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.
In California water news today …
‘It needs more water’: Calls grow for boosting Mono Lake by easing L.A.’s water reliance
“The picturesque tufa towers on the shores of Mono Lake, formed over centuries by underwater springs and left high and dry as Los Angeles diverted water from nearby creeks, have long been a symbol of the saline lake. Visitors who stroll beside the lapping water take photos of the craggy calcium carbonate formations as flocks of migratory birds soar overhead. But residents, local officials and environmentalists say the lake’s level should be much higher than it is today, and that the fully exposed tufa spires show L.A. remains far from meeting its obligation to restore the lake’s health. That commitment was made in a landmark 1994 decision, when state water regulators required the L.A. Department of Water and Power to limit water diversions and take steps to raise the lake level 17 feet. Mono Lake is now 8 feet higher than it was then, but is still about 9 feet below the required level set 31 years ago. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley urges federal action on water infrastructure
“The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley today announced it has sent formal letters to both the San Joaquin Valley Congressional Delegation and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, urging significant federal investment in California’s water infrastructure. These letters underscore the urgent need to advance immediate and longer-term solutions to the Valley’s growing water supply crisis and advocate for strategic investments that will protect agriculture, rural communities, and the environment. The Blueprint’s outreach follows the recent passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which includes $1 billion in federal funding for specific types of water infrastructure investments —a critical first step toward addressing an estimated $12 billion funding need for projects of these types necessary to modernize California’s water system. … ” Read more from Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley.
Unsafe to drink: Tackling groundwater nitrate contamination and rebuilding trust
“Groundwater nitrate contamination poses serious threats to the health of communities that rely on groundwater for their drinking water supply. Elevated nitrate in drinking water has long been identified as causing methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in infants, and the EPA drinking water standard for nitrate has accordingly been set to 10 ppm (epa.gov). However, more recent medical studies have demonstrated relationships between drinking water nitrate and a number of other health issues, including colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube defects (Ward et al. 2018, Tariqi & Naughton 2021). Many of these studies found that the risk of these outcomes increased with ingestion of drinking water with nitrate concentrations that were below regulatory limits (i.e., lower than 10 ppm) (Ward et al. 2018). Groundwater extracted from public supply wells is typically treated at a water treatment plant to remove contaminants like nitrate before delivery to households. However, many community water systems that rely in part or fully on domestic groundwater wells deliver drinking water that is untreated or only partially treated to remove contaminants. … ” Read more from UCANR.
From sewage to clean water: What three global cities teach us about climate ingenuity
“August is National Water Quality Month, established to emphasize the importance of water for humanity, ecology, and economy. It is a great time to appreciate and take stock of our clean water resources. With climate change and human overuse triggering more frequent droughts, water is becoming an even more precious commodity, and researchers are being forced to find solutions in unusual places. So, could the answer to our water needs be running through our sewers? … Several countries already use wastewater. Facilities like the Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant in Namibia and Changi Water Reclamation Plant in Singapore have been hugely successful in using advanced water treatment technologies to transform wastewater into high-quality, safe water. The US could benefit from following their example. Southwestern cities across California, Arizona, and Nevada, are already viewing wastewater reclamation as a solution to their water needs. Expanding wastewater reclamation efforts to wider areas could be massively beneficial for climate resilience. … ” Read more from Earth Day.
Floating offshore the next frontier for data centres
“As the demand for data centres grows, sufficient land to site them and electricity to power them is becoming a growing issue and encouraging developers, following in the steps of renewables developers, to look to site facilities offshore. The concept isn’t new. For example, since 2021, Nautilus Data Technologies has been operating its Stockton 1 data centre on a repurposed 90m freight barge on the San Joaquin river in California – the concept developed to take advantage of the river for water cooling. But interest is growing. Earlier in the year, a Japanese consortium led by the NYK shipping line announced plans to demonstrate a floating data centre at the Osanbashi pier in Yokohama as a step towards a full-scale facility offshore powered by offshore wind. … ” Read more from Power Engineering International.
