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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Stewardship Council beginning at 9am. Agenda items include 2025 Performance Measures Year in Review, the Delta Lead Scientist report, and an update from the Delta Watermaster. Click here for the agenda.
- WEBINAR: Tribal Stewardship Policy Toolkit Webinar: Tribal Consultation and Engagement for Tribal Stewardship from 3:30pm to 5:00pm. Join the California Natural Resources Agency Tribal Stewardship Policy Toolkit webinar on tribal consultations and engagement for tribal stewardship. This webinar will provide an overview of the CNRA Tribal Consultation Policy and best practices for non-tribal governments, NGOs, and other partners seeking to consult with or engage tribes in the advancement of tribal stewardship. Hear from Agency staff about best practices for conducting early, often, and meaningful tribal consultation and engagement and the role of non-tribal partners in advancing tribal stewardship. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
DWR finalizes Best Management Practices to help address subsidence and protect California’s water infrastructure
“Local groundwater agencies are getting a new resource to add to their water management toolkit – the Best Management Practices for Land Subsidence document newly released by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Finalized after months of development and a robust public review process, the document will serve as a guide for groundwater managers on the basics of subsidence, how to best manage it, and available technical assistance. Subsidence, or the sinking of land, is caused by various factors including excessive groundwater pumping. It is a long-standing water challenge in California and has caused permanent damage to canals, pipelines, roads, and homes across the state. In 2025, DWR released two reports concluding that subsidence has restricted the amount of water delivered to communities through California’s primary water storage and delivery systems – the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The reports also cite that the impacts under California’s changing climate are expected to increase if excessive groundwater pumping continues, underlining the need for state and local officials to work together to protect the infrastructure that millions of Californians depend on for a reliable water supply. … ” Read more from DWR.
Researchers trace climate threat rising beneath California
“Sea-level rise is easy to picture: flooded roads, eroding bluffs, shrinking beaches. What’s harder to imagine is what happens beneath these scenes, out of sight and after the water recedes. As oceans rise, salt water presses inland, lifting the underground fresh water. And in California cities with histories of industrial and commercial use — gas stations, dry cleaners, factories — toxic chemicals in the groundwater can be pushed toward the surface and into buildings where people live and work. Now, two Cal State Long Beach researchers are working to make that invisible threat visible — before it reaches people indoors. Using groundwater monitoring data and artificial intelligence, geologist Benjamin Hagedorn and undergraduate researcher Teddy Custodio have developed a series of maps that show where rising groundwater could push contamination back toward the surface across California, potentially turning long-closed industrial sites into renewed public-health risks. … ” Read more from Cal State University at Long Beach.
From point source to ecosystem: How Operation Baseline advanced Delta science
“Science is an ongoing process, not a one-time study or a single definitive answer. It’s about building knowledge, testing ideas, and refining our understanding over time to inform better decisions. A presentation at the December meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council shows how Operation Baseline exemplifies this process in action. In the 2000s, the Delta’s aquatic food web collapsed, with populations of species such as the Delta smelt and longfin smelt plummeting during the pelagic organism decline (POD). Scientists pointed to potential causes, including water diversions, habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, and contaminants. Among the suspects was the Sacramento Area Sewer District’s wastewater treatment facility, which processed 135 million gallons daily. The ammonium in the discharge was hypothesized by some to disrupt the Delta food web. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Yuba Water announces 25-year extension of the landmark Lower Yuba River Accord
“The State Water Resources Control Board today unanimously adopted an order extending its approval of the landmark Lower Yuba River Accord for another 25 years. Specifically, the board approved Yuba Water Agency’s petition for a long-term extension of the points of diversion and places of use associated with the Lower Yuba River Accord through 2050. The State Water Board’s action followed the completion of a comprehensive environmental review and an evidentiary hearing by the State Water Board’s Administrative Hearing Office. Numerous water agencies submitted letters to the State Water Board supporting extension of the Accord’s water transfer program, citing its many benefits. “We appreciate the State Water Board’s action today, which ensures that the benefits of the Yuba Accord will continue to be realized for decades to come,” said Yuba Water General Manager Willie Whittlesey. “The Accord has served as a model for collaboration and partnership, which has resulted in improved conditions for fish and water security for the people of California. And, it’s proof that when you sit down with people and focus on your common interests, you can accomplish really remarkable things.” … ” Continue reading this press release from Yuba Water.
