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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Discover the wild coast from 12pm to 1pm: California’s wild coasts are dynamic, awe-inspiring meeting points of rivers, land and sea. The Nature Conservancy works across the state to protect the rugged beauty of these places and the nature they support, from kelp forests to salmon runs, black abalone to mountain lions. With nearly 40% of California’s coastline still wild—but only 9% protected—there’s much to do to protect these natural gems. Hear from TNC experts about our interconnected efforts to preserve, restore and study our wild coasts. As we navigate a rapidly changing planet, the lessons we’re learning here can help the world. Click here to register.
- LUNCH MAR: Flood-MAR: Watershed-scale and Basin-scale Solutions from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. The San Joaquin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies team will present and describe results from the five watershed studies that provide a compelling case for innovative and at-scale implementation. To join a Lunch-MAR Session, please use this link.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program stakeholder meeting from 1:30 to 3:30pm. Agenda items include Trigger Limits Methodology and List. Click here to register. Click here for the agenda.
In California water news today …
California strongly objects to Trump’s plan to pump more Delta water south
“The Trump administration plans to weaken environmental protections for threatened fish in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and pump more water to Central Valley farmlands, according to letters obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The letters show Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration strongly criticizing the Trump administration plan. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently notified California agencies that it plans to pump more water out of the delta into the southbound aqueducts of the federally operated Central Valley Project. That would send more water to farmlands and communities across the San Joaquin Valley. The proposal advances a January executive order by President Trump and weakens protections for several kinds of fish whose populations have declined significantly in recent years. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
State officially takes Kaweah off groundwater “naughty” list
“The holiday season in the Kaweah subbasin got a little more jolly thanks to its formal removal from the state’s groundwater enforcement process on Tuesday. The state Water Resources Control Board passed a resolution at its Dec. 2 meeting that officially ended the threat of state intervention for the Kaweah subbasin, which covers the northern part of Tulare County’s flatlands and a portion of Kings County. It will continue to work under Department of Water Resources oversight to implement plans to reduce excessive groundwater pumping. The move frees landowners from costly probationary fees under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which also comes with well metering and reporting requirements. If Kaweah had not escaped probation, landowners would be forced to reveal pumping records, and pay $20 per acre-foot of water pumped while registering wells at $300 each, on top of what they already pay to their irrigation districts and groundwater sustainability agencies. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SEE ALSO:
- Kaweah Subbasin to exit state intervention after improving SGMA groundwater plans, from the State Water Board
- Kaweah Subbasin Returned to DWR by State Board December, coverage from Water Wrights
Growers eager for “lifeline” being offered by state farmland transition program
“Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley faced with drastic cuts to the amount of groundwater they can pump are finding some relief with the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, or MLRP. And more money can’t come quickly enough as landowners adjust to requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The land repurposing program, started in 2022, has already spent $80 million in two rounds of funding for 17 projects throughout the state, the majority of which are in the San Joaquin Valley. Another $32 million was appropriated by the state legislature this year from Proposition 4, also known as the Climate Bond, which was passed by California voters in 2024. By transitioning irrigated acres into new uses, projects aim to reduce groundwater reliance while creating environmental and economic opportunities, thus the term “multi-benefit.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Report: Well ordinance guidance to protect California’s streams
“The California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition (SSC), a partnership between Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and California Trout, has developed a new report to help local governments address water security, community benefits and wildlife habitat associated with groundwater resources. Groundwater management is changing across California. The passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 was a response to unsustainable groundwater pumping, which has been exacerbated by drought conditions. However, SGMA only applies to a limited portion of the state, leaving many areas without consistent guidelines for managing groundwater resources. In 2018, a legal decision by the State Water Board ruled that counties must address the potential negative impacts on public trust resources, particularly streamflow necessary for fish, when approving new well permits. … ” Read more from The Nature Conservancy.