Will California see warm, dry weather or rain in fall 2025? What experts predict
“The start of fall is slowly approaching — but don’t pull out your sweaters quite yet. While California hasn’t seen the kind of extreme summer heat originally predicted by forecasters, weather experts say the Golden State could still be in for warmer-than-usual temperatures this fall. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, known for its long-range forecasts, released its 2025 fall outlook on July 11 — and it’s calling for a warm, dry season across much of the United States, including California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center’s latest three-month outlook also shows above-normal temperatures for the fall months, from September through November. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Schiff to USDA: Don’t sideline California agriculture
“Just out from the office of U.S. Senator Adam Schiff at the end of last week—some strong words for the USDA about a move that’s not sitting well with folks in California ag. In a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, Schiff questioned why the USDA’s new plan to relocate staff around the country doesn’t include a single hub in California. He pointed out that the nearest new office is in Salt Lake City—over 500 miles from the Central Valley—and asked why the top ag-producing state in the nation was left out. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
New lightning sensors could detect Tahoe wildfires in seconds. Here’s how they work
“When thunderstorms rolled across the Sierra Nevada in late July, officials warned that lightning could ignite wildfires in forested areas loaded with dry vegetation. Thousands of lightning bolts struck the Sierra Nevada and sparked dozens of small fires, but officials generally can’t determine which strikes ignite wildfires unless people or webcams report smoke. A new network of sensors installed across the Tahoe basin could change that, letting firefighters deploy more rapidly. The network could allow firefighters to catch blazes before they burn out of control. Many of California’s largest wildfires were caused by lightning, most notably in 2020 from a massive thunderstorm outbreak. Eight sensors were installed across the Tahoe basin, including at ski resorts, fire departments and the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, which spearheaded the project. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Scientists pinpoint cause of massive sea star die-offs, and suspect a link to global warming
“After years of scientific sleuthing, a team of West Coast researchers reported that they have identified a particular strain of ocean bacteria that has killed more than 6 billion sea stars since 2013. In a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, they said the die-off was caused by a type of Vibrio bacteria that was previously only known as a pathogen in some shellfish larvae. Vibrio bacteria are more frequently causing problems in a warming world. The bacteria sometimes cause dangerous infections and intestinal illnesses in humans, including cholera. The breakthrough finding will help scientists determine possible conservation or adaptation measures in response to the intensifying consequences of the sea star die-off. Sunflower sea stars, which can grow up to 3 feet across and sprout 24 arms, are critical to West Coast kelp ecosystems, where they devour certain types of sea urchins that can eat through the forests of seaweed if the sea stars don’t check their populations. … ” Continue reading from Inside Climate News.
In regional water news and commentary today …
Lake Tahoe: Local groups win key victory in battle against developer’s lakefront plans: ‘Meaningful conversations’
“Bizjournals reported that two environmental groups have managed to stop a developer from expanding a recreation area north of Lake Tahoe. The Village at Palisades project has been scaled back due to a settlement with Palisades Tahoe, Sierra Watch, and Keep Tahoe Blue. It also means that Shirley Canyon will maintain some protection, and existing heavy traffic won’t increase. Jesse Patterson, chief strategy officer for Keep Tahoe Blue, told Bizjournals, “It demonstrates when we sit down and have meaningful conversations, we can get to a place.” … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Solano County ag values tumble, but still 2nd highest ever
“The acknowledgement of Solano County’s 75th annual Crop & Livestock Report shows 2024 had the second largest gross production year on record at $437.938 million. However, that value decreased by $22.45 million from 2023 – a 5% decline, the county Department of Agriculture and Weights & Measures reported. The biggest year ever was 2023 at $460.39 million, followed by 2021 when the gross production value was $407.64 million – the first time the overall value exceeded $400 million. “To celebrate 75 years of crop reports and local agricultural history this report features a timeline of notable events and milestones spanning portions of nine decades from the late 1940s to 2024,” the report states in a letter from Agricultural Commissioner Ed King to Karen Ross, secretary of the state Department of Food and Agriculture. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
‘A sudden shift’ to Bay Area weather forecast is coming sooner than expected
“Heat is returning to the Bay Area a little sooner than expected.Long-term outlooks from the National Weather Service’s weather prediction center previously projected the Bay Area wouldn’t see a warmup until mid-to-late August after an uncharacteristically drizzly July. Now, meteorologists say the region is about to face minor to moderate heat risk with temperatures peaking as soon as this Wednesday. Gusts of wind reaching up to 40 mph are also in the mix, potentially exacerbating fire weather concerns. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Sausalito school officials review designs for creek restoration
“School officials have gotten their first peek at potential designs for an outdoor education landscape at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in Sausalito. Project consultants offered a presentation during the Sausalito Marin City School District board meeting on Thursday. A key component of the project is bringing Willow Creek up from underground. “I’m so excited about this creek and the amphitheater plans,” Amy Hale, the school’s new principal, said at the board meeting. “It’s going to be a beautiful campus.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Redwood City considers expanding recycled water system
“Redwood City is looking to expand its use of recycled water, expanding its system in phases to service additional customers and improve what already exists. In 2010, the city completed a significant portion of the construction for its two tertiary treatment facilities — which filter wastewater to be able to be used for watering plants and flushing toilets, for example — and more than 17 miles of pipelines. Now, the city is looking to expand the service area east of Woodside Road and within central Redwood City. The next phased area of focus is to the southwest of Highway 101 between Whipple Road and Woodside Road, approximately. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Water deal that would aid Mountain View splits Palo Alto commissioners
“After three years of negotiations, a coalition that includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Redwood City and about two dozen other cities is preparing to sign off on a revised deal with its water supplier, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The agreement between the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Association, which represents the 26 municipalities, and the SFPUC seeks to take some of the pressure off cities that have not bought their minimally required allotment thanks to conservation efforts and alternate supplies. This includes Mountain View, which has had to pay millions of dollars in penalties over the past 15 years for not meeting the purchase quotas, and which would see some relief in the amended agreement. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online.
