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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.
- EVENT: RMP Annual Meeting from 9am to 4:30pm. The 32nd Annual Meeting of the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) will be held on Wednesday October 15, 2025, at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA, from 9:00am to 4:30pm and online over Zoom. The meeting will feature updates on RMP activities across a wide range of Bay water quality topics. The meeting agenda is available here. You can register to attend the 2025 RMP Annual Meeting in person or virtually.
- MEETING: CA Water Commission beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an update from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the project proponent for the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, who will discuss the reasons behind the Project’s withdrawal from the WSIP, and how Valley Water spent early funding; and the proposed pathway for uncommitted Water Storage Investment Program funds. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions
- IN-PERSON EVENT: OCWA Successful Construction Project Delivery from 11:30am to 1pm in Irvine. Presented by Randy Lovan and Jerome Ruddin with HDR, they’ll provide insights on all phases of a project, whether a major undertaking or a smaller initiative. They’ll explore project delivery methods, the phases of a project and best practices throughout, as well as the roles within the construction management team. In addition, they’ll provide insight on how to mitigate change orders, manage risks, and how to keep focused on the pursuit of a project’s success. Click here to register.
- SCOPING MEETING (Ukiah): EIR for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning from 11:30am to 1:30pm. The State Water Resources Control Board plans to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning (Proposed Project). The State Water Board will hold scoping meetings to provide information about the Proposed Project, the CEQA process, and to receive written or oral comments from trustee agencies, responsible agencies, Tribes, and other interested persons concerning the range of alternatives, potential significant effects, and mitigation measures that should be analyzed in the EIR. Click here for the notice of preparation.
- SCOPING MEETING (Santa Rosa): EIR for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The State Water Resources Control Board plans to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning (Proposed Project). The State Water Board will hold scoping meetings to provide information about the Proposed Project, the CEQA process, and to receive written or oral comments from trustee agencies, responsible agencies, Tribes, and other interested persons concerning the range of alternatives, potential significant effects, and mitigation measures that should be analyzed in the EIR. Click here for the notice of preparation.
In California water news today …
Metropolitan board appoints Shivaji Deshmukh as agency’s next general manager
“Southern California water leader Shivaji Deshmukh will be the next general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the nation’s largest drinking water provider, following a unanimous vote today by the agency’s board of directors. Deshmukh will become Metropolitan’s 16th general manager in its nearly 100-year history, replacing retiring general manager Deven Upadhyay. “Shivaji Deshmukh has worked for more than 25 years to ensure Southern California communities have reliable water. He has helped develop large-scale water recycling projects, forged valuable partnerships across agencies, and advanced innovative water management programs that have multiple benefits for our region and state. He has overseen water operations, balanced budgets, and led workforces,” board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. said. … ” Read more from the Metropolitan Water District.
California Forever’s latest plan to build the ‘next great American city’: Expand existing towns
“More than a year after pulling the plug on a ballot initiative to create a city in eastern Solano County, California Forever has submitted new “detailed plans for America’s next great American city.” Jan Sramek, CEO of California Forever, said on social media platform X on Tuesday that the plan would include a shipyard, “America’s largest manufacturing park,” as well as “walkable neighborhoods for 400,000 Californians.” “California used to do big things. From rockets in the Mojave to chips in Silicon Valley. California dreamed. California designed. California built,” he wrote. “But then we stopped. To lead again we need a place that can capture the imagination of the nation. Solano can be that place.” While the land use plan for the utopian metropolis proposed by some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent billionaires is the same as the one submitted in 2024, there is one big difference: Rather than create an entire new city, the community will be an extension of Suisun City, a town of about 30,000 that has been grappling with severe budget deficits in recent years. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
Kaweah subbasin to get early Christmas present with state vote to remove it from enforcement
“Growers and water managers in the Kaweah groundwater subbasin were gratified to see a formal recommendation this week for the state Water Resources Control Board to move the region from enforcement back to state oversight. The Water Board will vote on the recommendation to kick the subbasin back into the arms of the Department of Water Resources at its Dec. 2 meeting. Managers had learned in June the recommendation would likely come out this fall. “It’s great news,” Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency general manager Aaron Fukuda said during Tuesday’s board meeting. But, he recognized, “there’s a lot of hard actions” coming as the three groundwater agencies that make up the subbasin begin implementing pumping restrictions for area farmers. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Wukchumni Tribe showcases restoration project at annual gathering for California Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program
“Land and water conservation efforts are often implemented in highly local, context-specific ways, shaped by the land itself, the people who steward it, and the unique challenges they face. When the people leading this work have the chance to connect, it creates opportunities for deeper learning, collaboration, and a stronger sense of purpose. Last month, the third annual Pause and Reflect meeting did just that, providing an opportunity to connect for participants of California’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) from around the state. The event brought together collaborators across sectors to strengthen the MLRP grantee community of practice, reflect on progress, and co-create a shared vision for continued advancement and support. After three years of monthly virtual meetings and semiannual in-person events, it was clear that regularly convening MLRP grantees working toward similar goals and facing similar challenges, across a variety of geographies, has created a solid peer learning network and a genuine community of practice. … ” Read more from the Environmental Defense Fund.
