A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Newsom’s bid to fast-track Delta tunnel stalls again
“In a blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitions to replumb the Delta, California lawmakers once again punted on his plan to fast-track a deeply controversial $20 billion tunnel project that would funnel more water to the south. Multiple sources in the Legislature say the clock has run out on a sweeping measure that would overhaul permitting, financing and other road blocks to the Delta tunnel project. The news comes as lawmakers and Newsom race to reach a megadeal that encompasses carbon trading, wildfire funding, energy transmission, and refinery issues. The governor’s office did not respond to CalMatters’ inquiry. While supporters acknowledge the tunnel bill has hit a dead end for now, this isn’t the first time Newsom has tried to fast track the project. And water watchers expect that it won’t be the last. “Even if action is delayed this year, the need for modern delta conveyance has never been greater,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, a staunch supporter of the bill, in a statement. “The need is urgent, the support is broad, and the time to move forward is now.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
State Water Contractors applaud broad support for Delta Conveyance Project, pledge to push for streamlining in next legislative session
“The State Water Contractors (SWC), who deliver water to the homes, farms and businesses of more than 27 million Californians, applaud the broad legislative, labor, business, social justice, and water agency support and dedication shown in recent months to advance the Delta Conveyance Project permit streamlining bill. The Project represents California’s most important climate adaptation strategy, protecting water supplies against sea level rise, earthquakes and other climate-driven threats while maintaining strong environmental protections. The bill itself would have helped save our customers $500 million through reductions in delays caused by the opposition. Although the Governor’s proposal to streamline administrative review and reduce project costs for the DCP was caught up in the crush of high-profile legislative activities at the end of the 2025 legislative session, and will now need to be heard in the next legislative session, the momentum of support from across the state demonstrates the urgent need to continue moving forward, which we plan to do. … ” Read more from the State Water Contractors.
Victory: Broad coalition defeats governor’s trailer bills to fast-track Delta tunnel
“A broad coalition of Tribes, environmental justice groups, family farmers, fishing groups, conservationists, Delta communities and elected officials celebrated victory today in their campaign to stop Governor Gavin Newsom’s trailer bills to fast-track the Delta Tunnel, a project that would destroy the imperiled Sacramento-San Joaquin River ecosystem and Delta communities. At midnight, Gov. Newsom’s Delta Tunnel trailer bills died after no legislator stepped up to carry them forward because of the massive opposition to the bills. In a statement, Delta Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) and Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) on Wednesday applauded the defeat of what they called “the governor’s controversial proposal to fast-track the costly and destructive Delta Tunnel Project.” … ” Read more from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
Trump seizes on California dams as Newsom faces growing pressure
“For more than a century, PG&E’s Potter Valley Project has funneled water from one Northern California river to another. Now, the century-old system has become the center of a political firestorm, cast by the Trump administration as a battle of “fish over people.” Earlier this summer, PG&E submitted its final proposal to federal regulators: Dismantle the project’s two dams, drain its reservoir and retire the diversion tunnel that has long carried Eel River water into the Russian River watershed. The company would replace the infrastructure with a smaller facility that sharply curtails diversions in order to restore the Eel River’s struggling salmon populations. Supporters along the Eel see a long, overdue chance to undo generations of ecological damage. On the Russian River side, critics warn of heightened wildfire danger, worsening water shortages and severe economic strain for farms and communities that rely on the supply. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Trump Administration slams Eel River dam removal plan, but Huffman is confident the project can’t be stopped
“Suddenly, the Trump administration has opinions on PG&E’s dam removal plans on the Eel River. On Sunday evening, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins published a broadside on social media platform X in which she accused the investor-owned utility of “cutting water flows and pushing to tear down the Scott and Cape Horn Dams which have been lifelines for farmers and over 600,000 residents for more than a century.” Of course, we already knew that various Russian River-adjacent farm bureaus and the Lake County government had made direct appeals to the Trump administration in hopes of salvaging the Potter Valley Project, an antiquated and expensive hydroelectric project that diverts water from the Eel to the Russian River. What we didn’t know was whether the administration would take the bait. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
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.
