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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: People, Place, and Policy: A Scott River Restoration Story from 11am to 12pm. Sustainable Conservation will share the inspiring story of how California Trout, the Yurok Tribe, local farmers and ranchers, and state agencies are coming together to restore vital salmon habitat and conserve water resources along the Scott River. By working together to revive salmon populations, strengthen local agriculture, and boost healthy communities, this coalition’s efforts showcase the power of collaboration in advancing landscape-scale solutions and offer a model for how strategic partnerships and permitting pathways can accelerate ecosystem restoration across California. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
NOAA’s denial of endangered status for salmon sparks talk of legal challenge
“Federal fisheries officials on Monday rejected a bid to designate West Coast Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In response, one of the conservation groups that petitioned for the listing, the Center for Biological Diversity, says it is considering a legal challenge. “The major species protections could have benefited not just the salmon, but other wildlife that feeds on them,” Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity said, adding orcas, river otters, bald eagles, and bears as some of the examples. “Unfortunately, the decision by the Fisheries Service really only benefits the logging industry and dam operators.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee (gift article).
With a target on their bellies, can California’s sturgeon survive?
“In California, and worldwide, poachers target sturgeon for their eggs, which become a coveted delicacy when processed into caviar. Caviar from California’s white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is highly prized: It’s been compared to that from the critically endangered beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) from Eurasia, which is the world’s most expensive. California protects both of its sturgeon species, white and green sturgeon. Keeping, killing or selling wild sturgeon or their eggs is prohibited; the state banned commercial sturgeon fishing 71 years ago, in 1954. Globally, sturgeon populations are dropping, with 85% of species at risk of extinction. “Sturgeon are one of the most highly threatened groups of species on Earth,” says Monika Böhm, freshwater conservation coordinator at Indianapolis Zoo’s Global Center for Species Survival. “All species are threatened, although in some parts of the world [like Europe and Asia], it’s worse than others.” … ” Read the full story from Mongabay.
Friant Water Authority supports Trump water policy
“Not surprisingly the Friant Water Authority gave its full endorsement to the Trump administration’s decision to deliver more water to Central Valley farmers. FWA issued a statement last week in support of the Trump administration’s decision. Last Thursday the Trump administration issued a decision for the long-term operation for the Central Valley Project that will lead to the delivery of more water to Valley farmers. The federal Central Valley Project oversees the main water source for those and farmers in the southeast portion of the Valley. The Friant Water Authority oversees the Friant-Kern Canal, the main water artery for this area, and is under the authority of the Cental Valley Project. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last Thursday announced the plan that follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January to provide more water to Valley farmers. The policy took effect on Friday. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
SEE ALSO: California Challenges New Federal Plan to Increase Delta Water Exports to the San Joaquin Valley, from the Los Banos Enterprise
Report reviews how California’s water projects balance needs of people and endangered species
“A National Academies committee that includes a UC Merced researcher recently released its findings from a review of the science behind the operations of two massive California water projects. Civil and environmental engineering Professor Josué Medellín-Azuara is a member of an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee conducted the first of what is expected to be biennial reviews of the monitoring, modeling, and other relevant scientific activities and initiatives that support the long-term operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. … ” Read more from UC Merced.
Land IQ Insights: Mapping California crops for smarter ag decisions
“California’s wine industry, like much of agriculture, faces cyclical challenges. Joel Kimmelshue of Land IQ shares how spatial mapping and data-driven intelligence are helping growers and organizations navigate these changes with precision. Based in Sacramento, Land IQ employs around 50 agricultural and spatial scientists. The firm specializes in mapping crops and analyzing agricultural footprints, allowing growers and organizations to make informed, data-driven decisions. “If you know your footprint, you can make some fairly informed decisions,” says Kimmelshue. … ” Read excerpts and listen to podcast from AgNet West.
