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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, Land Use Workgroup from 1pm to 2:30pm. Join the Department of Water Resources for the Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative meeting of the Land Use Workgroup. Register here.
In California water news today …
Is a La Niña winter coming? NOAA releases update for 2025
“Odds are looking better that La Niña will start soon, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday, but its impacts may be short-lived this year. There’s a 71% chance that a La Niña pattern will form between October and November of this year, the Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said. Typically, La Niña (and its counterpart, El Niño) strengthens and reaches its peak in the winter months. However, this year could be a little different. As we enter peak winter, between December 2025 and February 2026, the chances of seeing a La Niña drop to about 54%. That could mean that this year’s La Niña ends up being short and weak, much like the one we saw last winter. At this point, it looks like La Niña is favored to end before winter is over. … ” Read more from The Hill.
70% chance La Niña arrives in SF Bay Area within weeks
“New data shows that a La Niña weather pattern is likely to develop in a few weeks, potentially impacting the Bay Area and California just at the start of the rainy season. The National Weather Service says there is now a 71% chance of a La Niña weather event in the Pacific Ocean starting in October. A La Niña weather pattern occurs when there are colder-than-average surface temperatures in central and eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean. It can have major effects on weather patterns across the globe and significantly impact rain trends along the entire West Coast. “Typically, in a La Niña year, the Pacific Northwest tends to get wetter and cooler, while the Southwest tends to get dryer and warmer,” Dial Hong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told SFGATE. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
An annual blast of Pacific cold water did not occur, alarming scientists
“Each year between January and April, a blob of cold water rises from the depths of the Gulf of Panama to the surface, playing an essential role in supporting marine life in the region. But this year, it never arrived. “It came as a surprise,” said Ralf Schiebel, a paleoceanographer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry who studies the region. “We’ve never seen something like this before.” The blob is as much as 10 degrees Celsius, or 18 degrees Fahrenheit, colder than the surface water. It is also rich in nutrients from decomposing matter that falls to the ocean floor, providing food for local fisheries and wildlife. Dr. Schiebel was one of the scientists who recently documented the lack of this yearly upwelling in a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and identified a likely culprit: The lack of strong trade winds, which typically blow across Panama and kick off the dry season in January. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
UC ANR team helps small farmers understand historic, decade-old groundwater law
“A landmark law – representing one of the most revolutionary changes to groundwater management in California history – was passed more than 10 years ago. But many farmers across the state still have not even heard of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA. Jarin Tasnim Anika started as a SGMA technical assistance community educator for small farms with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources earlier this year. She said that of the dozens of small-scale farmers she has spoken with, “an extremely small fraction” of them had heard of SGMA. “I’ve been driving around Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties – the counties I cover – and for almost all of the small farmers, I can honestly say that I was the first person who has talked about SGMA with them,” Anika said. … ” Read more from UCANR.
SIU grad’s research illuminates pollution threats to endangered Calif. fish
“The Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel was still and quiet as the boat cut through the morning fog. For Cristina La, then a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this was the moment she had been preparing for over months of planning and lab work. Somewhere below the boat swam the last remaining stronghold of California’s delta smelt — a tiny, silvery fish whose decline has become a warning signal for the entire Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem. “It’s surreal going into the actual field portion when coming from a different state,” La recalled. “All of these mythical locations we’d discussed for months just suddenly materialize in front of you. And then you realize — this is it. This is where you have to get it right.” La’s master’s research was part of a collaborative project focused on the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel, one of the few remaining habitats for delta smelt and longfin smelt: small, sensitive fish often called a “canary in the coal mine” for the San Francisco Estuary. Their steep decline signals ecosystem disruption that threatens other native fish such as salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, making their survival a key measure of the delta’s overall health. … ” Read more from Southern Illinois University.
Salmon have their own ‘secret superfood’ in rivers that helps them survive and thrive
“In northern California, rivers feed people, wildlife, and culture. But what fuels these river waters? Scientists found that a partnership between microscopic algae and specialized bacteria feeds the food web from the ground up. It is not fertilizer, not runoff, but life itself that is keeping rivers alive. Along the Eel river, this unexpected algae partnership benefits the health of the ecosystem and supports the salmon populations. Salmon are at the center of it all – they are food, heritage and a sign of healthy waters. When salmon run strong, rivers thrive. When they struggle, entire communities feel the loss … ” Read more from Earth.com.
