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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Protocols in Practice: Building Better Data and Infrastructure Standards from 11am to 12pm. This one-hour course on protocols for the water industry related to data, infrastructure, and standards is for anyone curious about starting a data modernization project and those that have already started. The tools developed by Summer of Protocol (SoP) through rigorous research across industries will help you lay the foundation for improving workflows and getting your initiatives to the finish line. Our speakers include Patrick Atwater with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, whose team is already benefiting from a similar seminar conducted earlier this year and Timber Stinson-Schroff, who manages SoP and writes about safety+strategy at Blundercheck. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING (VIRTUAL): LADWP’s Urban Water Management Plan at 12pm and 6pm. Join us for an Overview of What’s to Come in 2026 for the next Urban Water Management Plan. LADWP will host an Overview Meeting via Zoom (two sessions are available). The objective of this meeting is to provide an engaging platform, open to communities and interested organizations, to discuss what the plan entails and explain the UWMP update process. Click here to register for 12pm. Click here to register for 6pm.
- WEBINAR: Secretary Speaker Series – Not on our Watch: Stopping More Oil Drilling on California’s Coast from 12pm to 1pm. Federal agencies propose to open vast swaths of California’s coastline to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in over four decades. It threatens our economy, coastal communities, and sensitive ocean environment. Protecting our coast is uniting thousands of leaders, communities and businesses against this destructive proposal. Join us to learn more about what federal agencies are planning, how Californians are fighting back, and how you can join community hearings across our state. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: SB 1157 Benefits and Impacts Working Group Meeting from 1pm to 4pm. This working group supports DWR in quantifying the benefits and impacts of the 2030 indoor residential water use standard on water, wastewater, and recycled water systems. Attendance is open to the public. Water suppliers, local governments, community organizations, researchers, and other interested parties who would like to learn more and follow this important work are encouraged to attend. Register Here: https://csus.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Y13cUWHrR0CyXY2papfd3g
In California water news today …
California’s Delta waters are in poor ecological health, scientists warn
Journalist Ian James writes, “California’s biggest rivers converge in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the waterways and wetlands forming an ecosystem where fresh water meets salt water from San Francisco Bay, and where native fish historically flourished. Every few years, dozens of scientists examine the environmental health of the estuary in a report card that considers water flows, wildlife and habitat, as well as other factors. Their latest shows the bay is mostly in fair condition and stable, but the Delta is “mostly in poor condition and declining.” According to the State of Our Estuary report, less fresh water has been flowing through the Delta in recent years, which creates “chronic artificial drought conditions” and harms fish. To learn more about the findings, I called Christina Swanson, a biologist who for more than two decades has worked on the assessments. One reason the Delta’s health is declining, she said, is that giant state and federal pumps, as well as those of other entities, are taking more water out of rivers and the Delta, “degrading the environmental and ecological conditions that species need to survive and to thrive.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via LA Times newsletter.
How collaborative efforts are reviving a vital ecosystem in the Delta
“In the last five years, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and its partners have restored thousands of acres of tidal wetlands and floodplains along the Sacramento River and in the Delta, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers tangle on their way to San Francisco Bay. These newly-restored habitats already pay dividends for threatened and endangered fish species. Recent studies show native fish species using these restored habitats – in some cases, within months of project completion. The newly-created habitats provide additional spawning areas for native fish and good feeding and resting spots for salmon migrating to the ocean. Using new advances in science and monitoring, DWR designed restored habitats using a “corridor concept.” The work aims to give Delta smelt, longfin smelt, and Chinook salmon what they need along their direct migratory routes, helping to keep the fish away from the main pumping plant of the State Water Project, operated by DWR along a south Delta channel near Tracy. … ” Read more from DWR.