‘Extreme’ cloud bank for 16 days and counting in Central Valley; record-cold December possible
“Across much of Central California, a band of stubborn clouds has lingered for more than two weeks, bringing unseasonably low temperatures and periods of intense fog — and officials say the stagnant weather pattern is likely to persist. The low stratus clouds — which appear to stretch from Bakersfield through Chico and west into the Bay Area — continue to create visibility concerns on roadways and could foster a record-cool December, said Carlos Molina, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford. Temperatures have remained well below average during these last two weeks, he said, with highs only in the upper 40s for much of the region, about 10 degrees below average for this time of year. “If we continue to hold on to this pattern for a majority of this month,” Molina said, “it would definitely put us in the record books for how cool we’ve been this December.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Trout Unlimited applauds introduction of federal legislation to streamline floodplain restoration
“Federal lawmakers have introduced the bipartisan Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act to reduce regulatory barriers that slow or prevent ecosystem restoration in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-mapped floodplains. The legislation, from legislators including Representatives Bryan Steil (WI-01), Troy Downing (MT-02), Janelle Bynum (OR-02), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), aims to streamline approvals for low-risk floodplain restoration projects by reducing costly permitting fees, shortening review timelines, and allowing certified engineers to verify that projects will not harm infrastructure. The House bill mirrors legislation already introduced in the Senate (S.1564). … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
In commentary today …
Why California needs a unified groundwater strategy
Emma Manetta, Dani Del Rosal, Sarah Lummus, and Amira Zhanat, all students at Georgetown University studying environmental and public policy issues, write, “Groundwater rise is one of California’s most overlooked climate emergencies. The water rising beneath our feet is quietly colliding with a century of industrial contamination, and the state is not prepared. California representatives must take groundwater rise seriously because the consequences for public health and infrastructure will be too severe to ignore. Federal legislation provides the funding and programming necessary to identify the communities most vulnerable to the impacts of groundwater rise. Across California, regulators maintain extensive records on contaminated bodies of water and hazardous remediation sites, especially in the Bay Area, Los Angeles Basin, and San Diego. Current policy allows polluted sites to be closed once they are deemed stable and pose minimal risk. But groundwater levels are climbing, and contamination that was once submerged is now at risk of being mobilized. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
California Trout announces it’s mounting new State of Salmonids study
“California Trout announced plans to publish a new edition of its State of Salmonids (SOS) at last week’s quarterly meeting of the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Trout (CAC). SOS III will follow in the footsteps of the organization’s 2017 landmark study, commissioned by California Trout and authored by salmonid experts Peter Moyle, Robert Lusardi, Patrick Samuel and Jacob Katz. The SOS III study, led by Lusardi this time, will take place over the next two years and is expected to be published in 2027. Darren Mierau, North Coast director for California Trout, called the SOS II a “tremendously important piece of work” at the CAC’s meeting. Mierau described the previous iteration of the white paper as providing “comprehensive information in one place, a kind of one-stop-shop for all 32 species (or dependent population segments) of salmon (and) trout in California, … establishing a methodology that can be consistent through time, so that we can have an apples to apples comparison … of trends in status.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald (gift article).
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Cal Fire sues Shasta man for sending Pit River water to his pond
“A Shasta County man is being sued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for illegally swiping water from the Pit River and diverting it to a storage pond on his property in Montgomery Creek, according to the complaint. In its lawsuit filed in Shasta County Superior court, the agency alleged that landowner Guiliano Borgna “is improperly diverting water” from the Pit River across Cal Fire’s property to a storage pond about 275 feet away on his land. The lawsuit said that a ditch about 10-feet wide and 5-feet deep leads from the river across Cal Fire’s property to a storage pond on Borgna’s property. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
Sacramento County maintains FEMA Class 2 rating for flood risk reduction. Why that matters
“Sacramento County’s efforts to reduce flood risks have paid off, as the county has maintained its FEMA Class Two rating in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System. Though winter has brought little rain so far, the county’s proactive measures ensure preparedness for potential flooding. Matt Robinson from the county discussed how these efforts have helped maintain the rating. … ” Read more from KCRA.
American River Salmon Update – Spawning Season, November 2025
Tom Cannon writes, “In a 10/19/2023 post and a 11/21/2024 post, I discussed how the lack of access to Folsom Reservoir’s deep cold-water pool results in delayed natural and hatchery spawning of American River fall-run salmon. Delays, and spawning in warmer water, cause reductions in spawning success, smolt production, recruitment into harvestable fishery stocks, and spawning escapement (run size) to the American River. Lower salmon contributions from the American River significantly reduce California coastal and river salmon fishery stocks. Poor production in the American River contributed to the closure of California salmon fisheries in 2023-2025. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog.