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation and drought outlook in the United States
“The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring phenomenon defined by shifts in tropical Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures, ocean currents, and overlying atmospheric winds. It manifests in three distinct phases: neutral, La Niña, and El Niño. In the contiguous United States, La Niña generally leads to below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures in the Southern U.S. and the opposite in the Northern U.S. during cool seasons. Conversely, El Niño typically causes above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures in the Southern U.S. and below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures in the Northern U.S. during these same seasons. La Niña conditions are likely from September 2025 through January 2026. NOAA’s official probabilistic ENSO forecast indicates a greater than 50% chance for La Niña during this period. Precipitation and temperature related to La Niña, combined with the La Niña forecast and current drought conditions, suggest drought persistence in the Southwest United States, potential drought development in the Southeast, and drought improvement in the Pacific Northwest into Spring 2026. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
Federal satellites gather critical data for managing California’s water
“California relies on federal satellites to understand and manage its water resources every day. Data from these satellites are used to estimate irrigation use, manage groundwater, predict storms, assess flooding, and track water quality, among many other applications. And as the changing climate brings weather whiplash and warmer temperatures to California, these data are becoming increasingly key for adaptation efforts across the state. One of the most important sources of images has been the federal Landsat program, which has sent a series of satellites into space to observe the Earth continuously for over 50 years through a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Geological Survey (USGS). … ” Continue reading from the PPIC.
One of the largest marine heat waves in decades is impacting California weather
“A vast marine heat wave recently arrived to the California coast after slowly migrating across the Pacific Ocean. A buoy just off the coast of San Francisco measured 64 degree ocean water Sunday, the warmest measurement there in three years. Sea-surface temperatures are as much as 7 degrees above normal in parts of the northeast Pacific. It’s the fourth-largest marine heat wave since 1982 in a region extending from just north of Hawaii to California and Alaska, according to Andrew Leising, a research oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “It’s hot out there!” Leising said in an email. “Pretty much the entire coast is a heat wave now.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Post-Blob, California’s kelp crisis isn’t going away
“In 2024, I was scuba diving in Northern California’s Casper Cove where the Watermen’s Alliance, a group of ex-abalone sports divers, has been culling purple urchins since 2020. It had been six years since abalone season shut down, following the region’s kelp forest collapse. About 4 meters (13 feet) down, I spotted a few surviving red abalones, their thick-muscled feet showing from under their single shells as they clung to the bottom of boulders. Purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) clustered near them. I also spotted a single white anemone (Diadumene leucolena) and a spiny, bulbous-eyed Cabezon fish (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) amid scattered stalks of remnant kelp. A short distance away, it was all bare rock and purple pin-cushion-like urchins. It’s different than watching videos of urchin barrens: Aside from being wet and cold and breathing underwater, I was taken by the scale: it’s so expansive, even with only 2 m (6 ft) of visibility in the murky water. … ” Read more from Mongabay.
Shaping the future of the Bay-Delta: The update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan
“The goal of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan is to balance the needs of the environment, agriculture, and urban water users in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, one of the state’s most critical ecosystems. The State Water Board’s update to the plan, in progress for over a decade, is considering changing how water quality standards are set and enforced, expanding responsibilities to a broader range of stakeholders through voluntary agreements. In July, the State Water Board released a draft version of the updated plan for public comment and scheduled two days of public hearings at the end of September. With significant implications for water availability, environmental protection, and statewide resource management, the plan’s progress and proposed changes were the focus of a recent update presented to Metropolitan’s Imported Water Subcommittee. Rebecca Sheehan, an attorney with the Metropolitan Water District, gave the update. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
State recommends Kern subbasin be moved off enforcement track, with some caveats
“Kern farmers will likely avoid state sanctions thanks to the latest revision of the region’s groundwater plan that substantially increased drinking water protections and eventually gained state approval – with some required tweaks. State Water Resources Control Board staff recommended on Friday that the Kern subbasin be moved back under oversight of the Department of Water Resources provided water managers fix three outstanding issues: Make sure there’s a plan in place to get clean water to people if excessive pumping boosts contaminants above allowable levels; include small water systems, those with four or more connections, in that plan; and eliminate the May 2026 sunset provision for the Kern Non-Districted Land Authority Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which oversees land in the subbasin that is outside of water district boundaries. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
California’s land subsidence challenge: A look at DWR’s draft BMP
“Subsidence from groundwater pumping has severely impacted land surfaces and infrastructure in parts of California. Rates of subsidence and its associated impacts have increased in some areas of California due to unsustainable groundwater pumping and practices and increasing climate aridification. The effects are costing Californians hundreds of millions of dollars annually in damage repairs, reducing water supply reliability, and jeopardizing public safety. The August meeting of the California Water Commission featured an in-depth presentation on the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) draft Best Management Practices for addressing land subsidence in California. These practices are designed to help local groundwater sustainability agencies better understand the causes of subsidence, how to monitor it effectively, and strategies for managing its impacts. The presentation was led by Paul Gosselin, DWR’s Deputy Director for Sustainable Water Management, and Shane Edmunds, leader of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan Review Section. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Friant contractors ask U.S. Supreme Court to review water rights case
