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On the calendar today …
MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 9am.Agenda items include a legislative update, a presentation by the Army Corps of Engineers on the Levee Inspection Results for the Bear Creek Levee systems in San Joaquin County, and a Presentation on the Sutter Bypass East Levee Project. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions. Meeting canceled.
In California water news today …
Here’s how full California reservoirs are following October rains
“Downpours produced major impacts across California in October. Heavy rain flooded streets in the Bay Area and delayed flights into San Francisco International Airport. Los Angeles County officials issued evacuation warnings due to the potential for mudslides. The widespread drenching, however, didn’t translate into large impacts on the California reservoir levels, data shows. Nonetheless, the state’s major water supply reservoirs are generally fuller than normal for this time of year. This is good news, given uncertainty in California’s precipitation outlook this winter. “Reservoir levels are in a good space to help manage the coming year should conditions end up dry,” said state climatologist Michael Anderson, with the Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
State Water Contractors: Appeals Court sides with the Department of Water Resources on key Delta Conveyance Project data gathering
“Last week, California’s Third District Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s injunction that had prohibited preconstruction geotechnical work for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). Geotechnical work refers to the process of collecting and analyzing soil samples at the project site. The analysis of these samples will inform engineering, design and cost estimates before finalizing design and initiating construction. This decision is a victory for supporters of California water security, including the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Contractors, who have long said that geotechnical work is an essential data-gathering step, but is not a covered action under the Delta Reform Act, nor is it part of the DCP covered action, so no certification of consistency with the Delta Plan is needed before data gathering may begin. The reversal is important for preconstruction data gathering to inform the DCP’s design and reflects a common-sense interpretation of the Delta Reform Act and what is necessary to build infrastructure in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. … ” Read more from the State Water Contractors.
Governor advances Delta Conveyance Project through two key milestones
“Governor Gavin Newsom announced two recent key victories to advance the Delta Conveyance Project — a critical infrastructure project to safeguard California’s water supplies amid a hotter, drier future. The administration secured a court decision reversing a preliminary injunction that was previously blocking pre-construction geotechnical work. Additionally, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has submitted a certification of consistency for the broader project to the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC). These victories help the Delta Conveyance Project move forward in compliance with the Delta Reform Act — the state law that creates a regulatory framework to protect both the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ecosystem and a reliable statewide water supply. “California must quickly complete the Delta Conveyance Project to protect our state’s water supplies,” said Governor Newsom. “No piece of infrastructure is more fundamental to our water supply and economic success. This is the most effective strategy to ensure that the state can continue to deliver water for Californians in future hotter, drier, and more extreme conditions. Enough delays, we must quickly move forward to protect Californians’ water supplies, and we look forward to completing this project sooner rather than later.” … ” Read more from Governor Newsom.
Restore the Delta Responds to New “Affordable California” Ballot Initiative and Governor’s Push to Fast-Track Delta Conveyance Project
“On Tuesday, October 21, the California Chamber of Commerce filed a request for a ballot initiative misleadingly titled the “Building an Affordable California” initiative. The proposal seeks to streamline environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for so-called “essential” infrastructure projects, including major water, transportation, housing, and energy developments. Under the initiative, “essential projects” are defined so broadly that virtually any public, private, or utility infrastructure project could qualify—paving the way for large-scale construction without the environmental review and community protections CEQA provides. “This is a direct attack on environmental justice communities, Tribal sovereignty, and the ecosystems that sustain our state,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta. “At a time when California residents are on the verge of losing their SNAP benefits and healthcare, framing this initiative as ‘affordable’ is frankly disrespectful. While housing affordability is a real crisis, removing community voices and environmental safeguards for the sake of industry profits is a massive step in the wrong direction.” … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
New Web Page for the Delta Conveyance Project at the Delta Stewardship Council
“As announced at the Delta Stewardship Council’s monthly meeting on October 23, 2025, the Council created a new web page for the Delta Conveyance Project. This web page was created as a helpful resource for public information related to the Delta Conveyance Project certification of consistency with the Delta Plan. The new web page is located on the Council’s website under the Covered Actions dropdown menu and will be updated as new documents are received. The official record can still be found on the Covered Actions Portal.”
