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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Sacramento/Delta updates to the Bay Delta Plan beginning at 9am. The State Water Board will receive public comments on the December 2025 revised draft updates to the Sacramento/Delta portion of the update to the Bay Delta Plan and Chapter 13 of the draft Staff Report. Click here for the notice. Click here for the agenda.
- MEETING: Delta Conservancy Board Meeting from 9am to 1pm. Agenda items include Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program Update; Consideration of CEQA responsible agency findings and amendment to budget and scope of Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation Program Agreement for Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Habitat and Drainage Improvement Project, Phase Two; Community Enhancement Program Update; Delta Conservancy 2025 Annual Report; Delta Carbon Program Update; Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination Team Update, DWR Multibenefit Restoration Program Update, Delta Stewardship Council Update, and Delta Protection Commission update. Click here for more information.
- WEBINAR: What’s Happening on the Colorado River? Securing Water Sustainability across Seven States from 12pm to 1pm. The Colorado River Basin provides water to 40 million Americans – half who live in California – and is the lifeblood to farming communities across West. Climate change is drying the basin and far less water is available than was allocated decades ago. Time is short to achieve an agreement to manage water supplies across the region by the end of this year when the current 20-year agreement ends. Join us to learn more about this vexing environmental challenge, what California is doing about it, and the prospects for a shared solution across seven states. Click here to register.
- SoCAL WATER DIALOG: Building Consensus – Perspectives from across the Colorado River Basin from 12pm to 1:30pm. The Colorado River provides an essential water supply for 40 million people in the West — 19 million of them live in Southern California. It also supports a $3 trillion GDP. But right now its main reservoirs Powell and Mead sit at 27% and 33% full, respectively, so talks are underway to establish new operating guidelines for the River. Join us, as we hear different perspectives from across the Colorado River Basin and discuss how we can work together to save this river on which so many depend. Click here to register.
- MEETING: San Joaquin River Restoration Program Water Management Technical Feeback Meeting from 3pm to 4pm. The San Joaquin River Restoration Program will again be hosting a Water Management Technical Feedback meeting during the Mid-Pacific Water Users Conference in Reno, NV for those available in person. Attendance by phone and/or Microsoft Teams will also be available as provided below. Further meeting details and the agenda will be posted online at: restoresjr.net/newsroom/technical-feedback-meetings/ Microsoft Teams: Link available HERE, Meeting ID: 282 100 167 013 06, Passcode: G4SW3L9f Call-in: 1-202-640-1187, Passcode: 102 470 231#
In California water news today …
New rules change how La Niña and El Niño are classified. Here’s what that means
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is updating the way it classifies El Niño and La Niña with an index that accounts for the effects of climate change. More La Niña and fewer El Niño declarations are possible as a result of the new scale, which weighs the long-term warming trend of oceans. El Niño and La Niña are periods of ocean temperature extremes in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean. When sea-surface temperatures are at least 0.5 degrees Celsius above normal in this region for five consecutive months, El Niño is declared. Scientists diagnose La Niña as cooler than normal waters. Previously, “normal” was defined by a 30-year average of sea surface temperatures in the east-central equatorial Pacific. Now the anomaly threshold is computed in the context of broader ocean temperatures. More specifically, the index subtracts the temperature anomaly of all global waters within 20 degrees of the equator from this small region in the Pacific tropics. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump and Newsom are both tugging at water supplies. Trump is winning.
“President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are so in sync on California water that they’re in a race to capture as much of it as possible — possibly even at each other’s expense. Trump and Newsom’s relative alignment on water issues has been good news all around for farmers and cities that draw from both sides of the state’s main water hub: the federally run Central Valley Project and the aptly named State Water Project, which is state-run. Water deliveries have ticked up, mostly as a result of back-to-back wet years but also as a result of loosened environmental rules on both sides, much to the chagrin of environmental groups concerned about the collapse of endangered fish populations in the sensitive Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But the feds have been steadily squeezing out more water over the course of the past year — to the point where state customers are getting worried that their own supplies could be in jeopardy. … ” Read more from Politico.
