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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include the consideration of adoption of a resolution to rescind the Board’s adoption of the 2012 California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) Tribal Consultation Policy and adopt the 2025 CNRA Tribal Consultation Policy; an informational presentation on Water Education Foundation’s 2025 Water Leaders Water Rights Policy Paper; and a presentation on the 2025 Inspection and Local Maintaining Agency Report of the Central Valley State-Federal Flood Protection System. Click here for the full agenda.
- MEETING: Delta Independent Science Board from 9am to 12:30pm. The Delta Independent Science Board will discuss the review of the draft 2026 Delta Science Plan, which was developed by the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Science Program. Based on the discussion, the Delta ISB may take action on the next steps for submitting its comments on the Draft 2026 Delta Science Plan. In addition, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy will provide an update on the work of the Delta Carbon Team, including how it is addressing the needs identified in the Delta ISB’s draft subsidence review. Click here for the meeting notice.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Grassland Bypass Project Annual Meeting beginning at 10:30am. Central Valley Water Board staff will hold an annual meeting with the Dischargers, responsible agencies, and other interested parties, to review and discuss the results of the surface water monitoring and management strategy implemented by the Dischargers. The meeting will be held remotely via Zoom* and is intended to facilitate discussion. No Board action will be taken at this meeting. Register here: waterboards.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8K7ss93yTWuxG-y8JM0bWA
In California water news this weekend …
Is California really 100% drought-free for the first time in 25 years? Yes and no. Here’s why.
“For the second time in the past two weeks, the U.S. Drought Monitor, a prominent national report, on Thursday classified 100% of California as being drought-free. That’s a rating that hasn’t occurred in 25 years. Great news, right? It’s not quite that simple. To be exact, the last time the report had California at 100% drought-free was the week of Dec. 26, 2000, when Tom Hanks’ “Castaway” was packing movie theaters, Bill Clinton was president and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was celebrating his 1st birthday. But the drought-free designation — which has made breathless headlines all week — could be misleading if not viewed in the right context, experts said. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Much of the West is having its warmest winter on record — and it’s fueling a snow drought
“The first half of winter was the warmest on record for an extraordinary swath of the West. Temperatures were as much as 15 degrees above normal from Dec. 1 to Jan. 14 in the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range. Even California is on record pace, despite a chilly start to December in many areas. “Outside of a few stretches of colder weather, it hasn’t really felt like winter, yet,” said McKenzie Skiles, director of the Snow Hydrology Research-to-Operations Laboratory lab at the University of Utah. A lack of snow — known as a snow drought — grips much of the West as a result of the unusually high temperatures, even as winter reaches the midway point. Snow cover was less extensive than any Jan. 14 on record across the West, according to satellite-based measurements. Colorado and Oregon reported their lowest mid-January snowpack since the 1980s, when routine measurements began. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Recent rainstorms translate to billions of gallons of water added to reservoirs
“A recent series of winter storms that dumped rain across Southern California and snow in the Sierra Nevada has recharged local reservoirs, leaving many water agency officials confident in their supplies and the state officially drought-free for the first time in a quarter century. The days of rain may have dampened some of the holiday season, but they also left 14 of the state’s 17 reservoirs filled to more than 70% capacity, with water officials hopeful for new storms still on the horizon. The Diamond Valley Lake reservoir in Riverside is nearly full, Prado Dam in Corona collected enough water to serve more than 37,000 households for a year and in Los Angeles County, the back-to-back storms dumped 10 billion gallons of water into local supplies. “This storm season, we’ve already captured 14 billion gallons of water, so it’s significant,” said Denis Bilodeau, president of the Orange County Water District board, an agency that manages groundwater basins in the northern parts of the county. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
California’s water resilience strategy shows major progress after winter storms: state out of drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor
“Following a series of winter storms and multiple years of improved hydrologic conditions, California’s ongoing efforts to recover from the multi-year drought that began in 2021 are showing significant progress. Current conditions are notably better across much of the state, and the work to restore long-term water security continues. Reservoir storage has improved substantially, with Lake Oroville — the largest reservoir in the State Water Project — rising 137 feet since December 20 and capturing over 300,000 acre-feet of water. “California’s water strategy is working. We’re not just managing for today’s conditions — we’re building a system that can handle whatever our changing climate throws at us,” said Governor Newsom. “That means capturing rainwater when storms hit, storing it for dry seasons, and protecting communities from floods. This is how California, a state of nearly 40 million people, leads.” … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
El Niño and La Niña make water extremes move in sync
“Water extremes such as droughts and floods have a huge impact on communities, ecosystems, and economies. Researchers with The University of Texas at Austin have turned their attention to tracking these extremes across Earth and have discovered what is driving them. In a recent study published in AGU Advances, the researchers found that over the past two decades ENSO, a climate pattern in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that includes El Niño and La Niña, has been the dominant driver of total water storage extremes at the global level. What’s more, the researchers found that ENSO has a synchronizing effect on water storage extremes across continents. Study co-author Bridget Scanlon, a research professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, said that understanding how extremes unfold across the world has humanitarian and policy impacts. “Looking at the global scale, we can identify what areas are simultaneously wet or simultaneously dry,” Scanlon said. “And that of course affects water availability, food production, food trade — all of these global things.” … ” Read more from the University of Texas.