California launches new CalWATRS water rights system
“Big changes are coming to how California manages water rights! The State Water Resources Control Board is rolling out a brand-new online platform called CalWATRS, short for California Water Rights System. It replaces the old eWRIMS platform and will handle everything related to water rights administration and reporting. … ” Read more from Ag Info.
‘Aquatic feral pigs’ are wreaking havoc on Northern California
“In his revered 1917 poem “The Wild Swans at Coole,” Irish writer William Butler Yeats describes the fabled birds as brilliant, mysterious creatures representing timeless beauty. California wildlife authorities in the year 2025, however, beg to differ. Individuals with a California hunting license will now be able to “take,” or kill, invasive mute swans starting Jan. 1, a Monday news release from the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife says. According to officials, the S-shaped bird, famously used as a symbol of beauty, elegance and grace, is an aggressive species capable of critically injuring children and pets, and must be reined in. … Mute swans are kind of like “aquatic feral pigs,” CDFW spokesperson Melanie Weaver told SFGATE over the phone Wednesday. Despite their striking physical appearance, the birds pose a serious threat to Northern California’s marine ecosystem, and homeowners now have the authority to shoot them if they’re on their property, regardless of whether they have a license, Weaver said. …” Read more from SF Gate.
‘Destructive’ swans in the crosshairs as California allows hunting
“Hunters will soon be allowed to kill mute swans as part of an effort to cull the “destructive, non-native” species statewide, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Starting Jan. 1, anyone with a valid hunting license will be able to kill the invasive waterfowl at any time, according to an agency news release. Landowners and lessees can also kill mute swans at any time without a permit or hunting license. The move was authorized by new state legislation, which expires Jan. 1, 2031. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
How is California phasing out the use of forever chemicals?
“California has taken another major step in protecting public health and the environment by adopting strict new health goals for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in nature. The move, led by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), sets science-based limits for PFAS in drinking water and complements new legislative measures to phase out their use in consumer products. The OEHHA has established public health goals (PHGs) for two of the most studied PFAS compounds: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These goals set non-enforceable targets of 0.007 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 1 ppt for PFOS, levels deemed safe for lifetime exposure without significant health risk. … ” Read more from Sustainability Magazine.
Trump plan would allow oil drilling all along California coast
“If the Trump administration had its way, oil rigs could soon start drilling along the entire California coast, according to documents obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Drilling could take place in the pristine waters off of Sonoma County and Big Sur, and theoretically even near the Golden Gate, if the administration were to find a way to bypass National Marine Sanctuary protections. California elected officials, environmental organizations and tourism and fishing industries expressed opposition to the plan, which they’d been expecting and dreading for months. The documents confirmed that the administration plans to open federal waters, which run 3 miles to 200 miles from shore in California, to oil and gas leasing as soon as 2027, according to the Houston Chronicle. “This means the oil industry gets open season on the entire California coast,” said Richard Charter, who has worked on the issue for decades and directs a program that coordinates local governments concerned about the impact of offshore leasing on their economies. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Chinook salmon seen in Bear Creek after Blue Heron reconnection
“Salmon are making a return in places they haven’t been seen in centuries. One year after the last historic removal of the Klamath River dams, these salmon are now spawning in Bear Creek. “They started their journey up the Rogue River in July and these are fish that are probably, you know, 25 to 30 inches longer or bigger…by the time they get up here, it’s probably now it’s mid-October, and we started to see a lot of them in this particular reach of the of Bear Creek,” said Scott English, the project manager of the reconstruction. For the first time in 75 years, Blue Heron and Bear Creek are connected, creating a unique environment that protects the salmon. “It’s a constant flow of clear cold water…They call it thermal refuge. So the young fish come in here and get cool off. The other thing this does, when you’ve got really high water in here, this is high flow refuge, those young fish can come into this channel and find refuge from the high flow and don’t get swept out,” said English. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Salmon repopulation raising concerns says Klamath Drainage District
“As Chinook salmon continue to make progress in the Klamath Basin following dam removal, a local organization is calling for fish screens to protect both family farms and fish. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) said in the last month, salmon have been spotted passing Keno Dam, the Link River fish ladder, and tributaries on the west side of Upper Klamath Lake, as well as in the Sprague River. The Klamath Drainage District (KDD) said salmon have even been spotted from the head of the A Canal all the way down to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. KDD, which represents 12 large landowners covering 27,000 acres, most of which grow grain, is emphasizing the urgency for fish screens. … ” Read more from KOBI.
