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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Protection Commission meets beginning at 5pm in Sacramento. Agenda items include potential approval of proposed Rio Vista General Plan based on Review of the Land Use Resource Management Plan Policies and an update on Delta Conveyance Project Appeals and potential approval of additional comment letter. Click here for the full agenda.
In California water news today …
La Niña could end soon. Here’s what California can expect.
“La Niña, the seasonal climate pattern that emerged in the fall, will likely end by spring in California. There is a 75% chance that the current La Niña conditions, which bring a cascade of global weather impacts, will fade out between now and the end of March, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center reported on Thursday. So far, the recent wet weather has come as somewhat of a surprise, since La Niña tends to correlate with dry winters for much of California, especially the south. Yet forecasters say the state could still dry out. “Some scientists think that the impacts of La Niña on California really don’t get quite underway until January, February, March,” Michelle L’Heureux, a climate scientist at the Climate Prediction Center, told SFGATE. “So just because it’s been wetter until now doesn’t mean that La Niña isn’t happening. It just may not have yet shown its influence on California.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
The western US is in a snow drought – here’s how a storm made it worse
“Much of the western U.S. has started 2026 in the midst of a snow drought. That might sound surprising, given the record precipitation from atmospheric rivers hitting the region in recent weeks, but those storms were actually part of the problem. To understand this year’s snow drought – and why conditions like this are a growing concern for western water supplies – let’s look at what a snow drought is and what happened when atmospheric river storms arrived in December. Typically, hydrologists like me measure the snowpack by the amount of water it contains. When the snowpack’s water content is low compared with historical conditions, you’re looking at a snow drought. A snow drought can delayed ski slope opening dates and cause poor early winter recreation conditions. It can also create water supply problems the following summer. The West’s mountain snowpack has historically been a dependable natural reservoir of water, providing fresh water to downstream farms, orchards and cities as it slowly melts. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that up to 75% of the region’s annual water supply depends on snowmelt … ” Read more from The Conversation.
SEE ALSO: Where’s the snow? For these places, there hasn’t been much this season, from the Washington Post
Water pours down Oroville Dam spillway as reservoir rises following big storms
“It’s a sight that usually means California is having a good winter and water supplies are healthy. This week, operators at Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States, which holds back California’s second-largest reservoir, opened the spillway gates and began releasing billions of gallons of water down the massive concrete spillway into the Feather River below. The reason? It’s not to waste water. But to prevent floods. Like many reservoirs in California,the 10-mile-long, 3.5-million-acre-feet capacity reservoir in Butte County, a linchpin of the state’s water supply, has filled fast thanks to a series of major storms over the past three weeks. During wet winters, dam operators often let water out of reservoirs to make room for future rainfall. This way, they can control water releases. If they let reservoirs fill too early in the winter and spill on their own, the volumes of water that come down spillways and outlet pipes can cause flooding to homes and businesses downstream. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
New Central Valley Flood-MAR dashboard integrates floodwater and groundwater management
Florence Low / California Department of Water Resources, FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY
“California is taking a new, data-driven approach to capturing floodwaters for groundwater recharge. The Department of Water Resources (DWR), in coordination with GEI Consultants, has released the Central Valley Flood-MAR Dashboard for public testing, allowing water managers across the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys the opportunity to explore the tool and offer feedback. In response to Governor Newsom’s California Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future, DWR is providing regulatory and technical assistance to groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) and other local public agencies to increase the pace and scale of groundwater recharge and support long-term groundwater management for sustainability and resilience. Diversion in 2023, which were permitted under Executive Orders N-4-23 and N-7-23 as well as California Water Code §1242.1, highlighted the need for increased system-wide coordination to maximize potential recharge. In response, this dashboard brings together statewide forecasts and local flood information to help identify when and where excess water may be available and how it can be safely managed. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources.