Press release: Updated State Water Project and Central Valley Project permits deliver water supply gains while protecting fish
“California’s updated operating permits for the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) are already proving that water abundance for homes, farms, and environmental protection can go hand in hand. There are important differences between the prior and new permits for the CVP and SWP, but most significantly, the new permits allow water managers to use real-time hydrologic and biological data to make storm-by-storm decisions, rather than relying on rigid, decades-old rules that often resulted in lost water supplies, even when fish were not at risk. This flexibility was recently demonstrated during California’s “First Flush” — the state’s first significant rainstorm — which began December 25 and concluded January 7. During this time, action was taken to protect Delta Smelt when turbidity and migration risks can increase while taking advantage of water supplies from recent storms. … ” Read more from the State Water Contractors.
New report reveals AI data center boom threatens Delta communities and ecosystems
“As artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure rapidly expands, a new white paper released today by Restore the Delta finds significant risks to water supplies, energy systems, ecosystems, and local communities as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta emerges as a major hub for AI-driven data centers. The report, The Environmental Justice Implications of Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, is the first comprehensive analysis of how AI-related industrial expansion could reshape the Delta region. The research concludes that the massive infrastructure required to support AI technologies, energy and water-intensive data centers pose serious and underregulated threats to California’s most important estuary. “Data centers require enormous amounts of power and water, and the Delta is already stretched to its limits”, said Esther Mburu, Carbon & Energy Program Manager for Restore the Delta. “Without swift, community-centered action, this buildout risks intensifying water scarcity, accelerating ecosystem degradation, and further burdening communities already facing disproportionate pollution and related health impacts.” … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
California Forever eyes new trump initiative to bring its shipbuilding plans to life
“California Forever, the company behind a plan to build a new city in Solano County, announced its latest proposal on Thursday to make progress on another ambitious initiative: revitalizing the area’s shipbuilding industry with the goal of creating thousands of jobs. The real estate development corporation and Nimitz Group, which owns Vallejo’s Mare Island, are urging the federal government to designate the California Delta a “Maritime Prosperity Zone,” a designation created by President Donald Trump last year. The zone would span the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers through Suisun and San Pablo bays. “This proposal responds directly to the national imperative to rebuild America’s maritime industrial base,” said Jan Sramek, founder & CEO of California Forever. “Solano County, and the broader California Delta region, are uniquely positioned to become a bridge between the past and the future of shipbuilding in California.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Regional coalition, including California Forever, seeks maritime prosperity zone
“California Forever and The Nimitz Group, owners of Mare Island, submitted a proposal to the federal government asking for the designation of a Maritime Prosperity Zone for the California Delta. It would encompass the heart of the California Delta – stretching from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers through Suisun and San Pablo bays. “This proposal responds directly to the national imperative to rebuild America’s maritime industrial base,” Jan Sramek, founder & CEO of California Forever, said in a press release. “Solano County, and the broader California Delta region, are uniquely positioned to become a bridge between the past and the future of shipbuilding in California.” … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Labor dispute unfolds over construction pick for California’s Sites Reservoir
“A construction controversy is building over the massive Sites Reservoir that could help solve California’s water-storage problem. With Barnard Construction set to be recommended and selected by the Sites Reservoir Authority board on Friday, a powerful California labor group is calling out the company for being non-union and based out-of-state. Jay Bradshaw, the executive officer for Nor Cal Carpenters Union is calling out a decision by the Sites Reservoir Authority to recommend the Montana-based company Barnard Construction for the job. “There’s trouble here,” Bradshaw said. “Pump the brakes.” … ” Read more from CBS News.
Long-term exposure to a common pesticide speeds up aging in fish, study finds
“Chronic exposure to small amounts of a pesticide approved for almost a dozen US crops speeds up aging in fish and cuts their lives short, adding to concerns about the chemical’s human health risks, according to a new study. The insecticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to brain damage and brain development issues in children, and a recent study found that people exposed to the chemical for years in California farm communities were more than twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than residents not exposed to it. Previous research has demonstrated that chlorpyrifos is toxic to fish even at very low doses. The chemical is also known to be toxic to pigeons, ducks, bees and other wildlife, and an assessment by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) previously found that the insecticide was harming 97% of protected species. In March, a federal judge ordered the US Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce harms to endangered species from chlorpyrifos, along with four other pesticides. … ” Read more from The New Lede.