California bill to ban “forever chemicals” in cookware pits celebrity chefs against environmental advocates
“California lawmakers are weighing whether to ban a group of chemicals known as PFAS, which are often called “forever chemicals,” in cookware. The move has pulled in celebrity chefs on one side and environmentalists, including actor Mark Ruffalo, on the other. The proposal, Senate Bill 682, would prohibit PFAS in cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging and certain children’s products. The state Senate has already passed the bill and sent it to the state Assembly for consideration. Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to finalize the measure and send it to Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s the latest move to limit PFAS, which are a class of thousands of chemicals that have been around for more than 70 years and are widely used in a variety of consumer, commercial and industrial products due to their ability to withstand heat and repel water and stains…. ” Read more from CBS News.
SEE ALSO: States Want to Ban ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Cookware. These Chefs Say Don’t Do It, from the New York Times
Down to the wire: California lawmakers announce last-minute climate and energy package
“After months of negotiation, California legislative leaders on Wednesday reached an eleventh-hour agreement on a suite of closely watched climate and energy bills. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) announced the deal just days before the the legislative session ends on Friday. It includes reauthorization of California’s signature cap-and-trade program and the expansion of a regional electricity market, among other items. “After months of hard work with the Legislature, we have agreed to historic reforms that will save money on your electric bills, stabilize gas supply, and slash toxic air pollution — all while fast-tracking California’s transition to a clean, green job-creating economy,” Newsom said in a statement. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO:
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- Legislature tackles climate packages in final days, from the Sacramento Bee
- Newsom strikes climate deal extending California cap and trade, boosting oil production, from the San Francisco Chronicle
With marathon meetings and secret negotiations, California Legislature barrels toward end of session
“On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared at the state Capitol for a closed-door meeting with top Democrats in the state Legislature to hammer out a deal on key energy and climate policies that hung in the balance. The stakes were high: Californians are shouldering heavy gas and electricity prices, oil refineries are planning to shutter and the Trump administration has targeted state climate policies. Newsom ultimately struck a six-part deal, announced Wednesday with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Mike McGuire. If approved this week, the package of bills would overhaul California’s energy market, spur more oil drilling, help reduce home electricity bills and monitor pollution in low-income communities. It also extends a key climate policy that will funnel $1 billion annually into California High Speed Rail for the next 20 years. “Overall, this is the biggest year for California climate, ever,” said Silicon Valley state Sen. Josh Becker, the Democratic chair of the Senate energy committee. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Mapping California state investments in climate and communities
“As part of its climate initiatives, California has implemented a number of community-supporting programs. These state programs, in addition to reducing emissions and pollution and mitigating the effects of climate change, also present a much-needed opportunity to enhance equity in clean energy projects by augmenting and strengthening the state’s “soft” (or civic) infrastructure, which in turn can bolster project durability and success. CLEE’s new report, Mapping California State Investments in Climate and Communities, summarizes existing soft infrastructure that has already been created through select state investments in climate mitigation and equity-driven capacity building and technical assistance, and catalogues specific projects funded by these state investments in the North and Central Coasts of California. These state investments, if synergized, present an opportunity to create stronger soft infrastructure and in so doing, ensure that new climate infrastructure projects are developed in a durable, but also an equitable and sustainable, way. Read the full report: Mapping California State Investments in Climate and Communities
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Tribes warn water plan threatens endangered fish
“The Bureau of Reclamation proposal faces opposition from the Klamath Tribes over fish survival. The Klamath Tribes are opposing a new federal water plan they say risks killing off endangered fish. The Bureau of Reclamation’s proposal would send up to 38,000 additional acre-feet of water — roughly 12.4 billion gallons — to Klamath Project irrigators in southern Oregon and northern California. The bureau’s Annual Operations Plan, which covers April 1 to Sept. 30, initially allocated 277,000 acre-feet from Upper Klamath Lake. An additional 53,000 acre-feet of water could come from deferred project supply, water banked when irrigators postpone use for later. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Agencies launch innovative pilot program to protect Lake Tahoe’s air and water