Prime stretch of the Fall River is conserved in land transfer to the Pit River Tribe
“Southeast of Mount Shasta, Western Rivers Conservancy, the Pit River Tribe and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have conserved the 270-acre Pope Jensen Ranch, which includes nearly three miles of California’s renowned Fall River. In early September, WRC purchased and then immediately conveyed the property to the Tribe, placing ancestral lands back into the hands of their original stewards while protecting riparian and wetland habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife. The conveyance allows the Tribe to begin critically needed restoration on nearly 135 acres of freshwater wetlands. The property is located within the ancestral lands of the Ajumawi Band of the Pit River Tribe. The reach is within the heartland of the band, and hosts areas of historical and cultural importance. The land will now be in the hands of the Pit River Tribe to be managed and stewarded for the Pit River people of the past, in the present and into the future. … ” Continue reading at Lassen News.
Fort Bragg city council authorizes utility bill assistance program
“During the October 14th City Council meeting, the council held a hearing regarding a Utility Bill Assistance Program, received a report on pension liabilities, approved a change order with Best Roofing for up to 30,000 dollars for the wastewater roof repair project, approved a scope of work for the Willow Street Pedestrian Improvements Project, and accepted the completion of the skylight repair project at the CV Starr Center. The city also approved cost-of-living and pay rate ranges for all city employees under consent. The Utility Bill Assistance Program will assist needy citizens with their utility bills. It is similar to a program the city had during the pandemic. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Déjà snow?: Winter in Tahoe this year could feel familiar
“Is the recent flurry adorning the Tahoe Basin a good omen for the winter ahead or a fool’s hope? Well, to find a similar year for comparison, we won’t have to look far. “I feel like in my bones and what I’ve been telling everyone officially,” Tahoe local, OpenSnow founder and forecaster, Bryan Allegretto, says, “is I feel like this could be very similar to what we saw last year for the winter as a whole.” Early snow in November raised hopes, which were quickly dampened by the demoralizing dry stint that followed. Finally, momentum in the spring made for a winter just short of average (95%) at Donner Summit. Regions on the north side of the lake did much better, while those in the south had almost 30% less. Most indicators leading up to this winter are reminiscent of last year, although there is one factor that is different—and it’s not in our favor. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Groundwater meeting focuses on how fees are determined
“Nobody wants to do it, but it’s better to do it yourself, than have someone else do it to you. This was the sentiment expressed by most attending the special Tehama County Groundwater Commission meeting on Oct. 8. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of California has requirements for reporting and administrative work. Future fees will cover some of that work, and there are several ways those fees could be set. Seth Lawrence, a member of the commission noted these actions are essentially unavoidable, as they are coming from the state. The only option is to manage everything locally, or the state will come in and manage it. The meeting was well attended and there were a lot of public comments with lots of concerns. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Delays in Sacramento’s flood protection projects could trigger new building ban
“Sacramento’s flood protection projects are falling behind and that could have triggered a new building ban due to delays. A similar moratorium was in effect for seven years up until 2015. Now there’s been a last-minute effort to extend the Dec. 31 deadline. Homes in Sacramento’s Natomas neighborhood could be under 16 feet of water if the river levee ever broke. “There’s a lot of different flood threats that could possibly happen in the Sacramento region; we’re not called the river city for no reason,” said Sean de Guzman, the flood operations manager at the California Department of Water Resources. That’s why, back in 2007, state lawmakers set a deadline requiring Sacramento to have a 200-year level of flood protection by the end of this year. … ” Read more from CBS News.