Water District’s groundwater replenishment charges were unconstitutional taxes under Proposition 26
“The Coachella Valley Water District provides potable water and relies primarily on groundwater, making conservation and replenishment necessary. The District has statutory authority to levy and collect “water replenishment assessments” to replenish groundwater supplies. The District imposed replenishment charges associated with three “areas of benefit” (AOBs). Although domestic customers did not see a replenishment line item, they paid replenishment charges indirectly through the District’s enterprise fund structure. Howard Jarvis challenged the replenishment charges. The court treated the replenishment charges as “exactions” imposed by a local government. The dispositive issue was whether the charges satisfied an exception to the constitutional definition of “tax.” The District relied on the Proposition 26 exception for “a charge imposed for a specific government service or product provided directly to the payor” that does not exceed reasonable costs. … ” Read more from Perkins Coie.
Rep. Gray unveils sweeping water package aimed at boosting storage, cutting red tape for Westside communities
“Representative Adam Gray (CA‑13) has introduced a sweeping federal water package designed to accelerate long‑delayed infrastructure projects, expand storage capacity and streamline permitting — a proposal that could reshape water reliability for Westside communities that have long been at the center of California’s water crisis. The End the California Water Crisis Package, unveiled last week, includes three bills: the Central Valley Water Solution Act, the WATER Act and the Build Now Act. Together, they aim to modernize California’s water system by authorizing new storage projects, improving federal coordination and imposing enforceable timelines on environmental reviews that often stall construction for years. For communities across the Westside — including Newman, Gustine, Santa Nella, Los Banos and surrounding agricultural regions — the legislation represents one of the most ambitious federal efforts in years to address chronic water shortages that have strained farms, cities and local economies. … ” Read more from Westside Connect.
Trump administration sues California over law keeping oil wells from homes, schools
“California communities and environmental justice groups worked for years to win a law to prevent new oil and gas wells from being drilled near where people live, work and gather. Now, the Trump administration is suing to overturn it. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Department of Justice challenged Senate Bill 1137, state legislation passed in 2022 that establishes a 3,200-foot minimum setback between new oil wells and “sensitive receptors,” defined as homes, schools, community centers, parks and playgrounds, healthcare facilities or any public building. Under the law, existing wells that are close to these places can continue to operate, but must monitor emissions, control their dust and limit nighttime noise and light. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: Trump administration sues California to allow oil wells near schools and hospitals, from KQED
Will Trump’s push to drill on California public lands be more successful this time around?
“While President Donald Trump pursues Venezuelan oil reserves abroad, his administration continues to double down on efforts to expand drilling in the United States, most recently in California. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Monday proposed plans to open nearly 2 million acres of land from Santa Barbara to the Bay Area for oil drilling and fracking, including land adjacent to national and state parks, along coastlines and waterways, and areas near schools and homes. The last time Trump was in office, his efforts to open these areas to fossil fuel development were thwarted by lawsuits from environmental groups and the state alleging that environmental reviews for the plans did not adequately account for the impacts of fracking. While some experts and observers are waiving off the renewed push as a symbolic act that is again unlikely to amount to much, others are concerned about the new effort. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
California budget underscores agriculture’s role in wildfire and water solutions — but gaps remain
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget highlights California’s continued focus on wildfire response, climate resilience and water infrastructure but leaves gaps in direct support and regulatory alignment for agriculture and rural communities, according to California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass. She said, “The budget invests heavily in wildfire response, but funding for proactive strategies on working lands remains limited. California farmers and ranchers are part of the solution. Grazing, vegetation management and stewardship reduce fuel loads and protect rural communities. Expanding these strategies statewide would strengthen long-term resilience. “Water reliability is foundational to agriculture. Investments in flood protection, groundwater recharge and drought resilience are critical, but infrastructure alone is not enough. Projects must be paired with regulatory efficiency so they can move forward and deliver real, on-the-ground benefits for farms and ranches. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SEE ALSO: Proposed Budget Draws Mixed Reviews from Farmers, from Ag Info
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Warner Chabot, Executive Director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, retires
The San Francisco Estuary Institute writes, “As we begin a new year, we want to recognize and express our sincere gratitude to Warner Chabot, who retired as SFEI’s Executive Director at the end of 2025 after more than eleven years of dedicated service. Under Warner’s leadership, SFEI experienced a period of significant growth and impact. He strengthened the Institute’s role as a trusted, science-driven partner to communities, decision-makers, and practitioners across the Bay Area and California. His steady stewardship and deep respect for public service helped shape SFEI into the organization it is today. Warner was a consistent champion of SFEI’s staff—nearly 100 public servants whose integrity, professionalism, and commitment to resilient communities define our work. As Warner shared with the SFEI community: “Each day, I’ve been deeply impressed, humbled, and proud of the team’s commitment to produce visionary science and to share that good work with community leaders and decision makers.” … ” Read more at the San Francisco Estuary Institute.
