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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Independent Science Board from 9am to 12:30pm. Agenda items include a Debrief on Emerging Climate Science Symposium and a discussion of the Contaminants Monitoring Review. Click here for the agenda.
- WEBINAR: California Water Supply and Storage What Did Prop 1 Buy Us? from 12pm to 1:30pm. It has been 11 years since the $7.5-billion bond, Prop 1, was passed by California voters to fund water supply and storage projects. While construction has been notably slow to begin, several groundwater projects are moving closer to the finish line, including: The Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project that will develop a regional water bank through a partnership between IRWM and Rosedale-Rio Bravo WSD; the Chino Basin Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project that is building an Advanced Water Purification Facility and enhancing storage to create 15,000 acre feet per year of new local water supply; and Harvest Water, California’s largest agricultural water recycling project, that will supply up to 50,000 acre-feet of drought-resistant water to agricultural land and habitats in southern Sacramento County. Join the Water Dialogue as it delves into the Prop 1 process, lessons learned, and the details of these remarkable projects. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel from 3pm to 6pm. These sessions 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, In the Matter of Review of Waste Discharge Requirements General Order No. R5-2012-0116 for Growers Within the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed that are Members of the Third-Party Group (Eastern San Joaquin Petition Order) and State Water Board Order WQ 2023-0081, In the Matter of Review of General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands Order No. R3-2021-0040 (Central Coast Ag Petition Order). Click here for the full notice.
In California water news today …
California has struggled to track water use. A new system should fix this
“How much water is used in California? Well, the answer can be murky, owing to old, often ill-defined water rights and a flawed system for tracking water use. On Tuesday, state water regulators unveiled the results of a two-year effort to better identify who has claims on California’s water and better measure consumption. The new state product is called CalWATRS, and it’s a massive data platform that holds thousands of water-rights records and makes it easier for water-rights holders to report what they use. Officials at the State Water Resources Control Board say the new system will ensure that water is used more appropriately in California, particularly during dry times when state officials have to ration supplies and cut off users. In past droughts, a lack of information has made it difficult to regulate water. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: California water rights management leaps forward with new reporting system, press release from the State Water Resources Control Board
Giving everyone a say in the Delta’s future: A conversation with adaptation planner and landscape architect Brett Milligan
“It seems like just about everyone has a plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Governor Newsom wants a tunnel under the Delta to pipe water south. Environmental advocates want more tidal marsh for fish nurseries and protection against rising seas. And farmers want to continue a way of life that has been in their families for generations. But most plans for the Delta are not inclusive. Notably, tribes and people of color or low-income are often drowned out by interests with louder voices. Now, an effort called Just Transitions in the Delta aims to make planning for the region more equitable by inviting everyone to have a voice. Launched in 2023, the four-year project hosts participatory workshops for natural resource researchers and managers; environmental, boating and fishing interests; and underrepresented groups and communities. The Just Transitions in the Delta team will present their work and hold a participatory planning session and an interactive exhibition at the State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference in late October. … ” Read more from Robin Meadows at Maven’s Notebook.
This Northern California reservoir has pioneered a way to store more water
“A decade ago, when one of California’s worst droughts almost dried up Lake Mendocino, dam operators at the reservoir 125 miles north of San Francisco faced criticism for not storing more water in rainier times. But it was hardly their fault. The amount of water held and released at the reservoir, which serves Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties, had been dictated by old, rigid federal rules for reservoirs, to make sure they keep enough empty space for capturing floodwaters. This week, after years of advocacy and experimentation, officials at Lake Mendocino will celebrate the reservoir’s status as the first reservoir in the nation to get the go-ahead to adopt a flexible, forecast-based operations policy. The lake’s new water control manual, reliant on modern-day weather models, and notably an understanding of atmospheric rivers, gives dam managers the ability to stash additional water, which could boost reserves sometimes 20% or more when the conditions are right. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
‘Tastes like water’: how a US facility is recycling sewage to drink
“As the pumps whir around us, Denis Bilodeau motions to the liquid in the vats below. It looks like iced tea, but in fact it’s secondary treated sewage, cleaned of any solids by the plant next door. In less than an hour, and after three steps of processing, we will be drinking it – as pure water. The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County, California, houses the pipes, filters and pumps to move up to 130m gallons each day – enough for 1 million people – processing it from dark to clear. The facility, which opened in 2008, is part of broader moves to help conserve water. Bilodeau, the president of the water district, says: “This is going to be a blueprint for any community that’s facing water scarcity, or wants to have more locally controlled water.” … ” Read more from The Guardian.