New watershed studies highlight how the San Joaquin Basin can turn floods into opportunities
“California’s San Joaquin Basin is at the center of the state’s water challenges, with decades of groundwater overdraft and increasingly severe floods putting water supplies, communities, agriculture, and the environment at risk. The Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) newly released San Joaquin Basin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies assess how climate change is intensifying these water management challenges across the Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, and Upper San Joaquin watersheds and identifies strategies to help the San Joaquin Valley prepare and adapt to a more variable future. “San Joaquin Valley communities will be dramatically shaped by growing extremes in drought and flood, and our capacity to respond to them. The Watershed Studies begin a broad path forward for the Valley – outlining the risk if we do nothing and what we can gain if we begin acting together now,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “They show how coordinated watershed investments can protect our water supplies and support agriculture and ecosystems, reduce flood risk and provide our partners the information they need to protect communities.” … ” Read more from DWR.
SEE ALSO: DWR: New studies suggest floodwater solutions for San Joaquin Basin, from Action News Now
2.9 billion gallons of clean drinking water added to California’s supply with new investments
“Governor Gavin Newsom has made significant strides in securing and enhancing water supplies, including improving the state’s ability to capture stormwater. Fortified by state investment to strengthen and expand California’s local water infrastructure, eight major, state-funded projects completed or broke ground across California this fall—including water recycling, wastewater treatment and desalination facilities—that benefit over 1 million people. Collectively, the projects add about 2.9 billion gallons annually to the state’s water supplies, enough water for roughly 20,000 homes per year. “We’re dealing with hotter, drier, wetter, more volatile weather all at once — and California has to stay ahead of it,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “That means continuing to harden and modernize our water systems so 40 million people can count on a reliable supply in the face of these extremes. I’m proud of the investments we’re making, and we’re not slowing down. We’re going to keep advancing the projects, the storage, the recycling, and the infrastructure upgrades that ensure every community has stable, safe water access for the long haul.” … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
SB 72: A new era for the California Water Plan
“In 2022, Governor Newsom released California’s Water Supply Strategy, outlining how the state must adapt to a hotter, drier future. As temperatures rise, more precipitation will be absorbed by dry soils, consumed by plants, or evaporate — meaning less water reaches streams, rivers, and reservoirs, placing new strain on the state’s water supply. In October 2025, the Governor and Legislature gave the Department of Water Resources (DWR) an important opportunity to address this challenge: Senate Bill 72 (SB 72). SB 72 directs DWR to modernize the California Water Plan by building a data-driven playbook for the state’s water future. It requires DWR to quantify statewide and watershed-level water-supply gaps, identify effective water management actions with economic analyses, and set measurable statewide and watershed-level targets, including an interim statewide goal of 9 million acre-feet by 2040. Together, these elements create a consistent, data-driven foundation for statewide water resilience. Learn more: SB 72 Frequently Asked Questions
Sites Reservoir: Where will the water come from?
“California can still wring water out of its rivers — in theory, and only if you’re willing to pay an increasingly steep premium for it. Take Sites Reservoir, which could become the first new major reservoir in California in decades. It would pull water from the Sacramento River to fill a valley in the coast range with enough water for roughly 3 million households, then distribute it to the local farmers and Southern California cities that would partly fund its construction. Sites has serious political weight: it’s on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s priority list, has growing interest from the Trump administration and is drawing on tens of millions in state dollars reallocated from other now-defunct water projects. But regulators are wrestling with a deceptively complex question in an arcane water rights proceeding expected to wrap as early as this month: Is there actually water to fill it? And even if there is, is it worth the cost? … ” Read more from Politico.
