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In California water news this weekend …
Atmospheric rivers may be diminishing on the West Coast and surging in the East, study finds
“It makes sense that atmospheric rivers would flood West Coast headlines as well as its coastlines. Eighty percent of all West Coast flood damage is attributable to these immense highways of water vapor, which can drench Central California with a season’s worth of rain or freeze Seattle in place with a blizzard. Damages to Pacific states from the surges of precipitation can add up to about a billion dollars annually. But what about East Coast atmospheric rivers? The daughter of former NOAA research scientist, Wenhao Dong, posed that exact question to her father when she was in first grade. “She was listening to the report about an atmospheric river over California,” he recalled. “She asked me, ‘Dad, do we have atmospheric rivers [in New Jersey]?’” That question partly motivated Dong and his collaborators to investigate how atmospheric rivers might be impacting the East Coast and West Coast differently. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
State’s proposed fee change for pumpers falls flat
“The State Water Resources Control Board reversed course on a proposed fee change for groundwater extraction in the San Joaquin Valley after receiving a volley of negative letters, saying changes are “premature.” The update came during an online Water Rights Fees meeting July 31. Fees target pumpers in overdrafted subbasins placed on probation by the Water Board for lacking adequate groundwater plans. State fees – $300 per well, per year plus $20-per-acre-foot pumped – are intended to repay the state an estimated $5.5 million a year that it says it costs to oversee six groundwater basins in the San Joaquin Valley where plans have been deemed inadequate. Water Board staff had suggested creating a graduated fee structure based on farm size, giving small growers a break at $5-per-acre-foot pumped and charging large growers $40 per acre foot pumped. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
A different type of salmon turned up on the Tuolumne River. Why it’s a good thing
“The latest salmon migration up the Tuolumne River brought cheer to experts who watch over the fish. That’s because it happened in spring this year on a waterway where fall-run salmon predominate. That diversity could help the species survive amid the debate over how much water should be diverted to farms and cities. Most of the 1,200 or so spring-run salmon had been born in a Fresno-area hatchery that is part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. The Tuolumne is a tributary to the larger waterway, as are the Merced and Stanislaus rivers. The spring-run strays were found in May in a spawning area near La Grange, after spending two or three years in the Pacific Ocean. It is monitored by the Tuolumne’s three main diverters — the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts and San Francisco. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Is Southern California prepared to avoid a ‘Day Zero’ water crisis?
“Over the last century, Southern California has grown and thrived by accessing water from faraway sources including the Colorado River, the Eastern Sierra’s streams and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Massive aqueducts transport water through deserts, farmlands and mountains to sustain 19 million people across six counties. But these traditional sources of water are projected to become less reliable as global warming shrinks the West’s mountain snowpack and unleashes more intense droughts. With supplies at risk, Southern California’s cities and suburbs face major challenges in planning for the future. Decades from now, how might we get our water supply? And what ideas are leaders and managers of water agencies considering to ease risks of shortages — or even a scenario of a “Day Zero” crisis, in which we approach a point of running out? … ” Read more from the LA Times.
‘People’s Hearing On Extreme Weather’ targets Trump climate policy
“On Saturday, Los Angeles-area elected officials, advocacy groups, and community members convened in Pasadena for what was billed as a “People’s Hearing on Extreme Weather.” Organized by the Climate Action Campaign and its member environmental activist groups, the event drew testimony from wildfire survivors and health officials. They criticized the Trump administration and are seeking to put pressure on California to safeguard climate change programs. Many speakers cited recent Environmental Protection Agency decisions they claim have weakened climate protection, including the announced intent to roll back the agency’s 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, in a prerecorded video, contended that climate change is taking a toll in Los Angeles communities, from poor air quality to the devastation brought by wildfires, which a recent study suggests were more deadly than previously reported. “If they can’t even admit that climate change is real,” Padilla asked, “then how can they protect us from it?” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
And lastly … This new species discovered in the Grand Canyon will make your mom blush (no kidding! 😉 )
“Though the Grand Canyon we know today is a deep and dusty chasm, it was once an equatorial region bathed in a shallow sea. Throughout the middle Cambrian period (about 500 million years ago) this oxygen-rich marine environment served as an evolutionary hotbed, churning out early crustaceans, mollusks and sea star-like creatures. Now, according to a study published July 23 in the journal Science Advances, scientists have discovered another strange creature that lived there: a so-called penis worm with not one, but two sets of teeth. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Podcasts …
BOILING POINT: The future of the Colorado River
The Colorado River is shrinking, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for California. Sammy Roth talks with JB Hamby, the state’s lead Colorado River negotiator, about his vision for one of the West’s most important — and most threatened — water sources.