‘Tens of thousands’ of wine grape acres abandoned in California
“California’s wine grape industry shares the pain experienced in almonds: the ramifications of vineyards not being farmed because input costs have exceeded returns, and the resulting pests and disease pressures that affect their neighbors. With a global glut of grapes in recent years putting downward pressure on prices to growers and forcing wineries to be more selective about the grapes they accept, many growers have left grapes on vines rather than harvesting them because they couldn’t sell them. As a result of the market conditions, some vineyards have been abandoned, noted Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno. “It is in the tens of thousands of acres,” Bitter told Farm Press, noting that the neglected vineyards are on top of the roughly 40,000 acres of grapes that were removed since the 2024 harvest. About 20,000 new acres came online, he said. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Pistachios and climate change: Inside Dubai Chocolate is a very California story
“The warm and velvety smell of cacao permeates every corner of The Xocolate Bar, an independent chocolate shop in Berkeley. In the kitchen, you’ll also detect the aroma of freshly ground pistachios, as owner Malena López-Maggi blends these crunchy green gems down to a rich and silky butter — all in pursuit of the tastiest “Dubai chocolate” bar she can conjure. This crunchy, gooey and savory combination of chocolate, pistachio cream, tahini and kataifi — has become a worldwide culinary phenomenon since United Arab Emirates-based chocolatier Sarah Hamouda first crafted the recipe in 2021. In the years since, influencers from all over the world have posted videos of themselves savoring Dubai chocolate, which has now become synonymous with a certain feeling of epicurean luxury. … When you savor a chocolate treat mixed with pistachio in the United States, while you may just see Dubai’s name on the label it’s actually rural California towns — Mendota, Coalinga, Wasco, Chowchilla, to name a few — that harvest over 98% of pistachios grown nationally. And sourcing her pistachios so close to home helped López-Maggi cut costs when the price of cocoa quadrupled in just a few years due to ongoing drought conditions in West Africa. … ” Read more from KQED.
How to revive California’s underwater forests? Smash a spiky, hungry foe.
“From the bluffs, you might have mistaken the little brown heads poking out of the ocean this month for seals, hundreds of them, gathered for a morning conclave. In fact, they were something almost as surprising: bulb upon glistening bulb of kelp, more of it than this cove in Northern California had seen in years. … A decade ago, the coastline north of San Francisco was the site of one of the most horrific deforestations ever recorded. More than 90 percent of the towering, majestic kelp forests, across 200 miles of glittering shore, were dead and gone in years. Felled by freakishly warm ocean water. Sea creatures starved in droves, notably abalones, the giant mollusks prized for their buttery flesh. At the same time, a mysterious sickness was killing off another denizen of the kelp forests, the mighty, many-limbed sunflower sea star. Without these predators around, sea urchins ran amok, gorging on the kelp that remained and turning the reefs into spiky purple wastelands. Today, acre by acre, beach by beach, efforts to undo the ruin are bearing early fruit. Or, rather, fronds. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
‘We lucked out’: early rains tame California’s peak wildfire season
“October in California is typically known as a dangerous moment in peak fire season, the month when the state has seen some of its most destructive wildfires, but an early-season storm that swept from the Bay Area to Los Angeles this week has lessened the risk that wildfires will spark, according to state fire meteorologists and other experts. The storm, which the National Weather Service described as rare for this time of year, dropped as much as four inches of rain in some parts of the state. That has likely curbed the threat of large wildfires in the north through the end of the year and into winter, particularly if more rain falls soon, according to Brent Wachter, a fire meteorologist with the U.S. Forest Service in Redding, Calif. In Southern California, the fire threat has been reduced significantly for the coming weeks, but experts warned that because the region is in a drought, if the weather turns warm and dry again, and the Santa Ana winds return as they often do in late fall, the risk of fires there may return. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Wildfires can still contaminate water 8 years later, researchers find
“Wildfires can negatively impact water quality, even after they’re extinguished. And new research shows those negative impacts can last for up to eight years. Carli Brucker led the study of 100,000 samples from 500 watersheds across the western U.S. Their findings: Contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon were in that water and, in some cases, stayed in it for years. Brucker recently got her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and now works as a water resources engineer in Colorado. She says there’ve been a number of studies looking at the post-wildfire impacts on water quality but that this is one of the first showing those impacts can last as long as eight years after a fire — she says that longevity is one of the study’s more striking findings. She joins The Show to talk more about this.” Listen to show or read transcript at KJZZ.