Environmental advocates and tribes call for equitable alternatives to voluntary agreements ahead of Bay-Delta Plan hearing
“Environmental advocates and Tribal leaders today spoke out against the inequitable and misleading Voluntary Agreements within the latest Bay-Delta Plan update – a critical policy governing water quality, river flows, and ecosystem protection for California’s largest and most fragile estuary – during a virtual press conference. A key component of the updated Bay-Delta Plan is the State’s proposed Voluntary Agreements (VAs), privately negotiated deals in which powerful water districts offer limited flow commitments and funding in exchange for exemptions from stronger, enforceable regulatory requirements. Speakers criticized the VA approach as scientifically unsound and lacking adequate accountability and protections. Instead, these VAs or “deals” between the State Water Board and water agencies were developed without input from communities that rely on a healthy Bay-Delta ecosystem , such as tribes, environmental justice groups or fishing communities. With current water diversions, California is already facing a third straight year of commercial salmon season closure, the collapse of native fish populations with eight species on the endangered list and frequent toxic algae blooms. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
A year-and-a-half after their discovery in the California Delta, the golden mussel has few solutions but the potential for plenty of problems
Xavier Mascareñas / DWR
“Perhaps the greatest threat to California’s extensive system of connected waterways is a foreign invader that ranges from 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Since the golden mussel was discovered in October 2024, there have been a variety of approaches to limit their spread to the California Delta and the waterways of the State Water and Central Valley Water Projects. The Department of Water Resources is currently investigating methods of eradication, including chlorine, ultraviolet light, and chemical solutions, but nothing seems to stick except the mussels to every available submerged surface. Within 15 months from discovery at the Port of Stockton in October 2024, the golden mussel is now found as far south as Silverwood Reservoir in San Bernardino County, the Coastal Aqueduct in Kings County, the Delta Mendota Canal, and Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles County. … ” Read more from Western Outdoor News.
Invasive mussels spread, could clog irrigation systems
“Since the non-native golden mussel was first discovered in October 2024 in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the potentially pipe-clogging mollusk has spread as far south as Riverside County. Invasive pest management experts acknowledge eradication is likely impossible. They say the goal now should be to protect noninfested water bodies from mussel introductions. But it won’t be easy. “Preventing spread to areas that receive delta water via the California Aqueduct is a large challenge,” said Tanya Veldhuizen, program lead for the State Water Project Aquatic Nuisance Species Program. “Currently available technology to prevent the transfer of mussels is very limited and applicable to only very small volumes of water.” Already, the golden mussel has disrupted maintenance activities at the Port of Stockton and a handful of water providers, and its impact is only expected to grow. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Tire manufacturers cast doubt on lab studies as trial over toxic roadway runoff continues
“Studies concluding that a chemical additive in car tires is leaching into rivers and killing protected fish species did not consider key factors and do not reflect the reality of fish in West Coast waterways, tire manufacturers told a federal judge during a bench trial in San Francisco, California, Monday. After a three-day trial, the judge will determine whether tire manufacturers — including Bridgestone America, Goodyear Tires and Michelin North America — are violating the Endangered Species Act by harming protected and endangered fish species like coho salmon, steelhead trout and Chinook salmon. The plaintiffs claim the tire manufacturers make or distribute products that contain an additive called 6PPD, a chemical that ultimately transforms into 6PPD-quinone when it reacts with ozone. As the tire interacts with the environment and roads, 6PPDQ leaches onto hard surfaces. When it rains, the chemical falls into rivers and other waterways, where it can kill fish in a matter of hours, they add. … ” Read more from Courthouse News.
