A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Climate change, the Delta, and its watersheds: What we know, what we don’t, & what surprises might be out there
“California’s climate is changing in ways that challenge our understanding of water management, ecosystems, and infrastructure. From rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns to the intensifying extremes of droughts and floods, the state faces a future of increasing variability and unpredictability. Recognizing the urgent need to understand the rapidly evolving science of climate change and its impacts on the Delta, the Delta Independent Science Board hosted an emerging climate science symposium in September 2025 at UC Davis. The keynote speaker was Dr. Daniel Swain, Climate Scientist with the California Institute for Water Resources, UC Ag and Natural Resources. In his presentation, he discussed the profound impacts of climate change on California’s water systems, including rising temperatures, increasing variability in precipitation, and the intensification of extreme events like droughts, floods, and wildfires. He highlighted the science behind these changes, the uncertainties that remain, and the critical need for proactive adaptation strategies to address the challenges ahead. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
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.
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.
Contract for $6 billion Sites Reservoir advances amid protest, labor concerns
“For decades Sacramento Valley farmers and water agencies throughout California have championed the need for another reservoir to bolster the state’s water supply. But deciding who should build it, as of late, has become more controversial, complicated by pushback from local labor unions. The crowded room where officials gathered to make that decision Friday morning was greeted by more than 100 protesters. Wearing neon vests, work boots and sunglasses, the laborers assembled outside the nondescript building in Maxwell, a small town in Northern California’s Colusa County about 10 miles east of the valley where construction will begin on Sites Reservoir, which is estimated to cost more than $6 billion. Protest chants, claps and accompanying sounds drowned out about 20 minutes of the meeting before organizers quieted the crowd, and the topic shifted to the question of most concern: Who should officials choose for a contract whose scope may eclipse $3 billion of construction over the next several years? … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee (gift article).
Newsom steps into labor fight over Sites Reservoir
“Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping into a labor dispute that could threaten the timeline of one of his flagship water projects: the planned Sites Reservoir north of Sacramento. What happened: Newsom (D) wrote to the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors on Friday expressing concern that the board’s choice to finalize a contract with Barnard Construction Co. to build the roughly $6.8 billion reservoir was alienating unions. “The Construction Manager you select must ensure that the project’s ambitious timetable is not disrupted by the potential for labor unrest,” Newsom wrote. “I am concerned that the Authority’s consideration of this role, thus far, has not fully considered the importance of maintaining strong labor relations, which is critical to the timely completion of the project.” … ” Read more from Politico Pro (sorry, subscription required).
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.
Potter Valley water fight intensifies: Todd Lands warns “This could happen anywhere in California”
“The January 23 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered one of the most emotional and urgent interviews of the year as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill zeroed in on the growing crisis in Potter Valley—a Northern California farming region now facing the potential removal of two dams that support water, jobs, and everyday life for hundreds of thousands of people. Papagni opened the show by saying this issue should stop every listener in their tracks, because what’s happening in Potter Valley isn’t just a local fight—it’s a warning for rural communities across the state. The guest was Todd Lands, Vice Mayor and former Mayor of Cloverdale, who explained how the Potter Valley Project depends on two dams: Scott Dam (which forms Lake Pillsbury) and Cape Horn Dam, which diverts water to help create Lake Mendocino and supports power generation. … ” Read more or listen to radio show from Ag Net West.
Four years of innovation and teamwork: DWR applies science and engineering to support winter-run chinook salmon on the McCloud River
“On the waters of Northern California, just off of Shasta Reservoir, a bold four-year pilot study is wrapping up that could help change the future for one of the state’s most endangered species: winter-run Chinook salmon. Led by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), with support from state, federal, and Tribal partners, this effort aims to give this species a fighting chance to complete their life cycle and reconnect to the habitat they need to survive. Shasta Reservoir serves as an important piece of water infrastructure, providing essential water supply and flood control for the region. However, the construction of Shasta and Keswick dams blocked access to historical high-elevation, cold-water habitats that are vital for native fish populations, such as winter-run Chinook salmon. Today, these populations face significant challenges, emphasizing the need for continued investment in cold-water solutions so that the species can survive in the Sacramento River watershed as the climate warms. Recognizing the need for action, a coalition of agencies and partners launched an ambitious four-year pilot study to reconnect these fish with the cold-water habitat they need while also devising a way for the fish to continue their migration to the ocean after hatching. The study aims to safely capture juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon before they enter Shasta Reservoir, carefully place them in transportation containers, and then drive those containers downstream, bypassing the dams. … ” Read more from DWR.
