A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Heavy rain, flooding from Pacific storms to focus on California leading up to Christmas
“The train of storms, including a pineapple express that has focused on western Washington, will shift southward this weekend to concentrate on California through much of the week of Christmas. As the rounds of rain intensify, so will the risk of flooding and mudslides. “The upcoming atmospheric river that will focus on Northern California from late Saturday night to Monday qualifies as a pineapple express,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said. A pineapple express is a specific atmospheric river, or plume of moisture, that extends from near Hawaii to the West Coast of the United States. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
What an onslaught of rain will mean for California’s water and wildfires
“December has been a very dry month across California. But that’s about to change, with three atmospheric rivers forecast to hit the state through Christmas. The pattern that brought an onslaught of destructive atmospheric rivers to the Pacific Northwest in recent days is now shifting south. Rounds of heavy valley rain will hit Northern California through the weekend before moving farther south next week — bringing a risk for flooding, swollen rivers, and rock and landslides. Next week, snow will pile up across the Sierra Nevada, which have experienced significant early season snow shortfalls. Around Christmas Eve, an atmospheric river is forecast to hit Southern California. … ” Read more from the Washington Post (gift article).
State Water Board releases new analysis to advance latest proposed Bay-Delta Plan updates
“The State Water Resources Control Board today released updated San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta Plan) amendment language, along with a new chapter (Chapter 13) to its 2023 draft staff report that provides additional environmental and economic analysis and an updated project description. These Bay-Delta Plan updates are similar to those proposed in July 2025, with the overall content and approach largely unchanged. Specifically, the amendments retain two distinct pathways for water right holders: (1) a voluntary agreement (VA) pathway for flow and habitat commitments under the Healthy River and Landscapes (HRL) program; and (2) a regulatory pathway for water right holders that are not part of the HRL proposal. Both pathways create enforceable requirements to improve conditions in the Bay-Delta watershed. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
REACTIONS: Healthy Rivers and Landscapes participants, Tribes, and environmental advocates react to revised update to Bay Delta Plan
Last Friday, the State Water Board released an update to the proposed update to the Sacramento/Delta portion of the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan and the analysis of the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. Here’s what folks had to say … Read more at Maven’s Notebook.
Trump’s plan to pump more water in California is ill-conceived and harmful, lawmakers say
“A Trump administration plan to pump more water to Central Valley farmlands is facing vehement opposition from Democratic members of Congress who represent the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and the Bay Area. A group of seven legislators led by Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) said pumping more water will threaten the availability of water for many Californians, disrupt longstanding state-federal cooperation and put the Delta’s native fish at risk. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s plan “prioritizes partisan politics over California’s communities and farmers,” Garamendi said. “Pumping even more water out of the Delta in the middle of worsening droughts isn’t just reckless,” he said. “It threatens the livelihoods of the people who live and work here, undermines the region’s fragile ecosystems, and jeopardizes the long-term health of our state’s water infrastructure.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Reclamation seeks public input on draft environmental impact statement for Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project
“The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public comment on a draft environmental impact statement for the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project, a proposed new offstream reservoir south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta west of Patterson, California. The project would store up to 82,000 acre-feet of water and aims to improve agricultural water supply reliability, enhance refuge water deliveries, and provide flood control. “This project marks a major step forward in securing California’s water future,” said Acting Regional Director Adam Nickels. “Reclamation is proud to collaborate with our partners to advance this critical water infrastructure and deliver lasting benefits to the communities we serve.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Green California’s big oil problem
“Thousands of gallons of oil and toxic wastewater poured out of a pipe running through a Monterey County oil field on Friday, Dec. 5, in the latest of several recent spills around the state. The pipe released 168 gallons of oil and nearly 4,000 gallons of toxic wastewater from drilling operations managed by Aera Energy at the San Ardo Oil Field, which sits near olive groves, row crops and ranches at the southern end of the county’s $5 billion agricultural region. For environmental justice communities and their allies, it’s yet another sign that California is failing to live up to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s claims of being a global climate leader. Over the past three months, California has averaged more than 70 oil spills per month, with petroleum polluting ports, harbors, streams and oil field soils, state data shows. In the past month alone, oil has poured out of malfunctioning pipes and tanks into ditches and dirt roads in Kern County, onto the shoulder of a highway in Tulare County, into a seasonally dry creek bed that feeds Los Angeles County’s Santa Clara River and into another creek that ultimately flows into the Santa Clara, known as the only wild river in Southern California. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
SF ESTUARY AND WATERSHED SCIENCE: Winter-run salmon, Delta restoration, wetland availability, pesticides in the Delta, and more …
In the latest edition of San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, A review of restoration in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh; Flooded wetland availability for breeding waterfowl; Effects of flow on pesticides in water and zooplankton; The influence of zooplankton availability on Delta smelt condition and foraging; Predicting sediment bulk density for San Francisco Estuary; and more. Click here to read the issue.
