A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
State Water Board releases proposed updates to Sacramento/Delta portions of Bay-Delta Plan
Paul Hames / California Department of Water Resources
“Continuing the state’s work to protect the ecosystem of the Sacramento River and Delta watershed while balancing the need to protect water supply, the State Water Resources Control Board today announced important proposed updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Bay-Delta Plan). The announcement begins a public review and comment period on the proposal that would update measures in the Bay-Delta Plan to protect the Sacramento River, the Delta and associated tributaries (Sacramento/Delta). The State Water Board’s proposed updates include two distinct pathways for water users and agencies to comply with water quality requirements: one that incorporates voluntary agreements (VAs) proposed by some state and federal agencies and other water users, known as the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, and a regulatory pathway for those who are not parties to approved VAs. Both pathways will create legally enforceable requirements. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
Key player in California’s water wars embraces controversial pact
“After decades of deterioration and ecological collapse in the heart of California’s water system, state regulators today embraced the Newsom administration’s controversial plan to overhaul how farms and cities take water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and rivers that feed it. It’s a major development in a long-running battle over how much water must flow through the Delta for the survival of iconic Chinook salmon, sturgeon and other species — and how much can be tapped for tens of millions of Californians and vast tracts of Central Valley farmland. On one side are conservationists, the fishing industry, Delta communities and Native tribes: They want stringent rules requiring cities and farms to take less water from the imperiled watershed. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Newsom’s plan to give water agencies more leeway in meeting rules moves forward
“California regulators are supporting a controversial plan backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — and opposed by environmental groups — that would give water agencies more leeway in how they comply with water quality rules. The Newsom-backed approach is included as part of a proposed water plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, released by the State Water Resources Control Board on Thursday. The plan would give water agencies two potential pathways to comply with water quality goals — either a traditional regulatory approach based on limiting water withdrawals to maintain certain river flow levels, or an alternative approach supported by the governor in which water agencies, under negotiated agreements, would make certain water flow commitments while contributing funding for wetland habitat restoration projects and other measures. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
REACTIONS: State agencies, Voluntary agreement participants, Salmon groups, and other stakeholders react to Bay Delta Plan update
Here’s what State agencies, Voluntary agreement participants, Salmon groups, and other stakeholders had to say. Read this post at Maven’s Notebook.
California’s Salmon Strategy: Progress, partnerships, and the path forward
“Historically, millions of salmon returned to California’s rivers each year. Today, those numbers have plummeted to a fraction of their former levels, with hatcheries now playing a vital role in sustaining the remaining populations. A decade of severe drought, punctuated by sporadic rain and snow events, has further worsened the challenges facing salmon. The California Salmon Strategy, introduced in January 2024, is a state-led initiative aimed at combating the alarming decline in salmon populations, which has been driven by factors such as drought and climate change. The strategy outlines key priorities and actions to support the restoration of these iconic fish. At the June meeting of the California Water Commission, Sheena Holley, Salmon Strategy Implementation Coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife; Marc Commandatore, Statewide Restoration Initiatives Branch Manager at the Department of Water Resources; and Erik Ekdahl, Chief Deputy Director at the Water Board, provided Commissioners with an update on the progress of the salmon strategy’s implementation. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Watershed restoration in the Sierra aims to protect California’s water supply
Kelly M. Grow / DWR
“California legislative staffers and environmental advocates took flight Tuesday to get a rare aerial view of watershed restoration in the Sierra Nevada, a project they say is critical to protecting the state’s water supply. Much of California’s drinking water begins in places like the Yuba River Watershed, where decades of fire damage and climate change have left ecosystems fragile. From above, the contrast between green recovery zones and fire-scarred forest land was stark. “Eighty percent of Californians drink Yuba water every day,” said Aaron Zettler-Mann, Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). “What happens in these forests affects every tap downstream.” … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
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.
