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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Delta Conveyance Project water right hearing beginning at 9am. The State Water Resources Control Board Administrative Hearings Office will hold a Public Hearing on the pending Petitions for Change of Water Right Permits for the Delta Conveyance Project. Interested members of the public who would like to watch this hearing without participating may do so through the Administrative Hearings Office YouTube channel at: bit.ly/aho-youtube. Click here for the meeting notice.
- WEBINAR: California-Nevada Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar from 12pm to 1pm. The California-Nevada Drought Early Warning System January 2025 Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar is part of a series of regular drought and climate outlook webinars designed to provide stakeholders and other interested parties in the region with timely information on current drought status and impacts, as well as a preview of current and developing climatic events (i.e., El Niño and La Niña). Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Why the planet is drying out much faster than before, according to a new study
According to a new study, the planet is drying at an unprecedented pace, presenting a critical threat to humanity. Researchers found that “continental drying is having profound global impacts” that “threaten water availability” across the globe. To learn more, Ali Rogin speaks with ProPublica climate investigations editor Abrahm Lustgarten for our series, Tipping Point.
Summer now sticks around longer in California cities. How many more days of heat?
“While it might feel like summer flies right by, the season’s hot temperatures actually stick around longer in most major cities in the U.S., a new study found. A new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit focusing on how changing climate affects people’s lives, found that summer’s high temperatures “are lingering later” by days and even weeks, depending on where you live. The nonprofit looked at weather data for 246 cities going back to 1970 and found that hot summer temperatures are sticking around in 227 of them — or 92%. The heat extends into the fall by about 10 days on average, the nonprofit said. Fourteen California cities are experiencing these lingering summer temperatures, ranging from 3 on the low end to 17 on the high end, according to Climate Central’s analysis. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Last of lead cable removed from Baldwin Beach at Lake Tahoe
“The lead-sheathed telecommunications cables resting in Lake Tahoe for decades are now out. In November 2024, agencies announced the eight miles of cable between Baldwin Beach and Rubicon Bay, but there was still one section remaining. Last week, AT&T and its partners removed the last few dozen yards of lead cable that had resided in the sands of Baldwin Beach and under the bed of Tallac Creek for nearly 70 years. “Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the journey to removal,” Evan Dreyer told his followers via email on Sunday. “The execution of this important work is an unequivocal win for Lake Tahoe, and the culmination of years of efforts and coordination across government agencies, corporations and their partners, legal teams, various local groups, the community, and countless others. Together, we delivered this awesome, tangible outcome for future generations, and that next time you jump in the water should feel a little extra special.” … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
International approaches to freshwater management
“In late June and July of this year, UC Davis convened an Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) on “International Approaches to Freshwater Management,” bringing 11 top graduate students from across the US to study rivers and management systems in California, Italy, and the Netherlands. ASIs are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to engage US grad students in emergent global issues and collaborative international research. … Our 2025 ASI participants included graduate students recruited nationally from programs in hydrology, ecology, geography, water law, and agriculture. They arrived in California on June 27 for three days of field visits and intensive discussion of water-system management, focusing on the Yuba River and its watershed. … ” Continue reading from the California Water Blog.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Column: After the dams, seeing the Klamath heal
Journalist Ian James writes, “Over the past two years, I have traveled repeatedly to the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border to report on the dismantling of four dams. I saw crews in excavators as they clawed at the remnants of the Copco No. 1 and Iron Gate dams. And as the giant reservoirs were drained, I saw newly planted seeds taking root in soil that had been underwater for generations. When the last of the dams was breached 13 months ago, the river began flowing freely along about 40 miles for the first time in more than a century. While working on a series of stories about the undamming of the Klamath, I spoke with Indigenous leaders and activists who spent two decades campaigning for the removal of dams, including by filing lawsuits, holding protests and speaking out at meetings of utility shareholders. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Salmon nearly gone, but Gualala community fights for the river’s return
“For generations, the Gualala River was a lifeline for coho salmon. Today, those fish are nearly gone, the river listed as “impaired” under the Clean Water Act after more than a century of logging, erosion, and habitat loss, according to a press release from the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. On Saturday, Oct. 11, neighbors, scientists, and local advocates will gather at the Gualala Arts Center for Restoring the River: Community Event, a free public gathering aimed at bringing life back to the estuary. The release notes that the afternoon will include a 2 p.m. panel where scientists from Prunuske Chatham, Inc. and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will share early proposals to improve fish habitat. Visitors will also find historic photos of the river, booths from local and state partners, and the announcement of winners in the Gualala River Photo Contest. “Since Mill Bend Preserve’s earliest days, the community has urged us to prioritize salmonid habitat restoration,” said Jim Elias, executive director of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy, in the press release. “This plan is a huge step forward toward increasing native fish populations.” … ” Read more from Mendo Fever.