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Keeping it simple with Jarrett Martin of Central California Irrigation District
The K.I.S.S. method, Keep it Simple (Sweetheart), is easier said than done. This is especially true when you are coordinating 23 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and their respective plans and consultants into one Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Yes, you read that right, twenty+ agencies! Jarrett Martin, General Manager of Central California Irrigation District (CCID), took on that task for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin and believes that after two failed attempts they are close to approval. Darcy Villere and Darcy Burke have been waiting to have Jarrett on for quite some time and were eager to learn how he did it! Jarrett makes it sound easy. He shares the ultimate goals of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and how he managed to ‘Keep It Simple’. Jarrett also shares how State Board staff knew and understood legacy conditions, which ended up being a game-changer. To find out more, and how Jarrett and the Delta-Mendota Subbasin achieved this herculean task, listen in!
AgNET NEWS HOUR: CA groundwater crisis: Matt Angel sounds the alarm on water management failures
On today’s AgNet News Hour, the Ag Meter Nick Papagni and Josh McGill take a deep dive into one of California’s most pressing agricultural issues—groundwater management. Their guest, Madera County farmer and water expert Matt Angel, delivers a sobering and eye-opening assessment of the state’s water crisis and the systemic failures that have left California’s farmers struggling. Angel, who’s lived and worked in the heart of Madera’s most impacted groundwater sub-basin, brings unmatched firsthand experience. Over the past nine years, he’s witnessed a staggering 140-foot drop in groundwater levels on his own farm. Through the episode, Angel lays out how SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act), while well-intentioned, has suffered from fragmented implementation, poor communication, and a lack of meaningful community involvement.
ECO NEWS: The next big step toward Eel River dam removal
PG&E recently tendered its License Surrender Application and Decomissioning Plan for the Potter Valley Project to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This plan details when and how PG&E plans to tear down its two dams on the Eel River. And since an agreement has been reached for run-of-the-river, wet season diversions to replace the existing diversion to the Russian River, support for dam removal is now pretty much universal between the two basins. PG&E’s Application is eye-wateringly long and technical. Thankfully, Scott Greacen and Alicia Hamann of Friends of the Eel River are here to help break this all down.
VIC BEDOIAN: Mono Lake’s Endangered California Gulls
New research finds Los Angeles water extraction from Mono Lake is imperiling the California gull population. Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake and the centerpiece of the Mono Basin National Scenic Area. It is an important landscape for migrating and nesting birds. For the California Gull population, it is a major breeding ground, and it is in trouble. Recent research detected a shocking failure of chick hatching and survival last year, in 2024. The science showed that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has been taking too much water, disrupting the food chain, and leaving California Gulls struggling to survive. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.
TERRA VERDE: California Rolls Back Landmark Environmental Law
In what advocates call the most significant rollback in decades, California has enacted sweeping changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a landmark environmental law that has shaped land-use decisions since 1970. These changes came as part of the 2025 state budget deal, with Governor Newsom signing state budget bills into law that exempt a wide range of developments from critical environmental review. This week on Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton is joined by Raquel Mason, Senior Legislative Manager at the California Environmental Justice Alliance, and Asha Sharma, State Policy Manager at Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. Together, they unpack what CEQA is, how the new rollbacks were pushed through, and why these changes pose serious threats to environmental justice communities.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Mendenhall Glacier
A 30-minute bus ride from the docks of Juneau, Alaska is the most accessible glacier in Alaska… as long as you can get to Juneau, Alaska! These glaciers have been around a long time and have receded and advanced more than you know. Standing on the beach of Mendenhall Lake and gazing at the panoramic view and abundant wild life is a memory I will never forget. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
TALKING UNDER WATER: State Revolving Fund updates, Waterkeeper Alliance PFAS analysis results & water system upgrades
In this episode of Talking Under Water, co-hosts Katie Johns, Mandy Crispin, and Alex Cossin discuss recent industry news, including the Waterkeeper Alliance’s latest PFAS analysis, revealing that 98% of sampled U.S. waterways tested positive for PFAS contamination; recent business acquisitions; infrastructure upgrades by San Jose Water, including water main replacements and the use of AI in asset management, and Indiana American Water’s groundbreaking of a new $50 million treatment plant in Seymour, Indiana. Finally, the hosts dive into updates on State Revolving Funds (SRFs). The U.S. House of Representatives has proposed significant cuts to SRF programs, while the Senate favors maintaining current funding levels. With the September 30 budget deadline looming, the future of water infrastructure funding remains uncertain.
WATER RESOURCES: Water bankruptcy
Kaveh Madani uses a bank analogy to describe water resources management with surface water as checking and groundwater as savings accounts and overexploitation leading to bankruptcy.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Uniting the Klamath: Indigenous youth reconnect to their free-flowing ancestral waterways after more than a century of disconnection
“Last year, the Klamath River became the largest dam removal and water restoration project in history, dismantling four dams—marking a major victory for the health of the river and the people who have called it home since time immemorial. All of this is thanks to more than a century of Indigenous-led advocacy and resistance, which has enabled the river to finally heal ecologically and flow freely once again. Today, the youth of those Indigenous communities have become the first group to descend the undammed Klamath River by reconnecting the threads almost lost to harmful impacts of colonization and modern agriculture. The historic descent was made possible by the Paddle Tribal Waters program operated by the nonprofit group Rios to Rivers. … ” Read more from ICT News.
