Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC MEETING: Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel from 3pm to 6pm. This session will facilitate Panel deliberations on issues relevant to the Panel charge questions, which ask the Panel to consider the approaches in State Water Board Order WQ 2018-0002, Eastern San Joaquin Petition Order and State Water Board Order WQ 2023-0081, Central Coast Ag Petition Order. Click here for the agenda. Click here for the full notice.
In California water news today …
California is about to be slammed with rain, thunder and snow. Here’s what to expect
“The gorgeous weather that graced much of California this weekend will soon be gone. A potent Pacific storm, the first truly statewide system of the new season, will sweep across the state Monday and Tuesday, unleashing heavy rain, thunderstorms and feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada. Winter storm warnings and flood watches now cover a large part of the state, and the National Weather Service puts a large portion of coastal California and the Central Valley foothills under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. Upward of 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain will fall from San Francisco to Los Angeles by Tuesday evening, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible in coastal ranges and Sierra foothills. The higher Sierra could see up to 3 feet of snow by Wednesday morning. Here are the details. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
Sierra could see up to 3 feet of snow during first storm watch of the season
“A winter storm could bring up to 3 feet of snow in parts of the Sierra Nevada next week, according to the National Weather Service. The storm watch, the first of the season, will be in effect from Monday morning through Wednesday afternoon for the Sierra’s western slope. The agency cautioned Saturday that the path and severity of the storm remained highly uncertain — with the anticipated snow total ranging from 1 to 3 feet — and encouraged travelers to check forecasts frequently. The highest snow totals are expected south of Highway 50, the agency said. It warned that with winds gusting up to 35 mph and snow expected above 6,500 feet, travel could be “very difficult to impossible.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
La Niña emerges raising drought risks for California and Brazil
“A weather-changing La Niña has emerged in the Pacific Ocean, increasing the risk of drought in California and crop-growing regions in Brazil and Argentina while also bringing cold to the US Midwest and a milder winter to New York and the US East Coast. The cyclical La Niña, which occurs when the Pacific’s surface cools and the atmosphere above it reacts, formed last month and will likely last through February 2026, the US Climate Prediction Center said in its latest outlook Thursday. The phenomenon is not projected to be strong, so typical impacts could be limited. “Because we expect this event is most likely to be weak, we would also expect that the changes in the tropical Pacific Ocean may not as effectively push the global circulation around,” Michelle, L’Heureux, a forecaster with the Climate Prediction Center, said in an email. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
California holiday weather may start wet, turn dry with La Niña
“Planning to travel in California during the holiday season? Two sites have released their predictions ahead of the season to help with plans. The Old Farmer’s Almanac released its prediction for the Thanksgiving holiday, while Accuweather released its forecast for the winter season. Weather across the U.S. will vary, especially with La Niña looming and potentially hitting the Pacific Coast and much of North America. Starting the holiday season off with Thanksgiving, the Old Farmer’s Almanac has forecasted the Pacific Southwest to be “turning colder with showers scattered through the week.” While the almanac doesn’t believe rain will dominate the week, it will at least make roads wet, making errands and commutes a little trickier. A graphic on the Old Farmer’s Almanac website indicates that showers throughout the Pacific Coast will be consistent. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun. | Read via Yahoo News.
Going with the Flow: The Switch from eWRIMS to CalWATRS
“On Oct. 7, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) launched its new water reporting system, the California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System (CalWATRS). Earlier this year, SWRCB stopped accepting annual water use reports through the Electronic Water Rights Information Management System (eWRIMS), which has been decommissioned. The CalWATRS system is a key component of the SWRCB’s project for Updating Water Rights Data for California (UPWARD), helping modernize the way the state collects and manages its water rights data and information. … CalWATRS brings notable changes to the water right reporting system by streamlining the reporting process and providing access to digitized records currently stored on paper. It also allows users to upload and edit Geographic Information System (GIS) data, helping water right holders, SWRCB staff and the public access spatial information about water rights. With more sophisticated data collection, SWRCB aims to better manage water rights throughout the state and move closer to collecting real-time water use data. … ” Read more from Brownstein & Hyatt.