Podcasts …
RIPPLE EFFECT: Geosyntec Consultants – Geothermal water and power
Isabellah Von Trapp, Senior Hydrologist, and Andrew Austreng, Principle Hydrologist, join us from Geosyntec Consultants to discuss the world of geothermal heat pumps. Geothermal is a hot topic buzzword in the water and energy worlds, and we dive deep into what makes it so enticing. We discuss the mechanics of how it works and why it can save water and energy for businesses and homes alike.
TALKING UNDER WATER: EPA proposal for perchlorate MCL, new PFAS treatment, and infrastructure failures
In this episode of Talking Under Water, Mandy Crispin and Bob Crossen discuss the EPA’s proposal to establish a national primary drinking water regulation for perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The hosts break down the proposed rule, monitoring requirements, cost implications, and what utilities should prepare for, plus give updates on PFAS treatment research and recent wastewater spills.
WATER LOOP: Industrial water reuse is on the rise: What’s driving the change
Explosive growth in data centers, semiconductors, and power generation is driving unprecedented industrial water demand, pushing reuse from niche to necessity across the U.S. In this episode, Bruno Pigott of the WateReuse Association, Courtney Tripp of Grundfos, and Jim Oliver of Black & Veatch unpack their joint report, Accelerating Industrial Reuse, spotlighting proven and sustainable strategies to meet that demand.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: The Making of a Captain
Captain Carl-Gimmar Hammerin of Sweden is now captain of the Norwegian Starliner. His ship is nearly 100,000 tons and takes up 965 feet when docked in port. The captain did not achieve his position easy or quickly but one thing is certainly true. His life’s purpose could be seen at a very young age. Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Stephen Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388WATER SHELF: “Body in a Barrel” by Aaron Mead
Season 3 of the Water Shelf Podcast begins with a bang! Aaron Mead, author of Body in a Barrel, talks with me about his fictional treatment of Lake Mead’s slow, climate-change-induced unveiling of long-immersed depths. Building on his written Water Shelf interview, Mr. Mead discusses his water industry and theological studies roots, two layers that contributed complexity as well as publication challenges for his path-breaking work. Mr. Mead is a Senior Engineer with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
In regional water news and commentary this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Caltrans: Culvert replacement improves fish habitat in Gualala River
“A culvert replacement project along Highway 1 will improve fish habitat in southwestern Mendocino County, the California Department of Transportation reported this week. According Caltrans, its District 1 recently “completed an emergency culvert replacement project on Route 1 at Old Stage Road in Gualala,” located in the southwestern corner of Mendocino County.” The project included installing over 300 feet of a “new 8-foot diameter fiberglass pipe … to improve drainage and allow fish passage from the Gualala River into China Gulch. Designed with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service, the new culvert includes baffles to aid fish migration by slowing water and creating resting spots.” … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
NAPA/SONOMA
What a sewage spill really does to a river town
“When the Russian River flooded in early January, the wastewater treatment plant outside Guerneville flooded with it. Millions of gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the river over two days. Beaches closed. Warning signs went up. Residents and visitors were told to stay out of the water. Sonoma Water, which operates the facility, warned that untreated wastewater “contains bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can cause illness,” and said contact poses particular risks for children, pets, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. For people, the advice was clear. For the river, there was no choice. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Berryessa Highlands residents to vote on special tax to fund water, sewer systems
“Residents of Napa County’s rural Berryessa Highlands community this month will vote on a special tax intended to balance the budget for the area’s water and sewer systems and make way for needed upgrades. Measure A, if approved by a two-thirds majority of area residents in a mail-in election Jan. 20, would levy a special tax of $1,560 per improved parcel — counting only those with hookups, whether active or not, to the area’s sewer and water systems — each fiscal year for a decade, starting July 1. That money in turn would go toward sewer and water operations, improvements and emergency reserves. Balancing the budget for the Napa Berryessa Resort Improvement District, which manages the systems, would also make the district eligible to apply for state and federal grants to pay for upgrades to the aging facilities. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Ripon working to comply with new water regulation
“Providing safe, reliable drinking water is a high priority in Ripon. At Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting, Public Works Director James Pease addressed this in regards to the drinking water standards established by the State of California and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The City of Ripon’s Well 19, which was constructed in 2022, was recently discovered to contain hexavalent chromium otherwise knowns as Chromium-6. The drinking water locally is routinely tested and the results of those tests are monitored by the City and the State of California Division of Drinking Water in an effort to ensure the concentration of any regulated constituent present in the water does not exceed the allowable regulatory limit. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A data center boom is coming to the San Gabriel Valley. Residents had no idea
“The San Gabriel Valley is quietly emerging as LA County’s next data center hotspot. Monterey Park is the latest example of how local communities here are being blindsided by proposals that drain massive amounts of electricity and water. Many Monterey Park residents said they only found out about the proposal because organizers are taking the lead in informing the community. In city documents, the project applicant is listed as SDCF Monterey Park, LLC, but no companies with that name are registered as businesses with the California Secretary of State. The applicant is proposing to demolish vacant commercial buildings at 1977 Saturn St. and replace them with a 218,400 square foot single story data center that would sit on 15.8 acres, housing computer servers and equipment for “private clients.” However, specific clients are not mentioned in official documents. … ” Read more from the LA Public Press.
