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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Independent Science Board from 9am to 12:30pm. The agenda includes a presentation by the Delta Science Program on the draft update to the Delta Science Plan, a shared framework that provides vision, principles, and approaches for better coordinating science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and more effectively communicating the outcomes of science activities and their management implications to policymakers. The Delta ISB will also discuss any public comments received on its draft subsidence review, and next steps for the products coming out of Emerging Climate Science Symposium. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: Bay Nature Talk: Salinity in the Bay from 12pm to 1pm. Join Bay Nature and environmental scientist Dan Killam for a talk on the seasonality of salt in our San Francisco Bay waters and how animals have adjusted their lifestyles to survive in response. As Susan Kuramoto Moffat writes, “nearly a quarter of the Bay sloshes in and out of the Golden Gate twice each day with the tide, mixing salt and fresh water on a staggering scale.” Within the Bay, these levels of salinity vary greatly over the year (and even over the course of a single day) with early autumn being the saltiest time of year. This fluctuation poses a challenge for the animals living in the Bay, so tune in to learn how mollusks and others make do. This talk is free for Bay Nature Members and $5 for Nonmembers. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Indian Water Settlements in Arizona: An Analysis of their History and Potential Future from 11am to 12:15pm. Indian water settlements are complex, and each settlement is unique to the priorities of the Tribe, the state, the United States, and other stakeholders at time of settlement agreement negotiation and Congressional ratification. This WRRC Water Webinar will discuss the research that reviewed Arizona’s 11 Congressionally ratified Indian water settlements using a historical and discourse analysis to contextualize such settlements within the history of Tribal water rights and the changing priorities of the parties involved. Click here to register.
- WORKSHOP: CalWATRS Virtual Public Workshop beginning at 1pm. You are invited to a virtual public workshop about the State Water Resources Control Board’s new water rights data system, CalWATRS (short for California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System). At this workshop, Board staff will demonstrate the system’s key features and answer questions. The event will focus on water right holders and agents who must register for an account, connect to water right records, and submit annual water diversion and use reports. If time permits, staff may demonstrate new mapping functions that allow the public to view water rights by stream and watershed. Registration is not required. Join by Zoom: bit.ly/CalWATRSVirtualWorkshop Join by phone: call 669-444-9171 and enter 833 7189 3648#
No deal on the Colorado River …
No deal on the Colorado River despite Trump administration deadline
“After two fraught years of negotiations amid dire projections for the Colorado River’s reservoirs, California and six other states that rely on the river’s water have yet again failed to reach a deal — despite a federal deadline. “While more work needs to be done, collective progress has been made that warrants continued efforts to define and approve details for a finalized agreement,” the states said. The written statement released Tuesday included no details about how they plan to manage the river after the current rulebook expires at the end of next year. Officials at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal stewards for the river under the Department of the Interior, have threatened to impose their own plan in the absence of a deal. “Two years. And the lack of progress, in light of how perilous the conditions are on the Colorado — it’s unacceptable,” said Mark Gold, former director of Water Scarcity Solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a board member of the Southern California water import giant, the Metropolitan Water District. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
With Upper, Lower basin states still snagged, feds give them more time to craft Colorado River plan
“Nevada and six other Colorado River states failed to reach a broad agreement Tuesday on how to share the river’s dwindling water supply, missing a federally-imposed deadline after days of intense closed-door negotiations. Despite missing the deadline, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation indicated states would be given additional time to continue negotiations after making “collective progress.” “While more work needs to be done, collective progress has been made that warrants continued efforts to define and approve details for a finalized agreement,” said a joint statement from the seven states, the Interior Department and the Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
Arizona asks US to make sure Upper Basin states use less Colorado River water
“Gov. Katie Hobbs and Arizona legislative leaders from both parties asked the U.S. Interior Department Tuesday to step in and ensure any agreement to curb overuse of Colorado River water requires the river’s Upper Basin states to limit their use. The letter to Interior, marking a rare moment of bipartisanship among Arizona political leaders, makes the point that given the river’s importance to Arizona’s economy and the 22 Arizona tribes that have river water rights, “We find it alarming that the Upper Basin states have refused to implement any binding, verifiable water supply reductions.” “This extreme negotiating posture — four of the seven basin states refusing to participate in any sharing of water shortages — has led to a fundamental impasse that is preventing the successful development of a 7-state consensus plan for management of the Colorado River,” said the letter, sent Tuesday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. It also asks Interior to ensure compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.