DELTA CONVEYANCE PROJECT: State Water Board AHO Requests Additional Information from DWR
The letter, addressed to Ann Carroll, General Counsel for the Department of Water Resources, states, “By this letter, the Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) requests additional information to clarify and supplement information in the administrative record for the ongoing Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) proceeding on the pending petitions to change water right Permits 18478, 16479, 16481, and 16482. The requested modeling results are necessary for the Board to determine appropriate Delta flow criteria for the DCP as required by the Delta Reform Act of 2009 (Delta Reform Act), assess consistency with proposed updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay Delta Plan), consider avoidance of any potential unreasonable effects on fish and wildlife or other uses protected by the public trust, and evaluate the potential benefits and impacts of operation of the proposed DCP under possible future climate conditions. … ” Read the notice from the AHO.
California expands groundwater and subsidence monitoring statewide
“California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) has launched a major expansion of its groundwater monitoring program, paired with enhanced subsidence measurement efforts, to better track how aquifer depletion affects land stability. The upgrades are set to provide more frequent and precise insight into ground motion and water level changes across key basins. As part of the initiative, DWR will outfit additional observation wells with continuous pressure sensors and data loggers, allowing real-time measurement of groundwater levels. These datasets will be integrated with satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), which detects subtle ground surface deformations over time, to identify zones of compaction and risk. The expanded scope targets basins under severe stress, including parts of the San Joaquin Valley, where subsidence has damaged infrastructure such as canals, bridges, and levees. The new data will help quantify how much land has compacted historically and where further movement might occur under continued extraction. … ” Read more from GeoEngineer.
Karen Ross talks water, regulation, and Prop 50 silence on AgNet news hour
“The October 13 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered one of the most important interviews of the season as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill sat down with California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. The discussion, recorded at Reedley College, covered water storage, regulation, labor, and the growing tension between Sacramento and Central Valley agriculture. Ross acknowledged that California farmers are facing unprecedented “headwinds,” citing low prices, labor shortages, immigration struggles, and rising regulatory costs. She compared current conditions to the hardships of the 1980s farm crisis, adding that today’s mix of climate uncertainty and government regulation has made farming even more difficult. Still, she emphasized that the future can be bright if farmers and policymakers work together on education, technology, and efficiency. … ” Read more from AgNet West.
This Central Valley serpent is California’s new state snake. Can recognition save it from extinction?
“Amid the slew of bills moving through the California Legislature this week, one that slithered across Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s desk was different from the others. Though the grizzly bear has long been associated with California, its likeness is the central emblem on the state flag, with Newsom’s signature on SB 765 this week, another animal can now claim to also be an official part of the state identity: the giant garter snake. A semi-aquatic species that is considered one of North America‘s largest native snakes, with a maximum length of 64 inches, the nonpoisonous striped snake has historically thrived in natural wetlands along California’s Central Valley, from Chico down to Fresno. Unfortunately, the giant garter snake is becoming a casualty of California’s brutal cycle of droughts and habitat destruction — as much of the Central Valley converts to agriculture or infrastructure development, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
The future of conservation: Indigenous ways meet western science
“High in the mountains beyond Crested Butte, in the inimitable river valley of Gothic, Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab (RMBL) is home to one of the most prolific environmental research stations in the world. The lab—which specializes in providing support, training, and resources to scientists studying local ecosystems—has also become a pivot point for another kind of inquiry: How can conservation techniques and principles evolve and benefit from Indigenous ways of knowing? Indigenous perspectives—and the connection they have with nature—are frequently ignored in the domain of scientific research. RMBL, as well as many other research stations, are working to change that. Researchers there are cultivating opportunities for collaboration between conservation scientists and their Indigenous counterparts. … “Cultural knowledge is an extremely important component to complement science,” says Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians on the central coast of California. RMBL is just one example of where science and Indigenous knowledge are meeting at research labs across the continent. … ” Read the full article from Sierra Magazine.