SEE ALSO: Fishermen Sue Tire Manufacturers Over Chemical Linked to West Coast Salmon Deaths, from Active NorCal
California Trout launches State of the Salmonids III, a once-a-decade scientific assessment to guide the future of California’s rivers
“California Trout (CalTrout) today announced the launch of State of the Salmonids III (SOS III), a comprehensive, once-a-decade scientific assessment of the status of all 32 native salmon, steelhead, and trout species in California. Building on previous assessments released in 2008 (SOS) and 2017 (SOS II), SOS III will deliver the most current, credible, and transparent evaluation of salmonid population health across the state—at a time when California’s rivers and streams are undergoing rapid transformation. California’s freshwater ecosystems are at a crossroads. Climate change, warming waters, altered landscapes and flows, and intensifying demands on water are reshaping rivers that once supported abundant fish populations. Salmon, steelhead, and trout are not only iconic species—they are indicators of watershed health, and their fate is inseparable from the future of California itself. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
Partnership advances water quality protections for critical California salmon waters
“California Trout (CalTrout), Trout Unlimited (TU), CalWild, and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (North Coast Water Board) today announced a partnership to work towards Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRW) designation for two important tributary streams to the South Fork Eel River: Cedar Creek and Elder Creeks, and key feeder streams to these waters. If approved, Cedar and Elder Creeks would be among the first riverine ONRWs in California — building on existing designations for Mono Lake and Lake Tahoe and advancing statewide climate and biodiversity goals on public lands. ONRW designation is reserved for waters with exceptional water quality and unique ecological, cultural, recreational, or scientific values associated with that water quality. This designation is one of the strongest legal mechanisms available to protect water quality under the Clean Water Act. ONRW designations prohibit any actions that would permanently degrade the existing water quality, while allowing short-term impacts from activities such as restoration and fuels reduction projects, road repair, or fire suppression. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
Westlands Water District lauds the Lower Yuba River Accord as model for collaborative water management
“Westlands Water District (Westlands) welcomes the State Water Resources Control Board’s unanimous approval of a 25-year extension of the Lower Yuba River Accord (Accord), a landmark, multi-benefit agreement that will remain in effect through 2050. The Board’s vote extending the Accord’s points of diversion and places of use demonstrates that collaborative, science-based solutions deliver stronger environmental and water-supply outcomes than prescriptive, one-size-fits-all mandates. The Lower Yuba River Accord is widely recognized as a national model for resolving complex water challenges through collaboration. Developed as an alternative to prescriptive regulatory requirements, the Accord brought together state agencies, local water managers, environmental interests, and water users to create a durable, science-based, flexible framework that benefits fish, communities, and farms alike. This model serves as a template for future endeavors to tackle California’s intricate water challenges. … ” Read more from Westlands Water District.
One of the largest freshwater fish seen at new Big Notch Project for first time
Photo taken November 18, 2025. Andrew Nixon / DWR
“What’s considered one of the largest freshwater fish in North America was observed on camera for the first time moving through a recently completed Sacramento Valley fish passage project. A sturgeon measuring more than 5 feet was captured on sonar while swimming through the Big Notch Project in Yolo County, California Department of Water Resources officials announced on social media Monday. Gary Pitzer, a public information officer with the department, told FOX40.com it was the first sturgeon they have positively identified at the facility. They have since detected two others passing through Big Notch, he said. … ” Read more from Yahoo News.
Snowpack boost needed for California water supply
“Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada got off to a slow start this winter as warmer temperatures and dry weather limited snow accumulation. The snowpack supplies a large portion of California’s water. However, a series of storms in December and into January helped rebuild some of that snowpack, improving conditions across the range. Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, says winter storms in the coming months could boost snow levels and bring totals closer to average before the spring melt begins. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
California has plenty. So why do millions still struggle for food, water, and basic safety?
“People need three basic things: water, food, and safety. Without these essentials, we cannot survive, much less thrive. When we have them, it can be easy to take these essentials for granted. For many of us, we turn on the tap, and clean water fills our cup. Go to the grocery store, and food options abound. Walk around the block, and it’s safe enough to let our guard down. But while standard expectations to some, these everyday moments of basic well-being and security are far from guaranteed for millions of California residents. In a state of plenty, why do some people still struggle to meet their most basic needs? And what can we do to fix that? In the summer of 2024, the Possibility Lab invited public policy researchers from across California to share their ideas on addressing these questions. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California’s largest new reservoir in decades secures federal approval
“The U.S. Department of the Interior approved a major California water project on Friday, clearing a key obstacle for a massive new reservoir. The proposed 1.5 million acre-foot Sites Reservoir would store water from the Sacramento River and distribute it during droughts to several parts of California, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, Southern California and the Bay Area. Stretching about 4 miles across and 13 miles north to south, it’s meant to provide water to approximately 24 million people, and it would mark California’s first major reservoir project since 1979, when New Melones Lake was completed. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
San Luis Reservoir expansion advances as cost and funding questions continue
“Plans to expand San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos continue to move forward as federal and state agencies evaluate long-term water supply needs and infrastructure requirements. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the proposal would raise B.F. Sisk Dam by approximately 10 feet, increasing reservoir storage by about 130,000 acre-feet. Federal project documents state that the additional capacity would improve water supply reliability for existing south-of-Delta water contractors and wildlife refuges. … ” Read more from the Los Banos Enterprise.