The Sandhill Cranes are here! Winter migration is well underway.
“The wait for the winter migration is finally over as the first birds have arrived. The Pacific Flyway migration route goes through California’s Great Central Valley bringing millions of birds into the valley during the next month. By November huge flocks of geese, ducks, swans and various shorebirds and songbirds will be living in dozens of National Wildlife Refuges (NWR), state refuges, private reserves and fallow farmlands. But the bird everyone seeks is the stately Sandhill Crane. Staten Island is one of many Sacramento Delta farming islands. There is a single road down the middle with rice, corn, alfalfa and other crop fields stretching to the levees on either side. You view the birds from your vehicle. In the winter, the harvested land provides a perfect environment for wintering birds and a top spot to see the Sandhills. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Newsom signs bill setting water-supply targets. Will it help farmers?
“One of the biggest complaints we hear from growers when it comes to water in California is a lack of reliability. Seemingly every year, people must wait for updated allocation information from the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project to make planting and cultivation decisions. And if there’s a wet spring that enables the water agencies to boost the amount of water they promise to contractors, it often happens too late for growers to alter their plans. A bill approved unanimously by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom seeks to change this, at least at the state level. A broad coalition of water, environmental, business, public safety and agricultural interests rallied behind Senate Bill 72 … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Newsom signs Mcnerney bill to increase use of recycled water
“Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday that aims to increase the use of recycled water throughout the state.Senate Bill 31 by Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, allows businesses, homes and government agencies to increase their use of recycled water for irrigation and other uses. The idea is to cut back on the use of drinking water for things that don’t require potable water, help the state manage its water supply and drought response, and re-direct wastewater discharges that go into the ocean. “SB 31 is a pragmatic approach that will protect fresh water supplies by expanding the use of recycled water for irrigation and commercial uses,” McNerney said in a news release. “It will also help safeguard the state during devastating droughts caused by climate change.” … ” Read more from the SF Gate.
Gavin’s grip on Sacramento
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been getting his way with the state Legislature. “In a dynamic not unlike the one his rival Gov. Ron DeSantis exploited in Tallahassee in the run-up to his own, unsuccessful presidential campaign, where DeSantis leaned on Republican supermajorities in Florida to supercharge his policies, Newsom is tightening his grip on the Democratic governing class — and getting results. “When the governor weighs in personally, it can be quite impactful,” said Sen. Josh Becker, who was deeply involved in negotiations over a complex, six-bill energy package that came together in the final days of the session. Newsom, said another state lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak freely, “goes on calling sprees to members for the things he really cares about.” … Newsom’s Monday deadline to take action on bills that had reached his desk led to a flurry of signings, and vetoes, over the holiday weekend — including a spate of measures to rein in utility spending. … ” Read the full story from Politico.
