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Reclamation announces 2026 operating conditions for the Colorado River; Arizona, Nevada and Mexico to take cuts
‘Beyond awful’ Colorado River forecasts put water talks under pressure
“After one of the Colorado River’s driest years in decades, Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the largest reservoirs in the country — could see alarming declines in the coming years, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced today. Federal officials again called for Arizona and Nevada to cut back their supplies from the overtapped river — though California, with its senior claims to the river’s water, will be spared. While expected, today’s two-year projection ratchets up tension among seven states in the Colorado River basin, which have struggled to agree on the river’s management after 2026, when current guidelines expire. “The urgency for the seven Colorado River Basin states to reach a consensus agreement has never been clearer. We cannot afford to delay,” Scott Cameron, the Department of the Interior’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, said in a statement. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Nevada will see another year of Colorado River water cuts
“Federal officials announced Friday they would continue water allocation cuts on the Colorado River for the fifth consecutive year following a persistent drought that’s shrunken the river’s largest reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation announced that Tier 1 water cuts — the least severe shortage condition — would continue next year to preserve water levels at Lake Mead, which supplies about 90% of Las Vegas’ water. Federal water managers decide shortage levels each year in August, based on projected water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell for the start of the following year. Lake Mead’s elevation is currently at about 1,054 feet above sea level – 175 feet below what’s considered full. Based on water storage, the reservoir is at 31% of capacity. Friday BuRec projected that by the end of this year water elevation will be only a foot higher. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
Arizona: Colorado River shortages will continue through 2026, with ‘dire’ predictions beyond
“Mandatory cuts in Arizona’s Colorado River supplies will remain in place through 2026, federal water managers said Aug. 15, reflecting a poor winter runoff, growing demand and worsening drought. While the cuts will hold steady on paper, they could hit central Arizona cities harder as mitigation measures for past cuts expire. Water supplies could also tighten if dry conditions on the Colorado River continue. “This underscores the importance of immediate action to secure the future of the Colorado River,” said David Palumbo, acting commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the river’s operations. The lower Colorado River basin will remain in a Tier 1 shortage in 2026, meaning Arizona will continue giving up about 30% of the Central Arizona Project’s normal supply, about 18% of the state’s share of the Colorado. Arizona agreed to absorb the first and deepest cutbacks during a shortage in exchange for support from other states to build the CAP Canal. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Colorado: New Colorado River report calls for Arizona to cut use by 18%, Nevada by 7%
“Officials need to plan for bad — but not quite the worst — scenarios when it comes to the Colorado River Basin and the water supply for 40 million people, experts say. The Bureau of Reclamation announced Friday another year of water cuts in Arizona and Nevada, based on releases from Lake Mead in Nevada and Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border. The report does not call for cuts from California, the third Lower Basin state. In upriver states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — experts are watching reservoir releases with water supplies, environmental needs and the potential of forced water cuts in mind. “The reservoirs, the big ones Powell and Mead, are not only not going to recover, but they’re actually going to decline to pretty scary elevation levels,” John Berggren, a regional policy manager for Western Resource Advocates, a nonprofit that focuses on environment and policy. “If we face another winter like the one we just got … you could be very quickly in a pretty dire place.” … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
EXPLORE MORE COVERAGE:
- Reclamation announces 2026 operating conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, press release from the Bureau of Reclamation
- Interior forecasts more water supply cuts in the Colorado River Basin, from E&E News
- Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again get less Colorado River water in 2026, from the Associated Press
- The Colorado River is in a shortage again, amid mounting calls for long-term changes, from KUNC
- Lake Powell continues to drop as Colorado River experiences ‘unprecedented drought’, from the Salt Lake Tribune
- Native American Rights to Colorado River Water, from the Santa Monica Daily Press
Water levels plunge at Lake Powell. Is ‘dead pool’ looming?
“Water levels at Lake Powell, the giant reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border, have dropped to their lowest point in three years, prompting boat ramp closures and raising fears about downstream water supplies and hydroelectric power generation that could affect millions of people across the West. The U.S. National Park Service announced that one of the primary boat launches within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah – the Wahweap Main Launch Ramp – will be closed starting Aug 18. And the Park Service is relocating the Rainbow Bridge floating dock into deeper water. Of greater concern in the long term is how dropping water levels will impact both power generation and water supply: There’s a chance that Lake Powell’s water level could fall to an elevation that would force the stoppage of power generation at the Glen Canyon Dam, which would affect electricity supply to millions of people in many states. … ” Read more from the USA Today. | Read via MSN News.