“The long, circuitous path of a lawsuit against the federal government for cutting off water during the crushing 2014 drought to farms and cities that rely on supplies from the Friant-Kern and Madera canals could lead all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. At least, that’s the goal of attorneys who filed a writ of certiorari on behalf of 20 Friant Water Authority districts, the City of Fresno and several San Joaquin Valley farmers on Sept. 5. The filing is a formal request for the high court to review the case. The lawsuit stems from when the Bureau of Reclamation issued a “zero allocation” to Friant water contractors in 2014 and again during the drought year of 2015. Contractors who get their water from the Friant system sued alleging the federal government breached its contract and that it illegally took their property rights to the water without just compensation. In 2016, the case went to the Court of Federal Claims, which dismissed the Friant districts’ illegal taking argument. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
9th Circuit: Lawsuit would make agricultural runoff exemption “dead letter”
“A federal appeals court has rejected a legal argument that it has determined would render an agricultural exemption to the Clean Water Act a “dead letter.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that challenged the lack of a Clean Water Act permit for an agricultural drainage project in California. Agricultural organizations feared that if the lawsuit’s interpretation of the Clean Water Act prevailed, irrigated agriculture across the West would face a tremendous new regulatory burden. Originally filed 14 years ago by fishing and environmental organizations, the complaint alleged the Grassland Bypass Project has violated the Clean Water Act because it discharges non-agricultural pollutants into a wetland along with runoff from irrigated farmland. … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
SAFER water for California’s future: Legislature moves to continue safe drinking water program past 2030
“Today, the Governor and Legislature released a three-party deal that would protect safe drinking water investments through 2045 by extending the current continuous appropriation of up to $130 million for the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. The Legislature also proposed to appropriate $180 million from Proposition 4, the Climate Bond, for safe drinking water and wastewater projects. This safety net for drinking water investments is critical because federal funding is at risk of being reduced by 90%, creating a concerning gap in resources available to tackle this issue. In a legislative session where environmental justice priorities were otherwise sidelined, these moves if enacted will help to protect drinking water access for some of the most vulnerable Californians. “SAFER is not just a program: it is hope for those of us that face the drinking water crisis,” said Silverio Perez, SAFER Advisory Group member and AGUA Coalition member from the Central Coast. “In the last elections we also voted for Prop 4 so that alongside SAFER, these resources can help the nearly 1 million Californians that still don’t have safe drinking water. Thanks to our legislators who listened to us during our visits to Sacramento and to our unity as a community, we’ve managed to protect resources like SAFER for the future.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
California may help solar bloom where water runs dry
“Ross Franson stood on the road between two fields, where nothing grows under the Fresno County sun. As a teen, Franson hauled a water tank to spray down the dust on roads like this — rolling past rows of almond and pistachio trees, the CD on his Discman skipping with every bump. A quarter of a century later, with water supplies squeezed by climate change and regulation, the dust has spread beyond the sunbaked track to barren fields. Now, on one side of the road, a field sits empty — fallowed, tire-tracked and dry. On the other stands a new crop: solar panels, in glassy black rows behind a chain-link fence. “We’re farmers. We’d rather farm,” Franson said. Still, he added, “This is the only way I think people are going to survive out here, if they’re able to find out other uses for some of the ground like this.” … It’s an existential question for the most agriculturally productive state in the nation. Now, California lawmakers are wading in, with a bill that aims to clear away a financial hurdle for energy developers and landowners eager to plant solar farms with battery storage on fallowed fields. Authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Democrat from Oakland, the bill tackles the Williamson Act, 60-year-old law designed to fend off the creep of suburbia. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Wildfire threats to California water resources demand attention, group warns
“As wildfires become increasingly intense and frequent in California, particularly near reservoirs, experts say threats to water resources will require more proactive preventative measures. Massive swaths of land have burned annually across the state, and rebuilding can take years after the ashes have been swept away. Toxic chemicals linger in the scorched soils even longer, and can make their way into water sources, said Ann Willis, California regional director with American Rivers, a nonprofit focused on protecting clean water resources. Those toxins – including heavy metals such as lead, zinc and copper – could be harmful if consumed, said Willis, a scientist who’s led a program seeking to implement stream conservation strategies across California. “We really want people thinking about not just the immediate impacts of wildfire or when the immediate rebuilding will be complete and out of mind, but that these can be persistent problems that can show up for years and the health impacts are considerable,” Willis said. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
We take clouds for granted
Gavin Pretor-Pinney writes, “I love the way clouds billow above your head, drift lazily across blue skies and cast fleeting shadows on the ground below. These ever-shifting sculptures of vapor and light are among nature’s least appreciated marvels. That’s why 20 years ago, I started the Cloud Appreciation Society, to remind people to look up. Now climate science is catching up, revealing that clouds aren’t just poetic; they’re pivotal in helping to regulate Earth’s temperature. And their influence on the climate is evolving in ways we’re only beginning to understand. How exactly cloud cover will shift in a warming world is anyone’s guess; it’s one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate science. But it should also be everyone’s concern. What happens to our clouds as the planet warms is so important that we need a renaissance in the study of clouds. … ” Continue reading from the New York Times.