Remote weather stations rebuilt to aid flood risk management
“Over 10,000 feet above sea level in Sequoia and Kings National Parks dozens of weather station towers are sprinkled amongst a forest of towering trees. These towers house antennas and sensors designed to collect valuable water data used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District and many of its partners. Though these stations are built to withstand extreme weather, there comes a time — about every 50 years or so — when the stations need a little more than routine annual maintenance. This was the case for two USACE-operated weather stations that were rebuilt in 2025: Upper Tyndall near Mt Whitney, in the Kern River watershed, and Mitchell Meadow near Cedar Grove, California, in the Kings River watershed. In 2017, the Upper Tyndall station began leaning after heavy snowfall that season. Similarly, Mitchell Meadow was found collapsed during an annual maintenance visit in 2023. … ” Read more from the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Newsom’s signature water tunnel is set back by California court ruling
“In a decision that could complicate Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to build a giant water tunnel and remake California’s water system, a state appeals court has rejected the state’s plan for financing the project. The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled against the state Department of Water Resources’ plan to issue billions of dollars in bonds to build the 45-mile tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The decision is a win for California ratepayers and taxpayers, said Roger Moore, a lawyer representing six counties in Northern California and two water agencies in the Delta region. He said it underlines that state agencies “have to take real steps to make sure that there is transparency and accountability.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Urban wildfire: water system capacities and limitations
“One year after the January 2025 fires devastated communities across Los Angeles, the region is still reckoning with how its infrastructure performed and whether it should be modified to perform under increasingly extreme conditions. The anniversary has sharpened an urgent policy question with far-reaching consequences: as urban wildfires become more frequent and severe, what role can water systems realistically play in protecting lives, supporting emergency response, and guiding resilient rebuilding? A new UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation publication, Water Systems’ Wildfire Fighting Capacities and Expectations: Workshop Synthesis Report, begins to answer this question. With growing public debate about the ability of systems to deliver high volumes of pressurized water during major fire events, researchers at UCLA, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ California Institute for Water Resources, and Arizona State University launched a four-part workshop series to examine water–fire resilience. The effort, funded primarily by UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, aims to strengthen both how communities prepare for and recover from the growing overlap between water systems and wildfire risk. … ” Continue reading from the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Lessons from the Caldor Fire’s Christmas Valley ‘Miracle’
“In what came to be called the “Christmas Valley miracle,” the Lake Tahoe Basin communities of Christmas Valley and Meyers were spared in late August 2021 when the massive Caldor Fire entered the basin, burning more than 222,000 acres and forcing roughly 30,000 people to evacuate during one of the hottest, driest summers on record. Outside of the Lake Tahoe Basin, the fire destroyed over 1,000 structures, many of them homes. Decades of fuel-reduction treatments conducted by federal, state and local land managers to protect people’s communities well before the fire are widely credited for the “miracle.” But forest ecologists from the University of California, Davis, wanted to understand which treatments worked best to protect the forest. Such questions are increasingly important for the Lake Tahoe Basin, which is one of the most wildfire-threatened landscapes in the West. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
When flames feed life: Birds and wildfire in California
“In the forests of the Sierra Nevada, the black-backed woodpecker is without parallel. The bird appears almost born of fire, thriving on the flames that flicker through California’s coniferous forests every few years. Swooping in shortly after a blaze subsides, this woodpecker species, Picoides arcticus, nests in the hollowed-out trees the burn has left behind, gorging on an abundance of longhorn and bark beetles. Throughout the forest, a steady whack-whack can be heard from the birds’ bills drilling into charred wood. The relationship between wildlife and wildfire is a complicated one. Many bird species, like the black-backed woodpecker, need the occasional inferno to create new habitat by opening up the forest canopy and increasing available food by kicking off a boom in insect populations. “While it’s ephemeral, it’s a native habitat of California that many species rely on and have evolved with over millions of years,” says ornithologist Morgan Tingley, whose research at the University of California, Los Angeles, focuses on the interplay of fire and bird populations. … ” Read more from Mongabay.
GAO REPORT: Freshwater supply: Interior should continue to identify improvements to the large-scale water recycling program
“Water recycling treats wastewater so it can be used for drinking water, farming, housing, and industry. Communities across the U.S. also turn to water recycling to increase existing water supplies. The Bureau of Reclamation selected 5 projects in Southern California and Utah to receive grants worth about $308 million for developing water recycling projects. Projects will serve rural, suburban, and urban communities. Agency officials identified ways to address challenges they had implementing the initial grant program. We recommended the Bureau document the experience so that Congress can improve the program if it is revised or reauthorized. … ” Read more from the GAO.