Sites Project eyes water rights permits
“The Sites Project Authority is eyeing a significant milestone in its endeavor to build a new water storage reservoir in Colusa County. They hope to secure a draft water rights 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 the Appeal Democrat.
Californians have been using far less water than suppliers estimated — what does this mean for the state?
“Water use in California was lower than officials estimated it would be between 2000 and 2020, according to a new report. The findings raise questions about the accuracy of long-term water-demand projections, which could have knock-on effects on costs borne by consumers, but overall the news that water demand is lower than projected is positive for the state and its regular battles against drought, experts told Live Science. “Overall, I think this is a good news story,” Heather Cooley, director of research at the Pacific Institute water think tank in California, told Live Science. “It shows that there are things we can do to ensure we have enough water for people and for nature.” … ” Read more from Live Science.
Lois Henry tells the state’s water story, from sinking land to fallow fields
“The story of California begins with water. Without the mass import of the wet stuff from parts north and east, much of Southern and Central California would be barely inhabitable. No one tells the story of water in California’s heartland in more detail, or with more tenacity, than Lois Henry. She’s a former Bakersfield Californian columnist who six years ago launched SJVWater.org. Mega-farmers, environmentalists and everyday folk read her site to learn about arcane water district policies, the effect of those policies on farmland and fish and for insights on the political intrigue that powers the San Joaquin Valley. People in the San Joaquin Valley pay particularly close attention to the topic because it’s crucial to the success of one of the most productive farm belts in the world. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
New Bay Area city of 400,000 could be built ‘non-stop’ for 40 years
“A new Bay Area city backed by a secretive group of billionaires will be built “non-stop” for 40 years, the project’s CEO said in a news release Wednesday. The announcement further reveals the long-term commitment of California Forever’s backers to creating a new city of 400,000 people, even after polling overwhelmingly indicated locals weren’t interested in the idea. In 2024, reports surfaced that a shadowy group called Flannery Associates had purchased 65,000 largely rural acres around Suisun City and Rio Vista, making it the largest landowner in Solano County. The issue even became one of national security as local politicians said they had no idea who was buying up land near Travis Air Force Base. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO:
- March to Stop California Forever scheduled Jan. 31, from the Daily Republic
- California Forever hopes Trump and union deals make its shipyard dreams come true, from the SF Standard
And lastly … California’s new grid hog isn’t who you think
“The Trump administration slashed electric vehicle incentives last year, sending California sales into a freefall. But state leaders are far from counting out EVs. In fact, they think electric cars are poised to be the top driver of California’s soaring electricity demand for the next 20 years. The California Energy Commission on Wednesday adopted its state energy demand forecast from 2025 to 2045. After decades of relatively stable electricity use, the agency predicts that demand will increase by roughly 50 percent through 2045. And EVs are going to drive a third of that, even given the recent sluggish sales numbers. Data centers, today’s bête noire of energy planners, are in a distant second place, just barely edging out building electrification. “You are seeing EV load basically be double data centers, and there’s a lot of talk about data centers,” CEC Chair David Hochschild said at the meeting. … ” Read more from Politico.
In commentary today …
Commentary: Sacramento banked on collaboration—and it’s paying off
Jim Peifer, Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority, writes, “In the late 1990s, Sacramento-area water providers worked together to address an alarming, decades-long decline in the region’s groundwater supply. Today, that collaboration is producing benefits far beyond groundwater recharge. A recently completed analysis confirms the benefits of groundwater banking—not only on the Sacramento region’s groundwater supplies but also the positive effects groundwater banking is having on our creeks and rivers. Over the last couple of decades, groundwater banking has contributed to a net increase of 14,000 acre-feet of additional baseflow every year to the lower American River. Put simply, groundwater banking actions are providing broad local and regional benefits, including water supply reliability, support for river and ecosystem health, and sustainable groundwater supplies. By improving conditions in rivers and neighboring basins, and supporting water reliability and groundwater sustainability, this approach shows how collaborative management produces durable, multi-benefit outcomes. … ” Read more from the Regional Water Authority.