Podcast: A chat with Jennifer Pierre of the State Water Contractors
“We won’t use that old Mark Twain quote (that he probably never wrote anyway) but fighting over water has been California’s favorite pastime for at least 175 years. If you think norcal/socal baseball rivalries are bitter – try the socal vs. Delta water wars. One of the people tasked with managing that aqua drama is Jennifer Pierre, General Manager for the State Water Contractors – a statewide, non-profit association of the public water agencies that contract with the Department of Water Resources to receive water from the State Water Project. The SWP provides water for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. A UC Davis alumna with a bachelor’s in environmental biology and conservation, Pierre has 20 years of experience in Delta management and uses that experience to help improve water supply and operations for the SWC. She joined us to talk about challenges of climate change, issues from overpumping groundwater, and if DC and and California can make nice on Water Policy. ” Listen at Capitol Weekly.
Sites Reservoir advances toward construction with key permitting and contracting milestones
“Today, the Sites Project Authority (Authority) announced two major advancements that move the Sites Reservoir Project (Project) closer to construction. Significant contractor outreach progress and two key environmental permitting milestones indicate that the Authority’s goal of breaking ground on Sites Reservoir by the end of 2026 is within reach. … Additionally, on Wednesday, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued the biological opinion for the construction of the Project, a key permit that analyzes potential impacts of the Project on federally listed endangered and threatened species. The biological opinion also addresses the Project’s construction effects on three species listed as candidates, should they become listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act. In addition, on July 7, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) issued the Master Streambed Alteration Agreement for the construction of the Project. This is a key permit required to modify local waterways in the construction site during Project construction. … ” Read more from the Sites Project Authority.
DWR releases draft best management practices on managing land subsidence in California
“For almost a century, parts of California have been gradually sinking, impacting critical infrastructure and the communities who rely on it. Recognizing this challenge, the Department of Water Resources has released a draft Best Management Practices document for public comment that will help local water agencies address this growing concern and support groundwater reliant communities. Known as subsidence, this reaction is caused by various factors including excessive groundwater pumping, which causes the empty spaces between soil particles to collapse and compact the earth. Subsidence poses significant challenges to not only our communities but our state as whole. It damages homes, roads, bridges, levees, wells, and irrigation canals, disrupting water delivery and costing billions in repairs. It is critical that regions experiencing subsidence take action to slow or stop the sinking or be left with the risk of further permanent damage. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources.
Boswell silent and “blank” as the farming behemoth continues with plans to sink the Tulare Lake bed another 10 feet
“While some groundwater managers in the beleaguered Tulare Lake subbasin look for ways to come together on pumping limits in order to comply with state mandates, the giant J.G. Boswell Farming Company has remained silent and intractable. The company, which controls the El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), still plans to allow so much groundwater pumping within its boundaries that it could sink the old Tulare Lake bed – including the small town of Corcoran – by another 10 feet. That’s only a foot less than it planned back in 2021 when the subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, submitted its first management plan required under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). While El Rico wants 10 more feet of subsidence, other GSAs in the subbasin have agreed to allow less than six extra feet of subsidence, according to multiple presentations by Amer Hussain, the subbasin plan manager and an engineer with Geosyntec. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
NOW AVAILABLE: New educational resources for the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program
“The California Department of Conservation’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program is an initiative aimed at addressing groundwater sustainability and supporting communities affected by reduced agricultural water use. The program provides funding to repurpose agricultural lands into uses that deliver multiple benefits, such as habitat restoration, groundwater recharge, and open space creation. The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) Statewide Support Entity has developed two new educational tools designed to support greater understanding and engagement with MLRP … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
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.
One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources isn’t straws or grocery bags – it’s your tires
“Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particles from the tires’ synthetic rubber carry several chemicals that can transfer into fish, crabs and perhaps even the people who eat them. We are analytical and environmental chemists who are studying ways to remove those microplastics – and the toxic chemicals they carry – before they reach waterways and the aquatic organisms that live there. Millions of metric tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans every year. In recent times, tire wear particles have been found to account for about 45% of all microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
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.