SB 707 brings major changes to the California Brown Act
“Senate Bill 707 (“SB 707” or “the bill”) was signed into law by Governor Newsom earlier this month and will bring significant changes to the Brown Act (Gov. Code, § 54950 et seq.) and how public agencies conduct their meetings beginning in 2026. The changes are intended to increase public participation and expand remote teleconferencing access. This alert will focus on some of the key changes. Significantly, SB 707 distinguishes between those changes applicable only to an “eligible legislative body” and those changes that apply generally to all legislative bodies subject to the Brown Act. An “eligible legislative body” is defined as any of the following: (1) a city council of a city with a population of 30,000 or more; (2) a county board of supervisors of a county, or city and county, with a population of 30,000 or more; (3) a city council of a city located in a county with a population of 600,000 or more; or (4) a board of directors of large special districts that meet certain criteria based on boundary area, number of employees, or annual revenue. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
California expands CM/GC authority for public agencies to combat drought and climate challenges
“Governor Newsom signed in law California Senate Bill 598 (SB 598) on October 11, 2025, and will go into effect January 1, 2026. SB 598 will implement processes to streamline local agency water infrastructure projects. It will allow certain local agencies to use the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) project delivery method for projects aimed at addressing ongoing drought or climate change-related water shortages. Currently, California Public Contract Code section 21568.1 authorizes the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to use the CM/GC project delivery method for regional recycled water projects or other water infrastructure projects under specified conditions. SB 598 adopts the current procedures used by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to deliver CM/GC projects. The CM/GC project delivery method is an alternative to the traditional design-bid-build method and involves procuring a construction manager to provide services during both the design and construction phases of a project. … ” Continue reading from Best Best & Krieger.
‘I have no regrets’: Ex-federal officials flock to California
“The ongoing government shutdown is leaving federal paychecks and jobs in limbo. California’s smelling a recruitment opportunity. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign to recruit former federal workers has yielded a steady stream of job applications since its launch in March, at the peak of the Elon Musk-led job cuts that saw tens of thousands leave the federal workforce. Applications peaked in May at 314 but have largely kept up, numbering 239 in September, according to state data provided to POLITICO. … The result is at least dozens of hires, from entry-level staff to high-profile scientists and regulators with decades of federal experience who moved West to preserve their life’s work and lead California departments at the front lines of backfilling federal rollbacks. Now, the state is hoping to further capitalize on that insider experience as this spring’s deferred resignations start running out and the White House drafts further layoff plans (which a judge paused last week, for now.) The state currently has about 3,000 job postings across all agencies and counties. “We are open to federal workers coming into state service, and we’ve made no secret about that,” said California Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia. … ” Read more from Politico.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Tribes comment on salmon recovery as fish continue progress
“Leaders of the Klamath Tribes are among those celebrating the unexpectedly rapid return of salmon up the Klamath River, past the Link River and Upper Klamath Lake and into upstream tributaries. “There is a rumble throughout the Klamath Watershed. The Salmon, not seen in these parts for over a century, are guided by ancestral knowledge and their natural instincts to the mouth of the Klamath and the tributaries, including the Williamson and Sprague. Waq’li’sii Salmon, Welcome Home!” As the statement notes, “Scientists and salmon advocates have thrown their hands in the air; these fish have surpassed all expectations and predictions. To put this in perspective, initial projections estimated that only a small population would return within the next decade, but the actual numbers have been extraordinary, marking an unexpected and hopeful resurgence. The Klamath Tribes’ Ambodat department feels confident that there are at least 100 Fall Chinook Salmon in the Upper Klamath Lake at this time. Now we watch in awe and wonder, and dream about the day our children can know wild salmon.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Mongolian visitors tour Klamath River sites
“A team of scientists from Mongolia spent three days touring various areas along the Klamath River recently to learn about the impacts of dam removals on salmon. Eight Mongolian scientists in aquatic ecosystems, biology, chemistry, and construction engineering specialties participated in the tour to see “what it looks like to dam — and undam — a salmon river in the Klamath River Basin near the Oregon-California border.” Their visit was described by Melaney Dunne, a senior conservation manager with the Portland-based Wild Salmon Center, as an opportunity to advance global dialogue on how to best protect taimen, the world’s largest salmonids, which are found in Mongolia. The largest can weigh up to 100 pounds and measure up to 6 feet — 72 inches — long. … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Salmon sightings in Klamath Drainage District emphasize urgency for fish screens
“Last week, Klamath Drainage District (KDD) staff witnessed large dark masses below the surface of the water in the Ady Canal. Upon further inspection, those dark masses surfaced the water exposing their fins. On Friday, October 17th, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed that the fins were those of Chinook salmon. To date, salmon have been spotted from the head of the Ady Canal all the way down to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). Scott White, the General Manager for the district said, “It’s a very exciting time. However, I never want to have to say, ‘I told you so.’ But dang it, I told you so,” he said with frustration. “It’s been nine years since the KPFA was signed and none of the promises made to farmers in that agreement regarding reintroduction of species have been upheld.” White is referring to the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA) which was signed in 2016 by the United States, the State Governments of Oregon and California, and multiple Klamath Basin stakeholders. … ” Read more from the Klamath Drainage District.