BAY AREA
Meteorologists warn of more rain, thunderstorms in Bay Area and Central California
“A low-pressure system sitting off the coast of Southern California is slated to bring isolated showers and thunderstorms to the Bay Area and Central Coast this week, a forecasters from the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office warned. Rainfall is expected to hit San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties first on Tuesday before the storm system tracks northward, likely not reaching San Francisco until later that evening, Matt Mehle, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office, told SFGATE. The city has a five to 10% chance of seeing thunderstorms and a 20 to 25% chance of precipitation, with a few hundredths of an inch of rain expected across the region “at best,” he said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: One of the Bay Area’s hottest days of 2025 may come just as fall begins, from the San Francisco Chronicle
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The L.A. wildfire cleanup was fast. Residents eager to rebuild worry officials chose speed over safety
“The devastation left in the wake of January’s Eaton and Palisades fires was unimaginable. The firestorms engulfed 59 square miles of Southern California — more than twice the size of Manhattan — transforming entire city blocks in Altadena and Pacific Palisades into corridors of ashes, twisted metal and skeletal trees. … Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that it had finished clearing roughly 2.6 million tons of wreckage from nearly 9,700 properties, an astonishing eight-month federal cleanup that has been extolled as the largest and fastest in modern American history. Private contractors removed fire debris from an additional 2,100 parcels. However, many experts worry that the rapid pace of federal cleanup resulted in sloppy work, time-saving measures and lax oversight that may ultimately cost homeowners. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Environmentalists sue Long Beach to block warehouse project along LA River
“Two environmentalist groups have sued Long Beach over its decision to allow construction of a self-storage warehouse along the Los Angeles River, marking the latest snag in the years-long battle to develop the 14-acre plot. Filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, the lawsuit brought by the Riverpark Coalition and Los Angeles Waterkeeper alleges the city did not conduct a sufficient environmental review of the project, adding that the analysis of its impacts on the surrounding land was “prejudicially misleading.” Long Beach City Council members voted 8 to 1 in August to proceed with the plan, billed as a long-overdue step to develop vacant land near the Los Cerritos neighborhood that had in recent years become a public nuisance. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Post.
Citizen scientists, pros alike working to help Pacific green sea turtles in the San Gabriel River
“Just around the corner from Long Beach’s Edison Park, and about a two-mile walk down the banks of the San Gabriel River, is a little-known oasis — one that’s teeming with wildlife. Most notably, this section of the San Gabriel River — which empties out into the Pacific Ocean just a few miles downriver in Seal Beach — has become popular with Pacific green sea turtles. The creatures’ presence in the river, in turn, has sparked a yearslong effort to monitor, study and help conserve the endangered species from Southern California all the way down to Mexico, where the turtles breed. Every Wednesday morning, a group of dedicated volunteers from all walks of life make the 1.5-mile trek down the San Gabriel River bike path to participate in the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Green Sea Turtle Monitoring Project, gathering crucial data that’s used to build out scientist’s understanding of the species’ behavior, the health of the larger ecosystem they occupy and more. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
New sign of life at ‘The Swamp’: Girl Scout project highlights Ocean View High’s wetland area
“Many students walk by the wetlands ecosystem at Ocean View High School without a thought. A new informational sign might change that. The placard, which documents many of the animals and plants in the area known as “The Swamp,” was designed by 2025 Ocean View graduate Aubrie Sokoloff for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project and unveiled Sept. 12. Sokoloff, who is headed to UC Santa Cruz, visited the area on weekends and, using binoculars and taking photos, documented what she saw. “I’m very passionate about this subject,” said Sokoloff, 18. “This was a great opportunity, because this was on my school campus. It’s beautiful and people need to be aware of it. People need to start caring and need to start taking action. It’s the lack of action that’s really bringing us down.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
States clash over reservoirs as ‘dead pool’ looms
Lake Mead and Lake Powell are about 31% full, already triggering cutbacks for Arizona and Nevada. Under a dire scenario, Lake Powell could fall below power-generation levels by December 2026, with Dead Pool possible if policies do not change. California holds senior rights as states negotiate a new percentage-based plan due in November.