California water shift: subsidence, salmon gains and 2026 outlook
Andrew Nixon / California Department of Water Resources
“As California turns the page into the 2026 water year, three recent decisions from the Department of Water Resources show how the state is trying to keep water moving, protect rivers and fish, and manage risk in a volatile climate. In late November 2025, the Department of Water Resources released a major study on how sinking ground can affect canals and aqueducts in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the country’s most productive farming regions and home to more than four million people. The study concludes that stabilizing groundwater levels and repairing existing canals is more important than building new conveyance projects. Just days earlier, the Department celebrated the first operating season of the Big Notch Project in Yolo County, a large-scale effort to reconnect salmon to their historic floodplain habitat while still protecting farming and flood control. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Students team up with scientists to investigate salmon vitamin deficiencies
“Animals, like people, need vitamins to stay healthy, including salmon. Without enough vitamin B1 (also called thiamine), salmon can struggle to swim and can develop serious health problems that may lead to death. Recently, we noticed young salmon in California showing these symptoms and we soon discovered they were lacking this important vitamin. To help solve this problem, we teamed up with local students. Through the Spinning Salmon Program, high schoolers are collecting data to help us understand how the lack of vitamin B1 can lead to thiamine deficiency and how this is impacting California salmon. These students are helping us discover how much thiamine salmon need to survive by observing behavior and tracking survival of young salmon raised in their classrooms. Through gathering data and reporting their findings, they are making a big impact and helping researchers find ways to protect California’s salmon populations.” Read the full article at Frontiers.
Invasive pest spotlight: Nutria
“The nutria is a large semi-aquatic rodent introduced to California in the early 1900s to be farmed for their fur. When the fur market collapsed, many nutria escaped or were set loose. Though eradicated from the wild in the 1970’s, a breeding population was discovered in Merced County in 2017. Nutria have since spread into waterways within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the Central Valley. They prefer permanent fresh water sources like lakes and rivers but can also live in brackish coastal wetlands. … ” Read more from UC Ag & Natural Resources.
EPA ‘rightsizing’ key offices in California, Illinois
“EPA is shedding office space and reorganizing staff in at least two key offices — one on the West Coast and another in the Midwest — in a move the agency says will save money and reduce the agency’s footprint, according to a union representative and an internal memo obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. EPA is “rightsizing and restacking” staffers at the agency’s Region 9 Office in San Francisco, Kerry Drake, director of EPA’s Mission Support Division, told staffers in an email Tuesday. … The changes arrive on the heels of an exodus of hundreds of employees at the agency through early retirements and layoffs. EPA is maintaining office spaces in both regional offices. … ” Read more from E&E News.
New WOTUS rule to give clarity, cut red tape for farms
“A new federal rule by the Trump administration is expected to reduce regulatory burdens on farmers by narrowing the scope of federal oversight on the nation’s wetlands and other waterways. Released last month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the proposed rule carries out directives from the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, ending years of regulatory uncertainty about how the Clean Water Act applies to working farmland. The rule is designed to cut red tape and prevent federal overreach, EPA said, which could save farmers time and money by reducing permitting requirements for activities on their land. It provides a new definition of “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, that aims to ensure that only relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water—such as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes—and wetlands that are connected to and indistinguishable from such water bodies are federally regulated, EPA added. Public comments on the proposed rule are due Jan. 5. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Extracting rare earth elements from U.S. wastewaters
“A new federally funded research project at the University of California, Davis, endeavors to extract valuable components for magnets, lasers and other modern technologies from an unlikely source: acidic wastewater from mines and industrial processes. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA‑E) awarded UC Davis researchers a $3 million grant to develop a bio‑based process that selectively captures rare earth elements from acidic mine‑influenced and industrial wastewater streams. The project is led by Yi Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
In commentary today …
North vs. South – the Controversial Delta Tunnel Project
The Sierra Club writes, “California loves a good rivalry—Bay Area versus Los Angeles, north versus south, mountains versus coast. Most of the time, it’s all in good fun. But when that rivalry enters into water discussions, it stops being playful and becomes a problem. The debate over the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta has too often been seen as one part of the state hoarding water while another goes thirsty. In truth, the situation is much simpler—and more interconnected. Protecting the Delta benefits everyone, no matter where they live. Even if you’re hundreds of miles away in Southern California, the health of the Delta influences the reliability of your tap, the stability of your water bill, and your community’s capacity to endure a hotter, drier future. If you live in the Delta, you understand that your region’s survival depends on statewide cooperation, not division. California’s water challenges aren’t a tug-of-war between two ends of the map—they are shared challenges and present shared opportunities. To understand why, you need to see the Delta for what it really is. … ” Read more from the Sierra Club.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Placer County Water Agency adopts 2026 budget, funding water treatment plant upgrades, renewal projects
“The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors on Nov. 20 approved a $402.9 million budget for 2026, including funding for major water treatment plant upgrades and renewal projects throughout the county. Of the total budget, $303.1 million – about 75 percent – is dedicated to the capital improvement plan. Water treatment plants, serving communities from Colfax to Rocklin, anchor the spending plan. PCWA’s water division is also continuing to improve aging infrastructure through its renewal and replacement efforts. … ” Read more from Gold Country Media.