SEE ALSO: Salmon sightings in Klamath Drainage District highlight urgent need for fish screens, from KMTR
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe Conservancy completes demolition for former Motel 6
“Demolition of the former Motel 6 is complete, announced the California Tahoe Conservancy, making way for future environmental restoration and public access improvements. In cooperation with the California Department of General Services (DGS) and its contractor, Clauss Construction, the Conservancy has removed two former motel buildings, a vacant restaurant building, a swimming pool, and the surrounding parking areas from parts of the Conservancy’s Upper Truckee Marsh South property that historically provided important wetland habitat. “Removing the aging development from this extraordinarily important area is a milestone everyone who cares about Tahoe can celebrate,” said Jason Vasques, Executive Director for the Conservancy. “Our thanks again to our funding and project partners who helped make this milestone a success.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SEE ALSO: Demolition of former Motel 6 clears way for wetland restoration in South Lake Tahoe, from Channel 4
The SNC, PCWA, TNC, and MCWRA co-sponsor legislative forest-health tour in American River watershed
“On Monday, Oct. 13, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), Placer County Water Agency (PCWA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Mountain Counties Water Resources Association (MCWRA) co-sponsored the Forests to Faucets Field Tour for state policymakers, staff, and government officials to experience the inextricable connection between forest health and the state’s water supply along the Middle Fork American River watershed in Placer County. The tour was co-hosted by assemblymembers Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) and Diane Papan (D-San Mateo). California’s forested watersheds deliver critical resources to the state, including clean drinking water, hydropower, recreation, and vital wildlife habitat. The American River system and three forks of the American River are key to keeping these resources flowing. The Forests to Faucets Field Tour highlighted how connected forest health and resilience is to our water supply, water quality, and energy, and focused on the critical need to complete community protection and forest-health treatments quicker and on a larger scale. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Shutdown brings more BASE jumpers and drones to Yosemite skies
From his perch on the 3,000-foot wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Charles Winstead heard the unexpected whoosh of a BASE jumper’s parachute and looked up. “I turned on my camera and, sure enough, there was a couple more, and then a couple more, and a couple more,” said Mr. Winstead, 57, a rock climber who has been ascending El Capitan for much of this month. And that was just on Oct. 1, the first day of the government shutdown. In a cellphone interview on Friday from about 1,000 feet up, he said he had seen roughly 20 jumps so far. BASE jumping, in which participants parachute off fixed objects such as buildings or cliffs, is illegal in Yosemite and all 62 other national parks because of “the significant safety risks it poses to participants, the public and first responders,” the National Park Service said in a statement. But as the shutdown heads into its fourth week, the adventure sport has become a symbol of the chaos that park employees and other experts fear might take hold as major parks are left open to the public while much of their staff is furloughed. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Lake Oroville’s water level is falling
“As is the yearly occurrence, Lake Oroville’s water level is taking a dip with the latest updates showing the level at 778.31 based on monitoring at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Late summer and early fall mark the time when the once-full lake drops low enough that structures such as the back of the Oroville Dam spillway, and in some cases, entire park lots, become visible, while some boat launches begin to lead to thin air. On Oct. 21, 2024, the water was monitored at 767.54 feet, lower than the current measurement, though for the same day in 2023, it was measured at 824.09. There are various reasons water is released from the lake, including goals related to the State Water Project. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
BAY AREA
Jet stream shift brings Bay Area cooldown, but rain chances fade
