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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance (MWELO) from 9am to 11am. The Department of Water Resources will conduct a public hearing to review the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). The purpose of this review of the MWELO is to determine whether an update to MWELO would be a useful or effective means to improve landscape water use efficiency or the administration of the ordinance. Comments will be considered for the three-year update cycle that begins January 1, 2026. This hearing will include a presentation on the history of MWELO and the most recent updates, topics identified for review, followed by an opportunity for public comment. The hearing will be recorded and will be webcast for Remote Participation: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/register/X2vhNFReSvisP52pzWcrZA
In California water news today …
Companies are racing to fuel and cool AI
“If you haven’t noticed, data centers have been sprouting up all over. And they’re mighty thirsty. Inside these secured, windowless compounds, where servers hum and data never sleeps, AI systems guzzle millions of gallons of water (a single large data center can consume as much water as a town of 10,000 people, or even more) just to stay cool. In this new reality, no sector has escaped the lure of advanced tech: Faster processing! Smarter analytics! More data than ever! But every leap forward comes at a cost. For AI, it shows up on the utility bill: electricity to run the servers, and, in more and more cases, vast amounts of water to keep them from overheating. In a region like Sacramento, where the grid strains under demand and droughts loom, some critics, including Assemblymember Diane Papan, a Democrat from San Mateo, see data centers as hulking, water-hogging threats to local communities. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
SEE ALSO:
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- Data centers for AI could nearly triple San Jose’s energy use. Who foots the bill?, from Cal Matters
- More than 200 environmental groups demand halt to new US datacenters, from The Guardian
Pine Flat Dam upgrade proposed to boost water storage in San Joaquin Valley
“State leaders are considering an “infrastructure upgrade” for the Pine Flat Dam in the San Joaquin Valley, aiming to address urgent water storage and protection needs. Congressman Vince Fong is spearheading a proposal to raise the dam’s spillway by 12 feet, which would increase its water capacity by over 100,000 acre-feet. “Water is critical to growing our food and so water storage is essential for us to have a stable water supply,” Fong said. … ” Read more from KMPH.
What’s next in river science? Takeaways from the International Symposium of River Science (ISRS) conference
“The International Symposium of River Science (ISRS) conference took place October 6th–9th and featured 4 days of speakers hailing from across the globe, many field trips, and an excellent evening of water-themed trivia. This conference had nearly 300 attendees from over 10 different countries across several different disciplines, speaking on a range of topics such as floodplains, rivers as classrooms, flow management, and more! By bringing so many people together from across job sectors and fields of river research, the conference fostered collaboration on both a national and international level. The conference focused on 3 main themes, which the 3 plenary speakers addressed: Reconnecting: Rivers as integrated biophysical systems; Restoring: River management for biodiversity outcomes; and Revitalising: Relationships between people and rivers. … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog.
UC Berkeley study: Prescribed burns in Sierra foothills help reduce wildfire risk
“A 20-year study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley in the Sierra Nevada has provided new evidence supporting prescribed burns as an effective way to manage forests and reduce wildfire risk. The study, released in November, suggests that CAL FIRE’s ongoing use of prescribed burns has been beneficial, not only in lessening the risk of wildfire but also in helping forests recover and grow stronger over time. The findings are giving fire officials additional motivation to continue the practice, which could also improve insurance costs for homeowners in mountain communities. … ” Read more from the SJV Sun.
A 7,000-mile atmospheric river is stretching from Philippines to the U.S.
“A strong-to-extreme atmospheric river will stretch 7,000 miles from the Philippines to the Pacific Northwest this week, bringing significant rainfall, high-elevation snow and strong winds to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia starting Monday. While atmospheric rivers commonly hit the Northwest during fall and winter, the length of this one is very unusual. Spanning the length of the Pacific, this river in the sky is about three times longer than average and among the longest typically observed on the planet. Hawaii will see little or no impact; the river will span pretty much all open ocean between the Philippines and Northwest. Weather models also predict that the amount of moisture this atmospheric river will carry will break December records in pockets of central and western Washington — raising the risk for flooding rainfall. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
In commentary today …
To save salmon runs and fishing jobs California needs new water rules
Vance Staplin, executive director of the Golden State Salmon Association, and Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, writes, “Today, Chinook salmon are spawning in the Sacramento, American and other Central Valley rivers. After three years of disastrous populations and closed commercial salmon seasons, this fall brings hope for a better future. It’s time for decision-makers to take bold action to save California’s largest salmon runs and the fishing jobs that depend on them. That starts with California’s State Water Resources Control Board, which is setting new water diversion rules to protect salmon, the Bay-Delta and Valley rivers for the first time in three decades. The number of wild Sacramento River Fall run Chinook — the cornerstone of California salmon fishing — has crashed by 95% over 20 years. The loss of fishing seasons has devastated California’s salmon fishing industry. When salmon runs are healthy, they generate $1.4 billion per year and 23,000 jobs. Coastal fishing families and ports are struggling, as are Central Valley fishing-related businesses. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee (gift article).