SEE ALSO:
- The clock is ticking on the shrinking Colorado River as Western states miss a key deadline, from the LA Times
- Colorado River negotiations blow past deadline, from E&E News
- Colorado River negotiators stumble past federal deadline without joint agreement, from the Colorado Sun
- Why Gov. Katie Hobbs wants Trump administration to broker Colorado River deal, from Channel 15
- Colorado River deadline passes without an agreement, from the Las Vegas Review-Journal
How will Scottsdale deal with deeper cuts on the Colorado River? Shortages are possible
“Scottsdale could face water shortages and start to drain long-term storage if the ongoing drought forces deeper cutbacks on the Colorado River, which is a primary water source for the northeast Valley city. Unless Arizona’s farmers and tribes can strike deals to bail out the state’s growing cities, the largest population centers could start to face water restrictions on the Colorado River. Cities could lose more than 20% of their river allocations, triggering public debates in council chambers and municipal offices over how to respond, what to sacrifice and what to prioritize. Arizona’s cities have been shielded from existing cuts for the past three years by agreements with tribes and through compensation from fast-depleting pools of federal money. But those agreements and that money are set to run out by the end of 2026. Water managers and officials don’t know how big the cuts will be, but most agree on one thing: real cuts are possible. … ” Read more from Arizona Republic.
In other California water news today …
Atmospheric river to hit California with heavy rain, strong winds. Here’s a timeline of the storm
“A fast-moving storm driven by an atmospheric river will sweep down the California coast Wednesday night through Friday, bringing a quick burst of heavy rain, strong winds and snow in the Sierra Nevada. The first hints of the storm arrive Wednesday as moisture streams into the California coast from the ocean. A few light showers could pop up by early afternoon along the Marin Headlands and the coast side Peninsula, but most of the Bay Area will stay dry through the day, with just gray skies, rising humidity and a stiff south wind gusting to 25 to 35 mph by evening. A high wind warning goes into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday for the North Bay coast and Marin Headlands, lasting through 10 a.m. Thursday, with gusts of 55 to 60 mph and isolated peaks up to 70 mph along exposed ridges. The rest of the Bay Area will be under a Wind Advisory during the same window, with sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph expected. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Travel delays to mount in California and Southwest as storm moves in with downpours, mountain snow, from AccuWeather
PPIC Report: Water research amid changing state–federal partnerships
“California’s well-being depends on access to high-quality, reliable water—and research helps managers decide how to use that water wisely. But the state faces daunting challenges, including a rapidly changing climate, aging infrastructure, and changes at the federal level. We explore how research can help the state meet this moment.” Read more from the PPIC.
Multi-species benefits of wetlands conservation
“When it comes to productivity, wetlands are right up there with tropical rain forests and coral reefs. That’s due to the unique characteristics that are typical of these ecosystems, says Dr. Ellen Herbert, DU’s senior scientist. “Wetlands are not quite water and they’re not quite land—they’re kind of in the middle. As a result, they support abundant plant growth and provide food and shelter for a remarkable number of species,” she notes. Given this rich biodiversity, it’s not surprising that the habitats conserved by Ducks Unlimited are enjoyed by a variety of outdoor enthusiasts, from hunters and anglers to hikers and bird-watchers. It’s also not surprising that DU’s mission overlaps with many other nonprofit conservation organizations supported by these constituencies. “Working with other groups that are concerned with species that live in wetlands or benefit from wetlands is a natural fit for us,” Herbert says. … In California’s Central Valley, for example, DU and its partners are researching how winter-flooded rice fields, which are managed by private landowners for waterfowl, can also benefit Chinook salmon. In areas where natural floodplain wetlands have been lost, research shows that juvenile salmon raised in flooded rice fields grow larger on average than those raised in neighboring streams and rivers. … ” Read more from Ducks Unlimited.