What we lose if we lose the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Author Heather Bourbeau writes, “The newly designated Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which encompasses 224,676 acres in Northern California’s Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath national forests, is home to bald eagles, black bears, salmon, trout, and many threatened, endangered, or rare species of plants, insects, and animals. It is also home to massive underground volcanic aquifers that supply water to millions of people. While the Sáttítla Highlands is not well known, its ecosystem impacts millions of Californians, including farmers who use the water to feed the nation. President Biden designated Sáttítla Highlands as a national monument in January 2025, just days before he left office. This designation, in theory, prevents industrial energy development and harmful commercial interests, including clear-cutting of forests and hydraulic fracturing. Barely four months later within a wave of administrative actions privatizing and exploiting public land (including the Declaring a National Energy Emergency Executive Order, the Unleashing American Energy Executive Order, and the Executive Order on the Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, among others), President Trump issued a memorandum pushing to rescind the monument’s protected status as a means of combating a national “energy emergency.” … ” Read more from Zocalo Public Square.
SEE ALSO: A California national monument may lose protected status, risking plant and animal life — and water, from Cal Matters
U.S. fruits, vegetables safe from pesticide residues
“While food safety recalls and the outcomes of foodborne illnesses can command much media attention, annual reports like the one just released from the USDA point to the efforts of U.S. farmers and food producers to sell safe food products. A lengthy report titled Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary for the 2024 calendar year revealed that in 2024, “over 99 percent of the samples tested had residues below safe and acceptable chemical residue tolerances established by the EPA with 42.3 percent having no detectable residue.” … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Lake County officials offer sewage spill area residents well testing and repair updates
“Close to 100 community members impacted by a massive sewage spill in the northern part of the city of Clearlake attended a town hall on Wednesday evening to hear the latest about efforts to test wells and help residents try to get back to normal. Wednesday marked 10 days since a 16-inch force main operated by the Lake County Sanitation District ruptured in the area of Robin Lane in Clearlake, spilling an estimated 2.9 million gallons during the 38-hour period of time in which repairs were underway. The town hall, held at Clearlake City Hall, featured updates from county officials and comments from the city manager on the ongoing efforts to clean up the nearly 300-acre spill area and test and clean nearly 100 private wells. A similar town hall was held the week before at City Hall. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
SIERRA NEVADA
The fight to bring a lost species back to a California national park
“For years, biologists observed the last known Cascades frog in Lassen Volcanic National Park as she sat in shallow pools of water, spring after spring, waiting to hear the mating calls of male frogs. The calls never came. Her species had been wiped out from the area by nonnative fish and a deadly fungus, and the lone Cascades frog was the last of her kind left in the park. She was spotted one final time in 2007 before disappearing forever. This past September, a group of scientists trekked into Lassen to reintroduce Cascades frogs to the region’s streams, meadows and lakes, and now the wait is on to see whether the animals will survive the park’s frigid alpine winter. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
$4 million sought from EPA to remove toxic ‘Mount Marysville.’ ‘Hope it works.’