Commentary: Leave our water alone
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, “In drought years, like many in the West are currently experiencing, we realize just how precious water is – both ground and surface water. In reality, as a state, it is worth fighting over. Wyoming being a headwaters state is a really fortunate situation where we can hope to always satisfy our water right allotments. But, it can also be troublesome, as downstream water users always think we are controlling and using more water than we are supposed to. … The lower Colorado Basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California think agriculture is a bad use for water, except in their states. Arizona has let Saudi Arabia grow alfalfa for years on hundreds of acres. The lower basin states – with their exploding populations – have really mismanaged their water, from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Now they are starting to realize they have a problem with water usage. In some places, they are selling water for homes, almost like gasoline for cars. I just know in the negotiations, lower basin states are going to scream the loudest and stomp their feet the hardest, but that is the first place for water management instead of Wyoming’s Green River. … ” Read the full commentary at Cowboy State Daily.
In California water news and commentary this weekend …
Tribes and advocates expose Newsom’s political maneuvering to reintroduce Delta tunnel trailer bills
“Today, Restore the Delta held a virtual press conference alongside Tribes and environmental advocates to address the planned reintroduction of the controversial Delta Tunnel trailer bills at the behest of the Newsom administration. The bills have drawn widespread criticism from groups across the state, who are concerned that the proposals threaten California’s water rights, environmental protections, and public due process. “Our tribe is dedicated to maintaining and protecting our cultural ways of life. Decisions about water management should analyze impacts to tribes, and seek to avoid and minimize those impacts. The Governor’s proposed trailer bills would eliminate that analysis, undermining our ability to maintain our culture and traditions. True accountability requires transparency and meaningful commitment to a future that protects tribes and our waterways,” said Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
SEE ALSO: CA Water Board Urged to Extend Public Comment Amid EPA Civil Rights Probe, Delta Tunnel Hearings, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
COMMENTARY: Time to Start Building for California’s Sustainable Future
Tim Carmichael, President of California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance and Joe Cruz, Executive Director, California State Council of Laborers, writes, “California has long prided itself on progressive values — a place where innovation, environmental stewardship and forward-thinking policy coexist and complement one another. Yet a growing but all-too-familiar paradox is making that balance impossible: the environmental laws and regulatory bodies that protect our rivers and landscapes are now being used to block the very infrastructure needed to adapt to climate change, modernize, and build a livable, sustainable future. It’s hard to miss the irony that the environmental movement is now standing in the way of many climate adaptation solutions. The fact is climate extremes are changing how we need to manage current and future water resources. Californians are already experiencing rapid and intense weather swings from extreme drought to flooding. Our snowpack is declining and is definitely more variable as an increasing amount of our precipitation comes in the form of intense, flashier rainstorms. This combination of changes has led the state to predict a 10% overall loss of water supply in the next 15 years unless action is taken. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
What a water week of meetings
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs for the Milk Producers Council, writes, “For the month of August, there has been a lot going on in California water. My job for Milk Producers Council is to be the dairy industry’s eyes, ears, and advocate on water supply. I participated in a number of meetings this past week and I thought I would share a bit of what I learned. On Monday morning, California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross hosted a virtual meeting with Department of Water Resources (DWR) officials who briefed us on the draft of the Subsidence Best Management Practices document they just released. It was a good opportunity to hear directly from DWR what it is proposing to address subsidence in California. Essentially, their advice is to stop overdrafting. Much easier said than done. Later Monday, I attended the board meeting of the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GKGSA) in their new office in downtown Visalia. … ” Continue reading more about Mr. Vanden Heuvel‘s thoughts on the many other meetings he attended at the Milk Producers Council.
Making backpacks for tiny fish
“For biologists around the world, the invention of small, portable acoustic, radio, and satellite tracking tags has revolutionized their understanding of where animals go and how they live. But limitations in the technology mean they’ve only studied a fraction of underwater life, says Robert Lennox, a biologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Consider, for instance, the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). These slender, silvery fish—which average just 6.5-centimeters (2.5-inches) long—are found only in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. … To help the fish recover, scientists want to restore the delta and manage how water flows across the land, as well as boost the population with hatchery-raised smelt. “We need to know things like, Where are they going? How do they get there? We don’t even know where they spawn,” says Eric Chapman, a fish biologist at ICF, a global applied research firm and technology provider, who is working with the University of California Davis to track delta smelt. Now, breakthroughs in tagging technology are opening a window into the lives of smelt and other small swimmers—a shift some scientists say could transform our understanding of the underwater world’s more minute creatures. … ” Read more from Nautilus.