How logging and mining can threaten clean water
“When you think about clean water, forests probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind. But across the country, wild forests play a quiet, essential role in protecting the water we drink and the rivers, lakes and streams we rely on. Trees help generate rainfall, filter pollution before it reaches waterways and reduce harmful runoff that can contaminate drinking water and fuel algal blooms. But how exactly do forests help keep our water clean and flowing? And what happens when those forests are lost or degraded? … ” Read more from Environment America.
DWR releases subsidence best management practices
“On January 21, 2026, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) published its Best Management Practices of the Sustainable Management of Groundwater – Land Subsidence (Subsidence BMPs). The press release details the importance of addressing subsidence, which costs Californians hundreds of millions of dollars annually, largely through damaging public infrastructure and reducing water deliveries. … According to the BMPs, subsidence in California is a significant issue largely because it leads to damage to infrastructure and permanent loss of underground water storage. As detailed section 4.5, a 2014 study showed that subsidence in California caused billions of dollars in damages “to water conveyance, flood control, transportation infrastructure, and groundwater wells”. … ” Read more from California Water Views.
Third District affirms judgment upholding American Canyon’s for EIR industrial warehouse project and related WSA against Vallejo’s CEQA and water code challenges based on allegedly inadequate water supply analyses
“In a published opinion filed January 14, 2026, the Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the Sacramento County Superior Court’s judgment denying the City of Vallejo’s (“Vallejo”) writ petition challenging the City of American Canyon’s (“American Canyon”) EIR certification for and approval of the Giovannioni Logistics Project, a 2.4 million square foot warehouse complex on a 208-acre tract of undeveloped, industrially zoned land in American Canyon (the “Project”). City of Vallejo v. City of American Canyon (Buzz Oates LLC, et al., Real Parties in Interest) (2026) _____ Cal.App.5th _____. The Court rejected appellant Vallejo’s arguments that the Project EIR violated the water supply disclosure requirements of CEQA and its Guidelines, and also the provisions of Water Code sections 10910 and 10911. … ” Read more from Miller Starr Regalia.
Outrage after stranded wild horses die in California forest
“Earlier this month, U.S. Forest Service staff rescued 24 wild horses from where they’d been stranded in Inyo National Forest. A winter storm had trapped the animals in 3 feet of snow, leaving them stuck for days. Local tribal members Rana Saulque and Ronda Kauk were first alerted to the situation on Jan. 12, days before the U.S. Forest Service arrived at the horses’ location north of Mammoth Lakes. A video of the animals had gained traction on social media, and nearby residents knew that Saulque and Kauk were the people to call. The women are both tribal cultural monitors, meaning they’ve been given clearance to observe any handling of artifacts, plants and wildlife on their ancestral lands. The ordeal that followed left Saulque and Kauk with nothing but questions — and the bodies of several horses. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
California tops $1.2 billion in illegal cannabis seizures, up 18x since 2022
“Underscoring the value of the state’s effort to protect public safety and reinforce a regulated cannabis marketplace, today Governor Gavin Newsom announced state officers have seized and destroyed more than $1.2 billion in illicit cannabis products through the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF). The $609 million seized in 2025 represents an 18 fold increase since 2022. Through UCETF, which Governor Newsom established in 2022 to coordinate whole-of-government efforts to take down illicit cannabis operations, California has seized and destroyed over 757,000 pounds of illicit cannabis, conducted more than 670 search warrant operations across 36 counties, eradicated over 1 million cannabis plants, made 75 arrests and seized more than $2.5 million in cash and 230 firearms. … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
National delegates adopt policies vital to California agriculture
“California delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation succeeded in advancing several changes to the organization’s policy on water use and table wine. AFBF adopted all four of the policy changes that California Farm Bureau submitted through the delegate process during the 107th AFBF Annual Convention in Anaheim Jan. 9-14. The policies approved at the meeting will direct the nation’s largest general farm organization in its legislative and regulatory efforts in 2026. The convention drew 4,500 registered attendees and 110 speakers, according to AFBF. Prior to this year, California last hosted the AFBF convention in 2015, in San Diego. AFBF was scheduled to hold its 102nd annual convention in San Diego in 2021, but the event was moved online due to COVID-19 safety restrictions and concerns. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