Native American tribe reclaims land at the edge of Yosemite National Park
“The tribal nation that calls Yosemite National Park its ancestral home has reclaimed a stunning piece of its historical territory with the acquisition of nearly 900 acres along the western edge of the park. The property, which spans Henness Ridge, high above the iconic canyons of the Merced River near Highway 41, was transferred to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation this week from the nonprofit Pacific Forest Trust. The San Francisco organization bought the picturesque mountain acreage two decades ago, when it was threatened with the development of vacation homes, intending to make improvements to the natural landscape then protect it through tribal stewardship. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Thick tule fog returned to California’s Central Valley this fall. Here’s what caused it
“Sacramento just endured its longest stretch of autumn fog in years as a stubborn pattern created ideal conditions for low clouds and cold weather in the Central Valley. The Sacramento office of the National Weather Service issued nine dense fog advisories in November, the most it has issued in a month this early in the wet season since at least 2005. Fog advisories are only issued when visibility drops below a quarter of a mile. Sunshine finally emerged Monday, but the pattern favorable for patchy fog was expected to linger for another week or two. Locally referred to as tule fog but scientifically known as radiation fog, the misty mass is prevalent in the Central Valley and parts of the Bay Area during periods of light winds after wet weather, especially in winter. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
NAPA/SONOMA
Workshops teach burning to prevent wildfire
“For Bryon Cloyd, a chiropractor based in Davis, TV coverage of an elderly homeowner trying to put out fires on his property during the 2017 North Bay firestorms provided the spark to learn how he could help. On a Saturday this November, Cloyd, along with 17 other volunteers from around the Bay Area, participated in a “Learn and Burn” workshop on using fire to minimize the risk of extreme wildfires. Over the past eight years, extremely hot and fast-moving wildfires that have burned across California were more costly, destroyed more property and caused more fatalities than ever before. Today, more state and county agencies are using prescribed burns to remove wildfire fuel before it can start a blaze, but many people question whether this strategy is safe. Cloyd, who began learning about prescribed burns this year, grouped himself with people who fear fire. “Most people have been scared to death, because some are enormous, and they’re very worried that any fire that gets lit, it’s just going to race through everything,” he says. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
BAY AREA
Salmon returning to Bay Area creek for first time in 70 years could be sign of environmental renewal to come
“For the first time in 70 years, adult Chinook salmon have been spotted swimming the 86 vertical feet needed to return to Alameda Creek in lower Niles Canyon – and it could be a turning point in the decades-long effort to restore the East Bay’s watersheds. Chinook salmon, along with the endangered steelhead trout, are considered indicator species for the environment, suggesting that other animals such as otters, eagles, beavers and bears may also return to the Sunol Valley region, which increases the diversity and resiliency of its “food web,” a term for interconnected food chains. Since the beginning of November, volunteers from the nonprofit group Alameda Creek Alliance — which has worked to remove dams and install fish ladders since 1997 — have recorded nearly a dozen specimens of Chinook Salmon. These sightings come just weeks after PG&E and the nonprofit CalTrout finished a $15 million project to remove a gas pipeline that was the last barrier impeding fish migration upstream. The latest salmon run came shortly after an atmospheric river, and environmentalists are excited for what the wet season has in store. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
New study: Moss Landing battery fire dumped 55,000 pounds of toxic metals into wildlife-rich marshes
“A major fire in January at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in Moss Landing showered 55,000 pounds of toxic metals across the landscape within a mile of the plant, a new scientific study has found. Researchers from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories measured more than 100 locations at Elkhorn Slough, an expanse of sensitive marshes just north of the plant, and found high levels of nickel, cobalt and manganese on the top of the soil — all metals contained in the thousands of lithium-ion batteries that burned and which were spread in microscopic pieces through the billowing smoke that poured from the fire. “It was like a dust,” said Ivano Aiello, a marine geology professor at Moss Landing Marine Labs who led the soils testing. “That’s what it was. A metal dust. It was like sugar dusting on a cake.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Paso Robles Authority moves forward on groundwater plan as wells continue to fail