California protects over 40K acres of agricultural land, supporting rural communities
“Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that more than $128 million in Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program grants have been approved to permanently protect more than 40,000 acres of croplands and rangelands across 24 counties, returning more than 11,000 acres to California Native American tribes, securing farmland for military veterans, and benefiting low-income communities. “Land protection goes hand-in-hand with community needs – today’s grants work with Native communities, veterans, and farmers in low-income areas to ensure that California’s fertile farmland is put to good agricultural use, while protecting our environment, our unique habitats and biodiversity, and communities,”said Governor Gavin Newsom. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Rethinking sustainability: The untold benefits of cattle ranching in the American West
“When people think of cattle ranching, they often picture rolling grasslands and lush fields, yet there are many impactful and sustainable cattle operations that thrive in the arid, rugged terrain of the western U.S. This region proves that cattle ranching can be a powerful tool for environmental stewardship, biodiversity and climate resilience for a variety of landscapes. As the global conversation around climate change intensifies, it is easy to think of sustainability through the single metric of carbon. While carbon emissions are undeniably important, this narrow focus risks missing the broader ecological benefits that well-managed cattle ranching can provide, especially in regions where traditional agriculture is not viable. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Why less land has burned in much of the West this year
“Ahead of this year’s typical fire season, Western states braced for the worst. Last year’s drawn-out heat waves and dry weather sparked numerous conflagrations in the region that put the country on its highest alert, and officials feared another round. But much of the West has not burned as expected. Now, rain and colder weather could spell the end of high-risk conditions and the potential end of fire season for many of those states. A next round of storms is expected to move through the region beginning this weekend. Devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles to start the year, but since then, despite fast-moving flames in the Plains in the spring, and a handful of notable blazes in the Western states this summer and fall, this year has seen about half the land burned compared with last year, particularly during the typical peak of fire season. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
In commentary today …
DWR’s Delta tunnel process undermined by incomplete modeling and contradictory filings
Restore the Delta writes, “Two new developments this week expose major flaws in the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) rush to advance the controversial Delta Conveyance Project (“Delta Tunnel”) despite repeated warnings from regulators and the courts that its process is incomplete and inconsistent with state law. In an October 10 letter, the State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearing Officer directed DWR to redo and supplement its climate and regulatory modeling for the Delta Conveyance Project, finding the agency’s submissions “inadequate to inform the State Water Board’s decision” on whether the project complies with the Delta Reform Act and protects fish, wildlife, and water quality. DWR must now provide new modeling that incorporates current regulatory requirements and a reasonable range of future climate scenarios before rebuttal testimony begins. … ” Continue reading from Restore the Delta.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath River ecosystem is booming one year after dam removal
“At a virtual press conference on Thursday, Oct. 9, Klamath River scientists announced that a year after the last of the dams were removed, river health has begun to bounce back. With salmon swimming upstream, bald eagles flying overhead, and increased bear, beaver, otter and osprey activity, the ecosystem is booming with ecological shifts thanks to the completion of the world’s largest dam removal effort. “The rivers seem to come alive almost instantly after dam removal, and fish returned in greater numbers than I expected, and maybe anyone expected,” said Damon Goodman, Mount Shasta-Klamath regional director for California Trout, a conservation nonprofit that works to keep waterways and wild fish healthy. According to Goodman, the fish monitoring effort done by California Trout is likely the most comprehensive science and monitoring project ever done to evaluate a dam removal effort. The monitoring efforts include sonar and video weirs that track the abundance of timing of returning fish, boat surveys documenting spawning habitat and distribution of fish, telemetry for migration behavior, netting and eDNA for tagging and species composition, and traps for downstream mitigation timing. … ” Read more from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Public invited to celebrate salmon, community at CDFW’s Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area in Siskiyou County
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and California Trout (CalTrout), joined by several community and conservation partners, invite the public to join in celebrating the fall return of Chinook salmon to the Shasta River in the Klamath Basin. CDFW’s Big Springs Ranch Wildlife Area in Siskiyou County will host the free community event Saturday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “We’re excited to highlight the return of Chinook salmon to the Klamath Basin as well as the strong conservation and community partnerships that will help safeguard this iconic species into the future,” said Michael Harris, Environmental Program Manager of CDFW’s Klamath Watershed Program. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
State Water Board hosts meeting in Ukiah related to Potter Valley Project
“The State Water Resources Control Board is hosting a meeting in Ukiah Wednesday to collect comments related to the Potter Valley Project. According to information provided by the board, it is holding “scoping meetings to provide information about the Proposed Project, the CEQA process, and to receive written or oral comments from trustee agencies, responsible agencies, Tribes, and other interested persons concerning the range of alternatives, potential significant effects, and mitigation measures that should be analyzed in the EIR.” The meetings are being held while the board prepares an “Environmental Impact Report for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project Surrender and Decommissioning, which was applied for by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the owner of the facility located on the Eel River and East Branch Russian River in Mendocino and Lake counties.” … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Snowmaking is underway in Tahoe—First ski resort plans to open soon
“As the 2025-26 season fast approaches, snowmaking has returned to Lake Tahoe. Last weekend, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Nevada, announced that it had fired up its snow guns. “Our snowmaking system and elevation advantage let us get to work early—and the crew’s already on it, laying the foundation for an incredible season ahead,” the ski resort, which has a base area perched at 8,260 feet, wrote on social media. An accompanying video showed the snow guns at Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe hard at work, blanketing the slopes in a layer of white. … ” Read more from Powder Magazine.