California’s water partnerships are effective and in danger
Letitia Grenier, director and a senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, and Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, writes, “In a year of profound shifts at the federal level, uncertainty has been the name of the game across the United States. Nowhere is that truer than in the California water world. Over many decades, the state has forged a symbiotic relationship with federal agencies to manage its notoriously complex — and aging — water system. The state has worked with an alphabet soup of federal agencies to manage some of the worst floods and droughts the state has ever seen. Research and technical expertise undergird all water-related activity in California, whether you’re a farmer applying water to your crops, a utility providing clean drinking water to your customers or a municipality trying to protect your community from floods. Fortunately the state is blessed with top-notch water experts, hailing from state and federal agencies, universities, consulting firms and nongovernmental organizations. They’re responsible for many of the tools the state uses to manage its water. Any California water action relies on decades of applied research and experienced people to implement it. Changes at the federal level have put this tight state-federal partnership in doubt. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
In regional water news and commentary today …
Public input sought on 11,700-acre Caldor Fire restoration plan near Lake Tahoe
“The U.S. Forest Service is asking the public to comment on a major restoration plan for lands burned in the 2021 Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe. A new draft environmental assessment outlines the Caldor Fire Restoration Project on roughly 11,700 acres of national forest within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. The plan focuses on rebuilding forest health, improving wildlife habitat, and reducing future fire risk. Public comments will be accepted for 30 days after the legal notice was published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
King tides flood roadways, give Bay Area preview of sea levels in 2050
“The King Tides made their way into the Bay Area this week, and they will be staying around this weekend. The high water levels left flooded roadways around Marin County on Thursday morning. The California Coastal Commission says that king tides are a preview of what sea levels could look like in the Bay Area in 25 years. The California Coastal Commission says by 2050, ocean levels in the Golden State could rise more than a foot. By the year 2100, sea levels could be more than six feet higher, putting areas like Alviso at high risk for flooding. The California King Tides Project was created to help showcase what future sea levels could look like. … ” Read more from KTVU.
Protect the roadless rule to keep water clean in Santa Barbara and across the country
“You might not know it but the water from our kitchen taps begins high in the peaks of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Growing up in Southern California and now living in Santa Barbara, I’ve watched fire creep over the ridgelines, and it has taught me how closely our safety and drinking water depend on the health of these forests. When rainfall finally comes through Los Padres National Forest, the water flows into the Santa Ynez River and down to Lake Cachuma, the reservoir that provides pristine drinking water to a quarter million people along the coast of Santa Barbara. The health of these forests is what keeps the water and rivers our community depends on flowing clean. Now imagine those same mountains cut open by new roads and logging scars. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
Toxic PFAS chemicals found in San Joaquin County pesticides
“A new report has identified the presence of PFAS in pesticides used across California, with San Joaquin County among the areas with the highest usage. PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a chemical known for persistence in the environment, and exposure to them may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. The report from the Environmental Working Group indicates that PFAS are added to pesticides to extend their shelf life and effectiveness on crops. However, the San Joaquin Farm Bureau has criticized the report, arguing that it is misleading and that its definition of PFAS contradicts those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union. … ” Read more from KCRA.
Chino Hills approves heli-hydrant for Butterfield area
“By the end of the new year, a heli-hydrant fire protection system will be built in Butterfield near Estoril Street in Chino Hills. The city council approved the project at the Nov. 25 meeting. The heli-hydrant will consist of a 15’-diameter-by-8’ deep open water tank connected to a water source within the city’s recycled water distribution system that can be accessed by helicopters to combat wildfires. The rapid-fill tank system is a valuable tool in a wildfire incident because it reduces the distance pilots have to travel to refill their water tanks, said utilities operations manager Mark Wiley. … ” Read more from the Chino Valley Champion.