Pot farms put tribal cultural resources at risk.
“On the eve of the 30-year anniversary of California voters legalizing medical uses of marijuana in November 1996, and the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 initiative allowing non-medical uses, it’s fair to say that the social experiment’s results have been mixed. California’s legal cannabis industry continues to grow; it was valued at about $5.37 billion in 2023 and was projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 9.4% through 2030. Consumption is continuing to increase, although wholesale prices are down 57% on average from their peak in late 2020, according to the state Department of Cannabis Control. But the industry continues to face competition from clandestine producers who bypass state regulations and taxes, poking a hole in the long-held belief that legalizing marijuana would create a steady stream of tax revenue for state governments to use for their favorite programs. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Trump is said to propose opening California coast to oil drilling
“The Trump administration plans to allow new oil and gas drilling off the California coast for the first time in roughly four decades, according to three people briefed on the matter. The move would set up a confrontation with Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has fought offshore drilling and who has emerged as one of President Trump’s chief political antagonists. The governor is in Brazil for the United Nations climate summit, where he is drawing a contrast between himself and Mr. Trump, who denigrates efforts to fight global warming. The Interior Department could announce the proposal as soon as this week, according to the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. When asked about the proposal on Tuesday, Mr. Newsom rolled his eyes and said it would be “dead on arrival in California.” He said that the state would “absolutely” challenge the plan in court once it was finalized. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
An oil company running into rough waters off the California coast is looking to trump for help
“President Donald Trump may announce his plan to open California waters to oil drilling as soon as this week. The move, if it goes through, could bring about the first federal oil lease sales in the Pacific Ocean since 1984. But for one company trying to restart production at a set of wells under an existing lease off the Santa Barbara coast, the troubles are snowballing. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted last week to prepare to deny the transfer of onshore infrastructure permits to Sable Offshore Corp., which in 2024 purchased ExxonMobil’s Santa Ynez Unit, a dormant system of pipelines and three oil rigs, with the intention to resume drilling. The Tuesday vote was a re-do of a 2-2 split vote by the supervisors in February. The decision had been kicked up to the board after environmental groups appealed the county planning commission’s October 2024 vote to approve the permit transfers. Sable sued the county in May after the tie vote, alleging that the county was illegally withholding permits; in September, a judge ordered the county to vote again. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Environmental groups host Potter Valley Project meetings
“This month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is accepting public comments on PG&E’s surrender and decommission plan for the Potter Valley Project, which would remove the Scott and Cape Horn dams from the lower Eel River and replace the utility’s water diversion facility with a New Eel Russian Facility. riends of the Eel River and Save California Salmon, alongside other partners, have teamed up to host a series of events along the North Coast to update the public on the dam removal process and help community members navigate FERC’s public commenting process. The first of those events, a virtual meeting that can be accessed via Zoom at tinyurl.com/SCS-Eel-Zoom, takes place Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
BAY AREA
Rain to hit SF Bay Area this week: Here’s when it will be heaviest
“After days of dry, warm weather in the Bay Area, an atmospheric river is expected to bring rain and wind to the region starting Wednesday. Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the storm will affect the entire region, in contrast to the atmospheric river that arrived in the Bay Area earlier this month, which brought much more rain to the North Bay. “The frontal boundary was actually falling apart as it moved down to the Central Coast, and it was pretty strong over the North Bay, so that’s where we got the heaviest rainfall,” Gass said. “This system will be slightly different. It’ll be taking a direct aim at the Bay Area.” The storm is forecast to bring rain on Wednesday morning, but the main rain band likely won’t arrive until just before the Thursday morning commute. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Volunteer effort aims to clean up Vallejo site that became dumping site during shutdown