In commentary this week …
Modernizing California’s water infrastructure isn’t optional — it’s urgent
Danielle Borja, President/CEO of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, writes, “The Conejo Valley has long been recognized for its innovation, resilience, and economic vitality. Across Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills, world-class life sciences and healthcare companies thrive alongside forward-looking universities and a diverse network of small businesses that drive our local economy. Yet beneath this prosperity rests an increasingly fragile foundation: our water supply. That’s why the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) — a once-in-a-generation modernization of California’s water infrastructure designed to safeguard the reliability of our most essential resource. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star | Read via Yahoo News.
The PERMIT Act: A direct threat to clean water and state authority
South Yuba River Citizens League writes, “Congress is considering legislation that could dramatically weaken one of the most important tools we have to protect water quality: the Clean Water Act. The Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act (PERMIT) Act (H.R. 3898) is a sprawling and far-reaching bill that packages together provisions from a set of House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee proposals introduced earlier this year. While billed as an effort to “cut red tape,” the reality is that the PERMIT Act strips away long-standing safeguards for rivers, streams, and communities. The most dangerous part of the PERMIT Act is Section 5. This section rewrites a key part of the Clean Water Act (Section 401). Section 401 is what gives California and Tribes the power to review and place conditions on federal projects — like dams, pipelines, and large developments — to make sure they don’t pollute our rivers. If the PERMIT Act passes, here’s what it means for California … ” Read more from South Yuba River Citizens League.
New damaging state law erases decades of community environmental protections
“In light of the Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 131 (SB 131) and Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) as budget trailer bills—pushed by the Governor and adopted outside the normal legislative process—The Planning Report asked legal experts Douglas Carstens, Dan Silver, and Aleja Cretcher to assess the implications of SB 131 for environmental and community protections. In this article, the authors explain why SB 131 represents an unprecedented rollback of California’s core environmental safeguards, particularly the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and clarify how it differs from AB 130. They warn that the bill opens the door to unchecked industrial development in vulnerable communities and undermines both public participation and ecological oversight. … ” Read the commentary at the Planning Report.
In regional water news this week …
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.
Some forage farmers exempt from state ag order program
“In a major regulatory shift years in the making, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted last month to amend a general order and exempt agricultural operations in Northern California’s Pit River subwatershed from a state program that regulates farm runoff. The state’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program was established to prevent agricultural runoff from polluting surface and groundwater. Surface water monitoring data collected since 2004 from growers in the Pit River subwatershed—located in portions of Lassen, Modoc, Shasta and Siskiyou counties—have consistently demonstrated low levels of nitrates, pesticides and other pollutants. As such, the regional board voted unanimously to exempt growers in the Pit River subwatershed from having to enroll in the regulatory program. “This has been a long time coming,” said Kari Fisher, senior counsel and director of legal advocacy for the California Farm Bureau. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test finds integration of multiple methods key
“Partners are working on a long-term management plan for the aquatic invasive plants in the Tahoe Keys after the conclusion of a three-year control methods test points to an integrated approach as key. Project partners, including the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association, presented test findings to the Lahontan Regional Water Board on Thursday, Aug. 28. “It’s clear that not one method is going to be the silver bullet for this problem,” said Lars Anderson, PhD, science consultant for the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association, explaining the most important finding is that multiple methods need to be carefully applied and integrated for optimal control. Aquatic invasive plants have proliferated in the Tahoe Keys Lagoons despite the property owners association’s control attempts since the mid-1980s. It is the largest aquatic invasive plant infestation in the region. A survey revealed that approximately 85-90% of the available wet surface in the lagoons were infested with the weeds, threatening to spread to other areas of the lake. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
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.