“When “Mount Marysville” will disappear depends on who will pay to haul it away. Marysville officials, after paying to demolish the historic Hotel Marysville and bury its remains in concrete spray, want help with the anticipated multimillion-dollar cost to rid downtown of it. Next week officials plan to apply for nearly $4 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the mound known locally as “Mount Marysville,” and rehabilitate the corner lot where a hotel bearing the city’s namesake once stood. Mount Marysville, encapsulating most of the debris created by the demolition of the fire-ravaged hotel, contains materials with lead and asbestos that may complicate its removal. The full extent of toxins at the site is unknown, as surveyors were unable to measure all the environmental effects as the mound blocks access to the hotel basement, soil and groundwater. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
BAY AREA
Marin Audubon Society aims to buy Novato baylands
“The Marin Audubon Society has signed an agreement to purchase two former tidal marshland properties spanning more than 300 acres in unincorporated Novato. The group, in partnership with Marin Baylands Advocates, aims to raise $3.4 million by June to buy the land. Securing the parcels would be the first step in a major restoration effort that would expand the Bahia wetlands to about double the size. The project would create a contiguous corridor of tidal habitat from Novato through the Petaluma Marsh along the Petaluma River. “I think it’s an exciting opportunity we have to permanently protect these large pieces of land,” said Barbara Salzman, president of the Marin Audubon Society, who orchestrated the deal. “That’s a lot of acreage. We all look forward to restoring them to tidal marsh.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Marin Voice: It’s time for countywide climate resilience district
“So far this winter, we’ve seen two “atmospheric river” storms hit Marin County, along with the highest king tides in this generation. Roads and homes were flooded, levees were breached and our communication lines were broken. Whether we like it or not, this is a precursor of future events that begs immediate further discussion of how we can better prepare for severe future climate incidents that are bound to occur. Rough cost estimates of the public works projects needed to address climate change and sea-level rise in Marin are in the billions. Roads need to be raised. Levees and sea walls must be built. Pipelines and pumps have to be repaired and replaced, and our electrical and communications infrastructure has to be hardened. The challenge is immense. None of Marin’s more than 125 local governments will be able to handle this on their own. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
After king tides swamp Marin, San Rafael weighs billion-dollar defenses against the bay
“The first Saturday of the year was Derek Bentley’s worst nightmare. He was throwing a football in the backyard of his Sausalito home with his jersey-clad sons during a break in the morning’s light rain — mentally preparing to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks — when his phone buzzed. It was a video from the landlord at his karate studio, and he watched in horror as water from San Francisco Bay poured through weak points in an asphalt levee and rushed into the studio. “We were on that high for the big game, but then we were brought down,” Bentley said. “I immediately jumped in the car.” But floodwaters had filled Highway 101, snarling traffic and blocking Bentley’s route. The karate master was gobsmacked. Over two decades as a teacher at Taylor’s House of Karate, a studio owned and operated by his family, he has witnessed countless storms more severe than that day. … ” Read more from KQED.
Major salt pond restoration nears completion in Mountain View
“Yearslong construction work to transform a 435-acre pond once used for salt harvesting into a tidal marsh is wrapping up this month just north of Mountain View’s Shoreline Park. Crews have strengthened levees, extended a public trail and erected islands for wildlife. The four-year project is a small part of the largest wetland restoration effort on the West Coast. All that’s left to do is connect the pond to the creeks flanking it to the east and west, which discharge into the Bay. Over the next few decades, the tides will come up those waterways, bringing sediment into the pond, and plants will establish themselves. The hope is that a healthy marsh will form. “Nature (will) do the actual restoration,” said Dave Halsing, executive project manager of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. … ” Read more from the Mountain View Voice.
San Jose data center is first project to be supplied with power under historic PG&E agreement
“In a major milestone for the city, a data center in South San Jose has become the first project to receive power under a historic agreement with PG&E that guarantees service delivery for large energy customers, adds millions to the city’s coffers, and positions it as a major player for future digital growth. Equinix’s data center campus at 123 Great Oaks Blvd. is adding 20 megawatts of power under the new agreement, bringing the site’s total to 40MW. It will mean additional revenue of approximately $2.5 million annually for the city — enough to fund the equivalent of either 12 new police officers or 25 interim housing units. “Investments like this are how we will continue to make progress toward a city that works for everyone,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said Wednesday. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Conservationists purchase 80-acre Coyote Valley property
“The Peninsula Open Space Trust this week announced the purchase and permanent protection of 80 acres within an ecologically important flood plain and wildlife corridor in Coyote Valley. The 13th such conservation purchase by POST on the valley floor, this property, which POST is calling Midway Fields, enables a critical multi-year restoration of the historic Laguna Seca floodplain to begin, POST said in a press release. This transaction increases the number of protected acres on the floor of Coyote Valley to more than 1,600. Located south of Bailey Avenue and west of Santa Teresa Boulevard, Midway Fields connects to several POST-protected properties that stretch north-south along Fisher Creek. Conserving these 80 acres creates a 1.5-mile contiguous corridor of protected creek-side lands within the 100-year floodplain that extends across 1,000 acres south of Bailey Avenue. … ” Read more from the Gilroy Dispatch.