Washoe Tribe to hand-thin part of California Tahoe Conservancy thinning project
“The California Tahoe Conservancy is implementing a project to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk on 33 acres of Conservancy land in El Dorado County near Lake Tahoe Airport. By thinning the overcrowded forest and removing hazardous fuels, the project will help protect the airport and nearby El Dorado County neighborhoods along Pioneer Trail from wildfire. The Washoe Tribal Conservation Crew, a resource crew of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, will hand-thin the 33 forested acres, creating piles to be burned later. The benefits of the project will be forest conditions that are more resilient to drought, disease, and insect outbreaks. The project will also result in reduced wildfire risk for El Dorado County’s Golden Bear and other neighborhoods along Pioneer Trail. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Roseville: Keeping water flowing: how our team jumped into action during a main break
“When a water main recently broke late at night in a Roseville neighborhood, most people never even knew it happened. Before sunrise, crews were on scene, stopping the leak, protecting homes, and restoring water service before the day began. What unfolded over the next several hours was more than a repair job. It showed teamwork, preparedness, and pride in serving the city many of us call home. It began just before midnight with a report of water rushing down a residential street. Within 30 minutes, the on-call water operator arrived, assessed the situation by flashlight, and confirmed a broken water main under the road. Valves were shut to stop the flow and protect properties while additional crews prepared for several hours of detailed work. … ” Read more from the City of Roseville.
BAY AREA
Marin lays groundwork for new flood tax pitch in Santa Venetia
“After failing to win voter approval in 2021, Marin County is again considering a tax to support replacing a floodwall that protects nearly 600 homes in San Rafael. The rapidly-deteriorating timber-reinforced berm made of compacted dirt and wooden boards in the Santa Venetia area now is proposed to be replaced with a composite sheet pile floodwall. The project cost has escalated from a $6 million estimate in 2021 to the latest calculation of $25 million. “The estimated $25 million project cost assumes beginning construction in 2028, if funding sources are secured in 2026,” said Peter Feng, a county official. “This value is consistent with what was reported to the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 2023, adjusting for inflation, growing costs of building materials, and labor and other factors that include right-of-way acquisition and environmental mitigation.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
What I learned about sea level rise at a regional summit
Duncan Agnew writes, “In mid-September, hundreds of climate activists, local and regional planners, environmental scientists, engineers, and academics descended on the Exploratorium on San Francisco’s waterfront for the Bay Adapt Summit hosted by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. The annual conference honors climate innovators for their work and features presentations, speeches, and panels on everything from sea level rise to permitting for adaptation projects and funding at a time when federal grants are up in the air. As someone new to the Bay Area — I moved to San Francisco from Chicago in June — I decided to turn the event into my own “Sea Level Rise for Dummies” guide, asking the experts what a newbie should know. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
King Kong levee: Two miles done, two to go
“Compared to the myriad mini-levees planned around the Bay in 2025, the South Bay’s growing shoreline levee stands out for its sheer scale and engineering. This is no mere mound of dirt, like the 19th century earthworks still keeping the Bay out of pastures and local salt ponds, nor an experiment in how to use wastewater to irrigate new gray-green levees and filter out nutrients while protecting sewage treatment plants from sea level rise. These two miles of 15-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide-at-the-top levee are of the more traditional Army Corps, FEMA-approved style: a major, multi-benefit flood control project designed to protect the oft-water-logged town of Alviso and parts of San Jose. This September marked completion of Phase 1 after 20 years in planning, development, and construction. The entire project, which will stretch from Alviso Slough to Coyote Creek, is expected to be completed by 2035 (provided additional funding is forthcoming). … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
CENTRAL COAST
Public health issues ocean water advisory after recent storm
“The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department is advising the public to avoid contact with ocean water during significant rainstorms and for at least three days afterward. Officials said rainstorm runoff can transport high levels of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa from watersheds and urban areas to the ocean. Exposure to these organisms can cause skin, respiratory, and intestinal problems. Young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable. … ” Read more from Paso Robles Daily News.