NAPA/SONOMA
DWR and Napa County partner to bring more stream gages online, providing critical information for world-renowned wine region
“In a region known for its vineyards, scenic hills, and delicate ecosystems, accurate and timely data of Napa County’s streams is more than just a technical asset, it’s a lifeline. As part of DWR’s California Stream Gage Improvement Program (CalSIP), DWR and Napa County are collaborating to bring five stream gages online in the Napa River watershed, targeting data gaps in the watershed and key tributaries which will help water managers plan for dry periods and make faster emergency decisions during flooding events. Made possible with funding from the Budget Act of 2023, the CalSIP program is enabling the revival and deployment of gages at five critical sites in Napa County. These include the Calistoga reach of the Napa River, Conn Creek, Dry Creek, Milliken Creek, and Redwood Creek. These sites were chosen to extend coverage into areas that have been largely unmonitored. The new network will enable water managers to focus on how each stream and creek contributes to the overall Napa River system. It also helps illuminate how smaller sub-watersheds respond to rainfall, seasonal pulses, and drought stress. … ” Continue reading from DWR.
BAY AREA
Rain is returning to the Bay Area. Here’s when and where
“Two rounds of rain showers are predicted to clip the Bay Area this weekend, but it won’t be a major washout. The bulk of an atmospheric river-fueled storm is forecast to slam the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain and blustery winds. Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou and Shasta counties will feel these impacts, with 1 to 4 inches of rain expected, but the Bay Area probably won’t see more than light to moderate showers. Beach conditions will be hazardous, though. The National Weather Service warns of breaking waves of 15 to 20 feet at Pacific beaches and an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents Friday through Sunday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Major pipeline repairs underway to protect Santa Clara County’s water supply
“Every drop of water that flows from your tap depends on a network of pipelines working behind the scenes. At Valley Water, we work hard to keep that system strong through regular inspections, maintenance and upgrades that protect Santa Clara County’s water supply. This fall, we’re starting an important project to inspect and repair the West Pipeline, one of the key parts of our water delivery network. Built in 1966, the West Pipeline carries treated drinking water from the Rinconada Water Treatment Plant in Los Gatos to local water retailers serving communities in Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, and West San Jose. Crews will repair 25 sections along 2.8 miles of the West Pipeline, from More Avenue in Los Gatos to Cox Avenue in Saratoga. The work is set to begin in late October 2025 and continue through April 2026. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Task force comments on landfill leave lingering health questions
“After months of debate from the multi-agency task force working on Chiquita Canyon Landfill, a state official finally commented on health problems residents have been facing — with an acknowledgement that they still have more study to do, despite years of complaints. The discussion at the Oct. 14 Chiquita Canyon Landfill Community Advisory Committee meeting confirmed what many Castaic and Val Verde residents have been complaining about since early 2023 when the complaints began. “We’ve been arguing about this among the … various agencies working on this, and I think I’ve come back at least three different times and said, ‘Oh, we’re still working on this,’” said Todd Sax, chief of the enforcement division for the California Air Resources Board, who’s leading the group of county, state and federal agencies working on the landfill’s problem. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
Where to explore the lush, sandy segments of the L.A. River
Jaclyn Cosgrove writes, “I felt like a child again as I wandered down to the riverbank to look at crawdads. “Oh, the L.A. River folks posted on Instagram about this, but I didn’t know they were right here,” my walking partner said. Dozens of bright red crustaceans swam and fought and hid in the warm shallow water of the Glendale Narrows of the Los Angeles River. A Cooper’s hawk swooped down to grab a branch presumably for a nearby nest. A black-crowned night heron accidentally dropped its lunch, perhaps a frog, back into the water. Later, I’d witness Canada geese arriving in formation before landing on the river for their evening dinner and rest. In all honesty, I hadn’t expected such abundant life less than a quarter of a mile from the 5 Freeway. But that’s what you’ll discover along the sandy, soft bottom segments of the L.A. River where nature rejected concrete and instead built back life. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Seal Beach water well project contract discussion
“Last week the City Council unanimously approved two contracts related to the Lampson Water Well improvement project. The following is a look at highlights from the discussion. The City Council on Monday, Oct. 13, unanimously approved a new contract and an amendment to an existing contract for the Lampson Water Well Project. The new contract would be with Bustier Engineering for construction management and inspections. The amended contract would be for Pacific Advanced Engineering to provide engineering services for the well improvement project. The project is necessary because the well puts out a foul odor. The city does not use the well at full capacity because of the foul odor. … ” Read more from the Seal Beach Sun.