Paso basin property owners won’t pay fees for groundwater after majority protest
“The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority was forced to abandon water use fees during a tense meeting Friday after a majority of property owners overwhelmingly objected to them. This means that people pumping from the basin still won’t have to pay for their water use. The announcement was met by thunderous applause from about 100 people packed into Paso Robles City Hall, but the celebration was short-lived — as property owners vowed to fight future attempts to tax their water. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Keyes residents facing significant sewer rate increase
“Residents of Keyes may soon see a whopping sewer rate increase of $37 per month with a protest hearing scheduled for later this month. Currently residents in Keyes are paying $64.23 per month – a rate which has been in place for about 10 years – which will jump to a proposed $101.23. The Keyes Community Services District provides water and sewer service to those living in Keyes and announced recently that the $37 wastewater rate hike is “necessary due to increased operating expenses, including significantly higher treatment charges from the city of Turlock, which processes the district’s wastewater.” A letter to residents stated that the rate hike is “essential to maintain a financially stable and compliant wastewater system.” … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
Decades of planning to bolster Kern River rainbow numbers results in little action
“Plans to keep dwindling Kern River rainbow trout populations from dipping into endangered species territory are detailed and exacting. They are also more than a decade, if not decades, old and, for the most part, inert. When the first “Upper Kern Basin Fishery Management” plan was written in 1995, its goal was to avoid the Kern River rainbow having to be listed as threatened or endangered after it became a candidate for listing under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
New promises, old deal: Trump EPA reaffirms Biden-era goals for sewage crisis
“Last week Mexico and the U.S. reached an agreement committing both nations to expedite and solidify funding for projects meant to curb the Tijuana River sewage crisis. San Diego leaders and advocates have largely welcomed the renewed commitment touted by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin as a “massive environmental and national security win.” For decades the region has grown at a rate that has far outpaced the building of adequate wastewater infrastructure. And if both countries keep their promises, the Tijuana and San Diego communities could see significant progress in confronting a problem that has long plagued them – billions of gallons of untreated wastewater flowing through the Tijuana River watershed past neighborhoods, and into the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
Along the Colorado River …
Commentary: Everybody already knows the fix for Colorado River water
Greg Walcher writes, “Western newspapers, blogs, and podcasts are humming this month with stories that the seven states on the Colorado River are close to an agreement on managing the River in future years. The existing agreements, designed to “supplement” the ancient and sacred Interstate Compact during drought years, are set to expire at the end of 2026, and the federal government has issued dire warnings about its impending take-over, should states fail to come up with an “acceptable” plan. An agreement may be close. Over the past nine years I have written 16 columns about these perpetual negotiations, and the consistently over-reaching federal role in the River’s management. I regularly take issue with both federal and state responses to the diminished flow of the River, compared to the flows expected by the century-old Interstate Compact that governs distribution of its waters. To the point that I often recall the famous Voltaire statement, “It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.” … ” The simple solution has never been rewriting the interstate compact, as California has always wanted to do, but simply to distribute the water by the existing percentages – based on the River’s actual flow. … ” Read the full commentary at Complete Colorado.