Representing interannual variability for environmental flow operations: the functional flow regime
“California’s local communities and native ecosystems alike have adapted to cycles of flood, drought, and a healthy portion of everything in between. Our river management, on the other hand, has fallen out of natural balance and tends to oscillate between insufficient minimum flows and emergency flood responses, missing much of what our rivers need most: the variability in between. Variability should not be approached as a crisis to manage at the extremes, but rather as a rhythm to embrace. The functional flows approach helps us quantify environmental water needs in a way that embraces these natural rhythms, which express themselves as seasonal patterns that support a wide range of physical and biotic functions from year to year. Restoring these functional flows is a way to preserve more natural patterns, while leaving some remaining water available each year for other beneficial uses, such as agricultural and urban water supplies. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Can an ultrasonic device burst the algal bloom bubble?
“Massive swaths of blue-green in lakes, rivers, and oceans are now a common sign of an unhealthy aquatic ecosystem. The color comes from cyanobacteria, which thrive when agricultural runoff full of fertilizers mixes with warm water. As these blooms of cyanobacteria—commonly referred to as blue-green “algae”—spread, they consume the oxygen around them, killing fish and harming other aquatic life. City, state, and federal agencies have some strategies to control the blooms: deploying algaecides, requiring no-till farming (which reduces runoff), and increasing circulation in slow-moving water. But these can be expensive, take a long time to implement, and in some cases have negative side effects. For an affordable, more immediate fix, some agencies are now rolling out ultrasonic algae remediation devices that kill cyanobacteria using sound. … ” Read more from Sierra Magazine.
Gavin Newsom blocks effort to make CA data centers disclose water use. Why?
“The data-center economy is booming in California, and Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t want to slow it down. The governor vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have provided more transparency around the water usage of data centers, which regularly require millions of gallons of fresh water to cool their computers. “While I appreciate the author’s intent,” Newsom wrote in his veto message, “I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology” The bill, AB 93, would have required data centers applying for business licenses to disclose to their water supplier how much water they expected to use. For existing data centers, it would have required a disclosure of annual water use to renew a business license. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
The West Coast’s most dangerous faults could rupture together, affecting entire region
“Two of the West Coast’s most dangerous fault lines might be more in sync than scientists have realized. A new study found that the two sleeping giants, the Cascadia subduction zone and the northern San Andreas fault, have been moving in rhythm for millennia, shaking within hours of each other in a geological “dance” that can rattle the coastline from Oregon to California. A team led by Oregon State University geologist Chris Goldfinger published its findings on Sept. 29 in the scientific journal Geosphere, demonstrating the first evidence that the two faults have interacted repeatedly over thousands of years. The Cascadia subduction zone runs from Northern California, through Oregon and Washington, up to southern British Columbia. The famous San Andreas fault runs along the California coast straight through San Francisco. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Chinook salmon documented at Link River for first time in over 100 years
“It’s only been slightly more than a year since four Klamath River dams were removed but in recent days Chinook salmon have been confirmed passing the remaining Keno and Link River dams. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, for the first time in more than a century, fall-run Chinook salmon were observed and documented at the Link River. “For the first time in over a century, fall Chinook salmon were observed at the Link River on October 6, 2025,” ODFW reported. “This marks a historic milestone in the recovery of salmon to the Upper Klamath Basin. This achievement reflects the dedicated efforts of The Klamath Tribes’ Ambodat Department, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and downstream partners who have been collaborating to monitor the reestablishment of fall Chinook and other anadromous species post-dam removal.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
One year after Klamath Dam removal, ‘There’s just fish jumping all over the place’: Scientists describe improvements to water quality and wildlife
“A year after the Klamath River was returned to its free-flowing state by way of the world’s largest-ever dam removal project, scientists say nature has rebounded in astounding ways. In an online press conference this afternoon, a group of scientists from regional tribes, environmental nonprofits and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported observations and data from a year’s worth of fish monitoring, spawning habitat surveys, water quality testing and more. The consensus was that things have gone better than anyone could have anticipated, particularly when it comes to fall-run Chinook salmon. “What the fish have shown us is something extraordinary,” said Damon Goodman, Mount Shasta-Klamath regional director for California Trout. “The river seemed to come alive almost instantly after removal, and the fish returned in greater numbers than I expected, and maybe anyone expected.” … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