Coast Guard launches final cleanup operation in Delta’s ‘graveyard of ships’
“Nearly four years after a Cold War-era warship slipped beneath the surface of Little Potato Slough, federal crews are cutting it apart piece by piece, a complex demolition effort aimed at removing the last in a trio of sunken vessels contaminating one of California’s most fragile waterways. Divers worked below the surface this week, carving into the corroded hull of the HMCS Chaleur, a 152-foot decommissioned former WWII Canadian Navy patrol vessel and a later minesweeper following the war that has been partially submerged in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton since 2021. From shore, the vessel looked skeletal, its midsection collapsed, aluminum frame warped, and bow just cresting the tide. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
An ancient law could shape the modern future of America’s beaches. Here’s how.
“If you go to a beach this summer, you might end up sunbathing in disputed territory. That’s partly because of climate change and partly because of a legal principle from the Roman Empire. Most beaches have a natural defense against rising seas: The sandy area simply moves landward. But when property owners install sea walls or other barriers to protect beachfront homes and other buildings, the beach has nowhere to go. So it vanishes underwater. Geologists call it coastal squeeze. It’s not a new problem, but it’s been accelerating recently as climate change causes sea levels to rise. And that’s prompting urgent questions about how coastal landscapes should be managed. Richard K. Norton, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Law, described the situation with a question: “Are you going to save the beach house, or do you want to save the beach?” he said at a recent conference in New York City organized by Columbia University. “Because you cannot save them both.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Dangerous dams: Where are the six most at risk of failing in the U.S.?
“The number of dams in the United States at risk of overtopping is increasing, “threatening their structural integrity and downstream communities,” according to a new study from Florida. About 250,000 people in three states live downstream of those dams, the researchers found. Published July 21, the study analyzed five decades of water-level data across 33 strategically selected dam sites to quantify how overtopping probability has evolved since 1973. “We identified six dams having the greatest overtopping probability, with several being located near large population centers, posing potential risks to the downstream communities,” warned the study, published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Communications. “All six dams are classified as large and high-hazard potential.” The six dams with the highest probability of overtopping and the closest downstream cities were in Texas, Kansas and California …Whiskeytown Dam: Anderson, California (pop. 11,390) … ” Read the full story at USA Today.
In commentary this week …
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.
The flash-flood era is here, and we’re not ready
Columnist Mark Gongloff writes, “New York City’s subway system is mainly known for moving millions of riders every day and scaring the U.S. transportation secretary. But every so often it also becomes the world’s least-popular water park. Instagram was rife last week with unnerving videos of subway riders watching high waters churn outside their train cars after a brief but biblical downpour dumped more than 2 inches of rain in less than an hour on Monday, overwhelming the city’s drains and turning subway stations into raging rivers. What might have been a mundane summer rainstorm at one time led to flooding that killed at least two people, destroyed property and snarled travel across three states. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Legislators must protect communities and groundwater from pollution from advanced manufacturing facilities
Deja McCauley, Land Use and Health Program Manager, Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles, writes, “California legislators voted on June 30 to adopt two budget trailer bills, AB 130 and SB 131, that rolled back key protections in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). While purported as pro-housing measures, SB 131 does something far more dangerous: it removes environmental review requirements for a loosely defined category of industrial projects labeled “advanced manufacturing.” Environmental justice, health, and clean water advocacy groups are deeply concerned about the unintended consequences of SB 131, which could unleash a wave of pollution and groundwater threats across California, especially in low-income communities and communities of color already burdened by toxic exposures and unsafe drinking water. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
Time for action. Proper forest management is a matter of survival
Nathan Magsig, representing District 5 on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, writes, “If you’re from California, you’ve likely seen it with your own eyes — our once-thriving forests are turning into graveyards of dead trees, and the threat of wildfire looms larger every year. Since 2010, over 27 million trees have died in Fresno County alone. That number should shock every Californian. The combined effects of drought, beetle infestations, and bureaucratic gridlock have left our forests vulnerable and our communities exposed. The tragic 2020 Creek Fire, which devastated entire neighborhoods and ecosystems, is just one of many examples of what happens when we fail to act. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
Our legislators have a chance to help Central Valley farmers
Michael Ming, owner and operator of Alliance Ag Services, writes, “Agriculture in California is at an inflection point. With the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, up to a million acres of farmland in our state will go unused because of groundwater use restrictions. This is not just a water issue. It’s an economic emergency for California’s rural communities, especially in Kern County. Farming has been a way of life for generations, but many agricultural families now face the grim reality that some of our most productive farmland will sit idle for lack of water. We need a lifeline. And Assembly Bill 1156, which is currently being considered at the state Capitol, is just that. AB 1156 offers a commonsense solution: allow farmers to temporarily lease their otherwise unusable land for clean energy development, like solar projects, that will deliver reliable revenue to farmers, new jobs for local residents, and affordable energy for millions of Californians. “If there’s opportunity to generate revenue with solar, that seems like the next best thing to farming,” says my friend Mike Frey, a farmer in Kern County. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian.