Data centers are on the rise in Arizona. Are they a good idea in the desert?
“Data centers are increasingly popping up in Arizona — and being met with local opposition. The facilities house the physical equipment needed to power computing and have flocked to Arizona for its competitive operating costs, low natural disaster risk and strong fiber infrastructure, among other advantages. The rise of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies is only increasing their demand. The state is currently home to 150 data centers, according to DataCenterMap. That includes 140 in the Valley, nine in Tucson and one in Nogales. One of the centers listed in Tucson, Project Blue, is still in the development phase and is facing local pushback. But some say they don’t belong in the state. Proposed data centers in the Phoenix and Tucson metros have drawn backlash, with residents expressing concerns about energy demands, water usage, noise and fire risk. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
As Gross Reservoir rises, Boulder County residents grapple with project’s legal turmoil
“Pieter Strauss used to love hosting stargazing parties at his house in the Lakeshore Park neighborhood up Flagstaff Road southwest of Boulder. The hobbyist astronomer would fire up the barbecue and spend hours showing his neighbors the night sky through his observatory and telescopes. Strauss’s house sits looking directly over Gross Reservoir, which provides water to Denver residents. But when a project to significantly raise the reservoir’s dam began construction in 2022, those moments of neighborhood tranquility were lost for some residents. For Strauss the biggest impact was the bright construction lights used to keep work moving overnight. … ” Read more from KUNC.
Gold King put a spotlight on mine pollution in Colorado. Ten years later, locals are still waiting for a solution.
“On a cloudy day in late July, Anthony Edwards looked out at where Cement Creek meets the Animas River in Silverton, a town in southwestern Colorado. Nearly 10 years prior, he stood in the same spot watching as millions of gallons of acid mine drainage gushed past, turning the water a sickly yellow-orange. “We all knew that this was going to change everything,” recalled Edwards, who was San Juan County’s spokesperson during the spill. On Aug. 5, 2015, contractors for the Environmental Protection Agency inadvertently unleashed 3 million gallons of wastewater trapped behind the collapsed entrance of Gold King mine while doing excavation work in remote San Juan County. The yellow, heavy-metal-laden water impacted communities from Colorado to Utah. It drew national and international attention, forcing the ongoing impacts of historic mine pollution into the spotlight. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Senate committee proposes level funding for SRFs, clashing with House bill
“In late July, the Senate released its Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) appropriations bill. Its release came with some anticipation in the water sector following a recent House version – a draft and final proposal – that would slash EPA’s budget by 23% with cuts to the Drinking and Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs. The Senate bill, however, makes milder cuts to EPA while keeping total SRF funding at $2.76 billion, even with FY24 levels. It was approved with bipartisan support. Of the $2.76 billion for the SRFs, about $1.126 billion would be for the Drinking Water SRF, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), with about $1.64 billion for the Clean Water SRF. In total, the proposal from the Senate is $660 million above the level in House bill and $2.46 billion above the level requested in President Trump’s budget. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
Inside the ‘radical transformation’ of America’s environmental role
“Ever since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson’s science advisory committee warned of the dangers of unchecked global warming, the United States has taken steps to protect people from these risks. Now, however, the Trump administration appears to be essentially abandoning this principle, claiming that the costs of addressing climate change outweigh the benefits. The effect is to shift more of the risk and responsibility onto states and, ultimately, individual Americans, even as rising temperatures fuel more extreme and costly weather disasters nationwide, experts say. “It’s a radical transformation of government’s role, in terms of its intervention into the economy to try to promote the health and safety of citizens,” said Donald Kettl, a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
World cannot recycle its way out of plastics crisis, report warns
“The 8 billion tons of plastic waste that have amassed on Earth pose a grave and growing danger to human health, according to a new report published in the leading medical journal The Lancet. Ahead of a U.N. conference on plastic pollution, authors warn that countries urgently need to cut production. The world churns out more than 200 times as much plastic today as it did in 1950, and production is only rising. Microscopic bits of plastic waste have been found nearly everywhere, from the bottom of the sea to the clouds over Mount Fuji, as well as in the food we eat, water we drink, and air we breathe. Scientists have found microplastics in human lungs, brains, and bone marrow, among other organs, as well as in blood, semen, and breast milk. The Lancet report warns that plastics pose a threat at every stage of their lifecycle, from the extraction of fossil fuels used to make plastic, to the production, use, and disposal of plastic goods. … ” Read more from Yale e360.