New California dam removal could restore a river — and destroy a community
“For those living on the shores of this mountain lake, the bone-rattling drive along a gravel road to get here is a small price to pay for the California dream. Tucked amid towering pines and firs and gleaming with cobalt-blue water, Lake Pillsbury in the Mendocino National Forest is home to about 100 year-round residents and thousands of summer dwellers, lured by the pleasures of lakefront living: boating, fishing, swimming or simply enjoying a cold drink on a hot day. “I don’t know if it will knock your socks off,” Frank Lynch, a third-generation cabin owner, said as he motored his pontoon boat across the sun-splashed reservoir on a recent afternoon. “But it’s a really nice lake.” This vacation outpost about 3½ hours north of San Francisco, however, may not last much longer. The dam that impounds the lake is owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and the company wants to take it down. The move would drain the 2,000-acre reservoir, with its 31 miles of shoreline, and deliver a debilitating blow to the community. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: PG&E submits plan that will erase Lake Pillsbury and change the Russian River forever, from Mendo Fever
North State jubilee coming soon is a joyful destination for all things salmon
“Tucked in a tiny town in far Northern California, the upcoming 61st annual Salmon Festival will be a destination for all things salmon and for understanding the importance of the animal to so many Native American people. Sponsored by the Yurok Native American tribe, the event typically draws 4,000 of people to downtown Klamath, a city of just over 600 people that’s situated about a quarter-mile from the Klamath River. The daylong festival being held August 16 blends Native culture with sports, live music, art and food. Along with tourists, tribal members living along the Klamath River turn out, including people from the Hoopa, Yurok, Tolowa and Karuk tribes. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lawmakers, local leaders talk Trump rollbacks at the 29th Tahoe Summit
“Lake Tahoe is an easy place to love. It’s long been a destination for visitors beyond California, and it’s an important ecosystem. But for decades, it’s been plagued by all kinds of environmental issues — from pollution to invasive species to warming waters brought on by climate change. That’s why lawmakers, local leaders and others gather annually at the Tahoe Summit. The first happened in 1997, launched by the late senators Diane Feinstein and Harry Reid. The two lawmakers had seen Lake Tahoe’s water quality suffering and wanted to create a space for discussion about issues affecting the lake and possible solutions. “Lake Tahoe waters were losing their famous clarity at an average rate of nearly a foot per year,” said California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who hosted this year’s summit. “Urban centers were decaying, and overstocked forests posed a profound fire threat. Many worried at the time that Lake Tahoe was at a worrying tipping point.” … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Four initiatives are transforming how North Lake Tahoe keeps its beaches clean
“To maintain North Lake Tahoe’s picturesque beaches and encourage everyone to be a steward of lake clarity, four initiatives are being supported by tourism-generated funds this summer. From beach cleaning robots to employing divers to remove underwater trash, the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program is funding clean-up efforts that extend beyond the superficial. The BEBOT Beach Cleaning Robot returned to North Lake Tahoe in 2025 to address beach litter that is hard to detect. Pre-season and post-season beach cleanings at five public and three private beaches in North Lake Tahoe cover approximately 566,000 square feet of shoreline, pulling items buried in the sand before they break down and make their way into Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
BAY AREA
Blue-green algae at Martinez Marina poses concerns for people, animals
“The City of Martinez is warning people about an algae bloom at the local marina. Officials are worried it could be harmful to people, pets and wildlife. The warning signs are up all around Martinez Marina advising people to avoid contact with the water. “We did have testing that confirmed that there were elevated levels of cyanobacteria in the water,” said Eve Kearney with the City of Martinez. “When you have stagnant water, warmer conditions, not as much movement in the water, it does cause algae to grow.” … ” Read more from Channel 7.
Palo Alto: We are not in a drought. So why is our utility still water-shaming us?
Columnist Sherry Listgarten writes, “This has been a really nice summer so far. Beautiful days, not too hot, and for a change we are not in a drought!So I wondered, why is our city continuing to shame us for using water? I have heard, in almost every water meeting that I have attended, that we have plenty of water to go around in non-drought years. Everyone in the room — utility operators, environmentalists, politicians, water scientists — has agreed that when there is no drought we have more than enough water for all uses: environmental, recreational, agricultural, residential, and commercial. Everyone also agrees that the more water we save the higher our water rates must be. … ” Continue reading at Palo Alto Online.