Water district and community collaboration creates multi-beneficial bioswale project
“A broad collaboration between a Region 8 ACWA member agency and conservation groups overcame regulatory barriers to create a stormwater capture project — a bioswale that captures stormwater, recharges a local aquifer and benefits wildlife and local education all at the same time. Completed in late 2024, the bioswale came about through a partnership among the Crescenta Valley Water District (CVWD), Los Angeles County Flood Control District, Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy and its affiliated Friends of Rosemont Preserve advisory committee. The project itself is simple: a 3-foot-deep, 600-square-foot depression landscaped with plants native to the preserve. It works by slowing and capturing stormwater flowing out of a canyon watershed in the Rosemont Preserve, part of the western foothills of the Angeles National Forest. Stormwater absorbs into the naturally porous soils and recharges an aquifer that provides roughly half of the Crescenta Valley’s drinking water. … ” Read more from ACWA Water News.
Leaked memo reveals California debated cutting wildfire soil testing before disaster chief’s exit
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s disaster chief quietly retired in late December amid criticism over the state’s indecisive stance on whether soil testing was necessary to protect survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. One year ago, Nancy Ward, then the director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), petitioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency to spearhead the cleanup of toxic ash and fire debris cloaking more than 12,000 homes across Los Angeles County. Although Ward’s decision ensured the federal government would assume the bulk of disaster costs, it came with a major trade off. FEMA was unwilling to pay for soil sampling to confirm these homes weren’t still heavily contaminated with toxic substances after the cleanup — testing that California state agencies have typically done following similar fires in the past. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Seal Beach City Council OKs river trash project agreement
“The Seal Beach council on Jan. 12 authorized the mayor to execute an agreement among Seal Beach, Los Angeles County and The Ocean Cleanup. The agreement is part of the ongoing San Gabriel River Trash Initiative, a long-standing project to address the problem of trash from multiple cities flowing down the river and washing up on Seal Beach’s sands. There was no cost to the agreement at this time, according to the staff report. … ” Read more from the Seal Beach Sun.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea Authority secures $1.76M federal funding for feasibility study
“According to a Jan. 15 press release, Congress has enacted the FY26 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which includes $1.76 million requested by the Salton Sea Authority (Authority) and secured by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) to continue the Salton Sea Imperial Streams Feasibility Study. “It does not fall on deaf ears the lived health and environmental concerns that community residents face stemming from the receding Salton Sea shoreline. With that understanding at my core, I am happy to announce that our advocacy at the federal level has been heard and acted upon by our local federal leadership,” said Riverside County Supervisor and Salton Sea Authority Director and past Authority President V. Manuel Perez in the press release. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego County looking at defenses against potential AI data-center resource binging
“On Wednesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously gave the green light for staff to work on protections for residents related to the costs of large artificial intelligence data centers in unincorporated areas. The board directed Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton “to prepare a report addressed to the board within 180 days that evaluates the potential development of large AI data centers,” according to information on the Wednesday agenda. The report will focus on current or proposed AI data center development, possible impacts on utility rates and infrastructure, and ways to protect residents, according to a statement from Supervisor Jim Desmond, who introduced the motion. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
$3.5M in funding secured to address cross-border pollution in Tijuana River Valley
“Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, Thursday joined Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, in announcing they had secured nearly $3.5 million to help address pollution and trash in the Tijuana River Valley. The money was secured through the Community Project Funding process and is intended for a project to dredge the Smuggler’s Gulch area and remove waste, debris and accumulated sediment. “This funding will help us continue to combat pollution, trash and sediment in the Tijuana River Valley and also reduce flooding risks,” Vargas said. “Our Congressional delegation has secured over half a billion dollars in federal funding to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. While I’m glad to add to that total today, our work is far from over. I’ll continue fighting for the clean water, air and land our communities deserve.” … ” Read more from Channel 7.