King Salmon recovery continues as county and partners consider long-term plan
“The Humboldt Bay community of King Salmon continues to recover from historical tidal flooding that inundated dozens of homes, reportedly damaged at least two houses beyond repair and displaced a number of community members earlier this month. This week, in an online meeting organized by the Humboldt Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), participants gathered to discuss the ongoing recovery efforts and long-term work to keep King Salmon and neighboring communities literally and figuratively above water as sea-level rise, extreme weather events associated with climate change and tectonic forces bear down on a community already accustomed to living with floodwater. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
Potter Valley fight escalates as Rich Brazil warns California’s water future is on the line
“The January 28 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered one of the most detailed and urgent updates yet on the unfolding Potter Valley water crisis, as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill sat down with longtime local veterinarian Rich Brazil to explain what’s truly at stake if the Potter Valley Project dams are removed. The message was clear: this isn’t just a Northern California issue — it’s a warning for every rural community in the state. Brazil, who has lived and worked in Potter Valley for 38 years, explained that the region’s farms, ranches, homes, and businesses exist because of a century-old water diversion system connecting the Eel River to the Russian River watershed. That small diversion — roughly 30,000 acre-feet — represents less than one-half of one percent of the Eel River’s annual flow, yet supports agriculture, domestic water supplies, fire protection, and entire rural economies downstream. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
SIERRA NEVADA
California, Nevada Senators introduce legislation to support Lake Tahoe conservation efforts
“On Tuesday, Jan. 27, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to deliver more funding to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Santini-Burton Act of 1980 (S-B Act) authorized the sale of federal land in Clark County to fund the acquisition and management of environmentally sensitive land in the Lake Tahoe Basin for conservation and public access. With the 1980 law, the federal government acquired more than 16,000 acres of land in the Tahoe Basin. These lands protect Tahoe’s famed clarity and offer world-class recreation opportunities on public lands. However, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act unintentionally limited the use of funds generated by Santini-Burton to land acquisitions only, and left out ongoing management of those lands. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
The Long Shot – Demand Management: A hard conversation
Shanna Long, former editor of the Corning Observer, writes, “What does this really mean, you ask? In its simplest form, it is a plan to reduce groundwater use to bring basins like Corning, Antelope, Red Bluff, Bowman, and Los Molinos into balance. These are the subbasins that fit inside Tehama County’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency (managed by the flood control district), even though Corning and Bowman overlap into neighboring counties, with Corning holding advisory meetings with members from both Glenn and Tehama County. On paper, Demand Management sounds reasonable. Simply balance the water budget so overdraft does not occur in the basins. In practice, it cuts straight to the heart of farming: how much land can stay in production, how are crops are irrigated, how accurate the data being used is, and whether a family operation can survive another generation. … ” Read more from the Colusa Sun Herald.
With FEMA funds, levee district advances flood planning
“Three years after the January 2023 Cosumnes River floods upended its finances, Reclamation District 800 is finally beginning to see relief while still confronting the limits of a small assessment district responsible for aging levees. In recent meetings, the district reported that millions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state reimbursements are now being applied to debt, completed another emergency levee repair, and advanced several critical planning efforts, including a review of an Army Corps of Engineers levee study, development of a formal Emergency Action Plan, and revised flood-warning thresholds tied to the Michigan Bar river gauge. …, ” Read more from the Elk Grove Citizen.
