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In California water news this weekend …
Trump administration presses Western states to find consensus on shrinking Colorado River
“Negotiators for seven Western states are under mounting pressure to reach an agreement outlining how they plan to share the Colorado River’s dwindling water. The Trump administration gave the states a Tuesday deadline to agree on the initial terms of a plan for cutting water use to prevent the river’s reservoirs from declining to dangerously low levels. Because California uses more Colorado River water than any other state, it will play a central role in any deal to take less from the river. “California is committed to being constructive at the table, advancing ideas and solutions to be able to get us to sustainability and avoid conflict,” said J.B. Hamby, California’s Colorado River commissioner. “What it takes now is folks to be able to roll up their sleeves and make tough decisions and compromises.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
SEE ALSO:
- Deadline looms for Utah, other Colorado River states to hash out a new plan. Here’s what’s at stake, from the Salt Lake Tribune
- Is drying up the Colorado River going to dry up Utah?, from Deseret News
- Wyoming may force water cuts as Colorado River crisis deepens, from Cowboy State Daily
- California marks historic low in Colorado River water use, from the Desert Review
“We’re not stopping.” Kings County Farm Bureau vows to take groundwater case to state Supreme Court
“The Kings County Farm Bureau is passing the hat to raise between $1.5 million and $2 million to take its legal claims against the state Water Resources Control Board to the California Supreme Court. “We’re not stopping,” Executive Director Dusty Ference told a gathering of about 30 farmers Friday. “We are arguing that SGMA and this probationary designation has statewide implications so broad that it’s appropriate for the (state) Supreme Court to review this,” he said. “Frankly, we didn’t expect the appellate court to review the steps that they reviewed, so we are hopeful that is an indicator of what the state supreme court might do.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Environmental advocates push for fair and inclusive process, not fast-tracking, of the Delta tunnel
“Environmental advocates are calling on the Delta Stewardship Council (Council) to honor its commitments to environmental justice, fairness and transparency for public review of the Certification of Consistency for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). In a letter sent on November 6, San Francisco Baykeeper and Restore the Delta urged the Council to extend deadlines to ensure proper public participation, criticizing the current timeline and process for being rushed and shutting out Tribes and Delta residents. The Department of Water Resources had submitted its Certification of Consistency to the Council on November 17 with roughly 85 files and links, but continued to upload thousands of additional documents in the following weeks, inflating the number of documents to over 21,000 files. The groups warn that the Council’s decision to start the standard 30-day appeal process on November 17, before all documents and materials were uploaded by DWR, undermines the rights of those that would be most impacted by the DCP. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
Study finds California drought triples water prices. Could groundwater storage be answer?
“California’s water future isn’t just about scarcity—it’s about cost. A new study published in Nature Sustainability reveals that when drought hits, the price of surface water from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs can triple, adding roughly $487 per acre-foot. The research signals a critical shift: climate change will make surface water supplies more volatile and expensive, while demand for water rises with warming temperatures. Without new strategies, Californians could face escalating costs that ripple through food prices, municipal budgets, and household bills. Here’s what to know about the study and California’s water future. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun. | Read via Yahoo News.
Robots reshaping San Rafael: A bold bid to terraform cities against floods
Cal Jeffrey writes, “Whenever I hear the word “terraforming,” I immediately think of sci-fi novels like Larry Niven’s Ringworld or games like No Man’s Sky, where you can literally dig down or pile up earth to suit your needs. Now, a San Francisco startup is using the concept to save sinking cities and restore wetlands. San Rafael is sinking into the ocean. The small city just north of San Francisco is already three feet below sea level and is sinking about half an inch per year. The city’s elevation and proximity to the Bay increase its risk of flooding, particularly from rising sea levels. Other cities in the US and overseas are in similar situations. A Climate Central study estimates that some 300 million people could face routine flooding by 2050. Conventional protection relies on seawalls, which would cost more than $400 billion in the US alone. A new startup is proposing an out-of-the-box approach that could achieve the same goal for a fraction of the cost. … ” Read more from Tech Spot.