“The Paso Robles groundwater basin has been declining for decades, and local agencies are under increasing pressure to show progress toward stabilizing the aquifer. The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority this week approved a budget of nearly $1 million to continue monitoring, reporting and management programs through June 2026. The work is part of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which in 2014 labeled the basin “critically overdrafted” after years of pumping more water than nature could replace. For many rural homeowners and farmers, the basin is their only water source and the impacts are already visible. … ” Read more from KCBX.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Strength in partnership: The Blueprint leads the charge for a water-secure San Joaquin Valley
“A stronger, more resilient water future for the Valley is taking shape—and momentum is on the rise. From federal investments to regional planning, the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley (Blueprint) is bringing partners together to highlight and address the water supply-demand gap and deliver solutions. On October 29, the Blueprint brought together local leaders, growers, water agencies, policymakers, and community members at the Fresno County Farm Bureau to discuss one of the most critical issues facing California’s future: water sustainability. The event celebrated the Blueprint’s growing impact of building coalitions and shaping policy that deliver results for Valley communities, farms, and ecosystems. With partners across agriculture, water agencies, business, local government, and community groups, the Blueprint is proving that coordinated action can bring lasting change. Event speakers included Adam Nickels, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Bill Swanson, Water Resources Planning Lead at Stantec, along with leaders from the Blueprint’s Communications and Legislative/Education Work Groups. … ” Read more from the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley.
Recharging seen as key for Stanislaus watershed
“Altering control operations at New Melones Reservoir coupled with harnessing farmland for recharging has the potential to blunt — and almost negate — the near-term climate change impact on water supplies within the Stanislaus River watershed. That’s the Clift’s Notes conclusion of a set of San Joaquin Basin Watershed studies released Tuesday by the California Department of Water Resources. Separate studies for the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, Calaveras and Upper San Joaquin rivers addressed flood managed aquifer recharge strategies. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Clean drinking water harvested from tomatoes at Los Banos processing plant
“A gadget capable of extracting evaporation from tomato pulp is producing 120,000 gallons a day of “new water” clean enough to drink in Los Banos in Merced County. The “water harvesting” unit was developed by Australian company Botanical Water Technologies, which moved to the United States around five years ago. The Ingomar Packing Company in Los Banos processes tomato products such as tomato paste and diced tomatoes. The choice to set up a pilot project at Ingomar was a simple one, Botanical Water’s Chief Impact Officer James Rees said, calling the Los Banos plant a “natural partner.” “We gravitated towards Informar because of their sustainability program in place. They’ve been actively investing into the environment and into programs around water reuse, energy efficiency and carbon.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Death Valley National Park breaks century-old weather record
“The storms that drenched Southern California last month supplied Death Valley National Park with the most rain the park has ever recorded in November, breaking a record that has stood for more than a century. The park recorded 1.76 inches of rain in November, a new monthly record, according to Morgan Stessman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Las Vegas office. The last record was set in November of 1923, when the park recorded 1.70 inches of rain. Last year’s highest monthly rainfall amount was recorded in February, Stessman said, when Death Valley received 1.66 inches of rain. “We had multiple systems move through that brought multiple rounds of rain throughout the month of November,” Stessman said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Boeing accused of discharge violations at Santa Susana Field Laboratory
“Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board staff proposed a nearly $600,000 penalty against The Boeing Company for 39 stormwater discharge violations at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Ventura County. The alleged violations occurred from January 2023 to March 2025 and involved discharges of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), lead, mercury, manganese, iron, sulfate and pH. The Los Angeles Water Board tentatively plans to hold a public hearing on Feb. 26, 2026, and solicit comments before considering whether to approve the proposed penalty, officially known as an administrative civil liability. “The proposed penalty holds the company accountable for its actions and is a necessary step to protect the waterways that continue to receive runoff from the site,” said Russ Colby, the board’s assistant executive officer. … ” Read more from the LA Regional Water Board.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Imperial Irrigation District shifts from Salton Sea Authority to state conservancy
“The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) on Dec. 2 announced its transition from the Salton Sea Authority to the State of California’s newly established Salton Sea Conservancy. IID’s transition in participation from the Salton Sea Authority to the Conservancy will strengthen alignment among state and federal agencies and facilitate project operations and management. This next step reflects a natural evolution of IID’s long-standing leadership in Salton Sea progress that has led from studies to planning to on-the-ground projects, along with ongoing efforts to restore habitat and address regional air quality concerns. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
SAN DIEGO
Loveland Reservoir levels cause concern for East County residents
“Residents who frequent Loveland Reservoir are again raising alarms about water being drained from the area’s largest public open-space reservoir. The concerns come three years after the reservoir was lowered to deadpool levels, killing off the fish population and severely impacting recreation. Now, locals fear the reservoir may be headed down the same path. “In ’22 [2022] I was just devastated to see that someone would drain it that low. It’s just wrong,” said local resident Tammy Fisher. “It’s close. It’s close to being what it was.” In November 2022, the Sweetwater Authority, which owns and operates the reservoir, drained Loveland to historically low levels. Water stored in the reservoir is periodically released downstream to serve drinking-water customers. … ” Read more from Fox 5.
King tides hit San Diego beaches this week thanks to supermoon
“Higher-than-normal (and lower-than-normal tides) are heading back to San Diego’s coasts toward the end of the week, according to NBC 7 meteorologists. King tides — the phenomenon that describes what are typically some of the highest tides of the year — are happening Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. These uniquely high tides are caused by a stronger-than-normal gravitational pull from the moon and sun. Thursday’s full moon is also a supermoon, so the pull is even stronger. This December full moon is most commonly known as the “Cold Moon”, mirroring the icy temperatures from which the moon rises. This name comes from the Native American Mohawk tribe’s traditions, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Tijuana River poses flooding risks if not dredged, expert says
“Alter Terra, a binational environmental group, is sounding the alarm about the need to dredge the Tijuana River channel just inside U.S. territory to avoid massive flooding near and around the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The group says the floor of the channel has risen by 10 feet over the years, meaning it will take less water for the river to crest over its levees. “As the river turns it deposits a lot of sediment on this side,” said Oscar Romo, director of Alter Terra in San Diego. The group has received a lot of notoriety for setting up a trash boom across the river floor that catches hundreds of tons of trash as it comes in from Mexico preventing the debris from flowing farther into the U.S. and the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the Border Report.
Along the Colorado River …
Western governors debate over Colorado River allocations ahead of winter deadline
“Colorado River water negotiations are ongoing as the basin states now face a Feb. 14 deadline to submit a final agreement to the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation. At the Western Governors Association winter meeting in Paradise Valley, Gov. Katie Hobbs accused the upper basin states of running out the clock by not putting proposals on the table as the previous Nov. 11 deadline passed without a deal. “The fact is that we’ve put real water sacrifices on the table for Arizona’s Colorado River users and the upper basin hasn’t put any. And that kind of a deal isn’t workable for Arizona,” Hobbs told reporters last month. Hobbs said she has engaged in robust discussions with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who also attended the WGA winter meeting. … ” Read more from KTAR.
