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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an informational item on Saxitoxins, Benzotriazole, and Trifluoracetic Acid Analytical Method Development and an update on flow-related efforts in the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds, including long-term efforts. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Draft California’s Groundwater Update 2025 from 12pm to 1:30pm. DWR will hold a public virtual webinar meeting to share information about the public draft of the California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Update 2025 (CalGW Update 2025). This report provides a comprehensive assessment of statewide groundwater conditions and incorporates information from GSA annual reports, California’s Groundwater Live, and other groundwater initiatives since 2020. This meeting, which will take place on November 4, 2025 from noon to 1:30 p.m., will include an overview of the draft document and serve as a venue to ask questions and provide public comment. Register for the public webinar here.
In California water news today …
Back-to-back Pacific storms to bring rain, mountain snow, wind and travel delays to Northwest, California
“Storms will swing in from the Pacific this week, potentially causing travel disruptions across the Northwest and California. Of the two main storms, one is expected to bring the heaviest rainfall to Northern California, while the other will likely target Washington and Oregon, AccuWeather meteorologists say. The weakest of the two storms moved quickly inland on Monday with mainly showery precipitation. Two additional and stronger storms are expected to follow, beginning Tuesday evening. The first of these is expected to bring widespread rainfall to Northern California, including several hours of rain for San Francisco and Sacramento. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
After anomalous late Oct warmth, a sooner-than-expected shift back toward wetter conditions in (at least) NorCal
Daniel Swain writes, “California did indeed see its “pumpkin ridge” (as some Weather Westers in the comments section have dubbed it), and it brought an episode of pretty notable and locally record-breaking heat to parts of California and the West over the past week. Much of SoCal saw the mercury rise well into the 80s and 90s, with a fair number of daily records set. Mountainous areas in both northern and southern California were exceptionally warm last week, with some places also setting records. The anomalous late-season heat extended all the way eastward to the Rocky Mountain Front Range, where Denver experienced its warmest November day on record. And there has been an uptick in wildfire activity, once again, in SoCal–though none of these have been particularly consequential. But this ridge, at least on its northern flank, now appears to be less persistent than had originally been indicated by model ensembles 7-10 days ago. In fact, NorCal may see a fairly substantial storm Tuesday into Wednesday. Read on below! … ” Continue reading at Weather West.
‘Emerging threat’: An invasive species is upending life in the Delta, with no help on the way
“Spurts of goo oozed between Jeff Wingfield’s fingers as he methodically crushed a handful of golden mussels, popping the shells of the tiny invaders like bubblewrap. “You can just push your way right through them,” said Wingfield from the dock where he stood at the Port of Stockton, looking down at the thimble-sized debris in his palm. Last October, a couple of miles down the Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel, state water managers first discovered that golden mussels had invaded North America. Seeing how fast they’ve multiplied in the last year “was like a gut punch,” said Wingfield, a deputy director at the port. The mussels are infamous for voracious appetites that fuel their rapid growth. Now, state and local water managers are battling to keep golden mussels from reaching uninfested lakes and reservoirs. They’re racing to keep them from damaging the pumping facilities that send Delta water to farms and cities in Central and Southern California. But here, in the web of waterways where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet, a new reality is setting in. Thick colonies of the mussels already coat boats and piers and threaten water supplies for cities and farms. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
The 2025 Sacramento River salmon run – early summer conditions were poor
Tom Cannon writes, “The limited 2025 salmon fishing season opened in mid-July and continues through October on the Feather, American, and Mokelumne rivers. Early summer (July-August) conditions were tough for the beginning of the run and early fishing. The river, Delta, and Bay in August were too warm despite three wet years in a row with above average reservoir storage and below normal summer air temperatures. The lower Sacramento River was too warm. Flows dropped in mid-August with two-thirds of reservoir releases being diverted before reaching the Delta. Water temperatures were above the 20ºC standard to protect salmon during their run from the ocean to the rivers. River flow should be near 10,000 cfs to maintain the water temperature standard. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog.
