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In California water news today …
SoCal’s most powerful water job is still open with big calls about the future to make
“The most important water job in this region, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is in flux. Three people have held the position over the past five years, including two since the end of January. Now, Met Water is in the process of hiring yet another new leader, with district officials saying their goal is to find a general manager who will stay on the job for several years. “The job is obviously important,” said Adán Ortega, chairman of the board at Met Water. “Stability is important.” Actually, stability at Met Water is important far beyond the district. The 97-year-old, publicly funded district is the nation’s biggest water wholesaler, importing water from the Colorado River and Northern California that’s used by about 19 million people in six Southern California counties. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
RELATED:
- Why every Californian has a stake in who Metropolitan picks for its new GM, commentary fr Bruce Reznik, executive director of LA Waterkeeper
- Restore the Delta Calls for Accountability and Oversight in Delta Conveyance Project Financing and Metropolitan Water District Leadership Selection, from Restore the Delta
California farmers could face civil penalties for crop mismanagement
“A who’s-who of agricultural groups and even the California Chamber of Commerce are backing a bill in California to give county agricultural commissioner’s authority to levy civil penalties on grossly unmanaged farms. A similar bill was vetoed last year by Gov. Newsom. In his veto message, the governor said the bill “may unintentionally lead to penalties being assessed against growers who utilize insects in their practices that are not harmful to adjacent areas.” Authored by Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, Assembly Bill 732 gives county agricultural commissioner authority to levy civil penalties of $500 per acre for a first offense on properties deemed a public nuisance. Civil penalties can be increased to $1,000 per acre on land if the counties determine a “good faith effort” has not been made by the landowner. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Could a tropical cyclone impact California weather this week?
“A tropical depression that formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Sunday, dubbed Ten-E, is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm Monday and could impact California’s weather this week. The cyclone is predicted to move northwestward, well offshore the coast of Mexico. It is not expected to reach hurricane strength and will probably remain weak and too distant for any major impacts in Baja California, but remnant moisture from the system may move all the way toward the San Diego area Friday. If the cyclone reaches tropical storm strength it will be named Juliette. Winds in the upper atmosphere are forecast to blow from south to north from the tropics toward Southern California and Arizona. These winds may ingest some moisture from the tropical cyclone and bring high-level clouds to Los Angeles and San Diego. If enough instability is in the atmosphere, thunderstorms may reach the coast, but the chance of storms is highest in the Transverse Ranges on Friday and Saturday. That is, if the moisture arrives at all. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Is summer getting longer where you live? See how temperatures have changed
“Summer heat isn’t just for the summer anymore. In recent decades, sweat-inducing temperatures have been arriving earlier and ending later in the year. An analysis of U.S. weather data shared with The Washington Post shows which places are experiencing notably longer summer seasons than they were three decades ago. Temperatures are spiking to levels typically seen in June earlier than expected and lingering longer at the end of the season. The analysis, conducted by climatologist Brian Brettschneider, examined the hottest 90 days of the year from 1965 to 1994 and compared their frequency over 1995 to 2024. He found that the temperatures that used to kick off the hottest three months of the year are expanding beyond the calendar definition of summer. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
In commentary today …
Commentary: Why every Californian has a stake in who Metropolitan picks for its new GM
Bruce Reznik, executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper, writes, “When it comes to determining the fate of big water projects in California, there is no bigger influencer than the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Metropolitan is the largest water wholesaler in the nation, supplying water to 26 water districts throughout the region that in turn keep the taps flowing to 19 million people. As such, the agency is often the 800-pound gorilla in the room when big-ticket water infrastructure projects are looking for investors in California. Metropolitan was conceived and initially operated as a water importer, bringing this precious commodity to burgeoning Southern California first from the Colorado River starting in the 1930s and subsequently from the Bay-Delta. The district’s objectives and operations mirrored those of the LA Department of Water and Power, whose infamous former leader celebrated the opening of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 by declaring, “There it is, Take it!” In the decades since Metropolitan’s founding, however, our climate has changed. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
Commentary: California should pursue better alternatives to the costly Delta Tunnel Project