California’s plan to build largest reservoir in decades faces new snag
“As California moves closer to construction of its largest reservoir in nearly 50 years, a union’s concerns about an out-of-state company building the water project are adding a late-stage complication. Montana-based Barnard Construction Co. is expected to be named the main contractor for the proposed Sites Reservoir, 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, during a meeting Friday of the agency in charge of the $6 billion enterprise. Powerful labor interests, however, are urging the Sites Project Authority to reconsider its selection. The Nor Cal Carpenters Union, in particular, is arguing that Barnard Construction has not only failed to exclusively employ union workers but also that it doesn’t have the experience, expertise or staffing to handle one of the state’s biggest infrastructure jobs. While officials at the Sites Project Authority say they’ve thoroughly vetted the company and stand by their selection, union representatives have won at least some sympathy from the California Water Commission, which controls the project’s purse strings. The water commissioners have said they want to ensure that their $1.1 billion of voter-approved start-up funding for the project goes to a workable labor arrangement and a contractor that will be successful. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
In a warming world, freshwater production is moving deep beneath the sea
“Some four miles off the Southern California coast, a company is betting it can solve one of desalination’s biggest problems by moving the technology deep below the ocean’s surface. OceanWell’s planned Water Farm 1 would use natural ocean pressure to power reverse osmosis — a process that forces seawater through membranes to filter out salt and impurities — and produce up to 60 million gallons (nearly 225 million liters) of freshwater daily. Desalination is energy intensive, with plants worldwide producing between 500 and 850 million tons of carbon emissions annually — approaching the roughly 880 million tons emitted by the entire global aviation industry. OceanWell claims its deep sea approach — 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the water’s surface — would cut energy use by about 40% compared to conventional plants while also tackling the other major environmental problems plaguing traditional desalination: the highly concentrated brine discharged back into the ocean, where it can harm seafloor habitats, including coral reefs, and the intake systems that trap and kill fish larvae, plankton and other organisms at the base of the marine food web. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
99% of California’s single-walled underground storage tanks closed ahead of deadline
“Reflecting a deep commitment to protecting groundwater — including $183 million in state aid since 2015 — the State Water Resources Control Board announced today that 99% of the 50,000 single-walled underground gasoline and hazardous substance storage tanks installed decades ago were closed ahead of the Jan. 1, 2026, deadline. The owners of the remaining tanks are subject to enforcement action. California has been regulating underground tanks for decades, passing the nation’s first prohibition on the installation of single-walled tanks in 1983. Until that time, underground tanks were constructed with only one wall between their contents and the surrounding soil. Made of bare steel, these tanks were prone to rust and corrosion, causing leaks over time. In 2014, the Legislature mandated that all single-walled tanks be closed permanently through sealing or removal by 2026. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
Overlooked decline in grazing livestock brings risks and opportunities
“For decades, researchers have focused on the problem of overgrazing, in which expanding herds of cattle and other livestock degrade grasslands, steppes and desert plains. But a new global study reveals that in large regions of the world, livestock numbers are substantially declining, not growing — a process the authors call destocking. “We often assume that rangelands are being degraded because we overgraze them, but the data show that it’s not the whole story: Nearly half of livestock production occurs in areas that have experienced destocking over the past 25 years,” said study co-author Osvaldo Sala, an ecologist and professor at Arizona State University. The findings are important because destocking isn’t just the reverse of overgrazing; it poses new ecological and land management challenges. “We need to manage both processes,” Sala said. “It’s not that destocking is automatically positive and that we should just leave it alone.” … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
Data centers a growing concern in California, from the State House to county supervisors
“A day after President Donald Trump declared, “I never want Americans to pay higher Electricity bills because of Data Centers,” state Sen. Steve Padilla introduced legislation to shield Californians from paying unfair shares for the giant server warehouses fueling the artificial intelligence boom. While Trump’s Truth Social post lacked specificity or substance, Padilla’s two bills are an attempt to seriously balance competing needs and growing concerns on an issue that has now elevated to the president. Padilla has been focused on the issue for years amid a public outcry. Padilla, a Democrat whose district includes San Diego and Imperial counties, introduced Senate Bills 886 and 887 on Tuesday. One would require the state Public Utilities Commission to establish a tariff that data center customers would have to pay. The other would assert that data centers are not exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act while also providing an avenue to fast-track construction of centers that require large amounts of water and energy. … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
California’s La Niña paradox: Heavy rain, scant snow raise fire risks
“La Niña winters usually mean California, especially the southern half, will be bone dry and the state headed for a summer drought. But this season, storms have rolled in off the Pacific Ocean, bringing record downpours that damaged some crops and infrastructure. Most notably, there’s been more rain than snow, ironically putting California at risk of tighter water resources and devastating wildfires over spring and summer. “It’s wet now, but if there isn’t much snowmelt next spring, where will we be?” said Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the US Department of Agriculture. “This is a conundrum.” … ” Read more from Bloomberg (gift article).