San Juan Creek surges into Doheny waters with first late-fall storm
“It’s mid-October, and our minds are already on winter? Despite the sunny skies and glassy waves we’ve been enjoying this week, last week was a different story. Hurricane Priscilla brought rough winds and heavy rains up from Cabo San Lucas, delivering less-than-stellar conditions to our surf spots all the way up here in Southern California. Because of the heavy rain, most surfers suffered from having a few days out of the water. While the drizzle may have seemed minor, the downpour was enough to send San Juan Creek surging into the ocean and spilling straight into one of Dana Point’s most famed surf spots. Dark-colored runoff water poured into the lineup at Doheny, where the normally mellow, clear waves roll. Local photographer Greg Viviani captured this with drone footage, posting it on social media and writing, “This is why we have the 72-hour rule for surfing after a rain, especially the first one of the season.” … ” Read more from the San Clemente Times.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Video: Salton Sea: Toxic Reality – UCLA reports show gaps in gov. monitoring
“A new report by UCLA finds that conditions at the Salton Sea are worse than state data suggests. As morning anchor Angela Chen shows us, scientists are highlighting a critical shortcoming in the government’s monitoring of harmful emissions.” Watch video at KEYT.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego County water costs could more than double over a decade, officials warn. Here’s why.
“San Diego County Water Authority officials expect wholesale water rates to soar by as much as 150% over the next decade, driven in part by the agency’s struggles to sell some of its supply — struggles it expects to get worse because of San Diego’s billion-dollar Pure Water project. A grim reality of high water costs might persist for residents and businesses in much of the region if the authority doesn’t find new buyers for its water, according to a draft of the water authority’s long-term financial plan presented to water officials on Thursday. If sales aren’t boosted, volumetric water rates could jump from about $2,000 per acre-foot next year to anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000 per acre-foot in 2035, according to the plan. San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who sits on the water authority’s board of directors, asked officials to gather more options for blunting the impact of rate hikes. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Commentary: San Diego deserves representation that defends its water future
Marco Gonzalez, executive director of the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, writes, “For decades, the city of San Diego has worked toward one of the most ambitious and environmentally responsible infrastructure projects in its history: the Pure Water San Diego Program, a multi-phase effort that will provide nearly half of the city’s water supply locally by 2035. This project represents not only technological innovation and environmental stewardship, but also hard-won progress toward water independence — freeing San Diego from the volatile grip of imported water from the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and the Colorado River. So it was both shocking and deeply disappointing to read the recent opinion piece by Jim Madaffer, one of the city’s appointed representative to the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), in which he publicly questioned the city’s approach to water independence and parroted talking points that have long served the interests of the very agencies that profit from keeping San Diego dependent on imported water. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Funds for the Tijuana River toxic hot spot approved
“Since last year, the toxic hot spot in the Tijuana River Valley has been the subject of much research. Hydrogen sulfide and other gases are being released from the pipe, which was originally intended to help with flooding but is now causing more problems. Senate Bill 105, which includes funding for the environment, will address the hot spot with $46 million. To mark this milestone, which will help residents experiencing health problems due to breathing hydrogen sulfide, a group gathered on Saturn Boulevard in the vicinity of the hot spot. District 80 Assemblymember David Alvarez, District 1 Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, Southwest High School Science Teacher and Cross Country Coach David Buse, and Dr. Kim Prather of UCSD and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Department of Chemistry all spoke about the issue. … ” Read more from the Coronado Eagle & Journal.