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.
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.
As EPA ponders Clean Water Act, activists say business eclipsing environment
“The long-term health of the ocean off the coast of Southern California, and the health of the region’s freshwater streams and rivers and lakes, soon could hinge on the Trump administration’s definition of a single word: ditch. The Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of sorting out which of the “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS – the creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands, oceans, and, yes, in a few cases, ditches – should still be protected from pollution by the Clean Water Act of 1972. At least some of the proposed new rules could result in more pollution in Southern California’s vast network of paved flood control channels, which soon could be viewed by the federal government as “ephemeral ditches.” That, in turn, could translate into a dirtier Pacific and dirtier rivers and creeks. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Imperial Irrigation District advances voluntary conservation efforts to support Lake Mead and the Colorado River System
“The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Board of Directors has approved the continuation of the District’s Deficit Irrigation (DIP) program during its January 20 meeting, advancing the program for 2026, reinforcing ongoing efforts to protect Lake Mead and the Colorado River system. Now in its third year, IID’s DIP program continues to yield reliable, measurable conservation when participating growers voluntarily refrain from irrigating select crops on a temporary basis, allowing the water to remain in Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir. “IID and its growers are champions when it comes to conserving water and helping the river, and we’re happy to work with them to continue this successful program this year,” said IID General Manager Jamie Asbury. “We are grateful for our collective efforts and look forward to continuing successful conservation goals.” … ” Continue reading this press release from IID.
Governors of Colorado River states summoned to DC in hopes of breaking negotiations impasse
“Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has invited all seven Colorado River Basin governors and their negotiators to meet in Washington D.C. next Friday as states approach a federal deadline to reach a voluntary agreement to replace river operating guidelines. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and the state’s top river negotiator, Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Enstminger, are planning to attend the meeting, according to a spokesperson for Enstminger. The Bureau of Reclamation – which manages water in the West under the Interior Department – initially gave states until Nov. 11 to submit a preliminary agreement for a plan that could replace the river’s operating guidelines set to expire at the end of 2026. But after states missed the deadline, the Bureau extended the deadline to submit a seven-state agreement for post-2026 operations to Valentine’s Day. A similar meeting of governors to discuss the status of negotiations was planned for December, but was cancelled due to scheduling challenges. River negotiators for Utah and New Mexico said they could not accept the December invitation because their state governors had prior commitments that could not be moved. … ” Read more from the Nevada Current.
In commentary this week …
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
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.
How groundwater banking today secures Sacramento’s water future
Jim Peifer, executive director of the Regional Water Authority, writes, “For generations, Californians have relied on the Sierra snowpack as a critical part of our water supply — providing about a third of the water we depend on each year. Times are changing. While California’s weather has always had its swings, the long-term reliability of that natural storage system is now at risk. Climate change is expected to significantly reduce the water historically supplied by snowpack, and this winter is demonstrating what that shift looks like. In the Sacramento region, water agencies have a proven way to manage that kind of variability: the Sacramento Regional Water Bank. While the state may be drought-free for the first time in 25 years, the goal is to always be ready when the weather inevitably turns dry. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
San Joaquin County’s court victory against the Delta Tunnel a win for common sense
San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding writes, “On New Year’s Eve, the Third District Court of Appeals handed the Delta a decisive victory. The court ruled that California lacks legal authority to issue billions in bonds for the Delta Tunnel without explicit legislative approval. This is not a technicality — it is a fundamental reaffirmation that major projects affecting our communities cannot be engineered in backrooms by bureaucrats. As lead supervisor of the Delta Counties Coalition, I could not be prouder of what San Joaquin County accomplished alongside four other Delta counties. We fought this battle because rural communities deserve to be heard when decisions affecting our future are made. And we won. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel.
Editorial: Our water problems are compounding, and time to act is running out
“The situation with water in California has always been fraught. Ever since the postwar boom in population, the state has struggled with various interests over the limited supply. The 1974 movie “Chinatown” about the political machinations behind expanding water service to the state, remains as relevant as it was when it was released more than 50 years ago. These days we can add global climate change into the cauldron. The Zone 7 Water Agency, which wholesales water to the Tri-Valley, is in the process of planning infrastructure projects that will help the region cope with more frequent and bigger floods. The projects have not been selected yet, nor has a price tag for any of them been determined. But you can bet they will be expensive. The projects will be even more expensive if we do nothing to halt an ever-warming climate. … ” Continue reading at the Livermore Independent.