El Niño chances returning for 2026. Here’s what it means for United States
“La Niña is cooler waters in the Pacific. El Niño is warmer. That’s the big difference between the two phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The Climate Prediction Center released their ENSO outlook highlighting the likelihood of a gradual shift. It shows the overall pattern moving from a weak La Niña to a weak El Niño by the end of summer. Generally, this winter has been drier than average for most locations. Yes, rain and snow here and there, but ongoing drought worsens across the southern United States. — a direct impact of a La Niña winter. Drier than normal conditions focused in the southern region as of the middle of January. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Maps show how California shifted from severe drought to abundant rain
“California has been on a roller coaster ride of extreme weather in recent years. Six years ago, in January 2020, none of the state was classified as being in a drought. Just 3% — a tiny sliver in Modoc and Siskiyou counties near the Oregon border — was rated as “abnormally dry,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly report put out by the NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the University of Nebraska. Then the rain and snow largely shut off for three years. By July 2021, 100% of the state was in a drought, and 88% was in “extreme drought.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
California just shattered a monthly temperature record
“California just experienced its warmest December in modern history. Averaged statewide, the month finished more than a degree warmer than any other December since 1895 and 6.7 degrees above the 1901-2000 average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday. That figure may be surprising, especially to residents in the Bay Area and Central Valley who endured their coldest stretch of early December days in decades. However, mountainous areas generally stayed warmer than normal during that time, and then a series of warm storms during the holidays also nudged coastal and valley temperatures up. San Francisco’s weather station measured above-normal temperatures every day in the Dec. 17-26 stretch. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
Forecast models show split jet stream locking California into a stable weather pattern
“Forecast models are increasingly pointing toward weather patterns that would keep California warm and dry through late January. A ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific is expected to strengthen over the weekend and into next week, effectively keeping the storm door closed for the West Coast. While the day-to-day details will continue to evolve, the larger-scale pattern driving that outcome is already coming into focus — and it starts with a split in the Pacific jet stream. Instead of behaving like one continuous river of fast-moving winds high in the atmosphere, the jet stream is separating into two branches. The stronger southern branch will aim toward Hawaii, keeping the islands stormy while also carving into the eastern Pacific subtropics, a configuration that could even support a rare January subtropical storm near Baja California over the weekend. Meanwhile, the weaker northern branch lifts toward Alaska and western Canada, helping build a resilient ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CW3E Seasonal Outlook: January-March 2026
Experimental seasonal forecast products tilt the odds towards below-normal precipitation in Southern CA for the Jan-Mar 2026 period. Experimental seasonal forecast products show greater uncertainty over Northern and Central CA. Click on the graphic for the full report.
OCEANS AND COASTS
California diver documents close encounter with lacy, undulating sea creature far from home
“It looked like the silvery blade of a knife. Peering through his goggles, diver Ted Judah had laid eyes on a deep-sea creature rarely encountered by humans. He and wife Linda were diving off McAbee Beach in Monterey County in late December when, near the surface, he spotted the “undulating thing.” “It was some kind of ribbon fish,” he wrote in a post on the Facebook group Monterey County Dive Reports. Kevin Lewand solved the mystery. The Monterey Bay Aquarium marine biologist was among those chiming in with their assessments on the group, which is popular among local divers. He said he’d shared the image with an ichthyologist who had identified it as a juvenile king-of-the-salmon, scientifically known as Trachipterus altivelis, which is part of the ribbonfish family. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
WILDFIRES
Forest Service and CAL FIRE renew statewide wildfire response agreement
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region and CAL FIRE have renewed the California Fire Master Agreement — extending a long-standing framework for mutual wildfire response and cooperative risk-reduction work across California for the next five years. The agreement was signed Dec. 12 by Pacific Southwest interim Regional Forester Jacque Buchanan and CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler. It continues a multi-agency approach that allows firefighters to respond across jurisdictional boundaries and share personnel, equipment and resources during wildfire emergencies. “This complex operating environment within California and the challenges we face year-round require this collaborative approach, and we’re committed to partnering and working together both to prepare for and respond to wildfires,” said Jaime Gamboa, fire director for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. … ” Read more from the Forest Service.
Judge strikes down Forest Service logging loophole
“In a win for conservation groups, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Forest Service from relying on a decades-old exemption to approve large logging projects without environmental review. A trio of environmental groups — Oregon Wild, WildEarth Guardians and GO Alliance — sued the Forest Service in 2022, accusing it of failing to determine whether applying categorical exclusion 6 — an exemption meant for small, low-impact activities intended to reduce fire hazard, also known as CE-6 — to approve three large-scale commercial thinning projects would have no significant impact. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane initially found the claim to be time-barred, but the Ninth Circuit disagreed and sent the challenge back to the lower court. The conservation groups described the application of the exclusion as a “bureaucratic loophole” that authorizes massive commercial logging projects and sidesteps environmental analysis and public comment. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Forest Service moves to speed post-fire recovery
“On January 8, 2026, the U.S. Forest Service announced plans to prepare a nationwide environmental assessment to accelerate recovery efforts after severe wildfires. The notice, published in the Federal Register, opens a public comment period that runs through January 26, 2026. Wildfires across the United States, especially in the Western states, are burning larger areas and lasting longer. After flames are out, burned landscapes often face new dangers. These include soil erosion, flooding, damaged roads, falling trees, and contamination of drinking water supplies. Recovery work is intended to address these risks before they cause further harm to communities and natural resources. The Forest Service says it already conducts environmental reviews for post-fire projects, but those reviews tend to follow similar patterns regardless of location. According to the agency, a single nationwide environmental assessment can analyze common recovery actions once, allowing local forest managers to act more quickly when fires occur. … ” Read more from Western Water.