In ‘Out of Plain Sight,’ an environmental disaster lurks off Southern California
“Layers of blue hug the coast of California, a postcard shoreline recognizable at a glance. But Rosanna Xia has seen beneath the picturesque surface. Xia, an L.A. Times environmental reporter, broke a story in 2020 that as many as half a million barrels of DDT, a toxic chemical banned in the U.S. in 1972, were dumped in the waters off Los Angeles. Studies have found links between DDT and breast cancer, as well as contamination in animals exposed to the chemical — and the barrels were leaking. The story led Xia to partner with director and producer Daniel Straub and a small team to create “Out of Plain Sight,” a documentary co-directed and co-produced by Xia that follows the reporter as she seeks answers about the DDT barrels that still lie on our ocean floor. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California officials to hold series of meetings on Tijuana River sewage crisis
“California state agencies and officials will convene a series of public meetings next week to discuss ongoing mitigation efforts and funding for the decades-old Tijuana River sewage crisis. The California Coastal Commission will meet Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. at the Pier South Resort, 800 Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach, with public comment available on a specified agenda item addressing the crisis. A day later, the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee will hold a hearing at the Scripps Seaside Forum, 8610 Kennel Way, in La Jolla at 9 a.m. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear and Assemblymember Damon Connolly will chair the Dec. 11 hearing. Assemblymember David Alvarez will host a town hall Dec. 12 at Chula Vista City Hall to discuss the Tijuana River Valley and California Proposition 4 funding. A time has not been announced. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
South Bay sewage spill underscores border cleanup challenges
“California’s South Bay residents woke to strong odors drifting across the Tijuana River Valley after a sewer line ruptured in Mexico on December 7, 2025. Officials estimated that roughly 120,000 gallons of untreated wastewater moved toward Imperial Beach before emergency crews built new berms and deployed vacuum trucks to intercept as much of the flow as possible. According to the United States International Boundary and Water Commission, workers at nearby pump stations were already in the middle of construction upgrades when a line failed on the Mexican side. Heavy rainfall reportedly contributed to the break. The agency said the damaged line had been contained, with crews remaining on site until flows fully subsided. Although the immediate spill response was rapid, it was also familiar. Similar cross-border sewage incidents have affected South Bay communities for decades, closing beaches, deterring tourism, and prompting sustained calls for long-term binational solutions. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Along the Colorado River …
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. … “The Wasatch Front is booming, but we don’t have the money in rural,” Kourianos said. “We need the state, we need the federal [money] to help us become sustainable.” Across Utah’s Colorado River Basin, projects to protect water supplies and restore river ecosystems are in a holding pattern because the federal funding many expected may not be coming. Price’s reservoir isn’t the only one threatened. … ” Read more from the Utah News Dispatch.
In national water news today …
The Trump administration’s data center push could open the door for new forever chemicals
“In recent months, the Trump administration has opened a deregulatory floodgate in the name of building more data centers. Among other things, this has involved ordering rollbacks of clean water regulations and opening up public lands to coal mining. Now, it’s turning its eye to chemical regulation with a new policy that could, experts say, potentially fast-track the approval of new chemicals for use in the U.S. — including new types of forever chemicals — with limited oversight. … “I think they want to impose as few restrictions as possible on chemicals,” says Greg Schweer, who served as the EPA chief of the new chemicals management branch between 2008 and 2020. “In previous administrations, political people stayed out of [chemical regulation] — they tried to let science win. Here, the industry has a willing set of ears that wants to listen to their opinions.” … ” Read the full story from Grist.
As NOAA funding lags, a critical ocean weather system nears a breaking point
“Years of underfunding and new delays in federal grantmaking threaten buoys and ocean monitoring assets run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that protect fishermen, cargo ships and endangered species across the country. With key grant deadlines now passed and new awards still pending, regional operators warn that some of those services could go dark at the peak of hurricane season. In the Northeast Channel, where warm, salty Gulf Stream waters collide with frigid meltwater from the Arctic, sensors that hung from a buoy like ornaments on a tree were stationed at the entrance to the Gulf of Maine. The sensors fed scientists and forecasters rare data from one of the Atlantic’s strangest crossroads. But in 2022, the buoy’s operator, the Northeast Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), was forced to pull it from the water as stagnant federal funding made routine servicing impossible. Faced with hard choices, the group prioritized buoys closer to shore that are more critical for marine safety over the Northeast Channel buoy, which primarily supported research. Unlike many NOAA programs, the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)—“the eyes of our ocean,” a network of regional associations that collect and track ocean data—enjoys bipartisan support in Congress. But year after year, federal appropriations have fallen short of what the program needs to properly service and maintain its buoys, sensors, gliders and other equipment. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
Current reservoir levels …