The lost canyon revealed: Exploring the freed Klamath River | Bartell’s Backroads
“For more than a century, a canyon along the Klamath River — its riverbanks and striking rock formations — was closed to the public, seen only by a few. But now, for the first time in generations, rafts once again glide through its waters. “I think everybody in the river community, whether it’s whitewater companies or whitewater enthusiasts, are really excited to see the Klamath return to its natural state,” said Tyler Pohle with Momentum River Expeditions, among the first guides to lead trips down the newly freed stretch of river. Pohle said the area is unlike anywhere else. “This is super unique in this area,” he said. “This is inaccessible except by raft. And basically this had been here for 100 plus years with very few people having seen this.” … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Harmful algal bloom season comes to a close
“Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services lifted harmful algal bloom advisories in Humboldt County and recapped the year’s toxic growths — with eight recorded HAB incidents between late July and Mid-September in waters people swim and play in. This year’s blooms are believed to have caused one dog’s death and one possible human illness. “This season the South Fork of the Eel River experienced blooms at six different locations — Richardson’s Grove, Redway Beach, Cooks Valley, Avenue of the Giants, Redwood Campground and one near Miranda. Of those, there was one confirmed report of a dog death likely attributed to exposure to algal toxins. One algal bloom was reported for Mad River, at a river access point in Blue Lake, with an unconfirmed report of human illness,” a press release from DHHS said. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
State Water Board to hold scoping meetings on Potter Valley Project decommissioning plan
“The State Water Resources Control Board is planning a series of scoping meetings next week as part of its work to prepare environmental documents for the proposed decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project. The project, located in Lake and Mendocino counties, consists of the Scott Dam and the Cape Horn Dam, both of which are located on the upper main stem of the Eel River, as well as the Potter Valley powerhouse, the 80,000-acre-foot Lake Pillsbury in Lake County, the Van Arsdale Reservoir, a fish passage structure and salmon and steelhead counting station at the Cape Horn Dam, and and 5,600 acres of land. … ” Read more from Lake County News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
The long fight to undo a 20th-century mistake in a Calif. mountain town
“Birds called from trees in a shady neighborhood where a bike path follows a bridge over the Upper Truckee River. On the other side of the water, however, the forest soundscape disappeared beneath the grinding, screeching noises of heavy machinery. On a recent fall morning, two excavators chewed up boulder-sized chunks of asphalt with distorted bars of rebar sticking out. A chain-link fence ran along the perimeter of a demolition site, where crews have been razing a 1970s-era Motel 6. The old hotel was a relic of midcentury development that buried wetlands in 8 to 10 feet of dirt and pavement. On the edge of the property, a sign read: “Coming Soon: More Nature.” The Motel 6 property is an important link along the Upper Truckee River: It’s the last piece in a chain of conservation projects, and with this acquisition, 96% of the lower 9 miles of the river is public land. Last year, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot called the demolition project “the most important in a generation to protect Lake Tahoe.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
BAY AREA
‘Don’t get this much this fast’: Rapid-moving rain, thunderstorms coming to Bay Area
“Swiftly moving rain showers are on their way to the Bay Area, bringing chances of thunderstorms, gusty winds and localized flooding in their wake. Dylan Flynn, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office, told SFGATE the jet stream is the culprit. The narrow band of strong wind in the upper atmosphere typically moves west or east, but on Sunday was pushing a deep low pressure system from the Pacific Northwest “straight south toward us.” The storm is expected to hit the North Bay as soon as Monday morning. “It’s moving really fast,” Flynn said over the phone. “It’ll only be an hour before it gets to San Francisco, and another hour before it gets to San Jose.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Sinking into wetlands, this Northern California highway needs a rescue
“A California state highway connecting Vallejo and Novato in the San Francisco Bay Area will likely be underwater by 2100, prompting the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to develop a plan to widen and lift the roadway to prevent flooding and allow the area’s natural wetlands to return. As Sonya Bennett-Brandt explains in Bay Nature, the project is complex: “Planning a highway at the edge of a rising bay has required an almost science fiction-esque brainstorm, like setting up a colony on Mars: hostile conditions, limited resources, and a long list of life-support systems that have to work in tandem.” Removing the highway altogether would create an arduous commute for the many low-income workers living in Solano County and working in Napa and Sonoma Counties. … ” Read more from Planetizen.