New study reveals source of rain is major factor behind drought risks for farmers
“A new University of California San Diego study uncovers a hidden driver of global crop vulnerability: the origin of rainfall itself. Published in Nature Sustainability, the research traces atmospheric moisture back to its source—whether it evaporated from the ocean or from land surfaces such as soil, lakes and forests. When the sun heats these surfaces, water turns into vapor, rises into the atmosphere, and later falls again as rain. Ocean-sourced moisture travels long distances on global winds, often through large-scale weather systems such as atmospheric rivers, monsoons, and tropical storms. In contrast, land-sourced moisture—often called recycled rainfall—comes from water that evaporates nearby soils and vegetation, feeding local storms. The study finds that this balance between oceanic and terrestrial (land) sources strongly influences a region’s drought risk and crop productivity. “Our work reframes drought risk—it’s not just about how much it rains, but where that rain comes from,” said Yan Jiang, the study’s lead author and postdoctoral scholar at UC San Diego with a joint appointment at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Understanding the origin of rainfall and whether it comes from oceanic or land sources, gives policymakers and farmers a new tool to predict and mitigate drought stress before it happens.” … ” Read more from UC San Diego.
SEE ALSO: Rainfall tipping point predicts drought risk for crops, from Stanford
Pilot to test spherical pumped storage on the US seabed
“Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology IEE has developed a pumped energy storage system for the seabed. After a successful field test with a smaller model in Lake Constance, Germany, the researchers are now preparing a test project off Long Beach near Los Angeles, California. Fraunhofer IEE will be working with partners including US start-up Sperra, which specialises in 3D concrete printing for applications in the field of renewable energies, and Pleuger Industries, a Miami-based manufacturer of underwater motor pumps. The pilot project called StEnSea, will see the team anchor a hollow, 400t concrete sphere with a diameter of nine metres at a depth of 500 to 600m. By emptying the sphere, the storage is charged. When water flows in, electricity is generated – it is discharged. The power of this prototype is 0.5MW and the capacity is 0.4MWh. … ” Read more from Enlit.
UV light holds promise for energy-efficient desalination
“A team of UC Riverside researchers has uncovered a potential breakthrough in solar desalination that could reduce the need for energy-intensive saltwater treatment. Led by Luat Vuong, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in UCR’s Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, the team has demonstrated for the first time how the highest frequencies of sunlight—specifically invisible ultraviolet (UV) light—can break the stubborn bonds between salt and water. “To our knowledge, nobody else has yet articulated this deep UV channel for salt-water separation,” Vuong said. “UV light in the wavelength range of 300-400 nanometers is used for disinfection, but this deep UV channel around 200 nanometers is not well known. We may be the first to really think about how you can leverage it for desalination.” … ” Read more from UC Riverside.
With the world facing future water shortages, this shower could be a game-changer
“Showers squander water, especially hot water. A 10-minute shower typically uses about 25 gallons of water that touches our skin for a second before it goes down the drain. RainStick Shower wants to short-circuit that waste and save up to 80% of the water and energy by recirculating sanitized water. “It’s our vision to develop water technology that allows people to thrive using only 13 gallons of water per person per day,” said Alisha McFetridge, who co-founded of the British Columbia, Canada, based company with her husband, Sean. The amount now is typically over 100 gallons. Serious water shortages are projected in the United States over the 21st century, caused by population growth and climate change. … ” Read more from NBC San Diego.