NAPA/SONOMA
Developer of 605-home Cloverdale resort project seeks to assure city, public of adequate water supply
“One question has been dogging the backers of a proposed housing and resort project vying to transform Cloverdale’s long-stalled Alexander Valley Resort site and remake the look of Sonoma County’s northernmost city. Will there be enough water? Representatives for Esmeralda Land Company insist there is, citing reports from a consultant the Bay Area developer hired for their ambitious project, which calls for 605 homes — in a mix of apartments, town homes and single family homes — two hotels and two restaurants on 266 acres off Asti Road. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Beall: Building trust through accountability — How the Audit Committee strengthens Valley Water
“At Valley Water, we believe accountability and transparency help us better serve the public. One way we uphold these values is through our Board Audit Committee, which provides independent oversight to help strengthen our organization’s performance. The Audit Committee consists of three directors who work under a formal charter. This year, I am proud to serve as the committee chair. We work to identify risks, prioritize audits and ensure our agency runs efficiently and serves the public’s best interest. Every three years, the committee leads a thorough risk assessment conducted by the chief audit executive. This assessment includes feedback from our staff and board and focuses on high-risk areas like capital project delivery and contracting best practices. … ” Read more from the San Jose Spotlight.
CENTRAL COAST
Grover Beach left controversial water project. Why it could still be built in city
“The contentious Central Coast Blue recycled water project is set to move forward in a new form in Grover Beach — but the city won’t have any control over whether it ultimately gets approved. Central Coast Blue can trace its history in South County back to 2018, when the cities of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande formed a joint powers authority to build the water purification project as a shared resource used by all three cities. But since then, the project has changed dramatically in size and scope, with Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach pulling out of the project last year, leaving Pismo Beach as the sole agency still pushing for the project. Despite Grover Beach withdrawing from the project, officials said some of the water treatment and then injection would still have to happen from a new facility within the city’s limits — a move that left some Grover Beach residents concerned. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Fresno takes on ‘forever chemicals’ in second major water contamination lawsuit
“The City of Fresno is making its second major legal offensive against corporate polluters in two years, filing suit against more than 40 companies it accuses of contaminating the city’s groundwater with PFAS, the synthetic compounds known as “forever chemicals.” Fresno’s groundwater is over 600% EPA standards for forever chemicals — some of the worst contamination in California, according to a 2024 investigation from USA Today. An analysis from the Environmental Working Group found contaminated sites across central and north Fresno, from Old Fig Garden to Pinedale. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 3 in Fresno County Superior Court, names industry giants 3M and DuPont alongside local metal plating shops, E. & J. Gallo Winery, and chemical distributors. The city alleges the companies designed, manufactured, sold, or used PFAS-containing products that have leached into soil and drinking water supplies serving roughly 142,000 local homes and businesses. … ” Read more from Fresnoland.
Newly formed Tulare County water district already busy wheeling and dealing for water
“A new Tulare County water district is on a tight timeline to balance an opportunity to buy water for its farmers with the need to fund its operations long term. The board of the newly formed Consolidated Water District voted Dec. 3 to buy 2,900 acre-feet of water from three private ditch companies, the Persian, Watson and Matthews ditch companies. The timing is both good and bad. Good because the district is preparing for a Proposition 218 election in spring to assess new fees to farmland and this purchase is a clear example of what that money pays for. The timing is also bad because the district is operating on a $500,000 loan from Consolidated People’s Ditch Company while it gets established. The 2,900 acre feet purchase will eat up $290,000 of that loan. “We are under the gun to get this money coming in (from land assessments) before we spend too much,” said General Manager James Silva. “When you put your SGMA glasses on, everything looks different.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Ancient lake reemerges after record rainfall at Death Valley National Park
“An ancient lake that once existed at Death Valley National Park has reemerged after record rainfall in the region. Several inches of water have formed in Badwater Basin, which lies at 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America, according to a press release from the National Park Service. During the Ice Ages, the basin — colloquially known as Lake Manly — was once a lake with depths of up to 700 feet. Ice covered the Sierra Nevada between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago, allowing rivers to flow into a long valley that fed into Lake Manly, according to NASA. At the time, the lake measured nearly 100 miles long. … ” Read more from ABC News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
L.A. City Council splits on study for Palisades climate resilience district
“Los Angeles City Council hit the brakes Tuesday on a proposal to study a new “climate resilience district” for Pacific Palisades, after a debate over whether the wildfire-ravaged neighborhood should be the first in line for a powerful but still largely untested financing tool. Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the hillside community burned in January’s Palisades fire, urged colleagues to approve a $300,000 feasibility study for what would be L.A.’s first Climate Resilience District — a special zone that could direct future property tax growth and other local revenues toward wildfire prevention, soil stabilization and other climate-related improvements. “This vote isn’t creating the Climate Resilience District,” Park said. “We’re just asking for the study to educate us about the benefits, opportunities and potential financial impacts, if any.” … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
‘We don’t have water anymore’: Study shows dried-up lake bed could be impacting lung health
“The Salton Sea has been shrinking for decades, killing off fish species and making life for residents like Nancy Del Castillo very difficult. “It is going to be good for me to see water all the time, and we don’t have anymore, we don’t have water anymore,” said Castillo while standing above what used to be the Salton Sea shoreline. Castillo said her family used to love spending time together on the shore of the Salton Sea. “The kids, they say oh we are going to the beach but we don’t have a beach anymore. You can see we can’t enter anymore,” said Castillo. Changing weather patterns, droughts and competing water demands have led to the rapid shrinking of the Salton Sea and have left large areas of the lake bed exposed. … ” Read more from Spectrum One.