SEE ALSO: Robots Reshaping San Rafael: A Bold Bid to Terraform Cities Against Floods, from Web Pro News
Podcasts …
AGNET NEWS HOUR: Edward Ring’s bold blueprint: Fixing California’s water and energy crisis
The November 7 edition of the AgNet News Hour was one of the most powerful yet, featuring an extended interview with Edward Ring, Director of the Energy and Water Policy Center of California, who offered bold, practical solutions to fix the state’s water crisis — and its failing approach to energy. Hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill called the interview “must-listen radio for anyone who cares about the future of California agriculture.”
WATER TALK: Environmental justice tactics, strategies, and institutions
A conversation with Professor Tracy Perkins (Arizona State University) about the history of the environmental justice movement in California and different types of environmental action and activism.
THE ECONEWS REPORT: Tell FERC That Eel River Dams Gotta Go!
This week on the EcoNews Report, we’re excited to share that the comment period for Eel River dam removal has finally opened! Tune in to hear co-hosts Tom Wheeler of EPIC and Alicia Bales of the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club talk with Alicia Hamann of Friends of the Eel River about this important moment. The Wild and Scenic Eel River offers an unparalleled opportunity to restore native fish populations. With vast, high-quality habitat protected in wild landscapes and fish that retain their wild genetics, dam removal will reconnect hundreds of miles of prime spawning and rearing habitat, restore natural sediment flow, reduce methylmercury buildup, and improve downstream water quality. Taking down the Eel River dams is the single most important step toward recovering the river’s once-abundant salmon, steelhead, and lamprey runs. Supported by Tribes, fishers, recreationists, and conservation groups, the Free the Eel movement invites everyone to help heal a century of harm and restore this iconic river.
WATERLOOP: How Los Angeles is building a drought-proof future
Los Angeles is turning recycled water into real-world resilience—protecting aquifers from seawater intrusion, powering industry, gaining public support, and building a next-generation supply that reduces dependence on imported sources. At Terminal Island, Dean Taylor explains how this pioneering facility evolved from discharging into the harbor to producing advanced treated water that now feeds the Dominguez Gap seawater barrier and supplies industrial clients such as like Valero, saving millions of gallons of drinking water each day while moving toward full reclamation capacity. At the Albert Robles Center, Stephan Tucker shows how education and transparency are turning skepticism into support. At Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, Johan Torroledo and Christina Beccera Jones outline the ambitious Pure Water Los Angeles program—transforming one of the world’s largest treatment plants into a hub of innovation. The throughline is clear: science, transparency, and collaboration are making potable reuse not just possible—but practical at metropolitan scale.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Conversations with Water Economist, Michael Young
It was when the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was initiated that I met Michael Young. As an economist, Michael had developed and implemented in Australia, during a severe drought, a water stock market that took into account the priority of beneficial uses. Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing and Conversations brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Mendocino County supervisors narrowly back PG&E’s Potter Valley dam decommissioning plan
“The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a nonbinding resolution in support of PG&E’s plan to decommission the Potter Valley Project’s dams. The resolution was approved 3-2, with Supervisors Madeline Cline and Bernie Norvell dissenting. The resolution was placed on the board’s agenda by Supervisor Ted Williams for Tuesday’s meeting without naming Potter Valley Project in the title. PG&E’s Potter Valley Project has diverted water from the Eel River to the Russian River Watershed through two dams — the Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and Cape Horn Dam at Lake Van Arsdale — that have supplied water to communities throughout Mendocino and Sonoma counties. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice.