2 ways you can conserve the water used to make your food
“As the world’s climate warms and droughts and water shortages are becoming more common, farmers are struggling to produce enough food. Farmers continue to adapt, but there are ways for you to help, too. For decades, farmers have sought to conserve water in agriculture, with a focus on improving irrigation efficiency. That has included decreasing the practice of flood irrigation, in which water flows through trenches between rows of plants. Instead, many farmers are adopting more precise methods of delivering water to plants’ roots, such as sprinklers and drip systems. In recent years, policymakers, researchers and consumers have come to look more closely at opportunities to conserve water throughout the entire process of growing, shipping, selling and eating food. Working with colleagues, we have identified several key ways to reduce water used in agriculture – some of which directly involve farmers, but two of which everyone can follow, to help reduce how much water is used to grow the food they eat. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
New Wildfire Guardian spray gives 90% fire protection for homes, can be ‘game changer’ for wildfires
“As more than 16,000 structures burned in the Palisades and Eaton fires, an advanced materials company in Canada watched in horror as towns were almost wiped out. The company Altek Advanced Materials says the Southern California wildfires were a call to action. “We had been developing a fire-retardant product for prefabricated materials before they went into building and it became apparent to us there was a need because of the devastation and destruction for products that were put on aftermarket to existing structures,” said Gregory Fenton, the CEO of Altek Advanced Materials. Introducing Wildfire Guardian, a gel that’s sprayed onto structures in high fire zones as much as 24 hours before there’s a fire. The fire retardant provides 90% protection, is biodegradable, eco-friendly and comes right off with water. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
A recent California ballot initiative could redefine the CEQA review process
“A new California Ballot initiative titled the Building an Affordable California Act, filed by the California Chamber of Commerce, seeks to streamline the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for certain “essential projects.” If it garners sufficient signatures, the measure could appear on the November 3, 2026, statewide ballot. The initiative aims to accelerate environmental review and permitting for projects that support clean energy, housing, infrastructure, and public safety by adding Chapter 1.5 (starting at section 21010) to Division 13 of the Public Resources Code. … ” Read more from Best Best & Krieger.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘It’s a story of hope’: Reflections on undamming the Klamath
“One year after the largest dam removal project in history, salmon have reached the headwaters of the Klamath River, an area they hadn’t been seen in for some 115 years. In her new book out this week, The Water Remembers, Amy Bowers Cordalis recounts the intergenerational struggle to protect the Klamath and Yurok way of life. Through a mix of memoir, historical narrative nonfiction, deeply researched legal analysis and Yurok storytelling, Cordalis reflects on her own journey and role in the dam removal, from witnessing the historic 2002 fish kill as a tribal fisheries intern to becoming general counsel for the Yurok Tribe. “I felt really compelled to write this at a time when it could end on such a high note, so that we could show the world how Indigenous resistance, Indigenous resilience, Indigenous knowledge, can lead to these massive victories,” Cordalis said. “It’s a story of hope.” … ” Read more from High Country News.
Division of Water Rights staff to provide update to California’s State Water Resources Control Board on baseline flows for two rivers
“The State Water Resources Control Board is set to receive an update on Tuesday about the science behind minimum baseline flows for the Scott and Shasta rivers. The meeting will be held at the CalEPA Headquarters located in Sacramento. Officials say the Division of Water Rights staff will present information to board members as part of the board’s directive to analyze baseline minimum in-stream flows. This effort aims to support threatened fish populations in these watersheds. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Going Deeper for Tahoe: Clean up the Lake completes Tahoe Deep Dive Pilot Project
“Clean Up The Lake (CUTL) has completed its Tahoe Deep Dive Pilot Project, an ambitious research and cleanup effort exploring litter accumulation and aquatic health between 35 and 55 feet beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe. Using Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPVs) and Nitrox, the team tested advanced deep-water methods to increase diver efficiency and safety while gathering critical data to guide future large-scale underwater cleanup operations.From February through July 2025, CUTL conducted 14 cleanup days totaling 29 dives, engaging 26 unique volunteers who filled 80 volunteer positions and contributed 480 hours both underwater and onshore. The team removed 1,933 pounds of litter, consisting of 1,042 individual items, from 6.1 miles of lakebed and 4.75 miles of Placer County shoreline. Commonly recovered materials included 248 glass bottles, 21 anchors, and a range of metal, plastic, and recreational debris. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Carson City supervisors to consider Marlette water contract