SAN DIEGO
Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says
“Sweetwater Authority’s plan to leave Loveland Reservoir with at least 25 percent of its water capacity during the most recent transfer of water into the Sweetwater Reservoir has not gone as originally planned, as shared with East County Magazine on Dec. 5. Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the special district that oversees Loveland Reservoir and Sweetwater Reservoir as well as the Sweetwater Dam, reports on its website that the reservoir has dipped down to 21.2 percent of total capacity (as of 8 a.m. Dec. 9) before the water transfer was stopped just after 3:30 p.m. Dec. 9. SWA manages local water from Sweetwater and Loveland reservoirs, pumps from aquifers like the San Diego Formation and uses a desalination plant for brackish river water. … ” Read more from East County Magazine.
Commentary: A water district using its own water shouldn’t be controversial
“A water district drawing down water from its own reservoir should not be controversial. It should be expected. That is, quite literally, what reservoirs are built for: to store water in wet times and use it wisely when conditions allow. Yet in recent weeks, after one of the wettest Novembers in recent memory, Sweetwater Authority’s transfer of water from Loveland Reservoir to Sweetwater Reservoir has generated debate. That debate misses the larger point. At a time when the cost of water is rising across San Diego County, responsibly using available local supplies is one way a public agency can keep water costs down. It is also important to clear up a common source of confusion. Not all water districts are the same. Water rates vary widely across the county because each agency has a different mix of local, recycled and imported water, along with different infrastructure needs, treatment systems, energy costs and regulatory obligations. … ” Read more from the Times of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
Southwest’s disappearing precipitation is also due to human-driven climate change, according to report
“The Colorado River Basin, like much of the southwestern U.S., is experiencing a drought so historic—it began in 1999—that it’s been called a megadrought. In the basin, whose river provides water to seven states and Mexico, that drought is the product of warming temperatures and reduced precipitation, especially in the form of winter snow. While the warming trend has been conclusively linked to the human activities driving climate change, the cause of the waning precipitation wasn’t as clear. Now, however, Jonathan Overpeck of the University of Michigan and Brad Udall of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University are convinced that anthropogenic climate change is the culprit as well. … ” Read more from the University of Michigan.
After Trump threatens tariffs, Mexico seeks a deal on water
“President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico struck a conciliatory tone on Tuesday in response to President Trump’s threats of additional tariffs over a long-running dispute between the two nations over water. Mr. Trump said on Monday that he would place an additional 5 percent tariff on Mexican imports if Mexico didn’t release 200,000 acre-feet of water, or about 65 billion gallons, to the United States by the end of the year. He said Mexico owed more than 260 billion gallons under a 1944 treaty mediating the distribution of water from the Rio Grande, Colorado and Tijuana rivers. Ms. Sheinbaum told reporters on Tuesday that she would find a solution “that does not put the population and agricultural production in Mexico at risk, but that can also help the United States.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Arizona launches investigation into proposed critical mineral mine’s contaminated water discharge
“A proposed critical minerals mine in southern Arizona that was the first added to a federal permitting process designed to be quicker and more transparent has reported water with levels exceeding the state’s regulatory limits of a mineral that can damage the heart, lungs, stomach and eyes. On Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) told Inside Climate News that it is launching an investigation into the discharges. … Lab results from October submitted to ADEQ on Nov. 30 show South32’s water discharge exceeded the allowed levels of antimony, a heavy metal, said ADEQ spokesperson Alma Suarez in a statement. The company, she said, claims the results are a lab error. “We are still investigating, reviewing the lab reports and South32’s claim,” she said. “ADEQ will hold South32 accountable if our investigation determines that the reported exceedance was not a lab error.” … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
Grand Canyon National Park overnight stays in limbo as closures continue
“All of Grand Canyon National Park’s hotels remain closed due to water supply issues, with officials pushing back reopening estimates to later this week but unable to specify a firm date. “Weather limitations” prevented crews from flying into the site and immediately starting to repair a broken waterline last week, according to Grand Canyon National Park public affairs officer Joelle Baird. And as of Tuesday morning, the National Park Service was waiting on test results to ensure that water samples were clear of contaminants. “We are optimistic for a reopening later this week, with it dependent on NPS water test results over the next 24-48 hours,” Andy Stiles, the general manager of Grand Canyon South Rim for Xanterra Travel Collection, wrote in an email to SFGATE Tuesday morning. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
The Navajo Nation said no to a hydropower project. Trump officials want to ensure tribes can’t do that again.
