, the New Mexico-based company that developed the proposal, still wants to go forward with its Hydrogen Production and Dispensing Project, it will need to prepare an environmental impact report and follow requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. The lawsuit was brought against the port by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm, on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
Can Modesto provide water to big Salida growth area? Studies to assess supply
“Stanislaus County has asked Modesto to evaluate its ability to provide water service for the Salida Community Plan expansion. The county will cover the costs for the city to oversee a consultant to assess the water supply and whether the city system can serve the 3,400-acre Salida development area. County supervisors and Modesto City Council members approved the related consent items on Tuesday. Modesto will contract with West Yost Associates of Davis to perform the water service evaluations. The county is working on an extensive environmental review of the Salida plan, which includes 2,000 acres of industrial and business park development, a possible 5,000 dwellings and parkland. In addition to environmental impacts, the review is considering transportation issues, infrastructure needs, a fee assessment and feasibility study on Salida incorporation as a city. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Rare purple sea creature found on SoCal beach. Could warming waters be why?
“Oceanographer Anya Stajner was recently enjoying a sunset walk along the La Jolla Shores beach when a vibrant violet pop of color caught her eye in the sand. She got down on her hands and knees and was astonished to realize she had stumbled upon a rare species of sea snail, Janthina janthina. These creatures, more commonly known as violet snails, are distinguished by their striking purple shell and the delicate bubble raft they secrete to stay afloat in the open ocean. They are not known for their presence on Southern California beaches. “When I saw it on the beach, I instantly knew what it was, but I was in complete shock,” said Stajner, a fifth-year doctoral student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. “I would never expect to see one washed up in San Diego. The odds of that are so slim.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Bean clam: Meet the small but mighty mollusca found on California beaches, from the San Jose Mercury News
Mojave Water Agency to host groundbreaking ceremony for infrastructure project in Phelan
“The Mojave Water Agency will host a public groundbreaking ceremony as they begin construction on the Mojave River Pipeline Traveling Screen Project. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will feature remarks by agency leaders, recognition of project partners and a “shovel ceremony.” The vital infrastructure upgrade is designed to restore and enhance the Mojave River Pipeline by installing a new traveling screen facility that will significantly reduce moss and debris entering the pipeline, the Apple Valley-based water agency stated. … ” Read more from the Victorville Daily Press.
SAN DIEGO
Mission Bay camping is here to stay for another decade — or until San Diego’s revamp plans get a key OK
“Nearly 1,000 waterfront campsites in Mission Bay’s northeast corner will remain in place for another decade — unless city officials secure funding to transform the area into marshland sooner than expected. The San Diego City Council approved 10-year lease extensions this week with Campland on the Bay and the Mission Bay RV Resort, which combined operate a total of 970 campsites that are popular with both tourists and locals. Supporters of the new leases said they ensure many more years of waterfront camping for people of all incomes, since nightly fees to use the two parks are far cheaper than local hotels or other accommodations. The lease extensions come just over a year after the council approved plans to transform much of northeastern Mission Bay into climate-friendly marshland — including the current 50-acre Campland site. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Reps. Vargas, Peters request $45 million in funding to help battle sewage crisis
“California Congressmen Juan Vargas (D-CA-52) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA-50) have announced they’re requesting $45 million to help combat cross-border pollution. According to a press release from Rep. Vargas, he and Rep. Peters added $45 million to the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) in the 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The bill has passed the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
‘We stand on the brink of system failure’: Feds up pressure for states to reach deal on the future of the Colorado River
“The clock is ticking for seven states to figure out how they’ll share dwindling water in the Colorado River for the foreseeable future. The Salt Lake Tribune shares an update on the impending deal on what will happen with the Colorado River. In a meeting at the Utah State Capitol on June 26, the river’s four Upper Basin state commissioners further embraced the idea of a “divorce” with their Lower Basin neighbors — an idea also floated at a meeting in eastern Utah last week, as reported by Fox 13. “Today we stand on the brink of system failure,” said Becky Mitchell, the commissioner for Colorado. “We also stand on the precipice of a major decision point.” Despite a few wet winters, storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead — the nation’s largest reservoirs — are teetering close to the dangerously low levels they hit in 2023. … ” Read more from KEYT.
Lake Mead water projections raise red flags
“Water in Lake Mead is on course to fall to the lowest level in recorded history by 2027, according to a recent forecast by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Water levels in the reservoir have steadily dropped over the years as the Colorado River – the lake’s biggest source of water – has been choked by rising temperatures, prolonged drought and growing demand. If reservoir storage continues on its current trajectory, Lake Mead’s water elevation is likely to drop to about 1,038 feet by the end of June 2027 – two feet lower than when it fell to a record low in July 2022, according to a two year forecast released by the federal agency last week. That projection is based on the most probable scenario, but federal water managers also considered what the lake could look like if the next two years are drier than usual. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
SEE ALSO: Lake Mead faces worrying water levels for 2026, 2027, from Newsweek
Look out, Lake Powell: Experts say the lake could drop below critical levels as soon as 2026
“The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is warning that Lake Powell could fall below critical levels by late 2026, threatening the dam’s ability to generate power. Lake Powell is expected to reach minimum power pool—the lowest elevation where water can still pass through the dam’s power turbines—by December 2026. If it drops below that, water would be forced through lower-elevation bypass tubes that were never designed for constant use. Those tubes, which sit beneath the power intakes, were used briefly last year. The result: water flow damaged the pipes. If levels fall even further, the Colorado River could stop flowing through the Grand Canyon altogether. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
If Yuma loses water, America could be left with empty plates
Tom Davis, general manager of the Yuma County Water Users’ Association, and Dan Keppen, executive director of the Family Farm Alliance, writes, “In Arizona’s desert Southwest, water is life. It grows the food that fills grocery stores across the nation — even in the middle of winter. But today, Arizona farms face unprecedented challenges, and our food security hangs in the balance. Yuma County, Arizona, is known as the “Winter Lettuce Capital of the World.” From November through March, this corner of the Sonoran Desert produces roughly 90% of the leafy greens consumed in the United States. Romaine, spinach, kale and spring mix grown in Yuma fill salad bowls from Boston to Seattle when fields in other parts of the country lie dormant. Yet this vital food system is under strain. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
How much water do data centers use and are we prepared?