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Help shape the 2026 Delta Science Plan
“The Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Science Program has released the third iteration of the Delta Science Plan for public review. The Delta Science Plan outlines the vision, principles, and strategies guiding science in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. All members of the Delta science community and interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide input. This includes federal, state, and local agency scientists, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academic researchers, and members of the public who care about the future of the Delta. The Delta Science Plan serves as a framework for organizing, coordinating, and communicating science activities to support this vital region. … ” Read more about the Delta Science Plan.
How Doug LaMalfa worked to advance Native Americans in his district
“California Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s legislative focus was partially influenced by geography. The current 1st Congressional District stretches across 10 counties, including Shasta and Siskiyou counties, and encompasses many tribal lands. While boundaries of the new district will change next year as legislative redistricting is ushered in under Proposition 50, the presence of those tribal lands helped shape LaMalfa’s work over the past dozen years. Most recently, he was a member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaskan Native Affairs and had served as the subcommittee’s chairman from 2017-2018. … Jack Potter, Jr., chairman of the Redding Rancheria tribe who called LaMalfa “a personal friend,” said early Tuesday that he was “devastated” by news of the Republican congressman’s sudden death. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
In commentary today …
Reversing California’s policies of scarcity
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “A new year has begun, and here in California, 2026 promises to deliver challenges that may at last transform the state’s energy and water policies. Let’s begin with a quick look at California’s current water policies in action. The last month of 2025 delivered a series of storms that merited the distinction of being dubbed “atmospheric rivers.” How much of that abundant deluge was harvested, and how much was arguably squandered? The best source for this information is through the California Data Exchange Center, a website maintained by the California Department of Water Resources. And what it shows illustrates just how committed the state agencies that manage California’s water supply are committed to scarcity. Three variables are all it takes to make this assessment; all of them concern the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The outflow of water from the delta into the ocean during December 2025 totaled just over 1.7 million acre feet. The amount pumped into the California Aqueduct totaled 184,974 acre feet, and the amount pumped into the Delta Mendota Canal totaled 126,845 acre feet. … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
How Prop 4 funding can best serve California communities
Audrey Siu, Urban Resilience Director for Los Angeles Waterkeeper, writes, “California voters made a bold choice in approving Proposition 4, a $10 billion climate bond to help us adapt to rising temperatures, worsening wildfires, and climate-driven floods. It will take years to reap the benefits from this bond. But the devil is in the details – the specifics of how funds are dispersed will make or break its success. $10 billion is simultaneously a lot of money and nowhere near enough to fully prepare our state for the challenges to come. Spending these funds efficiently is critical for reaching Prop 4’s stated goals. Managing the climate crisis is proving particularly challenging because most cities historically built “single purpose” infrastructure. … To avoid these types of unintended consequences, projects funded through Prop 4 must take an integrated approach. L.A. County’s experience disbursing funds from its own suite of late 2010’s public funding measures offers important lessons. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Warmer winters, less snow is making farming harder in the Klamath Basin
“Farmers in the Klamath Basin, like Fernando Rayas, are facing uncertainty as climate change impacts their ability to grow local produce. Rayas, a resident of Merrill, has witnessed significant changes over the years, including the 2001 water shutdown that devastated many farmers. “Every year you don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Rayas said. Rayas continues to operate using traditional farming methods. Depending on how much rain the region gets, he can plant all of his entire hundred acres. “Just one tractor away from the dream,” he said. His ability to afford modern equipment such as tractors depends heavily on the amount of rain received each year.’ … ” Read more from KDRV.
The Science of Suckers: What’s driving population declines in the Klamath River basin?