CENTRAL COAST
Fort Hunter Liggett launches $165 million water infrastructure improvement project
“Fort Hunter Liggett’s aged water distribution system will be replaced with a new and efficient system beginning in the fall of this year. The estimated $165 million project is three-phased and major components include piping, ball valves, butterfly valves, fire hydrants, a 2-million-gallon water storage capacity, and a new water well. “It’s critical that we increase our water resiliency,” said Garrison Commander Col. Jason McKenzie. He adds that the new system helps us comply with the Army’s Net Zero – Water initiative and State/Federal water conservation mandates. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News.
Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project on tap
“Lake Cachuma may be spilling now but that wasn’t the case a decade ago when the Carpinteria Valley Water District saw the need for a locally controlled drought resistant water supply. “We learned this lesson in 2016 when Cachuma was a puddle and we were one year away from severe shortages and all the agencies on the South Coast were really stressed about what are we going to do about this drought in 2016 and 2017, “said the district’s former General Manager Bob McDonald, “fortunately we had some rainfall that saved us, we can’t rely on that in the future, and in the future there is likely going to be a drought that will stress our water supplies and so this will enable us to fill the gaps of droughts in the futures.” … ” Read more from KEYT.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
How California’s flood of 1861-1862 changed the San Joaquin Valley
“To this day, it’s the biggest flood in California’s recorded history. It put Sacramento underwater, but what about this part of the San Joaquin Valley? The local story of the flood of 1861 and 1862, on this edition of KVPR’s Central Valley Roots. On December 9th 1861 an atmospheric river storm hit California. The rain continued, all the way until January 20th 1862. Sacramento saw 37 inches of rain. Much of the capital city was underwater. Governor Leland Stanford took a rowboat to his inauguration ceremony. An estimated 4,000 people died, and damages topped $3 billion in today’s dollars. … ” Read more from KVPR.
Water agency cross connections create conflict for Kings County supervisor
“Agricultural water district representation has always been a bit “clubby,” as most directors are also farmers in those districts. Connections get more complicated for directors with land in adjacent districts that may have opposing policies. Adding groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has only multiplied the many cross connected lines, in some cases creating conflicts. Joe Neves, who serves as a Kings County Supervisor, as well as a director on both the Mid-Kings River and South Fork Kings GSAs decided that was his case and announced Jan. 15 he was offloading his position on the Mid-Kings board. Serving on both boards was “incompatible,” Neves said at South Fork’s Jan. 15 meeting. His resignation came after Neves voted to approve a letter from South Fork opposing Mid-Kings’ draft pumping allocation policy, though he had approved the policy as a member of Mid-Kings’ board. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Allensworth breaks ground on water system
“The State Water Resources Control Board joined the Allensworth Community Service District, elected officials, area residents and local drinking water advocates on Tuesday to celebrate Allensworth’s groundbreaking of a new public water system that will supply the historic community – the only California town founded and governed by African Americans – with safe and affordable drinking water after decades of struggle with water supply and arsenic contamination. The State Water Board provided the town with a $3.8 million grant through its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience, SAFER, drinking water program for construction of a groundwater well and storage tank that will create a sustainable supply of safe drinking water for the first time in the town’s 118-year history. The small, rural community of approximately 500 people has endured poor water quality and drinking water shortages as well as a legacy of racial discrimination that hindered its economic progress. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
EASTERN SIERRA
Starving and stranded: Inside the desperate effort to save 24 wild horses
“The Sunday before last, Blake DeBok snowmobiled out to nine wild horses he was told were stranded in deep snow north of Mammoth Lakes. “As soon as I saw them, it really confirmed that they were in a very serious situation,” the Bishop resident said. Two horses were dead when he arrived, including a foal that appeared stillborn or miscarried. Christmas storms had dumped 5 feet of snow and he surmised that’s when they got stuck — and hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in the weeks since. About a mile or two away, another group of roughly 20 horses was in the same situation. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Metropolitan Water District breaks ground on project to ensure water supplies during severe droughts
“Los Angeles and Ventura county officials Wednesday broke ground on a $280 million pump station project designed to ensure water is available in Southland communities that were hard hit during recent California droughts. The Sepulveda Feeder Pump Stations Project will allow the region’s water wholesaler — the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — to divert water from the Colorado River and Diamond Valley Lake to communities that normally rely on State Water Project supplies. The project will ensure that when water supplies are limited, SWP-reliant communities will have access to water from other sources. … ” Read more from My News LA.