In commentary today …
Water is more collaborative than you might think
The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley writes, “A famous quote (unverifiably) attributed to American author Mark Twain, “Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting,” isn’t wrong. It’s also not the whole story. Though water supply is a contentious issue in our often-drought-burdened part of the world, it is also where decades of local collaboration have, and continue to, serve the public good, often unnoticed. Invisible to most, no-fuss, practical, and critically important. Water management decisions occur at the federal, state, and local levels. While state and federal players are important and often draw the most attention because of their size and the reach of their communication, they’re operating at a different level than we do. As a taxpayer, you may be heartened to know that interagency communication and planning are baked into how local government operates. The impacts of decisions on water are rarely limited to the organization making the decisions. Local needs drive local decisions, and water is a common and foundational thread running through our rural and urban communities. … ” Read more from the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley.
The denominators of our prosperity – energy and water
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “The premise of this newsletter is that abundant and affordable energy and water are prerequisites to solving every other challenge standing in the way of lowering California’s overall cost-of-living. Not only because the cost for energy and water directly impacts the cost to build homes, or pay household utility bills, or engage in industrial production, transportation, agriculture, and everything else, but because if the regulatory environment that has created shortages and high prices for energy and water in California was reduced, it could come with regulatory relief in every other sector. For example, a broad restructuring and streamlining of CEQA and CESA enforcement would also help homebuilders, public utilities, manufacturers, and farmers – and everyone else – to get permits, expand, comply with mandates, and complete required reporting to the many agencies overseeing their operations. … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
City of Fort Bragg completes water treatment plant overhaul
“On Monday, the City of Fort Bragg announced the completion of the Water Treatment Plant Overhaul and Water Tank Rehabilitation Project (City Project No. WTR-00017) which is slated to improve water treatment facilities and ensure the City can provide clean drinking water to residents for years to come. The project consisted of rehabilitating and improving the filter treatment units and buildings surrounding them, rehabilitating water storage tank #2, improvements to raw water storage and backwash ponds, and improving the piping system at the water treatment plant. These improvements are for the benefit of the city, with the expected life of the project being 50 years. … ” Read more from the Fort Bragg Advocate-News.
SIERRA NEVADA
OpenSnow experts discuss mountain forecasting and AI at LTCC Speaker Series
“Lake Tahoe locals packed Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theatre on Tuesday to hear how modern mountain weather forecasting works and how artificial intelligence is shaping its future. The event, part of LTCC’s Speaker Series and organized in collaboration with Operation Sierra Storm, featured OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto and AI engineer Andrew Brady. The seminar drew students, faculty and community members interested in meteorology, data science and the real-world impacts of weather in the Tahoe Basin. By the time the program began, most seats were filled. Allegretto, known to many Tahoe locals simply as “BA,” opened the presentation by sharing how OpenSnow began not as a tech company, but as a personal effort to make mountain forecasts more honest and more useful. … ” Continue reading from the Sierra Sun.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Get out in 2026 and watch for this work at national parks near Redding
“Staff at national parks and forests near Redding are working to make repairs after holiday flooding and storms, and to expand or resurrect services in 2026. Rangers plan a lot of infrastructure improvements this year, park staff said. Their new year’s plans come after a tough year of federal budget and staff cuts to the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Here’s what Whiskeytown and Shasta-Trinity National Forest plan in 2026 to get ready for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. … ” Continue reading at the Redding Record-Searchlight.
New research warns of major threats to Sacramento’s water supply
“Warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will reshape the American, Bear and Cosumnes river watersheds, intensifying snowpack loss and placing greater strain on California’s water supply, a two-year study has found. A draft watershed resilience report by the Regional Water Authority reviewed by The Sacramento Bee projects earlier snowmelt, shifting runoff patterns, and more water lost to evaporation due to climate change. The report, expected to be released by the end of March, noted an average of 6.3 degrees of warming by the end of the century compared with temperatures from 1981 and 2010, with the Sierra region expected to warm even faster, and the American River area projected to face an average of 39 additional extreme heat days each year. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee (gift article).
NAPA/SONOMA
A queer climate movement takes root along the Russian River
“There’s a certain kind of queer magic that thrives along the Russian River. For more than a century, queer people have sought refuge in rural Sonoma County, leaving the stress of city life for the peace — and parties — of the sprawling river valley and redwood forests. Artists, hippies, nude sun bathers, cruisers and even disco legends like Sylvester have all flocked there over the decades. Now, two groups, Shelterwood Collective and Solar Punk Farms, are actively calling queer people back to the land, and not only to party. They’re creating a different type of magic: Shelterwood is restoring acres of forest through Indigenous practices like controlled burns, and Solar Punk advocates for environmental policy and farms the land — all while making space for queer community-building, joy and self-expression. … ” Read more from KQED.