“On the consent agenda for the Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday is a proposed $2.35 million contract with the state to purchase water from the Marlette Lake Water System for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year. In contrast to the regular agenda, items on the consent agenda are not discussed but can be pulled off for discussion at the request of board members. The meeting starts 8:30 a.m. in the boardroom of the community center, 851 E. William St. “The system has provided water to Carson City and Virginia City for well over 100 years,” reads a staff report. “The system consists of Marlette Lake, the Hobart Reservoir, a system of catchments on the East Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains above Washoe Valley and a system of pumps, interconnecting pipes, tanks and an inverted siphon that feeds water to Virginia City and Carson City. … ” Read more from the Nevada Appeal.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Golden Mussel inspections continue into fall, winter
“A year after the golden mussel was discovered in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Oroville waterways appear to remain clear of the invasive species. The California Department of Water Resources has funneled various resources into maintaining strict cleaning and checking measures on watercraft attempting to enter the department’s bodies of water throughout Oroville. In May, DWR began its seal system, which at the time received some local backlash for starting the program near Memorial Day weekend. However, since the program started, workers have reportedly caught signs of the mussels in boats, keeping them from the water until they could be properly decontaminated. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
BAY AREA
Rain on Me: Bay Area braces for a wet and windy atmospheric river storm
“The Bay Area is in for another atmospheric river storm this week, and forecasters expect the North Bay to receive the bulk of the wet weather. The National Weather Service forecasts that the atmospheric river, moving down the West Coast from the Gulf of Alaska, is likely to bring strong winds and a slight chance of thunderstorms across the region. A wind advisory will be in effect for the entire area from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 4 p.m. Wednesday, with wind gusts expected up to 45 mph. During a small window on Wednesday morning, meteorologists said, isolated gusts could reach above 55 mph at the highest peaks. While the rain will mostly be beneficial, localized nuisance flooding is possible. Minor coastal flooding could also occur Tuesday through Saturday due to spring tides. … ” Read more from KQED.
SEE ALSO: Wind, rain and king tides: Bay Area bracing for first atmospheric river storm of season, from Local News Matters
King tides arrive: How experts and Bay Area residents are taking part in research
“The ocean takes center stage during the king tides, predicted to arrive on the California coast this Wednesday through Friday, and then again Dec. 4-6 and Jan. 1-3. Waters climb to their highest point of the year, flooding some Bay Area beaches, stairways and streets before plunging to their lowest, exposing stretches of sand and reef usually hidden. The spectacle draws photographers, beachgoers and scientists alike, because beyond the beauty, king tides reveal how the coast is changing.Tides are familiar to anyone who spends time by the sea. Simply put, “Tides are bulges of water that the Earth rotates under,” says Serena B. Lee, a physical oceanographer at California Polytechnic State University. King tides are the extreme version, occurring only a few times a year when the sun, moon and earth align, intensifying gravitational pull and driving water higher than usual. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
San Mateo County cities band together to improve climate resilience
“Cutting across bureaucratic channels is never easy, but it’s become OneShoreline’s specialty. As one of the first agencies of its kind, OneShoreline has demonstrated a knack for getting public and private partners in San Mateo County to respond collaboratively to the water-related impacts of climate change. When OneShoreline opened its doors in January 2020, all 20 cities in San Mateo County committed funding to a three-year startup period that was matched by the county government. Their goal is to make San Mateo County, by most metrics the state’s most vulnerable county to rising sea levels, one of the most resilient. The collective approach has been an advantage in the age of budget austerity. “Each city does not have enough staff to do everything they want or need to do … that’s part of the budget crisis,” said Eunejune Kim, the public works director and city engineer of South San Francisco. “So having an agency that can coordinate and oversee some kind of rational implementation of good policy to account for future conditions is very necessary.” … ” Read more from Western City.