CENTRAL COAST
Pajaro Valley unveils $80M College Lake project to safeguard water supply
“On Friday, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency held a ribbon-cutting for its new College Lake Water Supply. The $80 million project was funded through grants and donations. It’s designed to help protect the area’s groundwater, farmland, and endangered fish, while also providing more water for local agriculture. College Lake, serving as the new water source, will reduce over-pumping from underground wells, which has caused water levels to drop and allowed seawater in. … ” Read more from KSBW.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Helping Bouquet Creek recover: LA County considers management deal for proposed project
“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a recommendation from the county Department of Public Works to award a consultant service agreement to provide engineering, environmental and project management support services for the proposed Bouquet Canyon Creek Recovery Project. The project would aim to improver water conveyance, mitigate flood risks, provide road improvements and restore natural habitats that have been impacted by sedimentation and other environmental challenges, according to a letter to the board from Public Works Director Mark Pestrella. The total cost of the consultant services will be for a not-to-exceed contract amount of approximately $12 million. … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press.
L.A. tells Porter Ranch, Granada Hills residents: Turn off that tap!
“Los Angeles officials are pleading with residents in Porter Ranch and Granada Hills not to flush toilets or water lawns amid a days-long water service outage, saying it could push back repairs. … “We are very concerned that if people continue to use the water that is coming out of their faucets today, it is going to delay the ability of the [Los Angeles Department of Water and Power] to get the line back and restored, and for your use of water to be back to normal, so that you don’t have to boil water, so that you don’t have to conserve,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said during a press conference on Saturday afternoon. … ” Read the full article at the LA Times.
New research analyzes human activity at Orange County’s Beaches in 2025
“This project analyzes human, dog, and bird activity at the mouth of the Santa Ana River, located between Newport and Huntington Beach. Constant off-leash dog activity at the river mouth jeopardizes threatened and protected shorebird populations that have inhabited the area for thousands of years. Our goal is to document the problem so that the river mouth’s governing agencies can better address the issue through education and law enforcement. Between January and June 2025, 534 surveys at the Santa Ana River Mouth were completed by 11 trained volunteers and two staff members. In the surveys collected, 6,475 people and 696 dogs were observed. Of the dogs, 400 were off-leash and 296 were on-leash. Dogs off-leash accounted for 57% of the dogs observed. During Coastkeeper’s surveys, no citations were visibly issued, though a total of 117 visitors were seen contacted by law enforcement officers and other public entities. … ” Read more from the OC Waterkeeper.
Along the Colorado River …
The heaviness of water: As the western U.S. faces decreasing water supplies, WashU alumni are helping negotiate how this precious resource will be managed and shared in years to come.
“Kristen Johnson, AB ’00, and Catherine Stites, JD ’96, both work, as they say, “on the river.” The river in question pours through the southwestern landscape more than 100 miles from their offices in Phoenix and Los Angeles, respectively, but it’s never far from their minds. Tens of millions of people across seven states lay claim to water from the Colorado River. Everyone wants their share, including the citizens and industries in Arizona and California that Johnson and Stites represent. But, as climate change encroaches, every year there’s less to go around. “We’re in a very delicate dance right now when it comes to the river,” says Johnson, the Colorado River programs manager at the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “The seven states are in a very difficult position of trying to negotiate how to manage the river for the next 10, 20 years. “When you have scarcity and are trying to determine who takes what hit and how big the hits are going to be — well, nobody wants to go first.” … ” Read more from WashU Magazine.
What new era of water rights and distribution means for Arizona
“Arizona is about to enter a new era when it comes to water rights and distribution. The state’s main source of surface water — the Colorado River — has been dwindling as a result of climate change and increased water demand. That means less water for approximately 40 million people in two countries, seven states and 30 Native American tribes. And the rules that govern how states face water cuts are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. The seven states involved have struggled to reach an agreement regarding the future of these cuts. But whatever the outcome may be of negotiations or potential litigation between these seven states, experts say that Valley residents face significant water risks, including: Arizona could lose up to 40% of its water supply; the Central Arizona Water Project could be significantly cut and would deliver less water; and the reuse of water will become paramount to the state, including turning wastewater into drinking water. One Arizona State University expert says not to panic but be prepared to open your wallet. … ” Read more from Arizona Big Media.
In national water news this weekend …
Far more environmental data is being deleted in Trump’s second term than before
“The current Trump administration has made 70% more changes to government environmental websites during its first 100 days than the first Trump administration did, and those changes are bolder, according to a report published by the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI). EDGI is a nonprofit network of researchers who work with data, started after President Donald Trump took office in 2017. It documents loss of access and usability of government environmental information and preserves that information for public use. The group found that in the first 100 days of the first Trump administration, there were 371 important changes made to websites, while in the same period this year there were 632 changes. EDGI defined an important change as significantly altering the content, focus or links on a page. … ” Read more from the LAist.
