A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
No Delta smelt found in Fall Midwater Trawl for 8th year in a row
“For the eighth year in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has found no Delta Smelt in their annual Fall Midwater Trawl survey in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta in September, October and November of 2025. The results for December haven’t been compiled yet. The smelt, once the most abundant fish in the entire Delta, is an indicator species found only in the Delta. It’s decline to virtual extinction in the wild is a symptom of s larger decline, the Pelagic Organism Decline (POD), of the once robust open water fish populations of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. The smelt has been demonized as a “worthless minnow” by President Trump and corporate agribusiness interests in the San Joaquin Valley, while Tribes, environmentalist groups and fishing groups point to the key role that it plays in the ecology of the Bay-Delta Estuary. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Right as rain: Salmon surge after consecutive wet years
“In some places, if you don’t like the weather you just have to wait an hour and it will change. That is not always the case though, and three consecutive wet years in California show that some weather patterns may stay for a while. Having three wet years is unusual in this region, in fact, the last time this happened was in the late 1990s. What’s more, these wet years followed three persistent drought years from 2020 to 2022. The typical pattern, at least in recent decades, is to have a series of drought years fall between occasional wet ones (which are often unusually wet). Luckily, there are some fish species jumping at the chance to take advantage of this wet weather pattern, including salmon. … ” Read more from FishBio.
Sites Reservoir Authority pushes for water right approval to avoid costly construction delays
“The Sites Project Authority is eyeing a significant milestone this month in its endeavor to build a new water storage reservoir in Colusa County. They are hopeful to secure a draft water right permit for the future reservoir. The Sites Authority said the State Water Resources Control Board might issue the water right order as soon as this summer. Any delays in issuing the water right could increase the project’s cost by $20 million each month, the group said, adding that time is of the essence. Ali Forsythe, the environmental planning and permitting manager for the Sites Project Authority, highlighted the potential benefits. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
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.
Underneath California Forever
“State Route 12 cut to the horizon line of Solano County. Somewhere out of sight lay the small town of Rio Vista and the Delta. But about an hour northeast of San Francisco, midway through southern Solano, grasses swayed, wicked dry and golden by months of sun, shimmering in the day’s warmth. Al Medvitz and Jeanne McCormack—a few years married, on summer break from their studies at Harvard University in the late ’70s—drove down the road. For McCormack, it was a homecoming to the Rio Vista ranch where she grew up, like her father before her, and her grandfather before him. For Medvitz, this was an inaugural visit to his wife’s family’s roots. Looking out the car window, he took in the uniform landscape and thought: It’s kind of barren. McCormack turned to Medvitz. “Oh, isn’t this so beautiful?” … Season by season, Solano County has won over Medvitz: the bright green of the winter hills, the golden grain in the wind, the thick silver cords of the Delta. He has spent almost 40 years living and farming here. Now, he calls it beautiful, and worries about what might come next. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
Trump administration proposes Colorado River options that could hit California hard
“The Trump administration has released an outline of four new options for dealing with the Colorado River’s deepening water shortages, and they could dramatically cut the amount of water available for Southern California. Several of the alternatives are “alarming” because they could mean major water cutbacks for Southern California, said Shivaji Deshmukh, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District, which distributes water in the region. He said any of the alternatives would likely “lead to lengthy litigation.” “The various alternatives highlight the significant risks we could face if we don’t reach an agreement,” Deshmukh said. “Our Colorado River supply cannot be randomly slashed.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Metropolitan statement on federal release of Draft EIS for Colorado River operations
Metropolitan Water District General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh: “The release of today’s Draft EIS is yet another wake-up call that we need a consensus agreement supported by all water users that rely on the Colorado River. None of the five alternatives analyzed by the Bureau of Reclamation are endorsed by any of the Basin States. The various alternatives highlight the significant risks we could face if we don’t reach an agreement. And implementation of any alternatives would likely lead to lengthy litigation. Several of the alternatives are particularly alarming for Metropolitan, indicating potentially dramatic cuts to our supply. While the people and communities we serve are committed to reducing their use through conservation and investments in new supplies, our Colorado River supply cannot be randomly slashed. Our people, our economy, our state depend on this river – half of the 40 million people who rely on this critical water source live in Southern California. That is why we are so committed to forging a path to sustainability that all states can support. The Draft EIS serves an important role, analyzing a range of possibilities for future operations, but we can do better. We must do better.”
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.
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.