SEE ALSO: Metropolitan breaks ground on $280M project to bring more sources of water to Southern California, from Smart Water Magazine
Video: Where fire hydrants failed, Pacific Palisades residents call for water solutions
“A year after the deadly L.A. firestorms, residents in Pacific Palisades are looking back at a question that spurred outrage and debate: Why did some hydrants lose pressure and run out of water? One resident says he watched his home burn while firefighters stood nearby, unable to use a hydrant. Another resident was prepared when his neighborhood lost water pressure, and tapped into a pool with a gasoline-powered pump. Water managers say L.A.’s water systems were never designed for wildfires that rage through entire neighborhoods, or for infernos intensified by climate change. In light of the disaster, residents and experts are looking to a range of potential solutions to help have more water on hand for firefighting. Proposed ideas include designing new local systems with cisterns, encouraging the use of household firefighting equipment that draws on pools, and having temporary pipes and pumps that can be deployed quickly when a fire erupts.” Watch video from the LA Times.
Monterey Park neighbors push back on proposed data center, citing environmental and health concerns
“Neighbors in Monterey Park protested on Wednesday over a proposed data center in their community. People are worried about the air quality and health impacts that the data center might pose. Eyewitness News spoke to environmental experts and has a response from the company that wants to get the data center up and running. We all shop online, stream videos and use artificial intelligence. Every click, stream and online purchase requires computing power, and that power comes from data centers. The servers at the data centers power social media, cloud storage and artificial intelligence systems, but they also require a lot of electricity and water. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Desert growing pains: The battle over Thermal Ranch
“As the Coachella Valley continues its steady climb, adding over 100,000 residents in just the last decade, the region is facing a familiar struggle: the friction between ambitious development and the people already living there. On a recent Wednesday broadcast of the Roggin Report, host Fred Roggin highlighted a major legal showdown brewing in the East Valley over the proposed Thermal Ranch project. The massive project aims to bring 3,300 horses and extensive residential and commercial facilities to 620 acres of undeveloped land. However, a local group of residents from Thermal, Mecca, and nearby mobile home parks has filed a lawsuit to halt the development. Their primary concern? The environmental impact of 70 tons of manure produced daily, which they argue could devastate the local air and water quality. … ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs.
4 takeaways from KPBS’ investigation into a massive data center project in Imperial County
“Across the United States, a debate is building over the rush to build massive data centers as major tech companies seek to dramatically expand their artificial intelligence capabilities — and more communities push back over the environmental cost. Now, that debate has come to the Imperial Valley. For close to two months, controversy has been building over a one-million-square-foot data center complex planned near residential neighborhoods that are in the small city of Imperial. … The project’s developers are pitching it as an economic boom for the county, a majority-Latino region where jobs are hard to come by. They also say they will take steps to reduce the project’s environmental footprint, including by using recycled water. But many Imperial County residents fear it will strain the rural valley’s power grid and water supply with little benefit for the people who live here. Here are four takeaways from a KPBS investigation into the project … ” Read more from KPBS.