“Today, Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective, and Desert Research Institute (DRI) announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the Emerald Bay Shuttle and its operator, Downtowner, that brings together science, technology, and alternative transportation to protect Lake Tahoe’s world-renowned water clarity. “While we know that vehicles impact water quality and Lake clarity, this project will help us better understand exactly how vehicles contribute to Tahoe’s water quality challenges,” said Laura Patten, natural resource director at Keep Tahoe Blue. “With that knowledge, we will continue to create solutions that protect this national treasure and Keep Tahoe Blue.” … ” Read more from Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Four years after the Caldor Fire
“For many Tahoe residents, August 14, 2021, lives in infamy as the start of the devastating Caldor Fire, a 68-day-long megafire that left swaths of the southwestern Tahoe Basin and Sierran western slope scarred. Environmental conditions were primed for even a small spark to get out of control, resulting in the suspected illegal ignition and subsequent high winds to consume close to 220,000 acres of forest and over 1,000 structures. Despite fire agencies simultaneously fighting the second-largest wildfire in California, the Dixie Fire, wildland crews performed heroic efforts to contain the fire before it reached the city of South Lake Tahoe. Christmas Valley in Meyers, located southwest of South Lake Tahoe proper, provided fire personnel enough defensible space to contain the fire when the weather shifted in their favor, ultimately allowing them to stop the spread. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
Restoring Ackerson Meadow: A historic milestone in headwaters conservation
“Construction and revegetation at Ackerson Meadow are complete, and now it’s time to let nature do the work it does best! This marks a huge milestone in the movement towards headwaters restoration in California’s Sierra Nevada, with the Ackerson restoration standing as the largest full-fill meadow restoration in the Sierra Nevada and the largest wetland restoration in Yosemite National Park’s 135 years. When meadow restoration began as a practice in the Sierra roughly 45 years ago, a project of this size was a pipe dream for restoration practitioners, with significant hurdles to funding, permitting, and cross-agency collaboration standing in the way. But now, 150,000 cubic yards of soil and 434,000 wetland container plants later, water is flowing across the entirety of this fully restored meadow. Now the project’s partners, Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite Conservancy, American Rivers, and anyone who values clean water, healthy rivers, and thriving wildlife can celebrate. … ” Read more from American Rivers.
New state-funded facility to provide drinking water treatment for West Lake Tahoe
“The State Water Resources Control Board yesterday joined the Tahoe City Public Utilities District (TCPUD), Department of Water Resources, El Dorado Water Agency and the Placer County Water Agency to mark the grand opening of the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant. The facility replaces an aging seasonal plant in Chambers Landing and provides a permanent, drought-resilient source for drinking water and fire protection for communities along the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The new water-treatment plant on the west shore of Lake Tahoe replaces a temporary, seasonal plant to provide permanent, year-round drinking water supplies for up to 1,900 residents served by four distinct district water systems (McKinney-Quail, Madden Creek, and Tahoe Cedars). Treating one million gallons of surface water from the lake per day, the facility is a reliable, drought resistant source for safe drinking water and firefighting. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Invasive golden mussels suspected in Butte County
“Invasive golden mussels may have been spotted in Butte County last week, raising concerns about the potential impact on local water resources. A recent watercraft inspection at the Thermalito North Forebay prevented what is suspected to be the invasive species from entering the water, marking only the second time they have been seen at the site. Approximately 6,800 inspections have been conducted at the California Department of Water Resource’s Thermalito inspection site since the program began in May. “We find it to be in the best interest of protecting our water resources and, and our infrastructure that we’ve developed here to provide water supply,” said Andy Bambauer, Recreation and Land Use Manager for the California Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Sacramento Weir Expansion hits unstable ground, could delay project
“A key flood-control project designed to protect Sacramento from some of the nation’s highest flood risks has hit unexpected problems underground. Crews working on the Sacramento Weir expansion discovered a portion of the foundation contains unstable soil, sinking below the foundation. A condition engineers call “differential settlement.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement: “We are aware of the differential settlement observed at the Sacramento Weir and our project team is carefully evaluating next steps. While this may extend the overall completion timeline for the weir expansion, our top priority remains ensuring the long-term safety and reliability of this critical flood management structure. We expect our analysis to be complete by the end of September.” The project is designed to act as a pressure-relief valve, diverting water into the Yolo Bypass and protecting Sacramento’s levees. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
SEE ALSO: Construction on Sacramento weir expansion hits snag as new project sinks, from KCRA
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Report shows Kern’s water systems have “alarming trend” of contamination violations