NAPA/SONOMA
North Bay old-growth redwood preserve set for expansion
“A San Francisco conservation group has reached an agreement to purchase 200 acres in northwest Sonoma County that will expand its existing old-growth redwood reserve east of Stewarts Point and Salt Point State Park. Under the agreement, the Save the Redwoods League will buy the property for $4 million from the family of the late Harold Richardson. The land will be added to the group’s Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, a 730-acre forest that was acquired from the family in 2018, bringing the combined reserve to nearly 1,000 acres. The reserve, inland from a scenic and rugged stretch of the coast, is home to the 1,640-year-old McApin Tree, a 239-foot coast redwood with a 19-foot diameter trunk. It is one of the oldest known coast redwoods south of Mendocino County and the widest south of Humboldt County, according to Save the Redwoods. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
BAY AREA
Adaptation ideas for sea level rise in San Rafael recall solutions from the past
“There is still no blueprint for a shovel-ready plan for a long-term solution, but there is a new feasibility study for flood protections in San Rafael. With the fastest long-term alternative projected to take 10 to 15 years to complete, the study leads with a list of immediate actions that can temporarily buy time. The “Community Informed Technical Feasibility Study” released Monday analyzes three infrastructural designs that would protect the city from flooding caused by sea level rise for the next 45 to 75 years — build barrier walls, insert a flood gate in the Canal, or raise the land with new buildings and parks at the water’s edge. Similar recommendations have appeared in feasibility studies going back to the 1980s, but this time the “city with a mission” is under pressure from a state deadline. … ” Read more from Local News Matter.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
One of the world’s largest solar projects is headed for California’s Central Valley
“Solar energy has been popping up across California for decades, from neighborhood rooftops to panels arching over canals to grids floating in a retention pond. Now, a massive new project could blanket 136,000 acres of farmland in the Central Valley with solar, transforming a traditionally agricultural region into a major energy producer over the next few decades. The Westlands Water District, the utility company that provides water to a huge swath of Fresno and Kings counties, approved the plan recently, which, when completed, could become one of the largest solar installations in the world. The panels would span an area roughly four times as large as the city of San Francisco. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan would also create energy storage and electric transmission facilities, allowing the electricity to reach far beyond the center of the state. Meanwhile, local landowners can supplement their farms with another revenue stream, offset water needs and prevent further subsidence. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District talks Delta Conveyance Works, pump plant engine change orders, board compensation and coming water year
“The Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Board of Directors met last week to discuss a number of state, local and internal issues, including the Delta Conveyance Project, local water allocations, and shoring up communication on project change orders. TCCWD General Manager Tom Neisler said the Delta Conveyance Project, a long politically-embattled project to essentially finish the State Water Project with a tunnel that will transport water from the Sacramento River to the San Luis Reservoir, has hit a legal snag. Neisler said at the very end of last year the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s ruling on the project’s validation action was too vague, a ruling that prevents bonds from being sold to pay for the project. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
L.A. is ripping up 1,600 acres of pavement — but is it too little, too late?
“At the end of last year, Los Angeles County adopted a new target to remove and replace 1,600 acres of pavement with green infrastructure including trees, plants and rain gardens by 2045 as part of its ongoing Sustainability Plan. In doing so, the county aims to join a growing number of cities worldwide that are ditching pavement to respond to ecological vulnerabilities. While depaving efforts in places like Chicago and Portland, Ore., have largely been driven by residents and nonprofit groups, L.A.’s plan marks the first explicit depaving target from a major U.S. public agency, signaling an emerging shift in how policymakers are rethinking infrastructure. Depaving, the act of removing asphalt and concrete in places where hardscape isn’t needed, comes with the goal to create more space for vegetation, trees and soil that provide useful benefits like cooling and shade. Urban planners are increasingly turning to depaving as an adaptation strategy as extreme weather exposes the limits of aging civic infrastructure. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Trump signs executive order taking over LA County wildfire rebuilding process
“President Donald Trump has signed an executive order promising to slash “bureaucratic red tape and speed up reconstruction in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas one year after devastating wildfires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses,” the White House confirmed Tuesday. The order, titled “Accelerating rebuilding in wildfire-devastated Los Angeles,” was signed Friday, according to the White House. It aims to “preempt State or local permitting processes” and move the procedures to the federal level. It’s unclear what immediate impact the order will have and it will almost certainly be challenged in court. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
Tiny Altadena water company meeting attracts hundreds as solvency hangs in the balance
“Some Altadena residents were left with sticker shock after the small Las Flores Water Company, which only has about 1,500 customers, proposed charging an extra $50 a month for the next five years to keep from going bankrupt. After a recent meeting at which more than 200 residents showed up, Las Flores Board President John Bednarski said the board will “deliberate at one of our upcoming meetings to take into account the feedback that we got.” Not only did the fires destroy homes and businesses, but also critical infrastructure. Small private water companies, such as Las Flores and two others that serve unincorporated Altadena, have received limited insurance payouts and don’t have access to as many state and federal grants to rebuild, experts say. … ” Read more from the LAist.