County said it will keep Tijuana River Community Garden blooming
“San Diego County has launched a formal search for the next operator who will manage the Tijuana River Community Garden. The county is looking for an organization that can maintain the 17-acre property for at least one year, according to a Request for Information, a document governments use to learn about the capabilities of a supplier. “We’re working to figure out who will take it over in the interim and who might want or be interested in taking it over in the long term, making the transition as seamless as possible for the gardeners,” County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said Wednesday. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
Inventing habitats: A reconciliation approach to urban ecology
Ruxandra Guidi writes, “In Tucson, Arizona, where I live, a remarkable ecological movement has been slowly and quietly building for decades now. Instead of focusing solely on restoring degraded habitat, it encourages Westerners to reimagine and reconnect with their local landscapes — beginning by accepting them on their own imperfect terms. It was catalyzed by the 1960s environmental movement and the resulting ’70s and ’80s conservation and ecological restoration efforts. Today, however, instead of using the word “restoration” to discuss an urban stretch of a riparian corridor, we talk about “reconciliation.” “Reconciliation ecology,” a term coined in 2003, aims to increase biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes. Think of it as conservation for the Anthropocene. Angelantonio Breault, a fourth-generation Tucsonan, grew up near the top of the region’s floodplain “thinking it was a ditch.” But when he started studying ecology and visiting the Santa Cruz River on Sundays “to look for birds and wildflowers,” he began thinking about stewardship, and how he was developing a personal connection to the river even as he learned from it. And so he created the Reconciliación en el Río Santa Cruz community initiative. It differed from past environmental campaigns in that it was concerned less with restoring the landscape than with reimagining how we humans engage with each other and the land. … ” Read more from High Country News.
The near-perfect storms: Arizona weathers a fierce series of storms raging in from the Pacific
“While not quite the scale of “The Perfect Storm” that engulfed the northeastern U.S. in October 1991, the storms of late September and early October that raged in from the eastern Pacific, flooding Arizona communities and wreaking widespread havoc, were of the same family of complex weather patterns. Beginning at the tail end of the Southwestern “monsoon” season, warm sea surface waters and a favorable atmospheric pattern began supporting organized tropical development in the eastern Pacific. At the same time, explained National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O’Malley, “a series of autumn storm systems entering the western United States created a wind pattern conducive towards pulling residual moisture sheared from three Pacific tropical systems into Arizona over a prolonged period.” As a result, several rounds of showers and thunderstorms swept through much of the state producing much welcome drought relief, but also significant flash flooding and damage. … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
New forest technology aims to improve tracking of Arizona’s water supply
“In Arizona’s high country, every snowflake is a down payment on the water that flows to millions of taps across the Valley. But in recent years, hydrologists have noticed something troubling — not all that snowmelt is making its way downstream. Some of that melt is being evaporated back into the atmosphere, and some is being absorbed by the soil. To help solve that mystery, Salt River Project (SRP) has installed a first-of-its-kind aluminum flume deep in the Sycamore Creek watershed near Williams. The 650-pound device was airlifted into the forest by helicopter this fall and will help scientists more accurately measure how much snowmelt turns into runoff — and how much vanishes into the ground or atmosphere. … ” Read more from ABC 15.
In national water news today …
EPA unveils new tools to bolster cyber resilience and safeguard water systems
“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new and updated planning tools that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. These tools will help all public water systems protect access to safe water and aid systems conducting risk and emergency planning for cybersecurity. “Strengthening cybersecurity for the U.S. water sector is critically important because cyber resilience and water security are key to national security. Water systems across the country are facing cyberattacks that threaten the ability to provide safe water. As part of advancing the Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, EPA is committed to ensuring every American has access to clean and safe water. Guarding against cyberattacks is central to this mission,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. … ” Read more from Smart Water Magazine.
Fighting fire with fire: EPA issues guidance promoting prescribed fires to help prevent catastrophic wildfires
“Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its “Policy on Provisions to Allow Wildland Prescribed Fire in Clean Air Act State Implementation Plans” in accordance with Section 4 (Strengthening Wildfire Mitigation) of Executive Order 14308, ‘Empowering Commonsense Wildfire and Response.’ This policy guidance comes in the wake of the EPA completing its largest-ever wildfire hazardous material removal effort in response to the January 2025 Los Angeles County fires. In particular, EPA’s policy guidance directs its 10 regional offices to work with local, state, tribal, and federal partners to remove barriers in State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that discourage prescribed fires. … ” Read more from the Environmental Law Monitor.