Senator Jerry McNerney writes, “Millions of Californians rely on freshwater from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and a half-million people who live in and around the Delta depend on the largest estuary on the West Coast for their livelihoods. But the Delta region is at serious risk. Gov. Gavin Newsom is attempting to fast-track the construction of a massive, budget-busting water tunnel through the Delta to ship freshwater to Southern California and the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The 45-mile-long, $20 billion-plus tunnel, which would take at least 15 years to complete, would inflict widespread environmental damage and destroy thousands of acres of prime farmland and historic cultural and tribal resources. The project is the latest version of the Peripheral Canal proposal that California voters rejected in 1982. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
ILRP regulations lifted for operations in the Central Valley region’s Pit River Subwatershed
“During its August 22 meeting, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to amend the region’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) General Order and exempt growers in the Pit River subwatershed from having to enroll in the program. The Pit River Subwatershed is located in portions of Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, and Siskiyou counties where the primary crops are pasture (79%), forage crops, wild rice, and small acreages of specialty crops. The rationale for the exemption is that the Pit River area growers rarely apply nitrogen fertilizers or pesticides and pose a “minimal risk of impairing the quality of surface waters and groundwater.” In addition, the regional water board acknowledged that growers in the Pit River Subwatershed pay a higher regulatory cost in terms of percentage of per-acre earnings compared with growers in other areas. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
‘The loss will be significant’: Invasive beetles spread through Mendocino’s valley oaks
“Although half the nation would probably identify redwoods as the iconic California tree, many Californians might instead think of native deciduous and live oaks. The image of singular twisted oaks on golden rolling hills is as emblematic as they come. But oak trees are increasingly under threat by a quartet of bad actors, with contributing stressors of drought and climate change. The newest culprit is the Mediterranean oak borer, or MOB, recently confirmed in Hopland and Potter Valley. The beetle has been around since at least 2019, said University of California Cooperative Extension forest advisor Michael Jones, speaking from his Ukiah office. “It’s new in the sense that we’re now trying to understand it,” he explained. He suspects that the insect had been around for possibly a decade before arborists began taking note of it and its population started to increase. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
NAPA/SONOMA
Ducks are back on Sonoma County’s wetlands
“Laguna de Santa Rosa — First light lifts over the Laguna and the water stirs: pintails skim the shallows, teal chatter in tight circles, and a raft of mallards lifts off like a shaken rug. If you’ve been out to the Laguna, Shollenberger Park, or the baylands lately, you’ve seen it too. After three wet winters, ducks are back. Fresh numbers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirm what locals are watching on the water. The 2025 breeding survey shows total ducks in California up 27% from last year to 474,495. Mallards — the state’s anchor duck — jumped 49% to 265,640. Gadwalls more than doubled. “The survey indicated an increase in mallard abundance, and habitat conditions were good in northern California, so we expect average to above-average production for all waterfowl species,” said Melanie Weaver, a CDFW waterfowl biologist. … ” Read more from the Sonoma County Gazette.
BAY AREA
Marin Municipal Water District backs out of Nicasio Reservoir plan
“The Marin Municipal Water District has withdrawn its plan to increase capacity at the Nicasio Reservoir due to ballooning cost estimates. The project, which faced backlash from Nicasio residents over flood concerns, had been pitched as a relatively easy and inexpensive way to boost Marin County’s water supply. After investigations revealed more work than anticipated, the project’s estimate of $10 million to $15 million skyrocketed to an estimated $37 million to $54 million. Staff recommended terminating the project. “I say we just cancel it right now and put the community at rest to let them know that this is taken off the docket and we no longer need to move forward with it,” said Matt Samson, district board chair. “It’s no longer economically viable and it’s no longer a responsible way to spend district ratepayer money on a water supply.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Valley Water land sees reduction in San Jose homeless camps
“As efforts to clean up trash and clear homeless residents from local waterways continue, officials are working to make sure people don’t just move from one location to the next due to lack of housing. Valley Water has removed 462 homeless encampments from its land since implementing a no camping policy at the end of last year, according to spokesperson Matt Keller. The policy is meant to protect the 333 miles of waterways managed by Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier. Prior to the policy, more than 450 people lived along the waterways, predominantly concentrated in San Jose and sections of Coyote, Upper Penitencia and Lower Silver creeks and Guadalupe River. Based on Valley Water’s latest count, conducted in February, there are 224 people on the agency’s property. Keller said the agency has seen some successes since the policy took effect. … ” Read more from the San Jose Spotlight.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Permits were expedited for this California clean energy project. Were residents sidelined?