Along the Colorado River …
Press release: Imperial Irrigation District works to ensure post-2026 Colorado River plan is lawful, durable, and basinwide
“IID has played a leading role in stabilizing the Colorado River through conservation. Through voluntary conservation programs, since 2003, IID has conserved more than 9 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2025, more than twice California’s annual allocation. The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is actively engaged in the federal process now underway to guide how the Colorado River will be managed after current operating guidelines expire at the end of 2026, emphasizing that the newly released federal draft study provides a broad analytical framework within which a negotiated consensus plan can be developed. … “The Draft EIS is an analytical framework, not a decision document,” said Karin Eugenio, Chairwoman of the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors. “Federal law requires that a broad range of alternatives be studied. IID representatives are already reviewing the document and drafting formal comments to underscore IID’s water rights, ensure existing legal agreements are properly described, and provide input on the various analyses for Reclamation’s consideration prior to the issuance of a final document.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Irrigation District.
SEE ALSO: IID reviews federal study on river operations after 2026, from the Desert Review
One Colorado River option doesn’t require state input. And it could still crash the system.
“As Colorado River rules near expiration, the federal government published Jan. 9 a long-anticipated menu of options for how to replace them and manage the overstressed river basin going forward. The draft report takes five management plans and plugs in different climate forecasts — from optimistically wet to grimly, extraordinarily dry — to try to stabilize the water supply for 40 million people, including much of Colorado. But only one of the possible management plans shows what the Bureau of Reclamation currently has the legal authority to do without approval from the seven basin states, according to the report. And the state negotiators have been at an impasse for nearly two years. That option, called the basic coordination alternative, calls for moderate water cuts in the driest years and would only work for the short term, according to the 1,600-page draft report, called an environmental impact statement, or EIS. “I think they recognize that if they run the basic coordination alternative, and we have bad hydrology — which we’re expecting to have right in the current winter, much less going forward — the system will crash,” Campbell said. “I don’t think they think they could pull it off for very long without that happening.” … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Colorado River experts say some management options don’t go far enough to address scarcity, climate change
“Federal officials have released detailed options for how the Colorado River could be managed in the future, pushing forward the planning process in the absence of a seven-state deal. But some Colorado River experts and water managers say cuts don’t go deep enough under some scenarios and flow estimates don’t accommodate future water scarcity driven by climate change. On Jan. 9, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a draft of its environmental impact statement, a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act, which lays out five alternatives for how to manage the river after the current guidelines expire at the end of the year. This move by the feds pushes the process forward even as the seven states that share the river continue negotiating how cuts would be shared and reservoirs operated in the future. If the states do make a deal, it would become the “preferred alternative” and plugged into the NEPA process. … ” Read more from the Aspen Journalism.
Can the 1944 Water Treaty still hold in a hotter future?
“In 1944, the United States and Mexico signed a treaty to divide the waters of the Colorado River and the Rio Grande, known in Mexico as the Río Bravo. At the time, negotiators relied on optimistic assumptions about river flows, population growth, and the length of droughts. Eight decades later, those assumptions no longer reflect conditions on the ground. A January 2026 study published in the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management by Vianey Rueda and Andrew D. Gronewold examines whether the treaty can still be met under modern climate and water-use conditions. The research focuses on the Rio Grande portion of the treaty, where Mexico is required to deliver water to the United States from six tributaries over five-year accounting cycles. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Commentary: Imperial Valley water security and beneficial use
Paul Magaña writes, “Imperial Valley possesses some of the most senior and secure Colorado River water rights in the western United States. Despite this, the region faces a growing policy and legal risk — not from scarcity, but from persistent underutilization of its allocated water. Over multiple recent years, substantial volumes of water allocated to the Valley were not put to reasonable and beneficial use and were therefore transferred out of the region under established priority and accounting frameworks. Continued underutilization threatens Imperial Valley’s long-term water security, economic stability, and negotiating position in the post-2026 Colorado River operating regime. … ” Continue reading from the Calexico Chronicle.