Mercury lingers beneath the surface of California’s water
“Beneath the beauty of the San Francisco Bay, a silent toxin has infiltrated the complex ecosystem: mercury. Mercury’s effects are everywhere in the food chain. The toxin has detrimental impacts across the entire ecosystem, from marine life to land animals. A study by the San Francisco Estuary’s Regional Monitoring Program found high mercury concentrations in the South Bay caused lowered hatchability in the eggs of double-crested cormorants and Forster’s terns. Richard Looker, a senior resource control engineer for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, said mercury is most detrimental to fish-eating birds. “They tend to have a problem with their shells being thinned by the presence of the mercury,” Looker said. “A higher amount has (caused) failed-to-hatch problems in certain species of birds.” … ” Read more from the Camponile.
Pleasanton council approves water rate increases as part of new fee structure
“Beginning in the new year, Pleasanton residents will see yet another increase in their utility bills following the City Council’s unanimous vote Tuesday to amend the city’s fee schedule and adjust the city’s water, sewer and recycled water rates. According to the city, 52% of the overall bi-monthly water bills will increase by $20 to $40 in the first year depending on how much water customers use. Increases for the three years following 2026 will vary depending on other factors but, in some cases, residents in year four could see the difference jump to over $80 compared to their current bills. The council also approved the annual cost-of-living increase of 2.7% for sewer rates but the city will look to conduct a separate sewer rate study to determine any other necessary rate adjustments. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
CENTRAL COAST
Salinas Valley unveils $700M–$1B plan to halt seawater intrusion; who pays is unclear
“The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) on Thursday outlined a multi-hundred-million-dollar plan to halt worsening seawater intrusion by treating and pumping water back into the basin to create a protective barrier. No vote was taken, but the presentation put a spotlight on the project’s price tag — estimated between $700 million and $1 billion — and the unresolved question of who pays. The concept targets salty water near the coast, treating it through reverse osmosis and re-injecting it to form a hydraulic wall that would keep seawater from migrating inland. Agency leaders said recent studies show intrusion is more severe than previously understood, threatening municipal supplies and the region’s agriculture if left unchecked. … ” Read more from KSBY.
Ag Land Trust in Salinas awarded $8.3M in grants to preserve farmland
“Three grants totaling $8.3 million have been awarded to the Ag Land Trust in Salinas which will be used to purchase three farmland conservation easements from local farmers to preserve farmland and open space. The State of California Strategic Growth Council voted on Wednesday to approve the grants protecting about 987 acres over three sites which include the Storm, Pisoni-Pura and Rainbow/Culver ranches located near Salinas, Gonzales and King City. These ranches will be kept in productive farming in perpetuity by their owners. A “conservation easement,” also known as a conservation restriction is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation value, or in this case, farming value, according to the Ag Land Trust. It allows landowners to continue to own and use their land, as well as sell it or pass it on to heirs. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Commentary: The Lopez solution
“Lopez Lake is an essential local resource providing water for the Five Cities, farms, and recreation. But beneath the surface lies a problem that generations of local leaders have failed to resolve: Lopez Dam has been operating without the proper state water license for nearly 30 years. The licensing process is on hold, and the county can’t secure our water supply, unless and until it brings operations into compliance with the Endangered Species Act by addressing Lopez Dam’s harm to south-central California coast steelhead trout in Arroyo Grande Creek. Once abundant along our Central Coast and into the Los Padres National Forest, threatened local steelhead are at risk of extinction as they struggle to survive in fragmented watersheds with limited water flow. Federal and state resource agencies have deemed Arroyo Grande Creek as critical habitat for the survival and recovery of steelhead. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Protecting waterways is vital
“The Channel Islands Water Quality update story continues, with Chuck Carter stating that the canal’s water quality is 15 times the water quality objective. These pesticides are not harmful to people, but to fish and other T aquatic species,” he said. “Based on the water samples collected by Aquatic Bias Consulting in 2019, the Regional Water Board added Edison Canal and Mandalay Bay to the list of impaired waterways because they exceeded state water quality standards.” Rain Advisory Committee Volunteers continued to collect 30 monthly samples from 2021 to 2024, which confirmed the continued exceedance of bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, and low-dissolved oxygen. … ” Read more from the Tri-County Sentinel.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