Rep. Raul Ruiz invites EPA Chief to witness New River pollution crisis
“U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D., has formally invited Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit California’s 25th District to witness the ongoing environmental and public health crisis at the New River. In a letter sent to the EPA’s top official, Ruiz emphasized the urgent need for federal intervention to address the waterway, which has long been ranked as one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. The New River, which flows north from Mexicali, Mexico, into the Salton Sea, carries a toxic mix of untreated sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff through the heart of Imperial County. “I invited Administrator Zeldin to visit the district to see firsthand the environmental and public health challenges our communities face due to the New River,” Ruiz wrote in a social media post. “There is an urgent need to protect families and restore this vital waterway.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego secures $4.6M in federal funds for critical stormwater projects
“More than $4 million in federal funding is headed to San Diego for four stormwater infrastructure projects, including drainage improvements on Beta Street in Southcrest, the site of multiple recent floods, officials said Wednesday. The $4.36 million was included in the fiscal year 2026 spending package recently passed by Congress and pushed for by Reps. Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, both D-San Diego. “Investing in San Diego’s stormwater infrastructure is long overdue, and critical to protecting our neighborhoods and reducing flood risk,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I want to extend my sincere thanks to Congressmembers Scott Peters and Juan Vargas for their leadership in securing these funds that will directly support these projects. Their continued advocacy in Washington delivers real results for our communities.” … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
The Tale of Two Sumps: The Salton Sea and Ciénega de Santa Clara
“Most of you have heard that California’s Salton Sea would not currently exist were it not for the nearly 1 million acre feet of agricultural runoff that’s drained into it every year. Paradoxically – the sea is both being kept alive by this salty runoff and being killed by it, in part because the Sea’s evaporation rate of six feet per year is continually concentrating its chemical-laden waters. As you might expect the Salton Sea’s water is dominated by high salinity from salts, which increases dramatically as the lake shrinks. Selenium ranks next as a major metalloid of concern, often reaching ecologically harmful concentrations from runoff. Other notable contaminants include heavy metals like cadmium, copper, zinc, and nutrients driving algal blooms. … ” Read more from Coyote Gulch.
Warm temperatures hamper snowpack formation in Nevada
“Snowpack in Nevada is off to a grim start as high temperatures have prevented snow packs from forming, despite high precipitation. Snowpack in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra – a major source of water for the Truckee River in northern Nevada – are below normal at 74% of median for the time of year. While precipitation in December was well above normal, warmer than normal temperatures mean that has not translated to robust snowpacks throughout much of the state. Most of Nevada’s water supply starts as snowfall that accumulates in the mountains during the winter before melting in the spring, meaning substandard snowpacks can leave the state with a weak water supply. Northern and Eastern Nevada were the hardest hit by the snow drought in December, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultural Natural Resources Conservation Service’s winter outlook report. Snowpack in the Upper and Lower Humboldt River Basin – major sources of water for Elko County – is about 28% of median, a significant decrease from early-December when snowpack in the region was 96% of median. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
Ongoing snow drought could spell trouble for the Colorado River crisis
“You’ve heard of drought — a prolonged period of low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water — and we’ve been dealing with it locally for decades. But have you heard of snow drought? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a snow drought is a period of abnormally little snowpack for the time of year. It can be caused by below-normal precipitation or by warm temperatures, which cause more precipitation to fall as rain. Recent research shows the Western U.S. has emerged as a global snow drought “hotspot” where snow droughts are becoming more common — and we could be facing one this winter. In fact, all major regions in the Western U.S. currently have below-average snowpack levels right now. That includes the Upper Colorado Basin, which feeds the Colorado River. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
ASU, SRP project takes flight to improve water supply forecasting
“Arizona State University and Salt River Project are working with Airborne Snow Observatories Inc. on an innovative project to measure snowpack in the Salt River watershed — providing crucial data to improve water management. For the first time, a collaborative research team is using an airplane equipped with state-of-the-art scanning lidar and imaging spectrometers, along with innovative computational modeling from ASU, to measure snowpack and determine how much water it contains. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed the airborne technology. The data collected during the flights will be analyzed and used to test hydrologic forecasting models developed by ASU Professor Enrique Vivoni with the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. Vivoni is the primary investigator for the joint project. “Mapping snow cover with these airborne technologies is a first of its kind for the state of Arizona,” said Vivoni, also with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. “We are excited about using snow maps in forested regions of the Salt River to improve runoff forecasts and train algorithms that apply artificial intelligence.” … ” Read more from Arizona State University.