SEE ALSO: Community reminded of dangers of storm water runoff to local beaches, shellfish, from the Santa Ynez Valley News
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Adoption patterns of on-farm nutrient management practices and nitrogen application rates in California’s Central Valley
“Nitrogen fertilizers in irrigated agriculture improve cropland productivity, but contribute to groundwater contamination, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. While California has implemented agricultural water quality regulations since the 1980s, targeted efforts to address nitrate contamination through nitrogen application reporting and management have been emphasized more recently under the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. This study uses a unique, field-level dataset from the Kings River Water Quality Coalition in California’s Central Valley to examine nitrogen management practices, including common combinations of practices (bundling), across crop types. … ” Read more from California Agriculture.
Eric R. Quinley: The most hated man in the Tule subbasin?
“He’s either simply telling it like it is, or, he’s a sanctimonious know-it-all stirring the pot. Either way, Eric R. Quinley has emerged as, quite possibly, the most hated man in the Tule subbasin despite the fact his message has been the same for the better part of a decade: If left unchecked, subsidence will be the region’s downfall. His name and comments have elicited groans, eye rolls and angry letters from colleagues throughout the region. Even support comes in grudging tones. “He’s a bulldog,” said one grower who asked to not be identified. “His job is to represent and protect his district. He’s got his marching orders and he follows them.” Others aren’t so magnanimous … ” Continue reading from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles records more than a month’s rain in a day as storm bears down
“A storm that was delivering an unusual amount of rain for October had much of Southern California on edge on Tuesday as forecasters and local officials warned it could unleash the type of heavy rain that sends torrents of water and debris down steep slopes in places recently burned by wildfires. But by Tuesday afternoon, it appeared the storm had left the region relatively unscathed. Lisa Phillips, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, Calif., said there had been no reports of debris flows affecting homes. “We’re pretty much out of it,” Ms. Phillips said. “It was a fast-moving system.” She said the rainfall had been mostly beneficial, helping to ease drought conditions in Southern California and mitigating the risk of wildfires — for now. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: As atmospheric river storm eases, evacuation warnings lifted in L.A.-area burn scars, from the LA Times
Man shares incredible before-and-after photos after building ‘guerilla’ feature in the LA River: ‘I audibly gasped’
“Supporting a region’s native plants is a great way to support local ecosystems. One Redditor took to the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit to share the wetland garden he cultivated in the Los Angeles River. He shared photos of the progress of the “guerilla garden” as it grew, including native plants like red-root flatsedge, water speedwell, false daisies, and curlytop knotweed. Upon seeing the garden, one Redditor commented, “I audibly gasped.” … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
Man, machine and mutton: Inside the plan to prevent the next SoCal fire disaster
“Nine months after one of the worst fires the region has seen in recorded history, a helicopter carrying two of the most consequential politicians in the fight against Southern California’s wildfires soared over the Santa Monica Mountains. Rows of jagged peaks slowly revealed steep canyons. The land was blotchy: some parts were covered in thick, green and shrubby native chaparral plants; others were blackened, comprised mostly by fire-stricken earth where chaparral used to thrive; and still others were blanketed by bone-dry golden grasses where the land had years ago been choked out by fire. Amid this tapestry was a scattering of homes and businesses with only a handful of roads snaking out: Topanga. The dangers, should a fire roar down the canyon, were painfully clear at a thousand feet. “If there are any issues on the Boulevard…” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said into her headset, trailing off. “The community is trapped,” said Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources, finishing the thought. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Trout from Southern California waterways were a staple for early settlers and tribes
“Californians love trout, and the streams and lakes in Southern California have been used by sport fishermen for more than 150 years. But are these prized gamefish natives to the region? The answer is convoluted — yes and no. If we consider the area south of San Luis Obispo, there are only 10 significant waterways that support wild trout that begin and end in Southern California and drain into the Pacific Ocean — the Santa Maria River, Santa Ynez River, Ventura River, Santa Clara River, Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River, Santa Ana River, San Mateo Creek, San Luis Rey River, and the San Diego River. There are numerous other streams and tributaries that may also support wild trout. Prior to the urbanization of Southern California, rainbow and steelhead trout were native to these waterways and they were a source of food for the Native American tribes and early settlers in the region. In contrast, brook and brown trout are not native to California and were introduced to the state in the late 1800s. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Study links wind-blown dust from receding Salton Sea to reduced lung function in area children
“Children living near the Salton Sea, in Southern California’s desert region of Imperial County, are experiencing poorer lung function than children exposed to less wind-blown dust, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. They found that higher dust exposure – measured in hours per year – was linked to lower lung function, with the negative effects most pronounced among children living closest to the lake. The work, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, marks one of the first investigations to directly link dust events from a drying saline lake to measurable declines in children’s respiratory health. A federal grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center funded the research in partnership with the Imperial Valley community-based organization Comite Civico del Valle. … ” Read more from UC Irvine.