Five years of championing social science integration – what do we have to show for it?
“In 2020, a panel of social scientists from across the country provided a roadmap and motivation for increasing social science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Five years later, we’re asking — “What do we have to show for it?” Humans are a central part of the Delta system. A truly resilient Delta that supports a reliable statewide water supply and healthy ecosystems — as well as thriving communities — must understand 1) the people who live, work, and recreate in and around the estuary, 2) how the region impacts their health and well-being, and 3) how their behavior influences environmental issues. The social sciences can help us design management approaches that earn trust, reflect shared values, and advance equity. … ” Read more from the Delta Stewardship Council.
Ninth Circuit reaffirms traditional balancing under Fish & Game Code Section 5937
“In a recent opinion, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals resolved a longstanding disagreement about the balancing required under Section 5937 of the California Fish & Game Code (“Section 5937”). Section 5937 requires that dam owners allow sufficient water to pass to keep fish “in good condition.” The Ninth Circuit’s ruling in San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper v. County of San Luis Obispo (Dec. 3, 2025, No. 24-7807) makes clear that Section 5937 does not categorically prioritize the preservation of fisheries over other beneficial uses of water, such as water supply for residential, agricultural, and municipal purposes. In San Luis Obispo, a group of non-governmental organizations sued the County of San Luis Obispo, alleging that its operation of the Lopez Dam and Reservoir (1) constituted an unlawful take of steelhead under the Endangered Species Act and (2) violated Section 5937 by failing to release sufficient water to maintain fish in “good condition.” … ” Read more from Hanson Bridgett.
California representatives propose bills to “end the California water crisis” – details on the over $4 billion proposal
“On December 11, 2025, Representative Adam Gray (D-CA-13) and Representative Jim Costa (D-CA-21) announced a legislative package entitled the End California Water Crisis Package. The bills “aim to expand California’s water storage capacity by providing funding and technical support to both develop and maintain water infrastructure projects”, They seek to accomplish their goals by “authoriz[ing] additional California water storage projects, eas[ing] permitting restrictions, and creat[ing] enforceable timelines for environmental review processes.” Both lawmakers represent the Central Valley and are members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats in the House of Representatives. While the proposals clearly reflect regional priorities, they could have statewide impacts if passed. … ” Read more from Nossaman.
Berkeley Lab: How researchers are driving advances for data centers
“Today’s technologies depend increasingly on computers and artificial intelligence – largely powered by data centers, which have become essential U.S. infrastructure. Over the past two decades, data centers have proliferated quickly, driving up demand for electricity to power high-performance computing chips, as well as water and energy for cooling. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has been at the forefront of research on this evolution, conducting pioneering analysis and partnering with industry — from top AI companies to utilities and grid operators — to help ensure the reliable, around-the-clock supply of energy and cooling that modern data centers demand. Researchers are analyzing and quantifying the energy implications of the data center industry’s rapid expansion. They are also working with key players in the industry to identify best practices, support load forecasting, and optimize data centers and how they interact with the electric grid. Here are seven ways Berkeley Lab is helping U.S. data centers run more reliably. … ” Read more from Berkeley Lab.
In commentary this week …
Will the Delta pumps operate at capacity this winter?