Ukiah plans water rate increases, public hearing expected in February
“The Ukiah Valley Water Authority is considering a water rate increase for all city of Ukiah residents that would raise rates by 3% as soon as March. The Ukiah City Council is responsible for reviewing and approving the water rates, but it does so in conjunction with the Ukiah Valley Water Authority, a joint powers authority comprised of the city of Ukiah, the Millview County Water District, the Redwood Valley County Water District, the Willow County Water District, and the Calpella County Water District. At a Ukiah City Council meeting on Oct. 15, council members received recommendations and feedback from Mark Hildebrand, an outside consultant and owner of Hildebrand Consulting, a company that assisted in planning the proposed rate schedule. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Planning meadow restoration in the North Yuba: Galiano Fen and Haypress West Pre-Project Monitoring
“Last year, SYRCL received a grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board Block Grant being administered by Point Blue and the Sierra Meadows Partnership (SMP) to plan restoration in two distinct North Yuba wetlands: Galiano Fen and Haypress West Meadow. Since then, staff from SYRCL’s watershed science team have been busy working to get this project off the ground. We spent the 2025 field season conducting pre project monitoring, hiring project contractors, and beginning to review restoration designs. At SYRCL we understand the important role that data plays in the restoration, conservation, and policy world. We work tirelessly to collect baseline condition data at each of our project sites before we implement restoration. This data collection effort helps us to better understand the impact of our work. Without baseline data collection to compare with our post-restoration monitoring, we can’t measure the success of our projects. Conversations informed and supported by this data help guide water policy in the state, secure future grant funding, and continue to advance restoration science. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
Nevada County agriculture hits record high: What it means for water quality
“Nevada County’s agricultural economy reached an all-time high in 2024, with the total gross value of agricultural commodities excluding cannabis topping $28.5 million — a 17% increase from 2023, according to the County’s annual Crop and Livestock Report. When legal cannabis production is included, the county’s agricultural economy reaches nearly $40 million, underscoring the significant role agriculture plays in Nevada County’s economy and landscape. But these numbers also highlight an important question for watershed protection: How do we ensure this growing agricultural activity protects rather than degrades water quality? … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
BAY AREA
Bay area wetland growth defies global trend
“San Francisco Bay stands out as an exception to the worldwide trend toward wetland destruction. In a rare bit of positive environmental news, a new report from the Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP) indicates that restored tidal wetlands in the Bay almost quadrupled from 2000 to 2020, bringing the total to 53,000 acres and growing. The WRMP is sharing its “Tracking Tidal Wetland Extent in San Francisco Bay” report with the press for National Estuaries Week (September 20-27, 2025). Using cutting-edge automated mapping for more accurate tracking of tidal wetland areas, as well as standards to measure future progress, the new report provides the first high-resolution update for the San Francisco Bay region’s tidal wetland area since 2009. Despite the importance of tidal wetlands, scientists previously struggled to precisely gauge the size of these areas. … ” Read more from the Association of Bay Area Governments.
Radioactive pollution still haunts Hunters Point in San Francisco
“More than a half century after the U.S. ignited 67 atomic weapons in the the central Pacific Ocean, a former Navy base in the Bay Area continues to carry that nuclear legacy. Last week, residents were informed by the San Francisco Department of Health that a test taken in November 2024 at the former site of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard showed radiation levels of airborne Plutonium-239 had exceeded the Navy’s “action level,” requiring the military to further investigate. The city and the residents were not informed until 11 months after that initial reading. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via the Lawton Constitution.
CENTRAL COAST
Nipomo residents could start paying more for water
“A recent water rate study conducted for the Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) found that to keep the current water system updated and healthy for residents, the average bill for a residential home needs to increase by 9.3% every year until 2028. John Wallace, a Nipomo resident, said his bill is already high. “It’s a little high for the fact that we’ve had quite a bit of water in the last couple of years, and, you know, I just think the prices are way up and they shouldn’t bring them up again,” Wallace said. … ” Read more from KSBY.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Public-private partners lead critical riverway habitat expansion in San Joaquin Valley
“In collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), non-profit restoration organization River Partners has launched a 106-acre habitat restoration one mile southwest of Caswell Memorial State Park that will transform former irrigated cropland into a diverse, self-sustaining native ecosystem to support some of California’s most imperiled wildlife. Located on the south side of the Stanislaus River west of Modesto in Stanislaus County, the restoration site is a vital piece to the larger habitat mosaic in the region. The site sits on USFWS-owned land adjacent to nearly 40 acres of previously restored land and home to a notable population of the federally and state-threatened riparian brush rabbit. It is also across the Stanislaus River from Caswell Memorial State Park, one of the last remnants of Central Valley riparian forest comprised of mostly native trees and plants in the San Joaquin Valley. … ” Read more from River Partners.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Last phase of Newport Beach Harbor dredging project is set to begin
“Elected officials gathered on a breezy afternoon this week to celebrate the final chapter of a dredging project meant to restore Newport Harbor to its previous depths. A red ribbon at Marina Park Tuesday symbolized the partnership between Newport Beach and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through which about 900,000 cubic yards of sediment from the harbor floor will be removed. “This is 13 years in the making, and I can’t wait,” Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton said. “This is going to be the last comprehensive dredge of our harbor, possibly forever.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
CA WATER COMMISSION: Water Storage Investment Program Notice of Proposed Emergency Regulation