CENTRAL COAST
County flood control district holds open house for BeachSMART project
“The Santa Barbara County Flood Control District has launched a new project, BeachSMART (Beach Sediment Management and Resilience Tactics), aimed at creating-climate resilient beaches through improved watershed-wide sediment management. A Public Open House is being held on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Louise Lowry Davis Center, 111 W. Victoria Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. This forum encourages the community to engage in the important role that sediment plays in shaping our beaches, coastal communities, recreational opportunities, and providing protection. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Volunteers needed for annual check-in on Kings River Fish
“The Kings River Fisheries Management Program is gearing up for its annual fish “check in.” The program is seeking volunteers over 18 to assist biologists Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 to conduct its annual fish population survey. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. Each date will start from a different location along the Kings River. Detailed directions will be sent to volunteers upon registering for a date. Equipment and lunch will be provided for volunteers each day. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Along the Colorado River …
Utah: State weighs water-right change as developer eyes rebirth of Cisco ghost town
“The Utah Division of Water Rights is reviewing an application to repurpose a Green River–basin water right for municipal use that could draw from the Colorado River near Cisco, where a new residential community is proposed off Interstate 70 about an hour from Moab. The San Juan Water Conservancy District filed the change application July 1, requesting permission to convert Water Right 91-5233 from power generation — originally allocated for a nuclear power plant that was never built — to municipal use. The filing would allow diversion of up to 24,000 acre-feet per year from the Colorado River near Cisco, within the Green River basin, and associated tributaries, serving Green River City, other areas within the district’s service area, and a proposed 750-lot development in Cisco. … ” Read more from the Times-Independent.
Fate of Shoshone water right carries broad implications
“During his report at the October board meeting of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, Richard Brown provided an update on the status of a key water right on the Colorado River. The 1906 water right, quite senior for the West Slope, is tied to the Shoshone Power Plant on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs and is owned by a subsidiary of Xcel Energy. The Shoshone Power Plant has used its water right to generate electricity, which is a “nonconsumptive” use of the water – i.e., the force of the flowing water turns a turbine attached to a generator that produces electricity without depleting any of the water used. Since this water right is nonconsumptive, the owner can’t consume the water by using it for things like drinking water and irrigation. As Brown reported, the Colorado River Water Conservation District is attempting to acquire that water right. … ” Read more from Heart of the Rockies Radio.
In national water news today …
Federal courts divided, so far, on Trump’s environmental retreat
“In President Donald Trump’s first term, the federal courts helped put the brakes on his administration’s retreat on environmental protection. Nine months into the second Trump term, the courts appear divided on whether to allow the administration’s far more aggressive dismantling of policy on climate change, clean energy and environmental justice. In the 14 environmental policy cases so far in which there have been rulings on legal issues, the outcomes appear to be roughly even, with six clear wins for the Trump administration, five for the challengers and three mixed decisions, according to an Inside Climate News analysis. But in the Trump administration’s six victories, there’s an ominous sign: Three came when U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal overturned lower court rulings. That means that as of Nov. 4, all of the appeals court decisions in environmental cases have gone the president’s way. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
U.N. sees slight progress on climate action, partly offset by the U.S.
“Countries have made very slight headway in the fight against global warming over the past year by tightening their policies to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday. But there’s a catch: Some of that modest progress in tackling climate change could end up being canceled in the years ahead as the United States dismantles its pollution controls and other climate policies under President Trump, the report said. The U.N.’s annual Emissions Gap Report measures the disparity between what world leaders have promised to do to limit the rise in global temperatures and what they are actually doing to rein in carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases from fossil fuels and deforestation. It typically finds that this gap is very large. This year’s report is no exception: Based on policies that countries have put in place and current technology trends, Earth is expected to warm by roughly 2.8 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, compared with preindustrial levels. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