OceanWell and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District launch California Water Farm 1 with capacity of 60 million gallons per day as six agencies join project
“OceanWell, a water technology company, announced plans to advance Water Farm 1 (WF1)– the first subsea reverse osmosis desalination project in the U.S. — in partnership with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) and a consortium of six other California water agencies. The project is expected to deliver up to 60 million gallons per day (MGD), or just under 230,000 m3 per day, of drinking water by 2030 – offering a new model for reliable, drought-resilient water supply. Anchored approximately 4.5 miles off the coast of Malibu, CA, in Santa Monica Bay, WF1 represents a major leap forward in resilient water supply. Using natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters (1,300 feet), OceanWell’s modular pods can each harvest up to one million gallons of fresh water daily, reducing energy use by 40% and avoiding the brine discharge and marine life disruption associated with traditional desalination. … ” Read more from Ocean Well.
State Water Board extends public comment on the draft Sacramento/Delta update to September 29; reschedules public hearings
In response to requests for additional time for public review, the State Water Board has moved the deadline for public comments to September 29 to provide additional time for review. The public hearing is now scheduled for September 25 and 26, 2025. Click here for the notice.
California approves an unprecedented plan to protect Joshua trees from climate change threats
“California has approved an unprecedented plan to protect the iconic Joshua tree from climate change and development. The western Joshua tree conservation plan is a broad blueprint that compiles scientific research and traditional ecological knowledge to identify areas where the plant may thrive in a warmer future and plot out how to best protect that land. It recommends limiting development, taking steps to reduce wildfire risk like culling invasive grasses and introducing Joshua trees with genetic variations that make them more resilient to warming temperatures. The plan was required by a state law enacted in 2023 and received final approval Wednesday at a Fish and Game Commission meeting. Proponents say the effort is groundbreaking because it seeks to conserve a species that’s abundant now but is projected to lose much of its habitat to climate change. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Valley fever is rising across California. Numbers are skyrocketing in one coastal county
“Valley fever, an infection caused by breathing in fungal spores in dirt or dust, is on the rise across California, according to a news release by the California Department of Public Health. More than 6,700 provisional cases have been reported across California through the first seven months of 2025. The rates are highest in the San Joaquin Valley, the disease’s namesake, but cases have been increasing in the northern Central Valley and on the Central Coast. “Valley fever is a serious illness that’s here to stay in California,” said California Department of Public Health director and state public health officer Erica Pan, in a statement. “We want to remind Californians, travelers to California and their healthcare providers to watch for signs and symptoms of valley fever to help detect it early.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump told polluters to email him for an exemption. In California, three places have already been approved
“Three industrial facilities in California have received exemptions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to emit a carcinogenic chemical after the Trump administration invited large emitters to bypass key provisions of the Clean Air Act by simply sending an email. The EPA in March announced that it would allow large stationary sources of air pollution — that is, sources that aren’t vehicles — to apply for an exemption that would enable them to avoid regulations that limit hazardous emissions. The provision in question applies to the regulation of nearly 200 pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, benzene and formaldehyde. So far, three facilities in California have applied for and received approval. All three belong to Sterigenics, a company that provides industrial sterilization technology for medical devices and other commercial products at two locations in Los Angeles and one in San Bernardino County. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Podcasts …
VIC BEDOIAN: Bay Delta update
The battle over Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to build the Bay Delta tunnel is proceeding on several fronts as opposition grows among Democratic lawmakers. The 45-mile-long conveyance would divert Sacramento River water around the Delta to Central Valley farms and southern California cities. In the latest move, Newsom has proposed a plan that would hold the state accountable to Delta communities as the tunnel gets built. He also proposed $200 million dollars to offset damage done because of construction activities. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: An Atmospheric River
Rivers have always been associated with a large natural stream that eventually empties into the ocean, lake or other body of water. That’s easy to visualize but can you imagine an atmospheric river. 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 530-205-6388BOILING POINT: The Colorado Plateau at a crossroads
Environmental journalist Jonathan P. Thompson joins Sammy Roth to discuss the future of the Colorado River, the state of America’s public lands, and the myths surrounding the West’s natural resources.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Yale graduate studying Klamath River-related issues
“The more Estella Dieci read about issues regarding the Klamath River, including the successful efforts to remove four dams and the impacts on environmental factors, the more she became interested. Interested enough that Dieci has spent the past three weeks in communities along the Klamath River’s upper and lower basin meeting and listening to people with sometimes divergent viewpoints — farmers, fisheries representative, tribes, environmental groups — gathering information for a master’s thesis in environmental science at Yale University. “Being here and speaking to people working in restoration has reaffirmed my interest and belief in ground-up or bottom-up problem solving,” Dieci, 29, said of her many face-to-face meetings. … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Dangerous levels of cyanobacteria toxins identified in Big Lagoon
“A recent sampling event confirming dangerous levels of harmful algal toxins identified in Big Lagoon has prompted the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to recommended posting a public advisory. Big Lagoon is sampled for algal toxins every two weeks through a federal grant awarded to the Big Lagoon Rancheria. The most recent results from sampling performed on July 31, 2025, showed one of four sampling locations to be well above the “Danger” concentration established by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, prompting the RWQCB and State Water Quality Advisory Council to recommend the advisory be posted. … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
Why are there so many earthquakes at The Geysers Northern California geothermal field?