PG&E plans to remove century-old California dams. But there’s a new obstacle: Trump
“The Trump administration is following up on its pledge to try to stop the removal of two dams on Northern California’s Eel River, a move that gives farmers and rural residents opposed to the controversial demolition a welcome ally. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last month filed to intervene in the regulatory proceedings over PG&E’s Potter Valley Project. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is seeking federal approval to retire the hydroelectric enterprise, which comprises the dams in Lake and Mendocino counties, because of the project’s age and high operating costs. Many support the effort as a means of restoring the Eel River and helping struggling salmon runs. Rollins, siding with critics, argues that the power project, which also contributes water supplies to the region, including Sonoma and Marin counties, is the “lifeblood” of local agriculture. She has cast the facility’s dismantling as a threat to American “freedoms” and accused California’s “radical leadership” of prioritizing fish over “hardworking families.” (The state has little say on the matter.) … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
Protecting public health: Inside the Division of Drinking Water
“The State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and reliability of drinking water for communities across the state. With regulatory authority over public drinking water systems, the DDW is responsible for enforcing both state and federal drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This includes overseeing water quality monitoring, permitting, and compliance for thousands of water systems, ranging from small rural providers to large urban utilities. The division also works to protect public health by addressing emerging contaminants, supporting infrastructure improvements, and providing technical assistance to water systems. The November meeting of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council included several presentations from staff from the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water. These presentations provided an overview of the division’s role, explored the complexities of drinking water data, and addressed the challenges posed by wildfires to the safety and reliability of drinking water systems. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
From flames to faucets: Addressing post-wildfire water contamination
“At the November meeting of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council, a comprehensive presentation shed light on the growing challenges posed by wildfires to drinking water systems. The discussion covered wildfire trends and behavior in California, the contamination that can occur in the aftermath of fires, the critical importance of post-fire water quality monitoring and the evolving best practices to address these issues. As wildfires become more frequent and severe, the presentation highlighted actions the State Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water is taking to protect public health and ensure the safety of drinking water systems in fire-affected communities. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
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.
NOTICE: State Water Board announces streamlined water transfer process
“Recent changes to the Water Code have created a streamlined noticing process for those seeking a temporary water transfer approval from the State Water Resources Control Board (Board). This optional process could reduce the maximum processing time for a temporary transfer from 65 days to 55 days by expediting the noticing process. To be eligible for the streamlined process, the Board’s Division of Water Rights must be notified by January 31, 2026 of water rights intending to participate in a transfer during 2026. This notification is considered an “intent to transfer” and is not a commitment to submitting a petition for temporary transfer. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
Brooke Rollins warns California agriculture faces an existential threat
“Speaking at the 107th American Farm Bureau Convention in California, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins delivered a forceful message: agriculture in California—and across the nation—faces existential threats driven by regulatory overreach, rising costs, and state-level policies that put ideology ahead of food security. In her opening remarks, Rollins said she was grateful to be in California for her first visit since being sworn in as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture. She emphasized that while the convention celebrated American agriculture, it also highlighted urgent challenges confronting farmers and ranchers, particularly in states like California. Before turning to policy, Rollins acknowledged the recent passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa, calling it a major loss for rural America and agricultural leadership. She then described a roundtable discussion she had just completed with farmers, ranchers, business leaders, and local officials from Potter Valley, California—many of whom traveled long distances to attend. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
In commentary this week …
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.
National Academies committee misses opportunity to improve management actions targeting the embattled Delta smelt
Dennis D. Murphy writes, “Two years ago, the Bureau of Reclamation engaged the National Academies by sponsoring the Committee on Long-term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The effort was intended to get much-needed direction to guide conservation efforts targeting the beleaguered delta smelt, along with the other imperiled fishes that inhabit or migrate through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Committee empaneled by the Academies, the nation’s top science advisory body, delivered its first report last month. More than three decades after the delta smelt’s listing as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and after many hundreds of millions of dollars spent by federal and state resource-management agencies on “science” targeting the species, Reclamation had formally acknowledged that management actions to alter the downward trajectory of the delta smelt had, in a word, failed. … ” Continue reading at the Center for California Water Resources and Management.