BAY AREA
The Storm Chasers: How stormwater reveals more than ever about pollution in San Francisco Bay
“In January 2017, a steady downpour bathed San Jose for three days straight. While most of the city hunkered down, Alicia Gilbreath crouched on the banks of the Guadalupe River to collect water samples every four hours through the day and night. “It rose ten feet,” she recalls. “To watch the vegetation and trash coming down, the change in the river—that water is really powerful.” Because Gilbreath was a whitewater rafting guide long ago, she appreciates the water’s power. But for decades, she’s been interested in the surges of stormwater for another reason: to track how contaminants arrive in San Francisco Bay, and to find where they come from. Gilbreath now leads SFEI’s stormwater team. What began as efforts to study mercury and PCBs (banned industrial chemicals) has grown into a major branch of SFEI’s Clean Water program and the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP). The team now routinely breaks new scientific ground for the Bay Area—and sometimes far beyond. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Estuary Institute.
Marin flood aid outlook complicated by FEMA changes
“In the aftermath of damaging king tide flooding in Marin this month, Corte Madera and Larkspur passed emergency resolutions positioning themselves for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The extent to which the agency might assist remains to be seen. “I think we all have concerns that FEMA may not be all that inclined to help the California area at the moment,” said Larkspur City Manager Dan Schwartz, “but we’ll at least open those doors and possibilities.” Federal financial assistance to state and local governments following natural disasters could be reduced if recommendations by a Trump administration committee are enacted. The committee proposed quadrupling the threshold for qualifying. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
New lawsuit challenges Newark’s approval of housing project in flood zone
“In response to the Newark City Council’s contentious approval in December of the proposed “Mowry Village” development project on Newark’s San Francisco Bay shoreline, the Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge and San Francisco Baykeeper filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Newark’s plan to construct 226 housing units, the vast majority of which will be market-rate single-family units, on the site of an auto scrap yard. Located in an area of the South Bay shoreline that already experiences significant flooding and surrounded on three sides by creeks and wetlands, the environmental organizations’ lawsuit alleges that the City of Newark failed to conduct an adequate environmental review. Newark’s assessment does not properly account for or mitigate the impacts of the Mowry Village project on wetlands and endangered wildlife species that are located immediately adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, the development site. These species include the federally endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and the Western Burrowing Owl, nominated for protection under the California Endangered Species Act. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Baykeeper.
San Jose commentary: The work behind the water we all rely on
Tony Estremera, Valley Water director, writes, “Every day, we turn on the tap without thinking twice about it. Safe, clean, reliable water flows out, ready for drinking, cooking, bathing and growing the food we eat. Behind every working tap is a detailed story of planning and investment. It is the story of Valley Water, and it is one I am proud to share. Valley Water is Santa Clara County’s wholesale water supplier. Since 1929, our mission has been simple yet essential. We work to ensure our communities have access to safe, clean water, to protect our homes and businesses from flooding and to care for our local environment. We serve nearly 2 million people across 15 cities and unincorporated areas, and our work touches nearly every aspect of daily life, often behind the scenes. … ” Read more from the San Jose Spotlight.
CENTRAL COAST
It will be a year of big aspirations for solving Salinas Valley water woes.
“How many committees and subcommittees does it take to make peace in the world of Salinas Valley water politics? The staff members leading the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency are betting they have an answer: six subbasin committees, two technical advisory committees, two committees partnering with other groundwater sustainability agencies, one board of directors plus one newly formed advisory committee. That new advisory committee met for the first time on Thursday, Dec. 18, its 13 members seated in a horseshoe shape. Piret Harmon, the general manager of SVBGSA, gave them their marching orders: “You are thinking about what’s best for this agency and for the whole valley.” … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District submits application to revise 2009 Cease and Desist Order against Cal-Am
“On October 24, 2025, Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) submitted an application to modify the cease and desist order on California American Water Company (Cal-Am) (Order WR 2009-0060, as amended by Order WR 2016-0016) under Water Code section 1832. Since 1995, Cal-Am has been under order by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to eliminate unauthorized diversions from the Carmel River. The District’s application proposes lifting Condition 2 of Order WR 2009-0060, which prohibits Cal-Am from diverting water from the Carmel River for new water service connections or any increased use of water at existing service addresses resulting from a change in zoning or use. The application also proposes allowing the Deputy Director for the Division of Water Rights to reinstate Condition 2 if certain water supply and demand triggers are met and to modify Cal-Am’s current reporting requirements. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
One San Luis Obispo County reservoir is full and spilling — and others are on the way
“After the recent series of winter storms, Santa Margarita Lake was overflowing on Monday — with other local reservoirs not far behind. Santa Margarita Lake, where the Salinas Dam is located, was 101.5% full on Monday, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department. Lopez Lake was at 81% capacity on Monday. Whale Rock Reservoir was almost 87% full on Monday, according to reservoir supervisor Noah Evans. That reservoir is located in Cayucos, and it provides water to the city of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly and the California Men’s Colony. “It’s all good news,” he said. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
San Simeon CSD approves steep water and sewer rate increases