San Joaquin County pumpkin farmers race to harvest before rain hits
“San Joaquin County — one of the nation’s largest pumpkin-producing regions — is bracing for rain early next week, leaving local farmers scrambling to bring in their crops before the skies open up. At Mora Produce off Lower Sacramento Road in Lodi, the pumpkin stand has been bustling, with customers clearing hay bales as fast as the family can restock them. “I think this is one of our busiest years,” said Jennifer Mora, whose parents started the 12-year-old business. “As soon as October hit, every single day it has been super busy until we close, and we usually close at 7:30.”But while business is booming, the Mora family still has rows of pumpkins left to harvest — and the forecast is adding pressure. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Poso Creek must be top priority for state flood funding, says McFarland mayor
“Several flood safety projects in the Central Valley will get $21.5 million in state funding, about half of what proponents had hoped for. It’s not known yet which projects that money will pay for, though the enacting legislation states $5 million must be spent on flood protection in the Miles and Bear creeks in Merced County. Those creeks caused serious damage in the 2023 floods, nearly destroying the entire town of Planada. How the remaining $16.5 million will be used is still to be decided but McFarland Mayor Saul Ayon said work on Poso Creek “…absolutely must be the top priority.” “We’re talking about 3,000 residents,” he said of people potentially affected by Poso flooding. “Wherever there are families and communities, that needs to be the top priority. Otherwise, I’ll be asking some hard questions.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Flood watch: Storm will bring gusts, rain and flash flooding to SoCal
“It’s time to get your raincoat out of storage since a storm is taking aim at Southern California. The beginning of the week is forecast to be marked by measurable rain, strong winds and the potential for flash flooding, NBC4 Meteorologist Kelley Moody warned. The storm, which is expected to creep into the region late Monday, will come from the northwest, trickling into Ventura County first before it becomes widespread and reaches the rest of the Southland as the night progresses. “Monday night, you might just go to bed to a little bit of that pitter-patter,” Moody said. “As we head into your Tuesday morning, that Tuesday morning commute could be a little bit tricky. If you could work from home, maybe you should.” … ” Read more from NBC 4.
La Niña is back. It could mean another dangerously dry winter for Southern California
“After months of slight temperature shifts in the Pacific Ocean, La Niña has officially returned — the climate pattern that typically drives drought in Southern California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday that La Niña conditions had arrived, a possibly foreboding sign for the Southland. The southern half of the Golden State still has not bounced back from the last year of below-average rainfall, and the reemergence of the ocean phenomenon could mean more drought, with another drier-than-average winter. The previous La Niña — active from January until about April of this year — “was a substantial player” in the region’s dry winter, said Emily Becker, research associate professor at the University of Miami who studies the El Niño Southern Oscillation ,or ENSO. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
After Palisades fire hydrants went dry, LAFD faced costly delays in getting more water
“When fire hydrants ran dry in the first hours of the Palisades fire, firefighters faced confusion and costly delays in getting vital water trucks into the area to help fight the destructive blaze, new city documents revealed. It took some time for officials to secure so-called tender trucks and when they finally arrived, the fire was so intense they needed escorts to get to the front lines, according to Los Angeles Fire Department’s “after action” report released this week. “Engineers were needed to shuttle water from further locations, further delaying suppression efforts,” the report said. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Uphill battle to save California’s endangered mountain yellow-legged frog
“Earlier this year, 350 endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs hopped into their new home in Bluff Lake in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains. It’s the latest step in a long-running battle fought by authorities, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and conservationists to stave off extinction of this highly threatened species. The mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa), despite its name, can display a wide array of color variations, often a mix of brown and yellow, but also gray, red, or greenish-brown. There are two distinct populations of this medium-sized frog: one in Southern California and another up north in the Sierra Nevada. Biologists say this frog was once so common you couldn’t walk through its range without tripping on one. That’s far from the case today in Southern California. The last comprehensive surveys carried out in 2023 counted fewer than 200 adults in the wild. Though exact numbers are unclear, conservationists say the northern population is much more robust. … ” Read more from Mongabay.