“Rural Kern County residents have a higher likelihood of drinking water tainted with unhealthful levels of contaminants than their southern California neighbors, thanks, in part to Kern’s hodgepodge of small, under resourced water systems, according to a report from the Luskin Center for Innovation at the University of California, Los Angeles. Researchers found that Kern’s 164 systems serve an average 5,393 customers, indicating significant “water sprawl” in the county, particularly in rural, primarily low-income, areas. Ninety-one of those systems had 1,546 water quality violations over the past 10 years, more than three times the next highest county studied, according to the report. That system fragmentation in Kern has also resulted in significantly higher monthly bills for residents of severely disadvantaged communities, where researchers found costs sometimes exceeded $145 a month – the highest of all counties studied. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Who manages your water in Southern California, and why it matters
“Community water systems are the fundamental building blocks of California’s water supply. They provide drinking water to millions of households, businesses, and institutions across the state. But who governs these systems — and how they are managed — has a direct impact on whether communities have access to safe, affordable, and reliable water and if they can adapt to drought and climate change. The 2025 Southern California Community Water Systems Atlas, produced by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), shows how fragmented governance affects communities differently. The Atlas expands the scope of earlier UCLA studies to cover not just Los Angeles County, but 663 systems across six counties: Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. Together, these utilities serve 40 percent of California’s population. The report and companion mapping tool provide the most comprehensive public resource on water systems, shedding light on disparities in water quality, affordability, governance, and climate resilience. … ” Read more from UCLA.
Groundwater treatment pilot study approved for Santa Susan Field Laboratory
“The Department of Energy (DOE) recently received the go-ahead to move forward with a groundwater pilot study. In July, the California State Water Resources Control Board approved a permit for a pilot study at the Hazardous Materials Storage Area located in Area IV at the 2,850-acre Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), the former rocket engine testing and nuclear research facility where DOE operated the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC). The in-situ, or in-place, study is an innovative remediation approach that uses biological and chemical reduction to treat contaminated groundwater, said Dr. Josh Mengers, DOE’s federal project director for ETEC. During a site tour at SSFL in April 2024 for the Groundwater University series, Mengers demonstrated how the pilot study would work. … ” Read more from the Department of Energy.
Dept. of Public Health warns not to swim at certain beaches
“On September 8th, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health warned SoCal residents in a news release to avoid ocean water at several beaches due to high levels of bacteria and toxic materials, including the Redondo Beach Pier, Santa Monica Pier, Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove and Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier) as well as Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (entire swim area). Warnings have been lifted for two areas, including Avenue I Storm drain at Redondo Beach and Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes Estates, where recent sample results showed water quality levels were within State standards. … ” Read more from Los Angeles Magazine.
LA beaches are shrinking. Trucking in sand could help
“Angelenos are experiencing longer and hotter heat waves — and one of the places where we seek refuge from the scorching temperatures is the beach. But that option is at risk. Climate experts say our beaches are shrinking. While coastal erosion is a natural process, climate change events such as sea level rise and stronger storms are accelerating the process. Urban areas like LA have also historically built highways and homes along the coast, giving little room for beaches to naturally go inward. Flood control infrastructure such as dams and sea walls also play a role by preventing sand from naturally flowing into beaches. In July, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the Sand Compatibility and Opportunistic Use Program, which would bring in surplus sand from development projects to help restore five popular beaches. But climate experts say more “managed retreat” projects — a long-term strategy to relocate or remove existing development in hazardous seaside areas, according to the California Coastal Commission — are needed to adapt to inevitable coastal erosion. … ” Read more from the LA Public Press.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Desert Hot Springs residents push back on costly water valve mandate
“Some Desert Hot Springs residents say they are being forced to choose between paying thousands of dollars or losing access to their water service. A homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, told News Channel 3 he and a few of his neighbors received letters from Mission Springs Water District (MSWD) informing them that their homes are deemed hazards to their water system, and as such gave them 30 days to install the “backflow protection device that meets compliance standards.” MSWD officials said the device is designed to stop contaminated water from flowing back into the public water system, but some residents said the mandate comes with steep costs. … ” Read more from KESQ.
Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit opens with focus on Salton Sea health impacts
“The Healthy Desert, Healthy You Summit wrapped up its first day in Rancho Mirage with a spotlight on one of the Coachella Valley’s most pressing issues — the future of the Salton Sea. The daylong event featured panels on air quality, water quality, and infrastructure, drawing strong attendance from residents and community leaders concerned about the region’s environmental health. The final panel, moderated by NBC Palm Springs Olivia Sandusky, focused on the health impacts of the Salton Sea, where shrinking waters have created dust pollution and ecological challenges. … ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs.
SAN DIEGO
Is San Diego in store for a dry winter?
“The National Weather Service says La Niña conditions are likely to develop in the Pacific Ocean this fall, potentially resulting in dry winter conditions for Southern California.Forecasters estimate a 71% chance that La Niña will form between October and December 2025, according to the National Weather Service’s El Niño-Southern Oscillation diagnostic report. The cooling phase of the Pacific climate cycle would then likely persist into winter, though confidence drops to 54% for December 2025 through February 2026. Current observations indicate that sea surface temperatures are running slightly below average, with cooler waters extending more than 600 feet below the surface in the central and eastern Pacific. Wind patterns and tropical storm activity across the region also reflect conditions consistent with a developing La Niña, the Weather Service said. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Along the Colorado River …
The Colorado River Basin has operated in the red for most of the 21st century. Experts call for broad water cuts, now.
“People are still using more water than the Colorado River Basin can supply, and it’s shrinking the water savings account for 40 million people, according to a new analysis from basin water experts. The basin states, including Colorado, need to cut their uses now, the experts said Water stored in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the basin’s two largest reservoirs, could fall to less than 4 million acre-feet of available water if the river’s flows and water demands are repeated next year, according to a report released Thursday by a team of Colorado River water experts. The two reservoirs have a combined capacity of 58.48 million acre-feet, about 92% of the reservoir storage capacity for the entire Colorado River Basin. “If no immediate action is taken to reduce water use, our already-thin buffer of storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead could drop to just 9% of the levels with which we started the 21st century,” the authors said in a joint statement Thursday. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Colorado River can’t keep up with demand, a new study says, and needs immediate help
“The Colorado River, a critical source of water for more than 40 million people across the West, is in dire health and its users should take immediate action to keep the system from possible collapse, a new study warns. The study, released Sept. 11 by a group of water experts across the river’s basin, warned that without rapid action to reduce usage, the “dwindling reserve” in the Colorado’s two major reservoirs may soon be exhausted. “The river recognizes no human laws or governance structures and follows only physical ones,” the authors wrote. A warming climate has lengthened growing seasons, dried out soils and altered winter snowpack runoff, they said, reducing the amount of water flowing into the river system. … ” Read more from Arizona Central. | Read via Yahoo News.
Analysis of Colorado River Basin storage suggests need for immediate action
“While Colorado River Basin attention is focused on negotiating post-2026 operating rules, a near term crisis is unfolding before our eyes. If no immediate action is taken to reduce water use, our already-thin buffer of storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead could drop to just 9 percent of the levels with which we started the 21st century. Water consumption in the Basin continues to outpace the natural supply, further drawing down reservoir levels. While Basin State representatives pursue the elusive goal of a workable and mutually acceptable set of post-2026 operating rules, our review of the latest Bureau of Reclamation data shows that the gap between ongoing water use and the reality of how much water actually flows in the Colorado River poses a serious near term threat. Another year like the one we just had on the Colorado River would nearly exhaust our dwindling reserves. In a report being issued today, we look at total mass balance in the system – reservoir storage, inflow, and water use – to help clarify how much water the Basin actually has to work with if next year’s snowmelt runoff is similar to 2025, and the risks if we do not take near term action to reduce our use. The findings are stark. … ” Continue reading from the Inkstain Blog. | Read the full paper here.