State legislators rushed SB 131—the time to fix it is now
Jennifer Ganata, Legal Department Co-Director for Communities for a Better Environment, writes, “In the closing days of last year’s budget negotiations, California lawmakers approved Senate Bill 131, a far-reaching policy change that reshaped the state’s environmental review system with little warning and even less public discussion. Folded quietly into the budget, SB 131 carved out a sweeping exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for a broadly defined category labeled “advanced manufacturing.” It marked the first time the Legislature has so broadly exempted whole classes of industrial, often polluting, development from California’s bedrock environmental law. The full danger to California’s communities of passing SB 131 will depend on how quickly lawmakers fix their mistake. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
Laws protecting endangered plants are now endangering lives and property
Columnist Susan Shelley writes, “Earlier this month, the outgoing chief of the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District wrote a blistering letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Department of Parks and Recreation Director Armando Quintero. “Governor Newsom, this letter is a direct request for your intervention,” Chief Paige Meyer wrote. The fire chief asked for immediate executive action to address wildfire risk after the California State Parks largely blocked a life-saving wildfire mitigation program. The fire district developed and funded a “comprehensive, science-based” plan to identify and mitigate wildfire risk in areas the state itself had identified as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. But because some of the land was State Parks-owned, the plan didn’t work out as planned. Due to restrictions on what could be cut, where and under what conditions, the wildfire mitigation that was planned for 300 acres was completed on only 22. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
Interior Department needs to address drought’s impact on Colorado River
Ron Rudolph, former assistant executive director of Friends of the Earth, writes, “There is an urgent need for the Department of the Interior to begin planning for ways to increase the amount of water that can flow through or around Glen Canyon Dam, which impounds the Colorado River to form Lake Powell. The persistent drought in the Southwest, combined with the dam’s structural flaws, limits the amount of water that can be released from Lake Powell through the dam. This combination increases the probability of mechanical failure at the dam, and heightens the likelihood of water supply disruptions for millions of people who depend on water released from the dam in communities throughout Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico. It also threatens the productivity of more than a million acres of farmland that is sustained by the Colorado River, and unless action is taken, assures an endless cascade of costly litigation about how to allocate a dwindling water supply. … ” Read more from the National Parks Traveler.
Clarity for farmers, not confusion: Getting WOTUS right
Dan Keppen, Executive adviser, Family Farm Alliance, writes, “For family farmers and ranchers across the American West, water is not an abstraction. It is the lifeblood of rural communities, regional food systems, and national security. That is why the federal government’s ongoing effort to redefine “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) matters so deeply to those who live and work on the land every day. The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deserve credit for attempting to bring the WOTUS definition into alignment with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA. That ruling made clear what many farmers have long argued: federal Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction is not limitless. It applies only to relatively permanent waters and wetlands that are truly indistinguishable from them because of a continuous surface connection. Yet good intentions are not enough. As currently drafted, parts of the proposed rule risk re-creating the very uncertainty that Sackett was meant to resolve—especially for irrigated agriculture in the West. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
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 this week …
Klamath Water Users Association calls new water framework ‘a path forward’ for Basin
“In what the Klamath Water Users Association is calling “a major step toward securing the future of the entire Klamath Basin,” the Bureau of Reclamation has completed a reassessment of how the Endangered Species Act is applied to the Klamath Project. “Following bipartisan federal legislation in early 2025 and updated guidance from the Department of the Interior, this reassessment takes a detailed look at over 150 water supply contracts and analyzes where Reclamation does and does not have discretion over water deliveries under existing contracts,” the KWUA stated in a news release. KWUA called the action a necessary step to defining Reclamation’s authority in the Klamath Project before Reclamation develops an operation plan to deliver water to farms and national wildlife refuges. “Most importantly, it ensures water is managed to support farms, wildlife, refuges, and local communities while staying fully compliant with federal law,” KWUA explained. … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Supervisors approve $750,000 for water tanks 10 days after Clearlake sewage spill
“Ten days after a three-million-gallon sewage spill left some Clearlake residents without clean running water, the Board of Supervisors approved a $750,000 budget resolution to purchase and fill water tanks for affected households during a special meeting on Wednesday. The discussion began with District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, whose district is ground zero for the incident, requesting a $500,000 transfer from the general fund reserve to the Lake County Sanitation District’s Southeast Regional System to purchase water tanks for residents advised not to use their private wells due to contamination concerns. “We need to provide a certain level of dignity and quality of life back to the people that are living in those areas,” said Sabatier. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
Nearly one million salmon released into California [flooded] rice fields to aid survival and growth
“Nearly one million young salmon are being released this week into flooded rice fields near the Yolo Bypass. The project is a partnership with stakeholders from the Bridge Group and the Coleman National Fish Hatchery. The juvenile fish, called salmon fry, will spend several weeks growing in the shallow fields. After that, they will swim into the Sacramento River and begin their trip to the Pacific Ocean. The effort is based on scientific research showing flooded rice fields can help young Chinook salmon grow and survive. A study published in the journal PLOS ONE says much of the natural floodplain habitat salmon once used in California has been lost. … ” Read more from KRCR.