“San Simeon residents and businesses will face sharp increases in water and wastewater bills after the San Simeon Community Services District (SSCSD) approved a new rate ordinance on Jan. 7, a decision the district said is necessary to keep the system operating while it undergoes a potential dissolution. Under the ordinance, water rates will rise by 32 percent and wastewater rates by 36 percent, starting Feb. 7. San Luis Obispo County Public Works Division Manager Suzy Watkins, who is serving as the district’s interim general manager, said the increases are meant to provide short-term financial stability. “The purpose is solely to generate cash flow in the near term to support the district through the dissolution study,” Watkins said during a Nov. 13 meeting. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Golden mussels discovered in the Central Valley
“A new invasive species has been discovered in the Central Valley. Experts warn its presence could cause millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure and make it harder for farmers to access water from the Friant Kern Canal. Every inch of the 152 miles of the Friant Kern Canal is being searched for signs of the golden mussel after the shellfish was found in the southern portion of the Friant-Kern Canal. Johnny Amaral, chief operating officer of the Friant-Kern Water Authority, says the golden mussel was found in the southern part of the canal near the San Joaquin Delta. “This species has the potential to impact water deliveries, and that gets everyone’s attention,” said Amaral. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Beyond The Forecast: Record-setting rain delivers one of the wettest starts to CA water year
“Record-setting rain this season has pushed California completely out of the “abnormally dry” category on the U.S. Drought Monitor for the first time in 25 years, as a series of storms delivered one of the wettest starts to the water year across the state. Southern California saw a notably soggy holiday period, with rain on Christmas Eve and Christmas marking the fourth-wettest two-day holiday stretch on record. Recent storms have helped drive the region into one of its wettest openings to a water year. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
San Fernando Groundwater Basin Remediation Program becomes a local treasure for customers
“Expanding the local supply of drinking water for Angelenos continues to be a strategic priority for LADWP. The San Fernando Groundwater Basin Remediation Program is an example of how expertise, ingenuity and determination can turn contaminated water into an important contribution to LADWP’s water supply. As the city of L.A. confronts extremes in weather conditions and addresses other challenges, LADWP is committed to providing a water supply that is resilient, reliable, sustainable, high quality and cost effective. LADWP gets its water from a variety of sources, from the Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley via the Los Angeles Aqueduct, to the Northern Sierra and Sacramento-San Joaquin delta via the State Water Project, the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct, and local water supplies including recycled water and groundwater. The quest to increase local sources of water and in turn reduce dependence on purchased water is ongoing. Currently, about 90 percent of Los Angeles’s water comes from outside the Los Angeles basin. It is estimated that seven percent of L.A.’s water supply comes from local groundwater. … ” Read more from LADWP.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Rainfall has erased drought from California. What does that mean for the Coachella Valley’s aquifer?
“Recent rainfall has pushed the entire state out of drought conditions for the first time in a quarter century. The Coachella Valley has long been known to rely on its own aquifer, managed by water authorities like the Coachella Valley Water District. The underground source of water is finite; natural annual rainfall and melting snow is usually not enough to sustain the basin’s supply alone based on the demands from those who need it in the valley. … ” Read more from KESQ.
Imperial County lithium project takes major step toward public listing
“A local renewable energy and critical minerals company is poised to go public through a merger with a New York-based special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, in a move aimed at bolstering U.S. energy security and domestic supply chains for electric vehicles and advanced technologies, according to a CTR press release. American Critical Resources, or ACR, a subsidiary of Controlled Thermal Resources Holdings Inc., or CTR, announced Friday that it has signed a nonbinding letter of intent with Plum Acquisition Corp. IV (Nasdaq: PLMK), a publicly traded SPAC. If completed, the business combination would list the combined company on a major U.S. stock exchange, providing capital to accelerate development of ACR’s flagship Hell’s Kitchen project at the Salton Sea, the release said. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
SAN DIEGO
New dune restoration effort aims to protect Oceanside beaches
“The city of Oceanside has begun a dune restoration pilot project aimed at reversing years of sand loss along the coastline and strengthening coastal resilience. The project is underway north of the Oceanside Pier, where crews have been installing posts and fencing designed to capture windblown sand and help rebuild dunes that once naturally protected the shoreline. “This whole area was filled with dunes. In fact, all of the harbor was a big dune system that connected to all the estuaries there,” said Jayme Timberlake, a coastal zone administrator for the city of Oceanside. The North Oceanside Coastal Dune Restoration Pilot Project is the latest effort to address erosion that has steadily reduced beach sand for decades. According to a study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sand along Oceanside’s coast has been diminishing since the 1940s, when harbor projects began. While annual dredging has helped replenish some of that sand, erosion remains an ongoing issue. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
Water back for almost all in Tijuana and Rosarito, after days of outage
“Drinking water has been steadily returning to Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, as of last Sunday, after several days of a major outage. The shortage affected approximately 691 neighborhoods in Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito due to interconnection and rehabilitation work on the Florido-Aguaje Aqueduct, a key infrastructure component that supplies water to more than 1.3 million residents in the region. “Since Sunday, we’ve been re-establishing service to all the neighborhoods affected,” said Jesús García Castro, head of the Tijuana State Public Services Commission (Cespt). “Everyone should be back online by early this week.” … ” Read more from Mexico Daily News.