New study unearths details about hidden threat in drinking water: ‘We’re in a different world now’
“A new study confirmed the presence of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in the drinking water of Orange County, California, raising concerns about residents’ health and the future of studying their impact. The University of California, Irvine published a study on individuals living in the Southern California county between 2000 and 2019. That range included the first time PFAS were detected in the water in 2013 after the EPA first required testing. PFAS have been linked to high cholesterol, decreased immune system response, and decreased vaccine response, as well as increased risk of kidney, prostate, and testicular cancer. The study’s results further back up those established links. The study also noted data from the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD), which had a PFOA level of 14.8 parts per trillion and a PFOS level of 22.8 parts per trillion, exceeding the maximum level of four parts per trillion established by the EPA. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Saving steelhead trout and the San Juan Creek Estuary
“A group of environmentalists has partnered to restore the San Juan Creek Estuary in Doheny State Park, bringing together local instructors and students to learn more about the wildlife that inhabits the waterway and about its importance to the ecosystem. The San Juan Creek Estuary Restoration Project is restoring and enhancing the habitats along the waterway that support species native to the area — most notably, the endangered steelhead trout. The creek, also called the San Juan River, is a 29-mile stream that begins in the southern Santa Ana Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Doheny State Beach. The project aims to increase water quality and natural hydrology along the creek and is engaging with the younger generation within the community to raise awareness for its ecological needs and how it benefits San Juan Capistrano. … ” Read more from the Capistrano Dispatch.
SAN DIEGO
Grassroots group gathering support to raise Lake Hodges, help reduce wildfire risk
“The Rancho Santa Fe Association board has added its voice to a growing coalition of North County neighbors seeking answers from the state about the future of Lake Hodges and its 106-year-old dam. At the board’s Sept. 4 meeting, they heard a presentation from Raise Lake Hodges, a grassroots group that would like to see the lake raised 13 feet, from the state-restricted 280 feet to 293 feet, to refill and cover what is now an exposed, dry lakebed and help keep the region safe from the risk of the wildfire. The group first presented to the RSF Association’s infrastructure committee, which recommended sharing the information with the full RSF Association board. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
‘We grow our food here’: Uncertainty looms over Tijuana River Valley Community Garden after lease termination
“Edith Rivera works nights at the post office. But once she clocks out in the early hours of dawn, the energetic 61-year-old drives down to her vegetable garden plot at the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden — a canopied, lush batch of earth boasting a diverse array of vegetables, flowers and plants. “I grow chayote, I grow squash, string beans, a little bit of eggplants, I have green beans there, I have the luffa and the bitter melon. And then outside, I have the sweet potatoes,” she said, pointing around her 30-foot-by-30-foot plot and smiling during the clear, bright Wednesday morning. Originally from the Philippines, Rivera has lived in San Diego since 1989 and is a nearly lifelong vegetarian with a deep passion for growing her own food. She sees the garden not only as a source of sustenance and health, but also as a spiritual refuge and a community hub that she describes as her “second home.” … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
SEE ALSO: Cup of Chisme: Unintended Consequences, from the Voice of San Diego
Along the Colorado River …
Wyoming, other states must settle Colorado River water fight or feds will step in
“With rising tensions over a dwindling supply of water from the Colorado River, Wyoming and six other states have until Nov. 11 to hammer out a deal for water allocation or the federal government will step in and settle it for them. The main point of conflict is between the river’s Upper Basin states, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico – and the Lower Basin states; Arizona, Nevada and California. In a nutshell, the Upper Basin states claim that the Lower Basin states are hogging water, leaving them with too little for their own pressing needs. Water rights for the states, Native American tribes, Mexico and other entities along the river were allocated under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, which remains in effect. If the Upper Basin and Lower Basin can’t settle their differences by Nov. 11, the federal government is set to intervene, through Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. … ” Read more from Cowboy State Daily.