Trout Unlimited resident river doctor on finding a prognosis for the Colorado
“With a PhD in transnational history of the Colorado River Basin and a background as a raft guide with the Colorado Outward Bound School, [Dr. Sara] Porterfield brings a unique perspective to both the high-level policy discussions happening about the future of this watershed and the impacts of the historically low water levels on communities across the Basin’s seven states. … To mitigate these impacts and present policymakers with examples and options for how best to make the most use out of every drop of water in the basin, Porterfield’s work focuses on connecting TU’s on-the-ground projects to federal policies and programs, such as the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART grant programs, and using TU’s project work to inform our advocacy on water policy in the West. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
Commentary: Lake Powell — running out of room to pretend
Rusty Childress writes, “The white rings on the canyon walls tell a story no one wanted to hear. Each pale band marks where Lake Powell’s water once reached, and each year, the rings climb higher as the reservoir falls lower. What those rings record is not just drought. They record a system running out of room to pretend. At its lowest point in 2022, Lake Powell came within roughly 30 to 35 feet of minimum power pool. Today, it sits about 50 feet above that same threshold. That difference may sound reassuring, but it is not a recovery. It is a narrow ledge. Minimum power pool is not a symbolic line. It is the elevation at which Glen Canyon Dam can no longer generate hydropower and where water delivery becomes risky. Below it, the system starts to break in ways no public messaging can smooth over. Unlike Lake Mead, Lake Powell was not designed for sustained river-level releases at low elevations. As water levels fall, the dam’s ability to move water safely and reliably deteriorates. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.
‘This is about the whole Valley’: Lawsuit fights Southern Nevada Water Authority’s effort to replace grass
“A new lawsuit is accusing the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) of killing thousands of trees and causing millions of dollars in damages in its efforts toward water conservation. This comes after state laws made it illegal to irrigate certain grass areas starting next year. Jenny Edington and her husband Mark, as well as two other plaintiffs are behind the lawsuit. Edington lives in Green Valley and says the park outside of her community is one of the areas impacted. “All this area to the left of the sidewalk is all coming out and then going all the way down this so this entire strip,” said Edington. … ” Read more from Channel 3.
Las Vegas heat islands to get $500K for tree planting
“The Southern Nevada Water Authority minted a deal to put up to $500,000 toward tree planting in the Las Vegas Valley amid community concern that mandated grass removal is killing off existing canopy. Money committed on Thursday will go to Nevada Plants, a nonprofit focused on planting as many trees in the state as possible to combat the urban heat island effect, in which a lack of trees and green spaces amplify extreme temperatures. “It’s getting hotter, and we’re having more heat-related deaths,” said Lisa Ortega, the nonprofit’s executive director and a certified master arborist, in a Thursday interview. “We’ve got to do whatever we can to keep shade.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Sheinbaum floats possible environmental concerns with Arizona’s Mexico desalination plant proposal
“Mexico’s president is calling for environmental studies of an Arizona proposal to build a desalination plant on the Gulf of California. Late last year, an Arizona water agency voted to consider multiple options to increase the state’s supply — including a proposal to build a desalination plant on the Gulf of California. A proposal a few years ago to pump desalinated water near Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, to Arizona was scrapped after concerns from the governor of Sonora. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pointed out at her daily morning press conference Wednesday that desalination plants, generally, can have environmental impacts. “You take the salt out of the water, and then the problem is, what do you do with the salt?” Sheinbaum said. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Forever chemicals and medications detected in Grand Canyon waters
“Scientists have detected “forever chemicals” and traces of pharmaceutical drugs in water sources along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, raising new concerns about how treated wastewater may be moving through one of the nation’s most popular national parks. A recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park Service found that several springs in the area contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, as well as common medications, suggesting that waste from a nearby wastewater treatment plant is seeping back into the canyon through underground fractures. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they do not easily break down in the environment or the human body. The water samples — taken from Bright Angel Wash, Monument Spring and Upper Horn Bedrock Spring — were taken in April 2021. There were no PFAS detections at the other five springs sampled for the study. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
This conference at ASU asks: How can we tap into the water reserves floating in the air?
“Thursday marks the kickoff of the third annual International Atmospheric Water Harvesting Summit, hosted at Arizona State University. Atmospheric water harvesting is an intriguing new frontier in water science. The idea is relatively simple: in addition to harvesting from rivers and recycling groundwater, what if we could tap into the water reserves floating in the air around us? Research into atmospheric water harvesting is still in its early stages. The Show spoke with one of the presenters at this year’s summit: Carl Abadam, a Ph.D. student at the University of New Mexico. Abadam said the first challenge is figuring out how to extract water from the air.” Listen to radio show or read transcript.
Arizona: Wheeling water – without wheels
“The water world is filled with interesting terminology – excess water, firming, intentionally created surplus – to name a few. And then there’s wheeling, which doesn’t have anything to do with wheels at all! Wheeling refers to the use of critical infrastructure – in our case, the Central Arizona Project (CAP) aqueduct – to transport water other than CAP’s normal Colorado River supply. This water is referred to as non-Project water. At the outset, that seems like a very simple concept. Must be a simple thing to do, right? … ” Read more from Know Your Water News.