“A report released Tuesday by Western Resource Advocates warns of the need to be prepared for the amount of energy and water that data centers demand, especially in the dry interior West. “The expansion of AI and other technologies has created a rush to build data centers so that we now need to rapidly expand our energy grid on a massive scale. We are on the cusp of monumental change, and we can’t afford to get this wrong,” said Deborah Kapiloff, policy adviser at the advocacy group. “Without proactive regulation, there is a significant risk residential customers will be on the hook for higher energy bills, and the progress we’ve made towards reducing pollution from burning fossil fuels could be lost.” … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Phoenix and other major cities are sinking, study finds, over a million residents affected
“Millimeter by millimeter, Phoenix is sinking lower. It joins nearly every other major city in the nation in experiencing a phenomenon called land subsidence, where the earth’s surface moves downward, according to a study published in the online journal Nature Cities. The drop, though gradual, could lead to widespread infrastructure damage and flooding, the study warns. The signs of land subsidence are familiar: uneven sidewalks, damage to a building’s foundation, cracked pavement, floors slanting, and doors and windows that don’t close as easily as they once did. Leonard Ohenhen, a researcher with the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University’s Climate School, led the study. He says it found that 1.4 million people in Phoenix are already impacted, with 113,000 buildings labeled medium to high risk and another 172 buildings seen as high risk. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
Buckeye, Queen Creek spend millions to import groundwater for development
“Arizona’s Department of Water Resources has signed off on a first-of-its-kind agreement allowing two fast-growing cities to spend millions to transport water from a rural groundwater basin to support existing developments and future growth. As the Business Journal first reported, the deal has been in the works since 2022. Under the agreement approved last week, Buckeye and Queen Creek can withdraw 5,926 acre-feet and 5,000 acre-feet per year, respectively, for the next 110 years from the Harquahala Groundwater Basin and transport it back to their communities. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
On the Navajo Nation, the list of mystery wells continues to grow
” … On the treeless horizon to the west stands the iconic stone peak Shiprock, and ahead is a water well that played a pivotal role in her life. Not so many years ago, before poor health kept her husband at home, Johnson and he would come to this well to fill a pair of 55-gallon barrels with water they would haul to their cattle in Red Valley, 30 miles away. It’s not the only well like this. Dozens of old, unplugged wells speckle the rangeland in this corner of the Navajo Nation. And it’s not always clear what their original purpose was. Today, some are just rusty pipes in the ground. But some smell like gasoline. Some occasionally burp oil. And several produce copious amounts of water in a parched region. Oil and gas drilling here goes back more than a century, and the further back you go, the fewer records exist of what was drilled where or for what purpose. An unknown number of today’s flowing water wells come from that industrial legacy. “If somebody’s drilling for oil, they’re going to hit water bodies along the way,” said Steve Austin, a senior hydrologist with the Water Quality Program in the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency’s Shiprock office. And that can lead to contaminated water wells. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In national water news today …
Why 2025 became the summer of flash flooding in America
“The National Weather Service has already issued more than 3,600 flash flood warnings across the United States in 2025, and that number is increasing as torrential downpours continue in late July. There’s a good chance the U.S. will exceed its yearly average of around 4,000 flash flood warnings soon. For communities in Texas, New Mexico, West Virginia and New Jersey, the floods have been deadly. And many more states have seen flash flood damage in recent weeks, including New York, Oklahoma, Kansas, Vermont and Iowa. What’s causing so much extreme rain and flooding? … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Trump effort to ditch greenhouse gas finding ignores ‘clearcut’ science, expert says
“One of the architects of a landmark 16-year-old finding on pollution’s impact on health that the Trump administration now wants to eliminate says that doing so would ignore “clear cut” science that has only become clearer today because of extreme weather. The Trump administration plans would sweep away the US government’s legal authority to limit greenhouse gases in order to address the climate crisis. A proposed rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would rescind the so-called “endangerment finding”, the federal government’s 2009 conclusion that carbon dioxide, along with five other greenhouse gases, harm the health of Americans. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Top U.N. Court says countries must act on climate change
“The International Court of Justice issued a strongly worded opinion on Wednesday saying that states must protect people from the “urgent and existential threat” of climate change, a major moment for the global environmental movement and for the countries at greatest risk of harm. It was the first time that the court, which is the United Nations’ highest judicial body, has weighed in on climate change. The unanimous opinion said that the failure of nations to take action to protect the climate system may constitute “an internationally wrongful act.” It also found that protection of the environment is “a precondition” for ensuring human rights and cited government support of fossil-fuel production as a potential violation of these principles. “The environment is the foundation for human life, upon which the health and well-being of both present and future generations depend,” Judge Iwasawa Yuji, president of the court, said. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Does the World Court’s Sweeping Climate Opinion Matter? Five Takeaways, from the New York Times