Colorado River negotiations remain bogged down
“As a federally-imposed deadline looms for a deal in Colorado River negotiations, Arizona water officials say conversations are still not progressing. The seven states that use Colorado River water are currently deadlocked in negotiations over how to share the river in the coming decades as its supply dwindles. New guidelines for sharing the river must be in place by Oct. 1, 2026, but the Department of the Interior has imposed a Nov. 11 deadline for the states to come to an agreement without federal intervention. Arizona’s negotiators, along with those from its fellow Lower Basin states — California and Nevada — maintain that the Lower Basin has made deep cuts to its current allocation of Colorado River water and continue to urge the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico to do the same. And despite reports of progress in late summer, members of Arizona’s team say the conversations are not exactly moving forward. … ” Read more from the Arizona Capital Times.
Legal battle continues over Saudi groundwater pumping in Arizona
“A legal fight over whether groundwater pumping by Fondomonte Arizona, a Saudi-backed agriculture company, constitutes a public nuisance now centers around whether the Arizona attorney general has the right to sue in the first place. The question has yet to be answered by a Superior Court judge, but Fondomonte’s claim that Attorney General Kris Mayes has overstepped her authority and encroached on the responsibilities designated to the Arizona Department of Water Resources under state law raises a point of reflection on the routes for policy changes and the place for litigation. “Lawsuits are cumbersome, and they don’t necessarily achieve the kind of sophisticated results that people would like,” Kathleen Ferris, former ADWR director and senior research fellow at the Kyl Center for Water Policy said. “But again, if you can’t get anything done any other way, then people are tempted to go to court.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Capitol Times.
Arizona: Water bill uproar growing in Gilbert
“Scores of Gilbert residents are hitting the town with complaints about huge spikes in their water bills. They also have taken to social media, posting photos of their bills, with some showing an increase amounting to hundreds of dollars – and, in a few cases, even more. “Our Town of Gilbert water bill that is typically under $200, has been $700+ the last two months,” wrote one user on Facebook. … The complaints are coming largely from some of the approximate 52,600 water customers who have had new meters with new technology installed by the town that more closely track their water use. In an unknown number of cases, the meters were improperly calibrated or installed, and the town has had to go to those customers’ homes to fix the problem. But because the new meters more closely track consumption, the readings are pushing many customers into a higher billing tier. … ” Read more from the East Valley Tribune.
Youth crews complete massive project on crucial US waterway: ‘You see immediate changes’
“In the Muddy Creek watershed in Wyoming — an important tributary to the Colorado River system — youth crews installed 98 new beaver dam analogs (BDAs), repaired 40 existing structures, and constructed a large riparian exclosure to improve stream habitat this summer. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rawlins field office led the project, in partnership with Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Conservation Corps, and Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. One of the main objectives of this large-scale work is to restore wildlife habitat. “Muddy Creek is home to many iconic Wyoming species,” said Nick Walrath, Trout Unlimited Green River senior project manager, according to a blog post by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
In national water news today …
On the front line of the fluoride wars, debate over drinking water treatment turns raucous
“On the far east side of Michigan, the future of fluoride in drinking water — long an ordinary practice for preventing tooth decay — has suddenly provoked passionate debate. Public meetings in St. Clair County, about an hour northeast of Detroit, have filled with people weighing in. One man waved his Fixodent denture cream before the county commissioners, suggesting that his own experience showed what would happen if local communities stopped treatment. “I am an unfluoridated child,” he declared, “with a set of uppers and lowers.” Another man, speaking to the county’s Advisory Board of Health, said that personal responsibility should be factored into the conversation. “I think there are some 3 Musketeer bars, Snicker bars that should be accounted for. Some Coca-Colas.” And a young man used his time in the public comments to address not just fluoridation, but the county medical director who’s trying to get rid of it. He accused him of grandstanding to land a job with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health and human services secretary, by making moves that “lowered the quality of life for underserved people.” … ” Read more from Pro Publica.