“Early last year, the hydropower company Nature and People First set its sights on Black Mesa, a mountainous region on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. The mesa’s steep drop offered ideal terrain for gravity-based energy storage, and the company was interested in building pumped-storage projects that leveraged the elevation difference. Environmental groups and tribal community organizations, however, largely opposed the plan. Pumped-storage operations involve moving water in and out of reservoirs, which could affect the habitats of endangered fish and require massive groundwater withdrawals from an already-depleted aquifer. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has authority over non-federal hydropower projects on the Colorado River and its tributaries, ultimately denied the project’s permit. The decision was among the first under a new policy: FERC would not approve projects on tribal land without the support of the affected tribe. … Now, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright wants to reverse this policy. … ” Read more from Grist.
Irksome, evicted beavers in Utah are getting a second chance
“The beaver who would one day be named June was simply doing what beavers do. But her dams, built around her lodge in Utah’s Bear River Mountains, ran afoul of a rancher. He said the flooding caused his sheep to get stuck in the mud. That landed the furry engineer in the unfortunate category of “nuisance beaver.” In most places around the country, she would have been killed. Instead, she was enlisted: strategically relocated and released in an effort to restore degraded streams elsewhere in the state. Beavers possess a singular drive to slow flowing water and create ponds, with skills to match. Across the West, the animals are increasingly valued for their ability to keep water on the drying landscape. Their dams reduce runoff, recharge groundwater, build habitat for fish and other wildlife, help streams recover critical sediment and create watering holes. As wildfires intensify, beavers are more important than ever. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
In national water news today …
Lawmakers oppose greens’ call for data center moratorium
“Over 200 climate groups are urging Congress to pass a moratorium on new construction and approval for data centers. But their advocacy may be out of step with even the most progressive members of Congress. As data centers expand to meet the artificial intelligence boom, numerous Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns about the climate impacts and electricity needs of the centers. But none have called for a complete moratorium on construction — indicating a potential divide between progressive advocates and those drafting legislation. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, shrugged off the calls for a moratorium. “They should call for an above-all energy plan that allows for the construction of renewables to play into that demand for the future,” she said in response to the progressive groups’ letter. … ” Read more from E&E News.
EPA’s federal waters definition could ease landfill permitting process
“The debate over WOTUS has led to several redefinitions and court cases in recent years, as facility owners and operators tussle with the federal government over whether their projects may impact federal waters. If they do, they are subject to the Clean Water Act, which necessitates an additional permitting process. The Biden administration released an update to its WOTUS definition in 2023 after the Supreme Court case Sackett vs. Environmental Protection Agency narrowed the amount of wetlands covered under the regulation. But in March, the Trump administration announced it would once again revisit the term to add clarity and “ensure that a revised definition follows the law, reduces red-tape, cuts overall permitting costs, and lowers the cost of doing business in communities across the country while protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution.” … ” Read more from Waste Dive.
E.P.A. erases mention of humans causing climate change from some web pages
“The Environmental Protection Agency has quietly removed the fact that human activity is driving climate change from a handful of pages on its website. The information was deleted from one webpage titled “Causes of Climate Change,” and another that tracks the impacts of the global warming in the United States. The changes comes as the Trump administration takes aggressive action to boost oil, gas and coal, the burning of which is the main driver of global warming. Mr. Trump, who calls climate change a “hoax,” has eliminated climate regulations and made it easier to develop fossil fuels and harder to build renewable energy like wind and solar power. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