“The callous act of illegally dumping trash for unhoused residents to pick through at a former U.S. Army Reserve Center in Vallejo has turned it into an eyesore and public health concern. As the city collects bids on a contractor to clean up the site, an East Bay grassroots organization plans to clean it up. The Urban Compassion Project, a nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteers for one-day cleanups without displacing unhoused residents, is planning to do the job the weekend before Thanksgiving without the city’s support. The organization has worked on several sites in Oakland, including an April cleanup of mountains of garbage that had collected around an encampment on East 12th Street. “This particular location, I have been looking at for two years straight,” said Vincent Ray Williams, the organization’s co-founder and executive director, who was formerly homeless himself. “I have watched the trash pile up and never get cleaned up over two years. I have watched the thing just go to shambles.” … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
EASTERN SIERRA
Eastern Sierra Land Trust permanently protects Antelope Lake in Mono County
“Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) has permanently protected Antelope Lake, a 205-acre property in Adobe Valley, Mono County, safeguarding essential wetland and sagebrush habitats and honoring generations of Northern Paiute cultural connection. This conservation easement ensures the permanent protection of rare alkali meadows, wetlands, and wildlife migration corridors that support mule deer and a wide range of migratory bird species. The property is part of the Adobe Valley Important Bird Area and provides an essential water source for wildlife in an otherwise arid region, making its conservation significance exceptional. In addition to these ecological values, the easement formally guarantees Tribal access in perpetuity for traditional cultural activities and stewardship. A collaborative and adaptive stewardship plan, developed jointly by the landowner, Eastern Sierra Land Trust, and the Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of Benton, will guide long-term management. This plan ensures that conservation actions honor cultural relationships to the land, respond to changing ecological conditions, and support shared stewardship of this ecologically and culturally important place. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Fast-moving atmospheric river storm could bring four days of rain to California
“A fast-moving atmospheric river is heading toward California this week and could pack a punch, threatening periods of heavy rain and possible flooding and debris flows in recently burned areas. After arriving in Northern California on Wednesday, the storm system is expected to land in Southern California on Thursday, where it could remain all the way through Saturday. It could produce the most rain downtown Los Angeles has seen in at least a month, and possibly since February. “There is a chance for burn area flash flooding and debris flow issues. A flood watch will be possible for burn scars,” Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, said Tuesday afternoon. While the storm brings some concerns about flooding, it could also mark the end of the autumn fire season. Rainstorms in Northern California have already lessened the seasonal fire danger there considerably, and this storm could do likewise in the Southland. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: “Coldest storm since mid-March” heading toward Southern California with potential flooding, meteorologist says, from CBS News
Five Native tribes are coming together to protect a California cultural landscape
“Chuckwalla National Monument is more than an epic expanse of towering rocks, hidden canyons, ghost flowers, smoke trees and its namesake lizard. One of America’s newest protected public lands is a birthplace, a crossroads, a beloved relative and a historical document to the tribes of the California desert. Stretching across 624,000 acres from the Coachella Valley to the Colorado River at the state’s border with Arizona, this landscape possesses a spirit and energy that flow through every object, every living thing and every molecule of air within it, according to tribal members. When an ecosystem is so ingrained in your psyche, so essential to your culture and so central to the stories you tell about your reason for being, you have no choice but to safeguard it. This is the galvanizing sentiment behind the recent creation of an unprecedented commission for California that brings together five tribes to advise the U.S. government on the management of a monument that holds specific meaning to each and is a treasure to all. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
Atmospheric river headed to San Diego County and what it means for the water year
“A quick-moving atmospheric river, capable of bringing heavy downpours and mountain snow, is expected to drench San Diego County by late Thursday, and it could offer some early clues about the water year. California’s water year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. January and February are typically the wettest months. So far this season, a Pacific storm in mid-October brought more than an inch of rain in the mountains and about four-fifths of an inch along the coast. The incoming atmospheric river, which originated in Alaska, coupled with October’s rainfall, will offer an early moisture boost, said Alex Tardy. He is a former meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) who founded Weather Echo, which provides weather and climate interpretive services. … ” Read more from KPBS.