“Its early morning as we pass a green expanse of farmland and pull into a parking lot with a boat ramp sloping into the massive waters of Upper Klamath Lake. Paving machines drone next to us, widening the road winding along the lake shore. A thick haze of yellow-brown wildfire smoke hangs in the air, obscuring faint outlines of the high peaks surrounding Crater Lake across the water. A swarm of midges and sea of algae greet us as we load our boat. We pack up, leave shore, and head toward our first target—a set of trap nets–with tempered hopes of finding something exceedingly rare: evidence of surviving juvenile suckers. WFRC scientists are working tirelessly to identify the factors driving the loss of juvenile suckers. Though the problem is complex, our researchers have plans to continue to home in on why juvenile suckers are dying in such large numbers. … ” Read more from the USGS.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
SMUD cancels agreement to purchase power from Coyote Creek solar project
“The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD, announced earlier this week that it’s canceling the agreement signed in 2021 to purchase power from the controversial Coyote Creek solar project. “SMUD made the decision to terminate the power purchase agreement for the Coyote Creek project due to multiple uncertainties and risks that developed since the contract was signed in 2021, including supply chain challenges, rising costs, environmental concerns, schedule delays and other evolving factors,” SMUD said in an emailed statement. The 200 megawatt project involves developing over a thousand acres in southeastern Sacramento County and was meant to help SMUD reach its clean energy goals. But it’s received a surge of pushback from environmental groups and locals, especially in recent months, who say it would decimate sensitive habitats and irreplaceable oak trees. Some groups also filed lawsuits against the Sacramento County board of supervisors after they approved the project in November. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
NAPA/SONOMA
Beaches close along Sonoma Coast as untreated wastewater continues to spill into Russian River
“Beaches were closed Wednesday along the Sonoma County coast and warnings were posted urging people to keep out of the water as untreated wastewater continued to spill into the Russian River from a sewage treatment plant in Guerneville. The spill, which was reported Tuesday morning as a result of overflow from the region’s storms, has yet to be contained, prompting an urgent response by county health and water officials. “Untreated wastewater contains bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that can cause illness,” said Sonoma County Interim Health Officer Michael Stacey. “Contact with river water poses a health risk, particularly for children, pets, older adults and individuals with weakened immune systems. The public is advised to avoid all contact with the Russian River until further notice.” … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
SEE ALSO: Sonoma County Storms Spill Wastewater into Russian River, Residents Warned to Stay Away, from KQED
BAY AREA
Experts examine how climate change will create more king tides in Bay Area
“After a storm coupled with record king tides swept the Bay Area, residents are now processing the reality that this can happen again. “As far as we know, it’s the biggest tide and storm at the same time that we’ve had in about 30 years here,” said Ari Gorman, Larkspur resident. Over the weekend, a neighborhood in Larkspur flooded. Water entered garages as residents went out in kayaks and paddleboards. “We had to kind of swim in and out,” said Gorman. … “King tides give us a good picture into what future sea levels can look like and the problems that that creates. And in the current events, you can see that those problems, particularly this time of year, are going to be quite commonly coupled with rainwater and strong winds. So, the strong winds are going to be pushing those tidal waters even higher up on us,” said Professor Beck. … ” Read more from ABC Bay Area.
Discover how Valley Water is building climate resilience; read the latest biennial report
“Valley Water’s mission is to provide safe, clean water, protect against flooding, and care for local streams. Climate change is affecting this mission. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, more severe droughts, a declining Sierra Nevada snowpack and rising sea levels all impact water reliability, infrastructure, and ecosystem health throughout Santa Clara County. To address these challenges, the Valley Water Board of Directors adopted the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) in 2021. This plan is based on science and acts as a long-term guide to identify climate risks. It outlines actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the agency’s ability to adapt to extreme weather conditions. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
CENTRAL COAST
Flooding again hits the Bolsa Knolls neighborhood.