The clock is ticking: Negotiations stall on Colorado River water-sharing pact
“With a critical Nov. 11 deadline fast approaching, negotiators from the seven Colorado River basin states remain at odds over how to manage a river that serves 40 million people — and which, experts long agree, is overallocated. Negotiations are moving so slowly that some basin leaders are questioning whether that agreement will happen before the deadline or whether the Bureau of Reclamation, which still doesn’t have a permanent commissioner, will have to step in. Negotiations over the “divorce,” as some are calling it, or a “conscious uncoupling,” which is how Colorado negotiator Becky Mitchell describes it, began over the year-long stalemate between the upper and lower basin states. And then came the bureau’s 24-month study of hydrology, adding a wrinkle that nobody wanted. The deadline for implementing the post-2026 operating guidelines agreement is Oct. 1, 2026, although the bureau wants everything ready to go by June 2026. … ” Read more from Colorado Politics.
Polis talks fires, housing and where Colorado stands on river negotiations with Western Slope audience
“There’s not much Gov. Jared Polis can say about ongoing negotiations over the Colorado River Compact, but he likes the cards his state is holding compared to the alternative. “It’s much better to be Colorado or Wyoming and Utah than it is to be Arizona or California, without a doubt, without a doubt,” Polis told Colorado Matters Senior Host Ryan Warner on Tuesday. “But yes, it’s a very perilous and legally fraught area, and we can continue to be strong and be tough and also be part of the solution.” The seven states in the Colorado River Basin are working out new water sharing arrangements that will replace the century-old Colorado River Compact. At an event held at Colorado Mesa University’s Asteria Theatre, Polis responded to questions from Western Slope residents, several of whom asked about the future of water in the west. “We are coming to the table,” Polis said. “We’re willing to do our part. Colorado is often seen as a leader in the upper basin. When we have a strong opinion, we often try to bring Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico along and we’d love to be able to resolve this outside of the courts and outside federal action, and we’re going to do everything we can to do that.” … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio.
Commentary: Beneficial use is already well defined
Greg Walcher, president of the Natural Resources Group and author of “Smoking Them Out: The Theft of the Environment and How to Take it Back,” writes, “People often think things ought to be illegal that already are, that we should regulate things we already do, even that things ought to be defined that already are. I couldn’t help wondering how serious last week’s headlines were, announcing that several environmental industry groups had petitioned the Bureau of Reclamation to stop allowing water to be wasted in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The petition calls for an understandable definition of “reasonable and beneficial use” because the bureau says its dams and reservoirs can only deliver water that is “reasonably required for beneficial use.” A law professor who represents the petitioning groups says she just doesn’t know what that means. “As best as we could tell, [the bureau has] never defined the phrase and it does not use the phrase in any meaningful way as it’s making water delivery decisions,” she said. The petition was filed by one national and nine local environmental groups. Some of their members might be forgiven for not knowing nuances of western water law, but it would be breathtaking if a law professor teaching the subject really doesn’t know that “beneficial use” has been well understood in the West for over a century. Wasting water is explicitly prohibited, and “beneficial use” explicitly defined, in the laws of every western state. … ” Read more from the Grand Junction Sentinel.
In national water news today …
Trump cuts derail plan to put meteorologists on front line of disasters
“Ken Graham started the year with a plan. In January, days before President Donald Trump was sworn back into office, the National Weather Service director was in New Orleans for a meteorological conference, sharing his vision to transform the agency. A top priority was putting more forecasters on the front lines of disaster response. And to do that, Graham — who began his NWS career as an intern in 1994 — wanted to embed meteorologists in emergency centers nationwide. “We’re gonna get more local than ever,” he said during one of his conference talks. This kind of support “is what our emergency managers are demanding.” But Graham’s plan to reinforce emergency centers with trained meteorologists has run headlong into Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal government. … ” Read more from E&E News.