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “With another series of drenching storms about to hit California, now is a good time to ask what has become a perennial question: why can’t we harvest more of this massive runoff and reserve it for our farms and cities? California must periodically cope with multi-year droughts, but these droughts are usually preceded by years with above average rainfall. And yet we not only fail to save water from wet years to sustain us through dry years, we aren’t even saving enough water during wet years to sustain us through wet years. There is plenty of water to work with. Publicly accessible reports available from the California Data Exchange Center provide comprehensive information on water management in the state. It is updated daily and goes back several years. Three variables are particularly revealing: (1) How many acre feet were pumped into the Delta-Mendota Canal, (2) how many acre feet were pumped into the California Aqueduct, and (3) how many acre feet ran through the delta and into the ocean. To update any of these three direct links, just change the characters at the end of the URLs, i.e., update “&End=2025-11-30” to reflect the current date. Let’s take a look at what happened during the peak four weeks of rain over the last three years. … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
More collaborative operational solutions for affordable water
Adán Ortega, Executive Director of CalMutuals, writes, “California is unique in that our state policy recognizes the human right to water – a principle that every resident deserves safe, clean, affordable and accessible water. Yet affordability, the ability for families to pay their utility bills without sacrificing other basic needs like rent, food or medicine is increasingly strained. Increasing costs for infrastructure development, regulatory and environmental compliance and climate resilience have made essential services such as water, energy and wastewater more expensive than ever. In many communities, utility rates are increasing faster than inflation, leaving even middle-class California families struggling to keep up. These rising operational costs inevitably trickle down to ratepayers, which disproportionately impacts those least able to pay. From small, rural regions to low-income urban communities, those with the fewest resources are supported by some of the smallest water systems with limited resources. This year, however, brought some welcome relief. … ” Continue reading this commentary.
California salmon must return to the mountains. It’s time to take a chance
Opinion columnist Tom Philp writes, “Late in the 19th century on the McCloud River below Mount Shasta, California’s first hatchery began creating thousands of salmon embryos for an audacious plan to establish populations of California salmon throughout the Midwest and the Eastern seaboard of the United States. The effort failed miserably. Some, however, thrived after their embryos were transported all the way to New Zealand. There and only there did this relocation experiment work. For more than 100 years on South Island rivers like the Waitaki, California salmon, believed to be from the McCloud River, have lived a life without dams, free to spawn high in the headwaters and swim unimpeded to their adult life in the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee (gift article).
Federal ESA rules face overhaul—California prepares to fill the gap
“As we speed towards 2026, the federal government has taken steps to resuscitate regulations adopted by the first Trump administration related to the implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has published four proposed rules—two in conjunction with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)—and proposed changes that largely revert the regulations back to what the previous Trump administration put in place in 2019. … Perhaps anticipating actions by the federal government that might reduce federal protection of threatened and endangered species, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1319, which was signed into law in October 2025. AB 1319 directs the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to monitor federal actions that may decrease federal protections for endangered or threatened species. If the CDFW finds that such actions would “substantially impact” federally listed species, it may provisionally list those species as long as it determines that doing so would “significantly reduce” the impact. … ” Read more from Brownstein.
CEQA reform could make or break California’s climate resilience
Erin Gustafson, an environmental planner and CEQA practitioner, writes, “In the South Bay, engineers are racing to finish a new levee system meant to shield thousands of homes from rising seas. Behind the levee, workers are restoring tidal wetlands to absorb storm surges. The South San Francisco Bay Shoreline project is a model for climate adaptation — and also a case study in how long it takes California to approve a project like this. The project has been slowed by over a decade of environmental review and multi-agency coordination under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), even as the water levels in the Bay creep higher each year. This is a pattern across California: From groundwater recharge basins in the Central Valley to coastal retreat fights in Pacifica, CEQA timelines, exemptions and litigation are directly influencing whether adaptation keeps pace with our changing climate. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Biomass is a money pit that won’t solve California’s energy or wildfire problems
Shaye Wolf, the climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, write, “California’s most expensive electricity source is finally poised to lose a government handout that props up its high costs and harmful pollution. In an era of clean, cheap solar and wind energy, policymakers are rightly beginning to treat biomass energy like the boondoggle it is. Biomass energy — electricity made by burning or gasifying trees — is an expensive, dirty relic that relies on industry misinformation and taxpayer money. In a vote later this month, the California Public Utilities Commission is expected to end the BioMAT subsidy program, which requires electric utilities to buy biomass power at exorbitant costs — four times the average. Californians get hit with those extra costs in our power bills, along with pollution that harms our health and climate. Utilities and environmental groups support ending this costly subsidy. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
An ESA reset to protect species—and the rural West
Dan Keppen, Executive adviser, Family Farm Alliance, writes, “The Trump administration’s Interior Department has proposed a significant reset of Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations, seeking to restore practical, legally grounded interpretations for listings, delistings, interagency consultation, and critical habitat designations, similar to that proposed during President Trump’s first term. The proposal would roll back recent expansions of ESA authority and reestablish regulatory guardrails adopted in 2019. The four proposed rules would reinstate prior regulatory text for species listings and critical habitat, clarify the definitions of “effects of the action” and “environmental baseline,” eliminate automatic “blanket” 4(d) protections in favor of species-specific management, and revive a lawful framework allowing critical habitat exclusions when economic, national security, or other impacts outweigh the conservation benefits. Interior argues these changes will improve transparency, reduce regulatory overreach, and align ESA implementation with governing law, including the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision. … ” Read more from Farm Progress.