“After luxuriating in the 70s and 80s, the Bay Area will trade warmth for a dose of coastal chill on Wednesday. Temperatures will fall 10 to 15 degrees as onshore winds return — but the bigger story may be what’s not arriving. Forecast models continue to dial back the weekend rain chances that once looked promising. It’s a classic onshore wind reset, with a not-so-classic culprit. A weak low-pressure system that had been spinning off the California coast will finally drift toward the Central Coast on Wednesday, dragging a plume of moisture inland. That surge will thicken the marine layer overnight, spreading clouds across the region and bringing a few spotty showers by morning. Calling the Wednesday morning showers “rain” may be generous. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
C&H Sugar agrees to pay $734,000 for Crockett odor nuisance and wastewater violations
“C&H Sugar Co. has agreed to pay $734,000 to resolve allegations by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board that its joint treatment plant caused an odor nuisance in the Contra Costa County town of Crockett, after which it failed to provide information on its wastewater treatment and failed to meet other Clean Water Act requirements. C&H’s treatment operations allegedly produced a foul odor that permeated the Crockett community for over a month in 2022 and discharged wastewater that failed to meet water quality standards. The San Francisco Water Board has posted the settlement agreement on its website for public review and comment for the next 30 days pending the regional board’s decision to accept or reject it. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.
CENTRAL COAST
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District asks state to ease Carmel River pumping order amid surplus
“The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District voted Monday to ask the State Water Resources Control Board to relax parts of a long-standing cease-and-desist order that restricts how much water can be drawn from the Carmel River. The order dates to 2009, when state regulators found California American Water (Cal-Am) was over-pumping the river, triggering strict caps that have shaped development and conservation on the Peninsula for years. District leaders now argue conditions have changed. General Manager David Stoldt told the board that, thanks to aggressive conservation and new supply from projects like Pure Water Monterey, the Peninsula currently has enough water to meet existing demand—and likely a decade of future needs—without violating Carmel River water rights. … ” Read more from KSBY.
SEE ALSO: UPDATED: MPWMD asks state to allow new water meters on the Monterey Peninsula, from Monterey Now.
No maps, brown water: Shutdown woes at California’s smallest national park
“When Andrew Snow arrived at the campground in Pinnacles National Park in early October, there was a problem. The drinking water coming from the spigot near his campsite was a brownish color and didn’t smell right. Snow is an outdoor education course director, and he was about to lead a weeklong program of hiking, climbing and camping for 50 middle school students. He approached the camp host and said, “Hey, this water is brown. I’ve got photos of it, and it’s pretty gnarly,” he told SFGATE. “We’ve got to get water for these kids.” The camp host explained that a maintenance worker normally visits the spigots about every three days and leaves them open for 30 or 40 minutes to flush the system, according to Snow. The host instructed him to “rig something up and leave the spigot open for about an hour,” Snow said. “So that’s what we did. And then wow, the water was much better.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Woodward Reservoir management deal between Stanislaus County and irrigation district to end
“The South San Joaquin Irrigation District will end its decades-long management agreement with Stanislaus County at Woodward Reservoir, citing concerns over finances, facility upkeep and the protection of drinking water for nearby cities. The district’s board voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate the agreement, giving one year’s notice before assuming full control of the 2,900-acre reservoir in October 2026. “It’s the heart of our irrigation system, and for our wholesale water treatment that we provide for communities of Manteca, Lathrop and Tracy,” said Katie Patterson, the district’s public and government relations manager. … ” Read more from CBS News.