San Diego may rethink water recycling program
“City of San Diego officials may be rethinking Phase 2 of its Pure Water project, as the $1.5 billion Phase 1 nears completion. Phase 1 will recycle 30 million gallons of sewage per day. It’s one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the region. But elected officials are debating what the second phase might entail. San Diego is experiencing what might seem like a counter-intuitive problem — it currently has too much water. The city has purchased lots of water from farmers and the desalination plant in Carlsbad. A fight between city of San Diego leaders and regional leaders has broken out about whether the city should keep creating more water through recycling before it’s able to sell off the excess supply. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Tons of Mexican trash ending up in California landfills
“Last month, a trash boom strung across the Tijuana River channel just inside U.S. territory stopped 40 tons of materials during a one-hour rain event – as the trash gets removed and sent to area landfills, another environmental issue has surfaced. Dumps north of the border are having to take in the additional trash coming in from Mexico compounding a critical shortage of landfill space, according to Oscar Romo, director of Alter Terra, a binational environmental group. All of it has to go into a landfill in San Diego. “Going forth, we need to find a solution, the city or the county has to start thinking about where to put all this trash,” said Romo. … ” Read more from the Border Report.
Along the Colorado River …
Water providers SRP and CAP to connect systems, shore up Valley water security
“The Valley’s two largest water providers will connect their systems, allowing water from the Salt River Project into the Central Arizona Project canal system. The project would give SRP and CAP the flexibility to move water through the Valley. Combined, the two providers serve the vast majority of Arizonans. SRP water comes from the Salt and Verde Rivers. CAP water comes from the Colorado River and is in danger of taking cuts. SRP and CAP have different service areas. The proposed SRP-CAP Interconnection Facility (SCIF) would allow water users, like some central Arizona cities and towns with rights to SRP water to access it. “It’s water that belongs to these municipalities that have invested in infrastructure within SRP service territory that they may not have access to currently,” SRP Senior Engineer Jacob Rodriguez said. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
New dam rule could put Grand Canyon at risk
“Can tribes put an early stop to hydropower projects on their own lands? Under a new rule recommended by the secretary of energy the answer would be: No. In an alarming move, on October 23, 2025, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright proposed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) create a new regulation. The new rule would prevent FERC from denying preliminary permits for hydropower projects based on the objection of the tribe on whose land the project would be built. On October 27, 2025, FERC quietly opened a public comment period on the idea. There’s a short window to submit a comment; the deadline is November 12, 2025. This proposed rule flies in the face of tribal sovereignty and the modern best practice for developers to work with a host tribe on projects proposed on the tribe’s land. The Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, which represents 21 tribal nations, called the proposed rule “an affront to the basic tenets of Tribal sovereignty.” … ” Read more from the Grand Canyon Trust.
In national water news today …
Where the skies keep bursting
Carol Lester remembers every flood. The epic one in 1977, when she fled over a mountain with her young children to avoid rising water. The deluges of 2001 and 2002, which left a trail of destruction in this area but somehow spared the modest house she and her husband have shared for more than a half century. But like many others who have spent their lives in the coalfields of southern West Virginia, she had never seen the likes of what arrived on a frigid day this past February. Across McDowell County, the rising water wrecked roads and bridges and left residents stranded. It swallowed cars and trucks, sent debris downstream, flooded homes and claimed three lives, including that of a 2-year-old boy. In the town of Welch, the flood swamped city hall, the library and the sheriff’s station. It also blocked the main road to the hospital. … This time, the devastation carried the fingerprints of a mostly invisible but profound atmospheric shift: As the air gets warmer and wetter over time, states within central Appalachia lie within a region particularly vulnerable to the extreme rainfall and the flooding that often follows. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