“The fallowed farmland — too dry, salty and barren to grow crops — stretches across a remote, sunbaked expanse crisscrossed by rutted dirt roads. Soon, roughly 15 square miles of these retired agricultural fields in western Fresno County will hold one of the world’s largest solar and battery energy storage projects — a behemoth capable of powering some 850,000 homes for four hours. The Darden Clean Energy Project, approved by the California Energy Commission in June, is the first development to be fast-tracked under a 2022 state law that allows large renewable energy projects to be reviewed and permitted without sign-off from county and municipal governments. The Opt-In Certification Program, as it is called, is meant to sidestep the kind of local pushback that can drag on for years. And the Darden project’s approval was touted by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a major victory in helping the state meet its ambitious climate goal of using 100% clean energy by 2045. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Huge marijuana farm spewing toxic chemicals is busted in Sequoia National Park
“Sequoia National Park is home to the world’s largest trees and iconic birds including peregrine falcons and bald eagles. But in its backcountry, illegal marijuana grows are wreaking havoc on this biodiverse haven by diverting creeks, poisoning soil with pesticides and dumping thousands of pounds of waste. On Thursday, the National Park Service announced a key win in its decades-long battle against these toxic farms: the removal of nearly 2,400 marijuana plants and around 2,000 pounds of trash from a 13-acre illegal grow site. NPS law enforcement rangers initially found and raided the cultivation site last year but were unable to immediately move forward with rehabilitation because of the presence of several hazardous chemicals including methamidophos, an insecticide banned in the United States since 2009. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Thousands of marijuana plants removed from California’s Sequoia National Park, from CBS News
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Historic deal, part of $100M program, returns ancestral lands to Calif. tribe
“The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel recently reacquired more than 1,000 acres of its ancestral land in San Diego County, the tribe announced Tuesday. The historic deal returned 1,107 acres of land on the eastern side of the Volcan Mountains, the tribe wrote in a news release. The property is about 45 miles east of San Diego, close to the town of Julian and directly adjacent to the Iipay Nation’s existing Santa Ysabel Reservation. The returned land supports a mix of habitats, including oak woodland, native grassland and mixed hardwood and conifer forest. It’s home to several protected and endangered species, including the golden eagle and arroyo toad. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River water access faces uncertainty
“The Colorado River is the lifeline of the southwest, providing water to millions of people, farmland and major cities. However, after more than two decades of drought, water levels have dropped to historic lows, and the future of this critical resource is now being negotiated by seven states. Dubbed the nation’s “salad bowl,” there’s over 180,000 acres of farm land in Yuma County. 90% of the leafy greens you eat in the winter months are grown here, but Yuma farmer Matt McGuire shares how that is possible if the area of the country only gets three to four inches of rain a year. “We need this water. Colorado River Water. We’re in a desert, we don’t get very much rainfall. We need this water to grow our crops,” McGuire explained. … ” Read more from KYMA.