“On the first Sunday of January, Bolsa Knolls residents woke up to the recurrent sound of water flowing through their properties and their streets. This happens several times a year during the rainy season, keeping residents of the neighborhood north of Salinas vigilant to any storm warnings. “I wish I could say that we haven’t seen this before, but that’s not the case,” says Lisa Wise, a longtime Bolsa Knolls resident, adding that water reached up to three feet deep. Residents have reached out to County Supervisor Glenn Church, who represents Bolsa Knolls, via emails and phone calls demanding actions to resolve the flooding issue. “It is the worst time,” resident Francisco Maciel says. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
Cachuma Lake over capacity after recent rainfall
“Cachuma Lake is over capacity following recent rainfall, prompting officials to release water from the dam and temporarily restrict some lake activities. The reservoir is currently at 101% capacity, according to Hugh McKay, who has served as a camp host at Cachuma Lake for nearly a decade. “The lake is over capacity right now,” McKay said. “They’re letting water out of the dam to offset it.” … ” Read more from KSBY.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Fresno County farmer buys land, not for what’s planted, but for what’s underneath
“With farmland prices sagging and new irrigation rules coming, diversified farmer Michael Vander Dussen didn’t hesitate to spend $1.4 million for 321 acres in west Fresno County, as an insurance policy of sorts. Vander Dussen admits he isn’t as interested in the land as much as its access to water. He recently planted a field of pistachio trees nearby, and he wants to make sure they survive. “What I want to do is preserve the ability to continue to irrigate those young trees,” Vander Dussen said. “So I will use some of that water.” The state is in the process of implementing new water rules called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The goal is to protect groundwater supplies by preventing over-pumping. As part of that, groundwater sustainability agencies have been formed in the high and medium priority basins to ensure the plan is being followed. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Water Boards: Chiquita let hazardous material in river for days
“The State Water Boards on Tuesday became the latest agency to cite the Chiquita Canyon Landfill for violations related to hazardous leachate being put into the Santa Clara River. The incident that sparked the violation occurred Nov. 14, when an error attributed to an employee at the Waste Connections facility resulted in 8,000 gallons of untreated leachate leaking from a pipe at the landfill. Chiquita Canyon notified the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board staff that day of the “characteristically hazardous leachate on the top deck of the landfill. The leachate-comingled stormwater was pumped into the stormwater channel that flows into the East Basin where it remained (at the time),” according to the State Water Board’s letter Tuesday. But, in a subsequent storm, the leachate-comingled stormwater then flowed out of the basin and, ultimately, to the river. … ” Read more from The Signal.
L.A. wildfires: With no clear cleanup standards, how to test for toxic soil
“As the Palisades and Eaton fires burned last January, and for weeks afterward, clouds of ash blanketed the city. Contained in that ash were microscopic bits of heavy metals and synthetic chemicals from the homes that were consumed in the megafires. The Los Angeles hazards aren’t unique: they’ve become part of the wildfire legacy in wildland-urban interfaces throughout California. … Last year, both in Los Angeles County’s fire-scarred neighborhoods and downwind of them, people wondered what exactly was in their gardens, yards, sandboxes and playgrounds – and raised questions about how risky it is to interact with the environment after a major wildfire. Yet FEMA, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and L.A. County chose not to perform soil testing. FEMA instead ordered that the top few inches of soil be removed from burned properties. Local government and non-governmental organizations stepped in to provide testing and education, but no clear standard for testing soil or cleaning up homes safely exists. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Inside the LA firestorm: What went wrong
SEE ALSO: Photos: One Year After the Los Angeles Wildfires, from the Atlantic
Mountain towns eagerly await snow as recent rains put damper on busy season
“Most years, when storms roll through Southern California during the winter holiday, local mountains transform into a wonderland blanketed in snow. But instead, the recent storms featured relentless rains, bringing a downpour of destruction — and disappointment. Local mountain towns bank on the cold-weather months to generate the bulk of their business for the year, and snow is the key ingredient to a successful winter season. But worry is growing as snow remains scarce and the forecast calls for sunny skies in the near future. In Wrightwood, the recent torrential rainfall delivered devastating mudslides that have crippled the mountain town. The road in reopened late Tuesday following a weeks-long closure to tourists who were expected to fill in through the Christmas and New Year’s holiday break. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Proposal for estuary restoration at Aliso Creek to be reviewed with environmental impact report
“Two meetings will be hosted this month for public input on a proposal to restore a degraded estuary in South Laguna at Aliso Creek. Proposed by the Laguna Ocean Foundation, the project envisions restoring 9 acres of the marshy area and sand berm at the mouth of Aliso Creek, improving the link between the ocean and the nearby canyons and wildlands area. Tidal wetlands such as Upper Newport Bay have an open connection to the ocean, with water filtering through freely. But the lagoons at the mouth of coastal creeks such as Aliso Creek and nearby San Mateo Creek are usually closed off from the sea by sand that builds up. With modern development along the creek’s 35-mile watershed that starts in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains and drains to Aliso Beach, the area has become swamped by urban runoff. Local environmentalists have been sounding the alarm about growing pollution in the water, prompting discussions of restoring the lagoon to a healthy estuary ecosystem that supports native wetlands and wildlife. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego County begins in-house testing of wastewater for illness trends