In regional water news this week …
California’s ‘snow drought’ leaves ski resorts waiting for the cold
“Winter is prime time to grab skis and hit the slopes, but much of California is missing one critical ingredient — snow. Federal officials say much of the West is experiencing a snow drought, with warmer-than-normal temperatures causing precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow despite wetter-than-normal conditions. The Sierra is among the regions particularly hard-hit by the lack of snow, and the impacts are trickling down to local ski resorts. Some, like Heavenly Lake Tahoe or Kirkwood Ski Resort, have managed to open a limited number of lifts or trails. But other facilities have delayed their opening days, waiting for Mother Nature to bring colder temperatures and improved snowfall. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Clean Up The Lake sets out on their second lap around Tahoe, this time deeper
“Clean Up The Lake (CUTL), the Tahoe nonprofit known for its environmental dive team, SCUBA cleanups, and completing the 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe at depths of 0–25 feet in 2021 and 2022, is now going deeper into Lake Tahoe. The 72 Mile Deep Clean will extend CUTL’s work up to an additional 30 feet beyond the original cleanup, with divers operating between 35 and 55 feet throughout the entire 72-mile circumference of Lake Tahoe. The team’s priorities will be to remove as much litter in those zones as they can, GPS-mark any heavy-lift litter items they are unable to remove, and report any historical artifacts, aquatic invasive species, or algal blooms to the appropriate agencies. The team will rely on advanced technology, including diver propulsion vehicles and enriched air nitrox, to safely increase efficiency and bottom time at these new and challenging depths. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
Feather River Fish Hatchery meets goal of collecting 2 million salmon eggs, salmon spawning operations complete
“The Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville has concluded its annual Chinook salmon spawning activities. This year, the Hatchery collected enough eggs to meet its production goal of 2 million spring-run fingerlings and 6 million fall-run fingerlings. To address recent declines in Central Valley Chinook salmon populations, the Hatchery is increasing production. They will produce an additional 1 million spring-run fingerlings and 2.5 million fall-run unfed fry, along with 1 million fall-run Chinook salmon fingerlings to support ocean fisheries. The spawning process at the Hatchery involves collecting eggs from returning adult female Chinook salmon and milt from adult males. The fertilized eggs are then placed in incubators for about 85 days. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Record returns: 2,100 salmon spawned in Putah Creek
“A record-breaking 2,100 Chinook salmon returned to spawn in Putah Creek this fall. Timely water releases, habitat creation and regional collaboration among various public and private organizations are being credited with the successful run. Putah Creek, which runs along the border of Yolo and Solano Counties near Sacramento has historically supported a small, but vital salmon population. In 2016, scientists estimated that 1,700 salmon returned to the creek. This year’s record-breaking number is the result of a precise, individual count conducted by biologists with the University of California, Davis at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and the Center for Watershed Sciences. Students, staff and faculty are working together with partners to carefully study and quantify the annual salmon run, as well as to uncover the key environmental conditions required to ensure the run persists year over year. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Now available: San Francisco Bay Wetlands and Flood Risk Reduction StoryMap
“The Wetlands and Flood Risk Reduction StoryMap was developed to support the WRMP People and Wetlands Workgroup’s priority of understanding how wetland restoration can reduce coastal hazards and improve community resilience across the San Francisco Bay Area. This bi-lingual interactive resource explores the protective role of wetlands in the face of increasing threats from sea level rise, storm surge, and recurrent flooding. Designed for a broad general audience, the StoryMap introduces key concepts around coastal flooding, wetland benefits, and community vulnerability, offering accessible explanations of how wetlands absorb wave energy, store floodwaters, and improve quality of life for shoreline communities. It also highlights the historical loss of wetlands due to development and bay fill, underscoring the urgent need for restoration and adaptive planning. … ” Read more and explore story map from the SF Estuary Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program.