A $10 billion data center could rise beside Horseshoe Bend, just outside of Grand Canyon
“Developers in Arizona are planning to build a $10 billion data center next to Horseshoe Bend, an iconic viewpoint along the Colorado River. The 500-acre parcel, located a mile from Horseshoe Bend, was previously protected for outdoor recreation. On October 22, the town of Page sold the property to a company listed as Huntley LLC. for $14,000 per acre—$7 million in total—according to sale documents published online. Developers estimate the build will cost $10 billion and could bring as many as 1,500 jobs to the area, reported the Lake Powell Chronicle. Horseshoe Bend, often called the Grand Canyon’s East Rim, is a U-shaped curve in the Colorado River that twists along a majestic sandstone outcrop. It sits within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page. The area is overseen by the National Park Service. … ” Read more from Outside Online.
Arizona: Storing water for our resilience
The Arizona Municipal Utilities Association writes, “Water security is the foundation of our thriving desert communities. We can’t take our water supplies for granted, which is why AMWUA cities constantly adopt innovative strategies to keep your tap water dependable now and in the future. One effective method is storing renewable water underground in local aquifers—a smart tool for long-term water resilience. Since the 1990s, this practice has expanded our ability to effectively manage water resources. Storing water underground functions as a water savings account for water providers. The AMWUA cities and others have deposited some of their Colorado River or recycled (reclaimed) water into the aquifer. Similar to relying on a savings account during tough times or unexpected challenges, this stored water can be withdrawn to meet community needs during shortages. … ” Read more from KTAR.
How engineers tackled major challenges to deliver US’s largest ACRD dam on schedule
“With Chimney Hollow reservoir’s main construction works now complete, NCE examines the way this unusual type of dam for the US was constructed and the various obstacles the project team had to overcome. After three decades of planning and four years of construction works, the Chimney Hollow reservoir in Northeastern Colorado has been built. It has been designed to have a 110M.m3 storage capacity and once commissioned will supply 37M.m3 of water per year. The reservoir will help local water suppliers meet the needs of the region’s growing population and cover gaps in the network. Located just west of Carter Lake near Loveland, the reservoir will serve 12 providers with around 825,000 customers. The need for a new reservoir was identified 30 years ago, says director of engineering at asset manager Northern Water Jeff Drager, who joined the company during that period. Even though there has been significant investment in the region’s water infrastructure over the last century, resilience issues remain. … ” Read more from New Civil Engineer.
In national water news today …
EPA proposes limitations to states’ Clean Water Act Section 401 permitting power
“On January 15, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule titled “Updating the Water Quality Certification Regulations” (Proposed Rule). This rule implements changes to the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) Section 401 permitting process. EPA intends to narrow the scope of the States’ certification authority to the application of solely water quality-related conditions which may be applied only to the discharge, not the project as a whole. This change, among others in the Proposed Rule, will significantly reduce the ability of States or authorized Tribes to regulate projects through the CWA’s Section 401 permitting process. In this alert, we: 1. Summarize three significant changes to the current Section 401 permitting process set forth in the Proposed Rule 2. Discuss the potential impact of the Proposed Rule on the regulated community 3. Provide information about how to submit comments on the Proposed Rule. … ” Read more from Nossaman.
The planet has entered an era of ‘water bankruptcy,’ according to new UN report
“The world has entered an era of global “water bankruptcy,” as irreversible damage experienced by water systems has pushed many basins around the world beyond recovery, recent research has shown. Some of the worst impacts include chronic groundwater depletion, overallocation of water, deforestation, pollution and degradation to land and soil, according to a report released Tuesday by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). As a result, many regions around the world are experiencing a “post-crisis condition,” which entails irreversible losses of natural water capital and an inability to bounce back to historic baselines, the researchers said. … ” Read more from ABC News.
SEE ALSO: ‘Water bankruptcy’ — U.N. scientists say much of the world is irreversibly depleting water, from the LA Times
By the numbers …