Toxic algae bloom forecasts are a study in negligence
“Back in 2003, when researchers began predicting with excellent accuracy how much of western Lake Erie would be coated with the green slime of a toxic algae bloom, there were important points to be made. … The annual forecasts, largely funded with $20 million annually from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provided water quality regulators and public health authorities in the U.S. and Canada real-time assessments on where the poisonous algae, which is capable of killing dogs and sickening people, could wash up on public beaches. Forecasters got so good at predicting the expanse of the Lake Erie bloom that they decided earlier this decade to make a show of it and livestream the annual forecast, which is now held on South Bass Island, offshore of Toledo. Yes, the forecasting is an impressive display of computer modeling and scientific acumen. But here’s the rub for Lake Erie and for iconic water bodies around the country – Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Okeechobee, Saginaw Bay, and eight others – where NOAA and its state and university contractors are conducting similar annual measurements of harmful algal blooms: The forecasts have become irrefutable evidence of immense ecological negligence…. ” Read the full commentary at Circle of Blue.
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.
A muffled American environmentalism: So much weakening. So little concern.
Circle of Blue’s senior editor and chief correspondent Keith Schneider writes, “Let’s all stand up and cheer our fellow Americans in the West for raising their voices and shutting down a Republican plan last month to sell millions of acres of the public domain. Even considering Earth Day demonstrations in April, it’s the first time any of the Trump administration’s irrational and dangerous initiatives to impede, weaken, and obliterate the nation’s protections for land, water, and air generated more than a peep of resistance. Where has all the outrage gone? How many of America’s seminal statutes to safeguard the environment will be bludgeoned by the Trump administration and his allies in Congress before Americans resist? For the time being, opposition to the administration’s diabolical work to increase pollution and develop wildlands is barely recognizable, hardly a blip on the radar screen of policy outrages fostered by the president. Almost every one of the country’s foundational environmental laws, enacted since 1970, is under attack … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
In regional water news this week …
Indigenous voices: Tribal kayakers describe why Klamath voyage was ‘not just a river trip
“Over a hundred family and community members gathered on the sand spit shore below Requa Village on the Yurok Reservation, where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean, to welcome 120 Indigenous youth kayakers over that last 30 days, making history as the first people to descend over 310 miles down the free-flowing Klamath River since dam removal. “This is a historical moment for us,” said Susan Masten, former Yurok Tribal Chair, past president of the National Congress of American Indians, and the president and co-founder of Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations. “We haven’t had the opportunity yet to celebrate the dams coming down as a people.” “This moment in time, with these youth that have traveled 30 days, the river has guided them down to us,” said Masten. … ” Read more from Oregon Live.
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.