From the coast’s tide pools to the Peninsula’s marshlands, king tides reveal how wildlife adapt to extreme conditions
“Rob Cala cautiously sidestepped a tide pool where eddies swirled around anemones, spiky urchins and hermit crabs at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. “What I love to share with people is we’re standing on the bottom of the ocean right now,” the San Mateo County park ranger supervisor said during an especially low tide in early December. That day, the tide was about a foot or two farther out than normal thanks to a convergence of celestial events: the sun, Earth and moon aligning and the moon reaching its closest position to Earth in its orbit, all while the Earth approaches its closest point to the sun. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online.
Westlands approves plan to repurpose farmland for renewable energy projects
“On December 16, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors voted to adopt the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan, an initiative that would repurpose up to 136,000 acres of agricultural lands within the district for solar generation, energy storage, and transmission infrastructure. The vote included the approval of the Final Program Environmental Impact Report and Findings of Fact under the California Environmental Quality Act. According to a press release from Westlands Water District, the land-use strategy under VCIP stems from unpredictable water supplies and the effects of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which has resulted in substantial land fallowing. “Inadequate and unpredictable water supplies, made worse by SGMA’s demands, have forced more than 215,000 acres out of production this year alone, with real consequences for hardworking family farmers, workers and rural communities,” Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District said in the release. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voice.
Pumping allocations a “head scratcher” as Kings County groundwater agencies work toward coordination
“Groundwater agencies in the beleaguered Tulare Lake subbasin in Kings County have released a region-wide pumping allocation model – but disagreements continue. The proposed methodology was discussed at the Dec. 9 El Rico Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) meeting where representatives from four of the five GSAs were in attendance. The proposed methodology is based on historical groundwater use within the subbasin. Using a coordinated methodology for figuring out how much each GSA can pump is critical to earning approval from the state Water Resources Control Board, which has already put the subbasin on probation and will soon begin charging farmers fees and requiring them to report extractions. Still, the GSAs found fault with the proposed method. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
The hydrants will run dry: Trump’s LA fire claims missed the mark, study shows
“As firefighters battled catastrophic fires in Los Angeles last January, one question reverberated across the country: Where was the water? The question came from wealthy developer Rick Caruso and then-President-elect Donald Trump, from reporters and residents. It prompted executive orders and state and federal investigations. Once the fires were more ash than flame, the Trump administration used a water shortage to justify its baffling move to release vital summer irrigation supplies from two reservoirs that do not supply Los Angeles. “I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!” Trump posted on social media, referencing Gov. Gavin Newsom, as the fires raged across L.A. “On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not (sic) firefighting planes. A true disaster!” A team of researchers, led by Gregory Pierce, director of the UCLA Water Resources Group, set out to uncover whether the intense focus on water supply meant that dry hydrants had uniquely hampered the Palisades firefight, or whether this was a common occurrence. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Palisades community in fear as reservoir that was empty during fires needs to be drained again
“The reservoir that was empty during the Palisades Fire, which sparked major backlash, needs to be drained again. This time backups are in place. As we near the one-year anniversary of the wildfire, it’s reigniting fears in the community. It was the center of controversy almost a year ago. The Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades was offline when the fires started. It is a critical reservoir for firefighting efforts. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in the next month, next week or as far as the weather,” says Pacific Palisades resident Sandy Flick. … ” Read more from KABC.
Satellite data reveals new insights into sustainable groundwater usage in the Hollywood Basin
“Groundwater is a critical resource in Southern California, where long-term drought and climate change place increasing pressure on local aquifers. Some regions, like the Hollywood Basin (a small region in and around the West Hollywood neighborhood), are increasing their reliance on these aquifers in order to reduce the amount of water imported from elsewhere. A new Caltech-led study provides the most detailed picture to date of how the Hollywood Basin responds to groundwater usage, revealing that current estimates of sustainable groundwater yield may be too high. The study, led by former Caltech postdoctoral scholar Yujie Zheng, uses three decades of InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite measurements to track subtle ground movements, on the order of millimeters, across the Los Angeles region. These movements reflect changes in groundwater storage, allowing researchers to infer how much water is being removed or replenished over time. … ” Read more from CalTech.