This new pipeline will keep water flowing for 1.6 million Utahns in a disaster
“Crews are drilling a tunnel in the side of a mountain to reroute a crucial water pipeline that supplies water to more than 1.6 million Utahns along the Wasatch Front. Drills carved away at rock for the 1,000-foot tunnel that will reroute an aqueduct taking water from the Colorado River Basin in eastern Utah down Provo Canyon and into Utah and Salt Lake counties. “In the event of an earthquake this project is to provide us with an opportunity — or the best chance — of providing water,” said Chris Elison, who is overseeing the project for the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. … ” Read more from Fox 13.
Report says New Mexico faces ‘looming groundwater crisis’ from climate change, overuse
“Even as water advocates praised lawmakers’ record funding proposals for aquifer mapping and other water priorities in the upcoming 2026 legislative session, a report urged the Roundhouse to do more to protect the state’s declining groundwater. The New Mexico Groundwater Alliance, made up of water policy experts from around the state, released the 80-page report Wednesday. Groundwater accounts for more than half of New Mexico’s total supplies and about 80% of the state’s drinking water. The report builds on previous findings that the already arid state faces a shrinking supply, estimated to be 25% to 30% by 2050, from hotter temperatures and continued pumping. “New Mexico is at the front lines of climate change impacts, which threatens water resource availability,” the report stated. “Groundwater management is paramount to the resilience of water supplies, communities, and economies for generations to come.” … ” Read more from Source NM.
In national water news today …
Drought in 2025 in 14 graphics
“From the catastrophic wildfires in Southern California to historic low-water levels on the Mississippi River and record-low streamflow in the Northeast, drought and its impacts touched nearly every corner of the country. The year saw the unusual return of two La Niña events and devastating weather whiplash that brought historic floods to drought-stricken Texas. 2025 showed us that drought is even more devastating when compounded with other climate hazards, such as wildfire and flood. This list breaks down some significant drought-related events of 2025 that made 2025 a year of water extremes across the United States. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
Congress passes environmental funding without Trump’s deep cuts
“The U.S. Senate passed a limited spending package on Thursday that will largely fund several science- and land-related agencies, including the Department of Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at current levels. Having passed the House on Jan. 8, the bill now heads to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. The bill was, in many ways, a congressional rebuke of Trump’s request to drastically cut critical federal services related to the environment. “It really shows that our public lands are meant to be managed for everyone in this country and not just private industry looking to turn a profit,” said Miranda Badgett, senior government relations representative for The Wilderness Society. “This bill really rejected some of the reckless budget cuts we saw proposed by the administration that would impact our national public-land agencies.” … ” Read more from High Country News.
Will NEPA rollbacks spell economic growth and efficiency or will the environment bear the cost of deregulation?
“The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws since its enactment on January 1, 1970. Last year, an “interim final rule” was put into effect that rescinded all White House regulations related to NEPA, which had outlined how environmental analyses should be conducted. On January 7, 2026, the Trump administration formally adopted this interim final rule, finalizing rescissions of NEPA mandates. Prior to the rollbacks, NEPA required the federal government to incorporate environmental considerations in their planning and decision making through a systematic, interdisciplinary approach. Specifically, all federal agencies were to prepare detailed statements assessing the environmental impact of and alternatives to major federal actions significantly affecting the environment such as decisions on permit applications, adopting federal land management actions, and constructing highways. These statements are commonly referred to as Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Environmental Assessments (EA). Many states and federal agencies have also developed their own NEPA procedures tailored to the mission and activities of their state or agency. … ” Read more from Goldberg Segalla.
Trump’s EPA is taking itself out of the regulation game
“In the 55 years since its founding under President Richard Nixon, the Environmental Protection Agency has been a regulatory pendulum, swinging between stringent and lax control of air pollution. Under Democratic presidents, the agency tends to clamp down on emissions from cars and smokestacks. Under Republicans, it tends to give automakers and the manufacturing sector more flexibility. When President Donald Trump returned to office last year, climate experts expected him to tilt the balance toward industry as he did in his first term, continuing the ping-pong of the last few decades. Instead, his EPA is going much farther, attempting to eliminate its own power to govern pollution. The agency is soon expected to release its final proposal to repeal the landmark “endangerment finding,” an Obama-era rule that gave it the authority to regulate the greenhouse gases that warm the earth; at the same time, it will also repeal its rule limiting automotive carbon emissions. The agency also confirmed this week that it will no longer quantify the human health benefits of regulating industrial pollution, a changethat could justify far more lenient oversight of toxic emissions from things like smokestacks and power plants. Administrator Lee Zeldin hits the road today for a “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” tour in Michigan and Ohio, during which he will tout Trump’s efforts to relax environmental rules on gas cars. … ” Read more from Grist.