Adult winter-run Chinook salmon seen in McCloud River for first time in almost 100 years
“For the first time in nearly 100 years, adult winter-run Chinook salmon have been confirmed in the McCloud River, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). On July 15, a female salmon was observed guarding her nest near Ash Camp, with several males nearby competing to spawn. The agency reported that the return of the salmon marks a significant milestone in a multi-agency effort to restore the endangered species to their native habitat above Shasta Dam. The observed salmon most likely came from a project started in 2022, CDFW officials said, with help from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Water again flowing though Spaulding 1 Powerhouse after testing, repairs
“PG&E’s Spaulding 1 powerhouse in Nevada County is back in service and is providing flows to canals leading to key reservoirs. After repairs were completed earlier this month, PG&E tested water flows through the powerhouse to ensure all equipment was operating properly. The powerhouse was returned to service on July 24. With water passing through the powerhouse, discharges into the Drum Canal are now feeding into Rollins Reservoir, with a diversion providing water to the South Yuba Canal which feeds Scotts Flat Reservoir. Both reservoirs belong to the Nevada Irrigation District, with the Placer County Water Agency also drawing from Rollins. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Microplastic Mayhem: How three researchers are analyzing particles in Lake Tahoe
“It’s a sunny day in the middle of Lake Tahoe when Katie Senft, Carina Seitz and Consuelo Del Rio are aboard the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s research vessel. The research team is testing the quality of water in Lake Tahoe by looking at microplastics, light and other biological parameters. Katie Senft, research faculty for the biology department and boat captain, drives Carina Seitz, a research assistant professor in the biology department at the University and the Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability, and Consuelo Del Rio, a biology student, a few miles out from the boat dock at Sand Harbor beach in Incline Village, Nevada. Repetition is key in this boat laboratory. The research team begins the day by running water from different lake depths (surface level, five and 15 meters deep) through a submersible pump, which is lowered to the specific meter level. The water is run through four sieves and into a five-gallon bucket. This filters out all microplastics, big and small. Then, the sieves are rinsed into a small mason jar, capturing enough water (and microplastics) to take back to the lab for testing. … ” Read more from Nevada Today.
Board approves plan to raze 600 trees on American River Parkway in Sacramento
“They combed through more than 8,000 pages of reports. They consulted lawyers and engineers and arborists. They organized civic actions drawing hundreds, all protesting a plan to raze about 600 trees north of the Watt Avenue bridge. These demonstrations by environmental advocacy nonprofits attempted to persuade the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to either pause or vote against destroying trees and disrupting wildlife on the American River Parkway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which proposed the plan, said the area needs rocks to fortify banks and prevent erosion. Board members voted Friday unanimously to approve a final Corps report, clearing the last hurdle for construction to begin. … Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Water district says Kern agency can’t kill agreement to supply homes 200 miles away
“A water district 200 miles north of Kern County is fighting back against a local agency’s threat to terminate an agreement that has supplied a 600-home development for the past 24 years. Residents of the development, called Diablo Grande just west of Patterson, approved a 200% increase to their water rates, agreeing to pay $600 a month, in order to make payments on what the Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) has said is a $13 million debt. But that only bought them six months of supplies as KCWA vowed to end its agreement with Western Hills Water District, which exclusively serves Diablo Grande, on Dec. 31. An attorney for Western Hills, however, said killing the deal “…is improper and not authorized under the Agreement,” according to a July 14 letter to KCWA. The agreement allows KCWA to suspend water deliveries for lack of payment, but doesn’t allow for termination, the letter from Attorney Colin Pearce states. KCWA declined to comment, according to a spokesperson. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Bill may extend lifeline to Tulare County farmers left behind after groundwater agency implosion
“Farmers in the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) can see a light at the end of the tunnel as county administrators begin to execute a rescue plan to help them comply with the state’s groundwater law. Assembly Bill 568 made it through the state Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee July 16. If approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the legislation will create the new Tule East GSA, a joint powers authority between Tulare County, Hope and Ducor Water Districts. The Tulare County Board of Supervisors will vote on the joint powers authority agreement today, July 22. The new entity will encompass about half the acreage of Eastern Tule, almost all groundwater-dependent lands that were left behind when irrigation districts abandoned the GSA in the wake of the state Water Resources Control Board’s decision to place the Tule subbasin on probation in September. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
‘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.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOW AVAILABLE: Final Independent Peer Review Report for the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Science Plan
NOW AVAILABLE: Draft 2025 AWMP Guidebook Release and Public Comment Period Open
CDFW to Host Public Scoping Meetings on Development of Beaver Management and Restoration Plan