“An earthquake swarm that rattled an area of Northern California early Thursday was another round of recurring temblors in a seismically active region that is home to the world’s largest geothermal field. The Geysers Geothermal Field, located about 72 miles north of San Francisco, covers some 45 square miles among Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the activities associated with harnessing the steam to generate electricity cause frequent, minor earthquakes in the region. The quakes can be felt by those who work among the 18 geothermal power plants and by nearby residents. Seismologists offer several explanations for why earthquakes are induced at The Geysers. The withdrawal of steam and heat from the field causes the surrounding rock to contract, which can trigger quakes from the contractional stresses. Pumping reclaimed water back into the steam reservoirs is also a factor because of the thermal contrast between the cold returned water and the hot surrounding rock. … ” Read more from CBS News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Hazardous fuels reduction operations continue at Lake Tahoe
“Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team hazardous fuels reduction (forest thinning) projects are under way around Lake Tahoe and scheduled to continue through fall 2025, conditions and weather permitting. Multiple partners including the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, California Tahoe Conservancy, Liberty Utilities, NV Energy, Nevada Division of Forestry, North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are working together to protect Lake Tahoe communities by reducing excess vegetation (fuels) that can feed unwanted wildfires. For project details, including location, land ownership, lead agency, start date and expected duration, view the Lake Tahoe Basin Project Map at Tahoe Living With Fire, which highlights current and upcoming projects. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat.
French Meadows Partnership enters seventh season of forest resilience work
“With California’s fire seasons growing hotter and drier, crews are returning to the high country for the seventh season of work on the French Meadows Forest Restoration Project (Project)—a pioneering public-private effort to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the American River watershed, a critical water supply for the region. The groundbreaking Project Partnership (Partnership) rose from the ashes of the devastating 2014 King Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties. A coalition of diverse resource stewards united almost immediately to prevent more such devastation in the Middle Fork American River watershed. To date, about 8,700 acres of public and private land in the French Meadows basin have been treated to restore safer conditions using ecological forestry concepts, which combine strategic thinning and prescribed fire to improve the forest’s resiliency to wildfire and drought. … ” Read more from the Placer County Water Agency.
What are rivers really worth? University of Nevada, Reno and partners lead a global rethink of freshwater value
“Nevada’s rivers and lakes are more than lines on a map or conduits for water. They are economic engines, natural infrastructure, and cultural touchstones whose full benefits rarely appear in budgets or policy. Next week, the University of Nevada, Reno will host a workshop at its Lake Tahoe campus to develop a global blueprint for public engagement and policy by advancing how societies measure and account for freshwater natural capital. Organized with the University of California, Santa Barbara and hosted by the new University of Nevada, Reno Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability, the workshop brings together scientists, economists, community leaders, policy experts, and Indigenous scholars. By linking Nevada’s experience to worldwide needs, University and partners aim to provide decision-makers with credible, comparable information to guide smarter choices for rivers everywhere. … ” Read more from Nevada Today.
BAY AREA
Marin wants to expand its second-biggest reservoir. The nearby town isn’t happy
“In 2001, Monica and Michael Seybold bought a home in Nicasio, less than a mile from a shimmering reservoir on the edge of the Marin ranching community. Over time, hazards have become increasingly apparent. Most winters, heavy rainfall floods a creek that flows through their backyard toward the reservoir. Sediment buildup has caused the creek bed — and the water — to rise further, they said. “It got so bad in one winter storm that we had goats and they got themselves trapped, and Mike had to go out and swim each goat back up to land,” said Monica Seybold, who has raised three boys there with her husband. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Teachers dive into local water systems
“Just days before heading back to their classrooms, 26 teachers from across Solano County traded desks for wetlands, boats and sunny trails as part of the Solano Water Institute for Teachers. Hosted by Solano Resource Conservation District, this three-day outdoor professional development program immerses K-12 educators in the natural and managed water systems that define our region. Over the course of the training, teachers engaged with local scientists and water professionals, deepened their understanding of regional environmental issues and explored hands-on activities they can bring back to their students. The experience combines field trips to local open spaces with interactive workshops aligned with California’s Project WET curriculum, facilitated by longtime coordinator Brian Brown. … ” Read more from the Independent Voice.