Along the Colorado River …
Feds craft their own plan to save Colorado River
“As promised, the Bureau of Reclamation proposed a plan with a host of different ideas on how to prevent catastrophic failure of the Colorado River system and its ability to deliver water to 40 million people and specialty crop farmers in the Southwest. That proposal and its five different plans will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 16. This sets in place a 45-day public comment period that will surely generate input from the seven states and tribes with straws in the river. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, previous independent proposals by upper basin and lower basin states, and the Gila River Indian Community will not be carried forward in the plan to manage the river, though some of those ideas might morph into the long term plan. Detailed information on those plans is included in a lengthy draft environmental impact statement. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Lawsuit claims ban on ‘useless grass’ has killed 100K trees in Southern Nevada
“A well-intended state law mandating the removal of Southern Nevada’s “useless grass” to conserve water has massively backfired, according to a new lawsuit. Filed Monday in Clark County District Court, the complaint alleges that an estimated 100,000 mature trees throughout the Las Vegas Valley have been a casualty of Assembly Bill 356, a 2021 law that will make it illegal to irrigate certain grass with water from the Colorado River starting in 2027. That translates to about $300 million in tree damage, according to the complaint, which proudly declares that the plaintiffs “speaks for the trees.” “There have to be alternative ways to conserve water if we really are in jeopardy,” said Kim Snyder, one of the four plaintiffs, who said she has lived in Summerlin’s Canyon Fairways neighborhood for 25 years. “Why are we paying the price to conserve when we are the most conservation-oriented city in the world? Why come after us?” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Salt River Project water reserves under pressure after driest winter on record
“Arizona’s water reserves face mounting pressure after one of the driest winters on record and an unusually weak monsoon season, with reservoir levels across the state falling well below last year’s levels at this time. The shortage could force Arizona to rely heavily on groundwater supplies this year—a prospect that underscores the state’s vulnerability to extended dry periods. But while the numbers may sound alarming, officials say the situation is manageable thanks to decades of careful water management infrastructure. The Salt River Project (SRP), which manages much of the state’s water supply, reports its storage system is currently at 54% capacity—just over 1 million acre-feet of water. That’s a significant drop from the 70% to 75% levels recorded at this time last year. “I don’t know that worry is necessarily the right word or concern because it’s a normal part of the process,” said Jake Richardson, a hydrologist with SRP. “Here in the valley, we’ve been the beneficiaries of decades, if not centuries, of water management that’s been reliable and resilient.” … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Yavapai-Apache Nation water rights settlement reintroduced in US House and Senate
“Twin bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate would finalize a long-running water rights settlement with the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The legislation would allocate more than $1 billion to fund construction of a pipeline from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir on the Mogollon Rim to Verde Valley communities along with a water plant. The settlement would guarantee 4,600 acre-feet of water a year for the Yavapai-Apache Nation and boost reliability for 2,500 tribal members in five communities. “In addition to finally resolving the nation’s water rights, this historic legislation will provide for the development of water infrastructure to import new water sources to the Verde Valley and our reservation homeland, safeguarding the nation’s water future, while also helping to protect the Verde River and local groundwater supplies for everyone who relies on these critical resources,” says Yavapai-Apache Nation Chairman, Buddy Rocha, Jr. … ” Read more from KNAU.
In national water news today …
Trump wants to slash funding for federal climate and weather research. Congress is about to tell him ‘No’
“Congress is poised to reject President Donald Trump’s “astounding” proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as NASA’s Earth science programs. Trump sought to slash spending in scientific research at NOAA and NASA, among other agencies. The administration’s budget request would have eliminated all of NOAA’s research laboratories, including those like the National Severe Storms Laboratory that work to make weather forecasts more accurate. The budget request also sought to cancel weather and climate satellite programs and instruments at NOAA and NASA, including multiple missions that had already been launched. Instead, the House has passed a funding bill for the Commerce, Justice and State Departments that funds science at NOAA and NASA. The Senate is expected to do the same this week. … ” Read more from CNN.
SEE ALSO: Congress Moves to Preserve NOAA Funding for Fisheries and Climate Research, from Civil Eats
EPA’s new “compliance first” policy
“On December 5, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance issued a memorandum titled “Reinforcing a ‘Compliance First’ Orientation for Compliance Assurance and Civil Enforcement Activities”(Compliance Memorandum). The Compliance Memorandum, nicknamed the Pritzlaff Memo, directs staff to prioritize efficient compliance over punitive measures, supporting the agency’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative and balancing environmental protection with economic growth. The Compliance Memorandum emphasizes that enforcement should focus on obtaining compliance efficiently and economically. We have yet to see how the Compliance Memorandum manifests. These themes are noteworthy … ” Continue reading from Stoel Rives.