‘Living shoreline’ solution being tried to protect eroding Talbert Marsh
“Just inland of the ocean and the cars zooming past on the busy Pacific Coast Highway, a wetland oasis is threatened. Erosion is chipping away at sensitive and critical habitat inside the Talbert Marsh, at an island area where endangered birds nest each year. Nearby, the loss of sediment is also worrisome for an electric pole that powers a street light at Brookhurst Street and PCH, where damage could cause a nightmare for drivers who use the busy roadways. But work is underway to slow the erosion, with volunteers kicking off efforts this week to build a living shoreline made of coconut fiber logs and wooden stakes to act as a barrier to the salt water, with hopes that the nature-based solution will hold sediment in place. And if all goes well, other creatures such as mussels and clams could create habitats and call the created shoreline home. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
Invasive seaweed species threatens San Diego Bay
“In September 2023, a highly invasive seaweed called Caulerpa prolifera was discovered in San Diego Bay near the Coronado Cays. This outbreak is a major concern because it threatens the ecologically vital eelgrass beds within the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Left untreated in other parts of the world, invasive Caulerpa has spread rapidly, displaced native vegetation, and devastated local ecosystems. Caulerpa is recognized for its rapid growth and ability to outcompete native marine vegetation. Caulerpa is native to Florida and other subtropical and tropical marine environments. No Caulerpa species are native to California. It grows easily in tanks and is commonly used in home aquariums. However, Caulerpa is illegal to sell, possess, transport, or release in the state of California under Assembly Bill 655, passed in 2024. Once introduced into a natural coastal environment, Caulerpa can grow over an inch per day and survive up to 10 days out of the water. It can sprout new colonies from fragments smaller than a centimeter long, which are easily spread via ocean currents, tides, or human activities. Due to the extensive damage this invasive species has caused globally, and the high costs associated with managing it, even minor outbreaks can spread quickly and cause major concern. … ” Read more from the San Diego Coastkeeper.
The U.S. is committed to cleaning up Tijuana River pollution. Will California follow through?
“As Tijuana River sewage has contaminated neighborhoods in southern San Diego County, the federal government has pledged two-thirds of a billion to clean it up. Now local lawmakers are calling on California to step up the fight against cross-border pollution, and one introduced a bill this week to revisit air quality standards for noxious gas from the river. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear held a joint hearing of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee in San Diego Thursday to explore how the state can help solve the problem. “California has long been a national leader in environmental stewardship and policy making,” Blakespear said at the hearing. “But what is happening in the Tijuana River Valley is an international environmental disaster that undermines everything that California stands for.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
States repeat talking points with little progress on deal as Colorado River crisis deepens
“Water managers from each of the seven states that share the drought-stricken Colorado River repeated familiar, divisive arguments at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference Thursday, but they also said they are still committed to reaching a consensus for future management. The last session of the conference, featuring perspectives from the states, was a late addition to the agenda and the most highly anticipated session of the largest annual gathering of water managers in the basin. But representatives delivered little new information and reiterated some of the same talking points they have been repeating for two years as they negotiate how to operate reservoirs and share cuts after 2026. Representatives recapped conservation measures that their states have already taken, stressing how painful, morally right and helpful those have been to keep the Colorado River system from crashing. Some representatives expressed frustration with their counterparts and how little progress has been made toward a new river-management paradigm over the past two years. “As long as we keep polishing those arguments and repeating them to each other, we are going nowhere,” said Nevada’s representative, John Entsminger. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
The fight over the Colorado River has become a political nightmare
“A seven-state brawl centered on one of the country’s most competitive swing states is poised to trigger a water supply crisis for 40 million people across the West — and put the Trump administration in an impossible political position. The battle pits two states that flipped for Trump in 2024 — Arizona and Nevada — against two of the country’s deepest red ones — Utah and Wyoming — in a fight over water that feeds economies from Denver to Phoenix, and half of all Californians. No state has more to lose in the fight over access to the drought-stricken Colorado River than Arizona. Phoenix and other central Arizona communities — along with the semiconductor manufacturing and data centers that they host — are the first in line for cuts under the century-old legal system that governs the waterway. But its upstream neighbors have fiercely opposed taking any cuts to their supplies in order to bolster Arizona’s offtake. Now it’s falling to the Trump administration to broker a ceasefire … ” Continue reading at Politico.