SEE ALSO: Stanislaus County dismissed as Woodward Reservoir park manager. What will change?, from the Modesto Bee
EASTERN SIERRA
Ancestral land returned to eastern Sierra tribe
“It has been roughly two centuries since the Kootzaduka’a Tribe was pushed off its territorial homeland, but with the help of a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) that all changed this summer as the tribe can now call a scenic 160 acres near Mono Lake home again. “We have been patient for almost 200 years. We haven’t given up,” said Dean Tonenna, Mono Lake Kootzaduka’a tribal elder. “This is a real boost in our sense of accomplishments and what we can do on the ground.” Surrounded by the Inyo National Forest, the land – known as Tupe Nobe, which translates to “Rock House” – is located in the foothills above Mono Lake. Before European settlement began in earnest in the 1860s, the Kootzaduka’a people lived and thrived throughout the Mono Basin. As more settlers moved in, the tribe was slowly pushed off the land. As Tonenna put it, they were driven to be “squatters in their own homeland.” The purchase of Tupe Nobe is one step in reversing that tribal land and water loss. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
More rain could be on the way this week to Southern California
“Parts of the Los Angeles region could see light rain this week as a small chance of thunderstorms brings the possibility of more precipitation following last week’s soaking, according to the National Weather Service. There is a 10% chance of rainfall across Los Angeles County on Tuesday night, but that chance of showers drops to as low as 5% going into Wednesday, said Carol Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard. Interior valleys and mountain areas of the Southland are most likely to see rain, she said, with a slight chance of precipitation in the valleys and along the coast. Conditions will not come close to the intense showers and winds Los Angeles County experienced last week. … ” Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
West Valley Water District invests in a sustainable future
“The Fontana City Council recently received an update from the West Valley Water District (WVWD) on the community’s water use and value of the resource in everyday life — especially as it pertains to emergency preparedness. General Manager John Thiel delivered the presentation to the council at the Sept. 23 meeting. “We design our system to meet highest use and fire flow events,” he said. “Storage is important … but you can’t really build water tanks big enough for wildfires. “You need wells, booster stations and standby generators to keep the water flowing.” WVWD’s board strategic plan — developed last year — includes the mission of providing the community with high quality and reliable water service, while striving to achieve cost-effectiveness and sustainability. With that objective in mind, the water district’s ongoing Capital Improvement Program (CIP) involves long-term engineering and financial planning in accordance with 10-year projections of its needs and investments. In the last 10 years, WVWD has spent over $100 million on development and construction, and is set to invest over $100 million in the next decade. … ” Read more from the Fontana News & Herald.
Redlands City Council OKs $529K for wastewater repairs
“The city council approved a $529,337 contract with Sentry Equipment Corp. for the rehabilitation of a key component at the city’s wastewater treatment plant on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The project will focus on upgrading and repairing the plant’s secondary clarifier, which plays a critical role in the treatment process by removing or recirculating solids from the wastewater stream. The clarifiers, originally constructed in 1972 to meet federal Clean Water Act standards, currently process between 1 to 1.5 million gallons of wastewater per day. The council also determined the project is categorically exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as the work involves replacement of existing equipment with no change in capacity or use. … ” Read more from Redlands Community News.
Water agencies collaborate to bring water to Yucaipa/Calimesa
“Local and regional water leaders broke ground on the County Line Road Recharge Basin and Turnout Project on Tuesday, Oct. 14. It is a $3.1 million initiative designed to bring clean drinking water and drought resilience to the Calimesa region. The San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and South Mesa Water Company are partnering on the County Line Road Recharge Basin and Turnout Project. The groundbreaking was located near 960 Fourth Street, Community Park. This regional water supply project will deliver clean and reliable drinking water to 18,000 people. It will also import water to the Calimesa region for the first time, strengthen regional drought resilience and stabilize Yucaipa Subbasin groundwater. … ” Read more from the Yucaipa News-Mirror.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Dusty air is rewriting your lung microbiome
“Dust from California’s drying Salton Sea doesn’t just smell bad. Scientists from UC Riverside found that breathing the dust can quickly re-shape the microscopic world inside the lungs. Genetic or bacterial diseases have previously been shown to have an effect on lung microbes. However, this discovery marks the first time scientists have observed such changes from environmental exposure rather than a disease. Published in the journal mSphere, the study shows that inhalation of airborne dust collected close to the shallow, landlocked lake alters both the microbial landscape and immune responses in mice that were otherwise healthy. “Even Salton Sea dust filtered to remove live bacteria or fungi is altering what microbes survive in the lungs,” said Mia Maltz, UCR mycologist and lead study author. “It is causing deep changes to our internal environment.” … ” Read more from UC Riverside.