Celebrating Water Quality Month: The vital work of Valley Water’s water quality unit
“August is Water Quality Month, a time to celebrate the importance of clean water and the efforts made to ensure its safety and availability. Leading this mission is our Water Quality Unit, a dedicated team committed to maintaining and improving water quality for the community. The engineers at the Water Quality Unit tackle various issues, from emergencies at water treatment plants to customer inquiries about water quality. Their top priority is health and safety, reassuring the public that the water produced is safe. Engineers might be out in the field on any given day, troubleshooting issues at a water treatment plant or conducting on-site tests. Their work at treatment plants often involves conducting bench-scale tests at the laboratory level, testing different chemical dosages, and measuring the effect under various conditions. … ” Read more from Valley Water.
CENTRAL COAST
California Coastal Commission rejects SpaceX launch expansion
“The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously (11-0) against SpaceX’s plan to increase annual Falcon 9 rocket launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base from 50 to 95. This marks the second time the commission has opposed launch expansion at Vandenberg; last October it voted against raising launches from 36 to 50. Although the commission opposes the new plan, the U.S. government – specifically the Department of the Air Force – can override the state’s objections and approve the expansion, citing federal exemption from state oversight. … ” Read more from the SJV Sun.
EASTERN SIERRA
Tracking the birds: New Motus arrays in the Mono Basin
“After more than six years of collaboration, permitting, and piecing together logistics, the Mono Lake Committee has successfully installed three new Motus arrays around Mono Lake. This marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to better understand the migratory movements of bird species that rely on Mono Lake as critical stopover habitat. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international network of automated radio telemetry arrays that track the movements of migratory animals—birds, bats, and even insects—using tiny radio tags. When a tagged animal flies within detection range of a Motus array, its presence is logged and uploaded to the Motus network, contributing valuable data to a shared global research collaboration. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Coastal Commission approves Long Beach’s 10-year dredging project
“The California Coastal Commission this week unanimously approved Long Beach’s 10-year dredging project, which is intended to maintain existing navigational channels and place sediment material along city public beaches. Long Beach applied for a coastal development permit to dredge up to 150,000 cubic yards of material annually for a 10-year period from various channels, bays and harbors – including the Los Angeles River Estuary, Shoreline Marina, Rainbow Harbor, Alamitos Bay, and Cerritos Channel – and place dredged material at Alamitos Beach, Cherry Beach and Peninsula Beach, according to the Coastal Commission staff report. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea not to blame for Coachella, Imperial air pollution, study says
“For years, millions of dollars have poured into controlling dust that wafts off the exposed lake shoreline of the Salton Sea, hoping to solve a serious air pollution problem in the Coachella and Imperial valleys. But a new report finds that the dusty shoreline is only responsible for a small percentage of the pollution, prompting some researchers to emphasize that cleaner air inside people’s homes, workplaces and schools could be more important in addressing the asthma and respiratory disease that plague the area. “My big takeaway is that there’s so many different sources that what we really need to do is pivot away from source control to start protecting people where they’re exposed,” said Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute and lead author of the report. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
In national water news this weekend …
Environmental groups face ‘generational’ setbacks under Trump
“In the Biden administration, the American environmental movement reached what many of its supporters considered an apex. Congress passed the largest ever federal law to combat climate change. Coal-burning power plants were shutting down. Hundreds of billions of dollars of federal investment in renewable energy, batteries and electric vehicles was beginning to flow. But in just months, President Trump has attacked much of that work. The Biden-era climate law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, is in tatters. The White House is trying to revive coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, while boosting oil and gas and hindering solar and wind power. And it is weakening or trying to scrap environmental policies and regulations, some dating to 1970. The abrupt reversal in fortunes has led to a moment of crisis for the environmental community. “The morale is destroyed,” said Ramon Cruz, a former president of the Sierra Club. “I won’t try to sugar coat it. This is a generational loss.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