Napa vineyards helped douse Pickett Fire
“In recent years, wildfire smoke has caused major losses for the renowned wine region. In 2020, fires cost California’s wine sector an estimated $3.7 billion, with smoke from that year’s Glass Fire and other blazes tainting entire crops in Napa Valley. In comparison, the Pickett Fire was less damaging. It helped that winds carried the fire east over Howell Mountain, away from the heart of Napa Valley, that it largely burned within the footprint of the Glass Fire, limiting the fuels in its path, and that Cal Fire had more personnel and resources available to fight the fire. A yearslong effort by the wine industry and community groups to better prepare for wildfires also made a difference, according to farmers and fire officials. “A lot of people have been proactive about trying to minimize their fire exposure,” said Peter Nissen, who grows winegrapes in Calistoga. Since 2020, farmers and wineries reduced wildfire fuels around their properties and installed sprinkler systems to deter flames. They were motivated to protect their assets, Nissen said, especially as many lost access to property insurance. But the effort extended to protecting Napa Valley as a whole. … ” Read the full story from Ag Alert.
Public takeover attempt: Cal Am asks court to toss out water district lawsuit
“California American Water Co. is asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Monterey Peninsula Water Management District that seeks to take over the investor-owned utility’s distribution system – an eminent domain proceeding. The water district filed a counter motion on the same date as Cal Am’s filing – Aug. 20. In the 24-page Cal Am filing – a motion for summary judgment – attorneys for Cal Am cite numerous reasons why a Monterey County Superior Court judge should rule in favor of Cal Am on the water district’s eminent domain claim. The eminent domain effort was launched in 2024 as a result of Monterey Peninsula voters approving Measure J in 2018, calling on the Water District to acquire Cal Am’s Monterey system, according to court documents. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
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.
Decades-old barrels of industrial waste still impacting ocean floor off LA
“In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment. It was unclear whether the barrels contained DDT waste, leaving the barrels’ contents and the eerie halos unexplained. Now, new research from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals that the barrels with halos contained caustic alkaline waste, which created the halos as it leaked out. Though the study’s findings can’t identify which specific chemicals were present in the barrels, DDT manufacturing did produce alkaline as well as acidic waste. Other major industries in the region such as oil refining also generated significant alkaline waste. “One of the main waste streams from DDT production was acid and they didn’t put that into barrels,” said Johanna Gutleben, a Scripps postdoctoral scholar and the study’s first author. “It makes you wonder: What was worse than DDT acid waste to deserve being put into barrels?” … ” Read more from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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.
Blowing up the Water Authority isn’t off the table at LAFCO
“Dismantling San Diego’s biggest water broker could be what local boundary referees recommend later this year in the face of ever-rising water rates. That’s just one of a menu of options that San Diego’s Local Agency Formation Commission, known as LAFCO, will analyze in what’s known as a municipal service review of the San Diego County Water Authority. Reviews like this can inspire further action by the commission, endowed with legislative powers to break up or consolidate cities and government services. “The commission has to weigh in … on agency’s level of accountability to its constituents present and future,” said Keene Simonds, executive officer of San Diego’s LAFCO. “And, as a part of that, does LAFCO believe restructuring, whether in the form of governance or boundaries, is appropriate?” … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
‘Nanobubbles’: Why the fed’s experimental plan to clean the Tijuana River is sounding alarms
“A private company may soon be using federal dollars to launch an experimental project it hopes will reduce toxic gas from the air in the polluted Tijuana River valley. But scientists who have been carrying out years of research in the watershed are raising alarms that the technology is untested and could make matters worse. Last month the International Boundary and Water Commission, which oversees a wastewater treatment facility along the U.S.-Mexico border, awarded Ohio-based Greenwater Services an estimated $2.5 million to test their “nanobubble technology” method to capture contaminants in the Tijuana River. The process involves pumping ozone bubbles into water. Ozone is a gas that reacts with and can break down contaminants. … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
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.