Along the Colorado River …
Solar growth cushions Colorado River hydropower declines
“In late May, as the outside temperature approached 100 degrees, Arizona’s top water policy officials gathered in an air-conditioned Phoenix conference room. Their purpose that day was to decide whether the state should extend a longstanding drought emergency declaration. The standard indicators – minimal precipitation, low reservoirs, the second-hottest 12-month period on record – were not encouraging. Halfway through the 90-minute meeting, gallows humor lightened the mood. Ed Gerak, executive director of the Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association of Arizona, which represents power providers that receive federal hydropower from Colorado River dams, had the mic. Gerak shuffled through a matter-of-fact slide deck that explained how hydropower output from those dams, particularly the two largest, Hoover and Glen Canyon, has been diminished by shrinking reservoirs. In the middle of the presentation, Tom Buschatzke, director of the state water agency, noticed a misspelling on the screen. He asked Gerak to scroll back to the previous slide. “Is that Freudian?” Buschatzke asked. “Or did you put ‘Hoover Doom’ on purpose?” … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
Editorial: Want to save Colorado River water? Look to farmers
The Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial board writes, “A new study reveals that programs intended to reduce agriculture water use are the most effective means of stretching the Colorado River’s scarce resources. This should be self-evident but tends to get lost amid rhetoric about urban water consumption. The analysis, by the Journal of the American Water Resources Association, examined more than $1 billion in spending covering scores of federal conservation efforts over the past two decades. The costs of saving an acre-foot of water in agriculture was as low as $70, while the price tag for new reservoirs or wastewater treatment plants intended to pad municipal supplies can be more than $2,000 per acre-foot. “We want the dollars to deliver us the maximum water savings,” said Mehdi Nemati, one of the study’s authors and a professor at the University of California, Riverside. “This should be a little bit of a guide as to where we can save water with the lowest amount of money.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
‘We can have abundant rivers and wildlife’: Director of ‘The American Southwest’ on new film
“At its roots, The American Southwest, from Fin and Fur Films, is a natural history documentary. “I’m a wildlife guy,” says director Ben Masters, who founded Fin and Fur in 2012. His infatuation with nature comes through in the film’s exploration of the southwestern United States, traced along the path of the Colorado River from its headwaters in the Never Summer range of the Rocky Mountains to its delta in the Gulf of California. Along the way, we find a watershed teeming with life. In three years of filming, his team captured visually astounding sequences of bull elk (Cervus canadensis) clashing in battle, of beavers (Castor canadensis) toppling trees to tailor their habitat to their needs, and of a nail-biting struggle of a young California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) on a cliff at Navajo Bridge. The filmmakers manage to engage the audience in the stories of each species they spend time with, whether the deadly Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) in California’s largest desert, Arizona’s life-supporting saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea), or the humble salmonfly (Pteronarcys spp.) linking the aquatic environment with the terrestrial. … ” Read more from Mongabay.