“San Diego County’s public health lab Wednesday began in-house wastewater testing for diseases circulating through the community, with the results published on an online public dashboard. Sewage water samples are collected for testing from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, South Bay Water Reclamation Plant and the Encina Wastewater Authority and allow public health officials to track trends in illness as they happen. This type of testing began regionally during the coronavirus pandemic with SEARCH (San Diego Epidemiology and Research for COVID Health), a county- supported partnership with Scripps Research and UC San Diego. Federal funding for SEARCH ended in December 2025, but with the May 2025 opening of the county’s Public Health Lab, specialists began the training and equipment certification necessary for wastewater testing, according to a county statement. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
Farmers pioneer water solutions as Colorado River dwindles
“Farmers in two of Southern California’s ag-centric irrigation districts have long been playing their part to slow the decline in the Colorado River’s system supply. They do this while working with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to provide water to 19 million urban residents. Blythe farmer Grant Chaffin is working toward a solution that could help him farm with less irrigation water from the Colorado River. Chaffin knows his solution won’t solve long-term drought but can help him better manage the irrigation water he has. “Don’t expect runoff to be what it normally is, because we’ve been in this drought for so long that it has changed the soil profile,” he said. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
How 30 tribes became the most powerful voice on the river
Rusty Childress writes, “In 1922, a small group of leaders divided the Colorado River behind closed doors. They ignored the Tribal Nations who lived near the water for centuries. They also ignored how the river actually worked. They looked at a few wet years and guessed there would always be plenty of water. They were wrong. For a long time, big dams hid those mistakes. But today, the water is running out. The seven states that use the river face a major federal deadline of Feb. 14. If they cannot agree on a new plan, the government may take control. The old days of using “paper water” that does not exist are over. Everyone must face the reality of a dry river. This is where tribal power changes the game. … ” Read more from the Fountain Hills Times.
Santa Cruz County residents raise water concerns after mine testing shows elevated antimony
“Residents packed a Santa Cruz County meeting on Wednesday to raise concerns about water quality near the proposed Hermosa mining project, after testing detected elevated levels of antimony, a regulated pollutant. Community members addressed representatives from South32, the company behind the Hermosa mine, during public comment in Nogales, with many saying the issue goes beyond a single test result. For some residents, the discovery has renewed long-standing worries about groundwater quality and supply in Santa Cruz County. “Antimony is a heavy metal and we are concerned,” said Robin Lucky, a county resident of more than 20 years. “If you look at the periodic chart, it’s in the same area as lead, manganese and those kinds of things.” … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Federal appraisers accused of ignoring water concerns in Arizona, inflating property values
“A nonprofit conservation group is accusing federal appraisers of ignoring water concerns in southern Arizona, leading to overvalued properties. The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity said it received documents via the Freedom of Information Act showing that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) appraisers are not including environmental water scarcity factors in their reports for homes in Sierra Vista and Fort Huachuca. Robin Silver, co-founder for the Center for Biological Diversity, told KTAR News 92.3 FM recently that it found 138 inaccurate appraisals. … ” Read more from KTAR.
In national water news today …
Is WIFIA’s interest rate reset feature at risk?
“In response to the Trump administration’s slowdown of loan processing at the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, four water advocacy groups sent a letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin in October last year asking for normal processing to resume. In December, a group of Democrat senators sent a similar letter requesting the same thing. The pressure worked – five loans totaling more than $500 million were rapidly approved and closed at the end of 2025. Such lobbying and political efforts can be quite effective, as they were in this case, when executive branch slow walking cannot be credibly justified. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
White House completes plan to curb bedrock environmental law
“The Trump administration has finalized a plan to roll back regulations implementing a landmark environmental law that the White House says needlessly delays federal approvals for energy and infrastructure projects. The action Wednesday by the White House Council on Environmental Quality rescinds regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved. Katherine Scarlett, who leads the council, said in a statement that the directive will “slash needless layering of bureaucratic burden and restore common sense to the environmental review and permitting process.” Under Trump, she added, “NEPA’s regulatory reign of terror has ended.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