New study offers a glimpse into 230,000 years of climate and landscape shifts in the Southwest
“Atmospheric dust plays an important role in the way Earth absorbs and reflects sunlight, impacting the global climate, cloud formation, and precipitation. Much of this dust comes from the continuous reshaping of Earth’s surface through the erosion of rocks and sediments, and understanding how this process has shaped landscapes can help us decipher our planet’s history – and its future. Although an ephemeral phenomenon by nature, dust emissions through time can be depicted through natural archives like lake sediment cores. In a new study, scientists examine one such record to peer 230,000 years into the past of the American Southwest. The region, they found, produced 1.2 to 10 times more dust between ice ages than during them, in contrast to other areas around the world. The findings can help scientists better predict how landscape disturbance, including by human activities, may contribute to atmospheric dust loads and alter future weather patterns. … ” Read more from the Desert Research Institute.
Arizona advances four major water import projects
“On November 19, 2025, the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona advanced four large water importation proposals into a new study phase intended to determine whether any of the concepts can deliver new, reliable supplies for the state. The action follows months of review under the Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund program, which was established to explore additional water sources for Arizona. Seventeen teams originally submitted qualifications to develop new water supplies. Six formal proposals were ultimately accepted for review, and four have now been selected for detailed study. The Water Infrastructure Finance Authority will contract with the project teams to evaluate engineering options, regulatory requirements, environmental and cultural considerations, financial approaches, and community impacts. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Northern Arizona sees record precipitation this fall after dry winter, monsoon
“The numbers are in: many areas across Northern Arizona saw record precipitation this fall. It’s needed for tourism and forest health following a record-dry winter and monsoon. Hikers from across the state were drawn to the peaks outside of Flagstaff for a beautiful bluebird day. Arizona’s Family caught up with Madison Gorham and Mariah Ward, who decided to take a spontaneous day trip up to the High Country. “I want to feel the Christmas vibe,” Ward said. “I want to feel the Christmas spirit.” They said the weather was a draw, but all the snow was unexpected. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Federal money is still in Trump limbo. Rural Utah is antsy about its water projects
“Price Mayor Michael Kourianos drew an imaginary line in the air between two scrubby desert hills. His hand traced the path of a planned 100-foot dam for a new reservoir just north of the city in Carbon County. The project, which Kourianos described as vital to the area’s future, would provide irrigation to farmers and shore up the city’s water supply. It’s a big deal in a drought-prone area, and it could be built within five years, he said — if the federal funding that’s supposed to pay for it doesn’t disappear. “I’m very much worried about that,” Kourianos said. “That could be at risk. That’s the unknown.” … ” Read more from KUER.
In national water news today …
The U.S. Forest Service is falling further behind on wildfire prevention
“President Donald Trump and his top Cabinet officials have repeatedly blamed the most catastrophic wildfires on poor forest management. His administration, however, appears to be lagging on that very work. In the first nine months of this year, the United States Forest Service slowed its rate of prescribed burns, tree thinning and other fire-prevention work across its hundreds of millions of acres of land, according to an outside analysis of U.S. Forest Service data being circulated by Democratic senators. Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and nine other Democratic senators wrote the Forest Service on Tuesday, demanding details about staffing levels and plans to meet wildfire mitigation needs. … ” Read more from NOTUS.
EWG to Lee Zeldin: PFAS pesticides are bad news, not ‘fake news’.
“Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin claims “fake news” to reports spotlighting the agency’s approval of new pesticides made with the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. The truth is the EPA’s approval of PFAS pesticides is bad news, especially for the health and well-being of American farmers and consumers. EWG revealed in a recent report that California agricultural fields are sprayed with an average of 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides per year. This widespread use could be contaminating soil, water and produce sold throughout the U.S., exposing millions to potential health harms. In response to concerns raised over its recent approval of a new PFAS pesticide, days later the EPA issued what it called a “fact check.” The statement claims the agency did not approve a PFAS pesticide – and the chemicals it has allowed for use don’t pose risks to human health. But the EPA’s response needs its own fact check for fake news – because the way the agency defines PFAS lets it sidestep the fact it’s approved dozens of PFAS pesticides for use in the U.S. … ” Read more from the Environmental Working Group.
Precipitation so far this season …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
ANNOUNCEMENT: DRIP Collaborative seeks to fill membership vacancies