SAN DIEGO
Nesting seabirds disappear from Mission Bay
“In the summer of 2024, to the delight of birders and naturalists, West Ski Island was a productive nesting ground for over 15,000 Elegant Terns. The man-made crescent shaped island in Mission Bay provided critical habitat for a near-threatened species of seabird that exclusively nests in Southern California and Baja. This year, the Elegant Terns didn’t return to their traditional nesting site, despite being spotted in Mission Bay during the spring scouting their former territory. Instead, they spent the summer nesting and raising their young at the South Bay Saltworks, one of only a handful of nesting sites in Southern California. As both a vacation destination and recreational jewel for locals and tourists alike, Mission Bay is already a tough place for the endangered California Least Terns to thrive, who have protected nesting sites across the bay. There are a number of factors that could have influenced the Elegant Terns’ decision not to return, such as recreational activity, fish availability, or the annual San Diego Bayfair thunderboats race that circles their nesting site. However, while last year’s nesting season was initially successful, clear evidence emerged of the consequences of intense human disturbance. … ” Continue reading at San Diego Coastkeeper.
Scripps’s new tool predicts ocean contamination days in advance
“For years, San Diegans near our southern beaches have learned to treat the Pacific with suspicion. On a day when the water looks inviting, invisible pathogens may be drifting north from Tijuana, where a water treatment plant struggles to contain its outflow. Swimming in these conditions can feel less like a rite of warm weather and more like a wager. But oceanographers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have devised a way to tip the odds. The new Pathogen Forecast Model translates the complexity of oceanic physics (currents, winds, tides, waves) into something as simple as a weather report. Scientists have long been able to measure norovirus levels in the surf, but, until now, those measurements told only where the danger had been, not where it was going. The new model can project, up to five days in advance, where contaminated water is likely to travel and how risky it might be to take a swim at various San Diego beaches. … ” Read more from San Diego Magazine.
Imperial Beach will try living levee
“Despite rising fears about rising sea levels, some bayside communities are trying to attract more shoreline development. Imperial Beach, which may face some of the region’s greatest risks from sea-level rise, is tackling coastal adaptation with projects like a 1.2-mile earthen levee on the Bayshore bikeway. It’s an area where flooding is worsening even as biking is increasing. On weekends, as many as 4000 users use the path, city officials say. But in winter, king tides and storm surges can leave the Imperial Beach segment of the 24-mile bikeway unusable, wreaking havoc on the bayside neighborhood it traverses, especially near 7th Street and Basswood Avenue. In El Nino years, the bike path overtops, flooding low-lying backyards on 7th Street. Those homes are in the FEMA flood zone, so the intent is to build protection for them. “First and foremost, this is a flood control project,” Chris Helmer, the city’s director of environmental & natural resources, told the city council last week. … ” Read more from the San Diego Reader.
Along the Colorado River …
Phoenix subdivision builds move ahead, despite water concerns
“The first real crack has opened in the logjam that halted construction of nearly half a million Phoenix-area houses: The water company EPCOR won the right to build up to 60,000 new homes in parts of the already-booming cities of Buckeye and Surprise, Arizona, as well as in other areas of Maricopa County, perennially listed as one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties. This marks the first time in over two years that the Arizona Department of Water Resources has lifted even a portion of a moratorium banning the construction of new subdivisions that rely on groundwater. The ADWR issued the moratorium in June 2023 after concluding that the Phoenix area’s long-depleted aquifer no longer had enough water to serve all the developments planned for the region for 100 years as required by the 1980 Groundwater Management Act. Reporting by High Country News found that thousands more houses were stopped by the moratorium than previously acknowledged. … ” Read more from High Country News.
Urgent action needed to save Arizona community sinking due to groundwater pumping, official says
“The unincorporated town of Wenden in La Paz County is sinking due to the over pumping of groundwater. The over pumping causes a phenomenon known as subsidence, according to La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin. “The land starts to literally sink,” Irwin told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “That’s due to the over pumping of groundwater in the area over the decades.” She identified two possible solutions: passing a state law that restricts groundwater pumping or having the governor establish an active management area. … ” Read more from KTAR.
In national water news today …
In first six months, cost of weather catastrophes escalated at a record pace
“The Trump administration this year stopped updating a federal database that tracked the cost of extreme weather and informed an annual list of hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in damage. But the cost of such catastrophes continues to escalate at a record pace. That’s according to a revived version of the database released Wednesday by the nonprofit group Climate Central. Through the first six months of this year, disasters across the United States caused more than $100 billion in damage, the most expensive start to any year on record, it found. Fourteen disasters each caused at least $1 billion in damage through the first half of the year, the researchers found. The tally comes as President Trump has said he wants to eventually shift the burden of disaster relief and recovery from the federal government onto states. And there are signs that is already happening. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