In the Arizona desert, where your neighbor is an alfalfa farm
“This far out, there’s no such thing as municipal city water. The afternoon desert sun beats down, hard, as we drive up the gravel road to Tom and Illene Wood’s reddish-brown adobe-style stucco house, nestled off-the-grid within the shrubs and mountains of the Sonoran Desert, with cacti and mastiffs standing guard. Like many residents of rural America, they dug a well. That 400-foot well cost them $10,000. But by 2011, the land had shifted, and they had to dig a new well to the tune of $15,000. Last year, that well ran dry. They’re now on their third well, a $130,000 hit to their retirement funds. Out here, alfalfa might run the aquifers dry. Tom and Illene have been in La Paz County, Arizona since 1986. We’re sitting in their kitchen, which is adorned with Indigenous artifacts and a wagon repurposed into a bar cart. They built the house in 1998, on a piece of land large enough to also store their small plane and ATVs. “The water has disappeared, literally, from the area. It just keeps going away,” Illene says. She says she thinks it is because of the alfalfa and other crops being grown in the valley. Her son-in-law and daughter live across the road, and their well also ran dry. … ” Read more from Worth.
SEE ALSO: Public nuisance law put to the test in Arizona water rights case, from Deseret News
Cochise County residents create nonprofit to help neighbors facing well water crisis
“The groundwater in the Willcox Basin is under an Active Management Agreement because of the number of wells drying up and water concerns in the area. Now, some residents are working to help those who are at risk of running out of water. “Water is by far the most important issue to people living in Cochise County,” said President for People for the Playa Water Resources Inc. Lou Manuta. That’s because while water may be flowing now, some may see their water unexpectedly shut off because the well keeping the water flowing dries up, which is happening all over Cochise County. “The wells are between 800 and 1,000 feet now is pretty normal. Those wells are well over $50,000, and not everybody has that just sitting around,” Manuta said. This is why Manuta and Joanna Seeley worked to create People for the Playa Water Resources Inc. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Gilbert hiring third-party contractor to audit water meters
“Amid public outcry, the town of Gilbert is taking a closer look at its water meters. During a Town Council Meeting on Tuesday, Gilbert officials said they’re hiring a third-party contractor to conduct an audit to verify the accuracy of the meters. They added that the results will be made public and the move is to ensure transparency. The town will also be hosting listening sessions with officials within the next month or two so people can describe their problems with the water bills. No dates have been set yet. This all comes after some Gilbert homeowners noticed their bills getting too high in July and then more said they’ve seen their water bills suddenly surge by up to 1,000% late last month. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
As AI data centers multiply across the Mountain West, so do fears over water use
““Directions to 255 USA Parkway,” Brian Armon asked his phone’s AI assistant, which responded with a virtual map and a traffic report. Armon, a commercial real estate broker, was driving to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, which rises from the sagebrush like a pop-up book. Flat-roof buildings stretch out against the backdrop of brown hills. Cranes and excavators stand still like toys. “So, the building you see up on the hill there, that’s Vantage Data Centers,” Armon said and then pointed to several half-built structures in the distance. “EdgeCore, that’s a data center that’s under construction.” Here, global tech giants are racing to turn desert land into the backbone of the internet. … ” Read more from Wyoming Public Radio.
In national water news today …
Scientists train AI to predict river flow across entire US to aid extreme weather and climate impact preparation
“A new method for predicting how rainfall contributes to river flow across the entire US has been developed by an international team of scientists. The technique, which combines physics knowledge with advanced artificial intelligence (AI), aims to help decision-makers better prepare for extreme weather and climate impacts. By integrating deep learning with watershed physics, the team led by Clemson University in collaboration with Cardiff University and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, developed interpretable, physics-guided AI models for rainfall–runoff simulation. The model outperformed several traditional hydrologic approaches while also estimating the likelihood of a range of different river-flow events, helping scientists identify limitations and improve forecasts. … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
Five crucial Earth systems near a tipping point: Report
“Five of Earth’s vital systems are close to a point of irreversible change, warns a new report released by a global network of scientists ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate change conference in Brazil. The 2025 Global Tipping Points report updates a 2023 report to assess 25 Earth systems that human societies and economies depend on, including the stability of coral reefs, forests and ice sheets. It found at least one system has likely passed a tipping point, while four others are perilously close. The Paris Agreement set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels by 2100. The report notes that Earth has already reached an average increase of 1.4°C (2.5°F) over the past couple decades. Warm water coral reefs reached their tipping point at roughly 1.2°C (nearly 2.2°F). … ” Read more from Mongabay.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE of Petition for Temporary Transfer under Yuba County Water Agency Permit 15026
State Water Board to consider returning the Kaweah Groundwater Subbasin to the Department of Water Resources’ jurisdiction under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