$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.
Baykeeper sues San Leandro scrap recycler over alleged San Francisco Bay pollution
“An environmental organization has filed suit in federal court in San Francisco asserting that polluted stormwater from a San Leandro scrapyard operation is draining into San Francisco Bay. San Francisco Baykeeper, a nonprofit based in Oakland, alleges that Alco Iron & Metal Co., headquartered in San Leandro, has repeatedly violated the federal Clean Water Act by allowing stormwater runoff contaminated with metals from its recycling operations to be discharged into the Bay. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
Reforming rules to speed adaptation
“As the Bay Area races against time to protect itself from rising seas, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is poised to consider a package of amendments to its permitting regulations aimed at accelerating the development of shoreline adaptation projects. The effort is one of several regional and statewide initiatives designed to tackle rules and regulations that can impede progress on wetland restoration, levees, and other flood-buffering projects. “We’re [working] to make things easier and faster for everyone,” says BCDC Regulatory Director Harriet Ross, noting that the proposed changes stem from a yearlong review of the agency’s permitting process. “The bottom line is that we’re trying to do permitting more quickly, with a special emphasis on getting climate adaptation projects in the ground faster.” … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
Pumping allocation described as “necessary evil” approved by Kings County groundwater agency
“The South Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) approved a pumping allocation during a Jan. 15 board meeting. The policy will allow Lemoore-area pumpers to extract a base amount of .86 acre feet per acre of land. “I think it’s a necessary evil, but it scares me and it’s going to be real expensive and I don’t know how long it’s going to last. I don’t think it’s sustainable for the farmer. It might be sustainable for the groundwater, but it’s not sustainable for the farmer,” Board member Ceil Howe said before the vote. The pumping allocation policy is just one piece of the puzzle to ensure that the GSA complies with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which aims to have local entities bring aquifers into balance by 2040. Pumpers that disregard the base allocations and overpump will pay $500 per acre foot above the base and will see a reduction in next year’s allocation. A pumping fee for the base allocation will also be set by the board at a later time. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
New LA County pumping station to beat gravity and ensure water delivery during drought
“Los Angeles and Ventura county officials broke ground Wednesday on a $280 million pump station project designed to ensure water is available in Southern California 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. When the project is completed in 2029, MWD will be able to deliver as much as 22,000 acre-feet of water to SWP-dependent areas during times of severe drought. An acre-foot of water is roughly 326,000 gallons, enough to serve about three families for a year. … ” Continue reading from the LA Daily News.
Building the future for Southern Steelhead: A look back at the inaugural Southern Steelhead Symposium
“Steelhead are iconic and culturally significant, but their importance is not JUST about the fish — they are keystone species that serve as both important predators and prey within their ecosystems. As watershed indicators, their presence signals the overall health of an entire watershed. But Southern steelhead face mounting challenges that mirror the struggles of the urbanized environment they call home: habitat loss, passage barriers, degraded water quality, climate change, and even poaching. As Camali Lopez, Tribal Liaison, Southern Steelhead Coalition shared in his opening remarks at the Symposium, “This gathering is able to bring together our dreams, our different speculative reasonings, our understandings of the world and build that into the future.” For a species whose range stretches from Santa Maria to Mexico, traversing both aquatic and marine environments, collaboration across this vast geography is essential for species recovery. The needs of steelhead in San Diego differ significantly from those in Santa Barbara, making multi-stakeholder coordination critical for recovery efforts. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
The plan to build massive data center in Imperial County — without environmental review
“For more than a year, a mammoth $10 billion data center project has been quietly moving forward in the heart of California’s Imperial Valley. The nearly-one million-square foot computing warehouse is intended to power artificial intelligence development for one of the country’s biggest tech companies. By some estimates, it could rank among the largest data centers in the world. The facility could consume almost double the amount of electricity that the entirety of Imperial County used in 2024, according to state data and estimates shared by the project’s developer. It could also need 750,000 gallons of water per day. … ” Read more from KPBS.