Commentary: Colorado River is careening to crisis again. There’s a better way
Kate Gallego (mayor of Phoenix),. Chad Franke (president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union), Tom Kiernan (CEO of American Rivers), and Manuel Heart (chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe), write, “The Colorado River connects a complex network of communities, economies and landscapes from the headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. It provides water for more than 35 million people, hydropower, millions of acres of farms and ranchland, and key environmental resources, while also supporting more than a $1 trillion economy and serving as home to 30 federally recognized tribes. Yet today, our vital Colorado River network is at a perilous tipping point. The 2026 water year may bring another round of steep cuts and emergency operations if the drier projections in the 24-month study prevail.Against this backdrop, we urgently need unified action. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Water agency gets 6 proposals to increase Arizona’s supply — including desalination
“An Arizona water agency is assessing a series of proposals by groups who say they can increase the state’s water supply. Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Finance Authority put out a request for water augmentation proposals last year and announced this week that it has received six. “Today’s announcement represents significant progress in WIFA’s mission to advance water augmentation projects that help secure Arizona’s water future,” Long Term Water Augmentation Fund Committee Chairman Ted Cooke said in a statement. “The receipt of these offers proves that there is capacity and capability to develop new, renewable water supplies for Arizona and that WIFA’s process for ensuring that we approach any investment in generational water infrastructure with a sound, methodical approach is working.” … ” Read more from KJZZ.
With wildfire-prevention work, Flagstaff seeks to avoid the next devastating flood
“Five large wildfires have burned tens of thousands of acres in the forests around this northern Arizona city in the last 15 years. Monsoon floods after those fires closed roads, wrecked homes, and took the life of a 12-year-old girl. But it is the fire that has yet to burn that most worries City of Flagstaff and Coconino County leaders. A large blaze in the Upper Rio de Flag watershed, which crosses the heart of the city, would be a deep wound. If it were coupled with intense monsoon rains, a fire that burned the entire 21,500-acre basin could trigger a flood catastrophe. In a worst-case scenario, the fire-flood combo could cause at least $2.8 billion dollars in economic losses, according to a 2023 assessment from Northern Arizona University’s Economic Policy Institute. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue.
How a ‘good fire’ in the Grand Canyon exploded into a raging inferno
“When lightning sparked a small fire amid the stately ponderosa pines on the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon last month, national parks officials treated it like a good thing. Instead of racing to put the fire out immediately, as was the practice for decades, they deferred to the doctrines of modern fire science. The prevailing wisdom says the American West was forged by flames that nourish the soil and naturally reduce the supply of dry fuels. So officials built containment lines to keep the fire away from people and the park’s historic buildings and then stepped back to let the flames perform their ancient magic. That strategy worked well — until it didn’t. A week later, the wind suddenly increased and the modest, 120-acre controlled burn exploded into a “megafire,” the largest in the United States so far this year. As of Saturday, the blaze had burned more than 145,000 acres and was 63% contained. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In national water news today …
Transformational adaptation: a new age of the Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) platform
“The urgency of placing equal focus on climate adaptation alongside mitigation has never been greater. While mitigation – reducing greenhouse gas emissions – is critical to limit future climate change, the impacts of a warming planet are already here and accelerating. Countries and communities must tackle the rapidly evolving conditions we face today. One essential tool in the toolbox of adaptation planning is the Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) platform, SEI’s flagship water management software that has supported governments and researchers at all levels in more than 190 countries for more than 35 years. The WEAP developers at SEI now unveil a new, streamlined look to the website, weap21.org. The website is more modern and user-friendly, with a new focus on climate adaptation and “WEAP in action” features that highlight the many uses of WEAP around the world. The tool itself is also updated with new functions. … ” Read more from the Stockholm Environmental Institute.
Mapping the progress of IIJA funding for water infrastructure
“In November of 2021, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was passed, ushering in a historic infusion of federal funding to bolster the nation’s infrastructure. The IIJA appropriated roughly US$43.5 billion for water infrastructure through the existing State Revolving Funds (SRF) administered by the EPA. Half of this amount supplements traditional Drinking Water and Clean Water SRF programs, with the remainder designated for projects addressing lead service lines and emerging contaminants (i.e., PFAS). In addition to the SRF channels, another US$7.3 billion was appropriated for Water Infrastructure for the Nation (WIIN), Water Recycling and Desalination, Water Storage and Conveyance, and WaterSMART Grants, all supporting critical water management projects in western states. Each quarter for the last three years, Bluefield Research has tracked the progress of water infrastructure funding across these 10 discrete programs. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