Water for the future: Agreement expands supply to meet Utah county’s growth
“In a landmark moment for the future of water in Utah County, federal, state, and local water leaders gathered today at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Provo Area Office to officially sign the Strawberry Valley Project 1920 Act Conversion Contract. The signing ceremony marks the formal launch of a long-anticipated plan to convert irrigation water from Strawberry Reservoir for municipal and industrial (M&I) use, including drinking water. The agreement—developed by Reclamation in close collaboration with the Strawberry Water Users Association, the Strawberry Highline Canal Company, municipalities, and other contract holders—reflects years of planning, environmental review, and public engagement. It comes at a critical time, as south Utah County—home to cities like Spanish Fork, Payson, and Salem—faces unprecedented population growth and increasing demand for reliable water supplies. The agreement authorizes the conversion of up to 61,000 acre-feet of water largely used for commercial agriculture and residential outdoor watering, enough to support the needs of approximately 183,000 homes annually. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Colorado poised to join lawsuit over alleged endangered species violations linked to oil trains
“Colorado, along with 15 other states, is poised to sue the federal government for ignoring endangered species regulations in a wide range of infrastructure projects on public lands. One of those projects, a controversial proposal to expand an oil shipping facility in Utah, would significantly increase hazardous rail shipments through Colorado. Phil Weiser, Colorado’s attorney general, and the attorneys general of the other states provided in a July 18 letter to Trump administration officials a 60-day notice of their intent to sue. The notice expired last week. The letter cites violations of the Endangered Species Act it says have occurred in pursuit of an executive order, called “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” which President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office in January. “The ESA and implementing regulations do not allow agencies to routinely avoid and delay implementation of the ESA’s protections of endangered species and their critical habitats in the manner you have directed and which your agencies are carrying out,” the letter says. … ” Read more from Colorado Newsline.
Front Range and Western Slope debate who should control Shoshone water rights
“Over two days of hearings, Colorado water managers laid out their arguments related to one of the most powerful water rights on the Colorado River and who should have the authority to control it. The Colorado River Water Conservation District plans to buy the water rights associated with the Shoshone hydropower plant in Glenwood Canyon from Xcel Energy and use the water for environmental purposes. To do so, it must secure the support of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The CWCB is the only entity allowed to own instream-flow water rights, which are designed to keep a minimum amount of water in rivers to benefit the environment. The CWCB heard more than 14 hours of testimony Wednesday and Thursday from the River District and its supporters, as well as the four big Front Range water providers — Northern Water, Denver Water, Aurora Water and Colorado Springs Utilities. All the parties agree that the water rights would benefit the environment. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
In national water news today …
One of Trump’s biggest climate decisions is overdue
“When President Donald Trump steps up to the dais at the United Nations on Tuesday, it will come as he is preparing to expand his efforts to weaken global institutions at the center of tackling climate change. The annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York comes more than a month after a deadline passed that Trump imposed on his Cabinet to identify international organizations that the U.S. should quit, defund or reform. Since establishing the deadline in February, the president has intensified his attacks on global establishments that were created to combat rising temperatures, while also reversing domestic regulations, laws and commitments designed to expand clean energy and reduce climate pollution. Now, his administration could be weighing whether to leave the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, a move that would reshape international efforts on global warming for years to come, according to former Trump officials and environmental advocates. … ” Read more from E&E News.