State budget still needs to prioritize safe drinking water
“Governor Gavin Newsom released his final draft California state budget for 2026-2027. Unfortunately, this budget endangers the governor’s legacy of advancing the Human Right to Water that has been a priority of the Newsom administration. While the proposal to appropriate an additional $173.2 million in capital funds from Proposition 4 is needed, we are concerned that the ability to apply those funds to California’s most at-risk households and communities will be compromised if we fail to fully fund the SAFER Program. SAFER provides funds for technical assistance, planning and feasibility studies that must be completed before capital funds can be accessed. The SAFER program makes invaluable investments into small rural communities that need safe drinking water solutions to protect the health of their families. This is a strong effort in the face of a drinking water crisis that will need a $15 billion dollar investment over the next decade. Unfortunately, this year’s shortfall is not a short-term problem; the governor’s budget estimates a nearly $100 million shortfall in SAFER revenues over the next four years. … ” Read more from the Community Water Center.
How the Colorado River impacts the Central Valley
Paul G. Peschel, P.E., a California-licensed civil engineer and water and infrastructure executive, writes, “The Central Valley’s surface water reliability is driven primarily by hydrology and regulation in Northern and Central California (Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed, Sierra snowpack, Delta export constraints), plus the operating and contractual frameworks of the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) and California State Water Project (SWP). The Colorado River does not directly supply the Central Valley; however, Colorado River shortages can materially affect Central Valley water availability through indirect pathways: (1) increased Southern California demand for SWP/CVP supplies and for transferred water originating in the Central Valley, (2) operational coupling in shared infrastructure (notably San Luis Reservoir and south-of-Delta conveyance), and (3) policy and economic feedback loops that alter Delta operations, transfer markets, and funding priorities. … ” Continue reading at Water Wrights.
In regional water news this week …
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).
Marin’s king tide preparations worked — until they didn’t
“Elected officials from Marin communities inundated by flooding this month said they were prepared, coordinated and largely successful — until tidal surges exceeded 8 feet above sea level and raced inland, overwhelming infrastructure and all their efforts. “One of the questions we keep being asked is sort of, why weren’t we ready for this?” said Dan Schwarz, the city manager in Larkspur. “What I’d like folks to understand is we program ahead of time. We monitor those predictions.” “Everyone, not just Larkspur, but all the Marin agencies, were affected,” he said. Larkspur was just one of the communities caught off guard last week as atmospheric river storms teamed up with king tides and southerly winds. The forces sent sea water surging into homes, schools and businesses, swallowed up parking lots and streets and clogged county transportation corridors. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
It’s one of the wealthiest parts of the Bay Area — but can Marin fix its $17 billion problem?
“Marin County got an alarming glimpse of its future last week when it experienced some of the worst flooding in decades — and a reminder of the vast climate challenges that await. With its 70 miles of coastline and 40 miles of bay shore, Marin is one of the counties most vulnerable to sea level rise in the Bay Area. The low-lying areas that flooded over New Year’s weekend — during storms that coincided with king tides — will be inundated more frequently in the future, until some end up permanently underwater. It will cost an estimated $17 billion to protect Marin County from the 2 feet of sea level rise expected toward the end of the century, according to a recent study, and federal grants for climate change projects have disappeared. The county has to balance both long-term and immediate needs that are increasingly overlapping, such as $25 million to fix an aging levee in San Rafael that was damaged during the recent flooding. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Don’t call Ventura County water future ‘fragile’
“Kristine McCaffrey delivered a blunt message to the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board: Ventura County’s water future will be drier, more expensive and less predictable—but it does not have to be fragile. Speaking at the district’s Dec. 10 meeting, the general manager of Calleguas Municipal Water District said the region’s primary water wholesaler is rethinking its long-term strategy after consecutive drought years exposed weaknesses in Southern California’s water delivery system. Calleguas, formed in 1953 to supplement local groundwater, wholesales imported water to 19 retail agencies serving about 650,000 people—roughly three-quarters of Ventura County’s pop- ulation. The agency relies entirely on water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and delivered primarily from Northern California through the State Water Project. … ” Read more from the Camarillo Acorn.
Commentary: We must defend Camarillo’s water future
David Tennessen, Mayor of Camarillo, writes, “Camarillo’s water future is at risk, and it’s important that our residents and state leaders understand what’s at stake. A group of powerful interests called the “OPV Coalition” has sued all groundwater users in the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley basins, including Camarillo, to determine groundwater availability and rights. This coalition, which includes the city of Oxnard, United Water Conservation District, Pleasant Valley County Water District, Marathon Land and other large agricultural landowners, is trying to cut our city’s long-standing share of groundwater — a move that threatens higher water costs and jeopardizes full operation of the city’s North Pleasant Valley Desalter, a $70 million project that removes salts from groundwater to meet environmental mandates while providing clean drinking water. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
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.
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.