Zeldin talks data centers, permitting with House GOP
“Data centers, permitting reform and nuclear energy were on the menu Wednesday afternoon as EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin lunched with congressional Republicans in the Capitol basement. The House’s Republican Study Committee, a 190-member group advancing conservative policy priorities, hosted Zeldin, a former House member, for a conversation that focused on energy demand and deregulation, according to four people who attended the meeting. Also in attendance was Ruth Porat, president of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. The company is investing billions of dollars on data center needs and lobbying Congress on overhauling the federal permitting process as it expands its artificial intelligence products. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Detailed map reveals groundwater levels across the U.S.
“How much fresh water is in the United States? It’s a tough question, since most of the water is underground, accessible at varying depths. In previous decades, it’s been answered indirectly from data on rainfall and evaporation. Knowing how much groundwater is available at specific locations is critical to meeting the challenges of water scarcity and contamination. Now, researchers at Princeton University and the University of Arizona have answered this question in unprecedented breadth and detail. Combining direct measurements with artificial intelligence methods, their new map estimates groundwater depth across the continental United States at a resolution of around 30 meters (98 feet). Their results are published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
Microplastics from washing clothes could be hurting your tomatoes
“New research suggests that tiny fibers shed by clothing can harm the growth of cherry tomato plants, with potentially broad implications for agriculture. Scientists say household laundry is a leading source of polyester microfiber and other microplastic contamination in the soil. Now a study by researchers at Cornell and the University of Toronto has found that polyester microfibers present in soil can delay development and reduce success rates for cherry tomato plants. Experts say every load of laundry releases millions of tiny fibers into sewage systems and subsequently into waterways, soil and the atmosphere. Many of these fibers are microplastics, shed from polyester and other synthetic fabrics. Scientists are just beginning to study the implications of this new form of pollution on human health and the environment. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
The Earth keeps getting hotter, and Americans’ trust in science is on a down trend
“As global officials confirm that 2025 was Earth’s third-hottest year on record, a new poll shows Americans are sharply divided over the role of science in the United States. A report published Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that a majority of Americans want the U.S. to be a world leader in science, but Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether it is. About two-thirds of Democrats, 65%, fear the U.S. is losing ground to other countries when it comes to scientific achievement — a 28-point increase since 2023, the poll found. Republicans have moved in the opposite direction, with far fewer saying the U.S. is losing ground than in the past, 32%, a 12-point decrease in that same time frame. The divide mirrors “other partisan differences in attitudes around science we have been tracking for years,” the Pew report says. “In particular, partisan differences in trust in scientists and the value of science for society are far wider than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans have become less confident in scientists and less likely to say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, while Democratic views are largely unchanged.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Scientists discover how fast the world’s deltas are sinking
“The world’s deltas are home to hundreds of millions of people – but there’s a problem: New research from the University of California, Irvine shows that these deltas are sinking. Until now, it was unclear what the rate of delta elevation loss has been, or what’s driving delta subsidence, but in a new study in Nature, scientists report that land subsidence caused by humans is the main culprit. “Our study provides the first delta-wide, high-resolution subsidence observations across 40 major river delta systems, revealing not just where land is sinking, but quantifying how much,” said Leonard Ohenhen, UC Irvine professor of Earth system science and lead author of the study. “We also quantified the relative contributions of specific human drivers: groundwater extraction, sediment starvation and urbanization across these deltas, which allows us to identify the dominant driver of the sinking.” … ” Read more from UC Irvine.
SEE ALSO: Deltas are sinking faster than seas rise, from Courthouse News Service
The past 3 years have been the three hottest on record
“Global average temperatures in 2025 were the third hottest on record, surpassed only by 2024 and 2023, according to an analysis published by Berkeley Earth, a nonprofit climate research organization. According to the analysis, last year’s global average temperature was about 1.35°C–1.53°C (2.43°F–2.75°F) greater than the 1850–1900 average. The previous year, 2024, was 1.46°C–1.62°C (2.63°F–2.92°F) above the preindustrial baseline, while 2023 was 1.48°C–1.60°C (2.66°F–2.88°F) above the baseline. The report’s authors called the exceptional heat of the past 3 years a “warming spike” that may indicate an acceleration in the rate of climate change. “The warming observed from 2023 through 2025 stands out clearly from the long-term trend,” said Robert Rohde, chief scientist at Berkeley Earth, in a statement. Such a spike may also indicate that the past warming rate is no longer a reliable predictor of future warming, the authors wrote. … ” Read more from EOS.