A push to end a fractured approach to post-fire contamination removal
“The patchwork efforts to identify and safely remove contamination left by the 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires has been akin to the Wild West. Experts have given conflicting guidance on best practices. Shortly after the fires, the federal government suddenly refused to adhere to California’s decades-old post-fire soil-testing policy; California later considered following suit. Meanwhile, insurance companies have resisted remediation practices widely recommended by scientists for still-standing homes. A new bill introduced this week by state Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) aims to change that by creating statewide science-based standards for the testing and removal of contamination deposited by wildfires — specifically within still-standing homes, workplaces and schools, and in the soil around those structures. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Groundwater Replenishment System surpasses half a trillion gallons of purified water
“The Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) has reached a major production milestone of half a trillion gallons of purified water as it marks 18 years of service this month. A joint project of the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San), the GWRS is the world’s largest advanced water purification system for indirect potable reuse, reducing dependence on imported supplies and strengthening water reliability for Orange County. “OCWD and OC San invested early in critical water reuse and recharge infrastructure, and Orange County has reaped the benefits for 18 years,” said OCWD President Denis R. Bilodeau, P.E. “Surpassing half a trillion gallons is an achievement that underscores the role of the GWRS in turning a once-wasted resource into a reliable, locally controlled drinking water supply for the communities we serve.” … ” Read more from the Groundwater Replenishment System.
Wild flower superbloom this season? Experts weigh in on winter rain and what it means for season
“First came the heavy winter rains that soaked the soil. Then, the sunny weather — not too hot, but just warm enough to fuel the growth. A few more winter rainfalls and Southern California could be ripe for an epic wildflower season in the coming weeks and months. And when they bloom — the vibrant colors popping from rolling hills as far as the eye can see — thousands of people are bound to seek out their beauty, if past years are any indication. California State Parks recently announced it is expecting a moderate-to-strong wildflower bloom across the desert region, courtesy of the storms that showed up in fall and winter. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News.
SAN DIEGO
SDSU’s One Water Lab brings real-time river water research to the San Diego River
“A groundbreaking water research facility is taking shape along the San Diego River, giving scientists access to something they’ve never had before: real water, in real time. The project, called the One Water Lab, is being developed by San Diego State University, steps from the river itself. Unlike traditional labs confined to classrooms, this facility is designed to study water exactly where it flows, bringing research out into the environment it’s meant to protect. “Here in San Diego, what we’re doing with water is at the cutting edge,” said Natalie Mladenov, a professor of environmental engineering at SDSU. “It’s one of the reasons I applied to the job.” … ” Read more from Channel 8.
San Diego Coastkeeper files complaint against Mexico to address binational Tijuana sewage crisis
“San Diego Coastkeeper filed a Submission on Enforcement Matters (SEM) with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) on January 23rd, leveraging environmental protections under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to address the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis. The petition alleges that the Mexican federal government has failed to implement and enforce its own environmental laws, allowing billions of gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the Pacific Ocean and Tijuana River, contaminating coastal waters on both sides of the border. Coastkeeper received notice on Monday, January 26th, that the CEC received the Submission and began its review. … ” Read more from San Diego Coastkeeper.
Supervisors propose immediate fix at Tijuana River pollution hot spot
“San Diego County Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre will bring forward their proposal for immediate infrastructure construction at a sewage hot spot on the Tijuana River along Saturn Boulevard and a concurrent medical study. Wednesday’s proposal came about through the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis and calls for $4.75 million from recently “unlocked” county funds and will be heard by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting. “The Tijuana River sewage crisis requires both long-term solutions and action now,” Lawson-Remer said. “We’re moving on both tracks at once, advancing permanent fixes while taking immediate steps to reduce the toxic exposure San Diegans face every day.” … ” Read more from KPBS.
South Bay sewage discussed in new proposals to tackle crisis
“The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is taking up the Tijuana sewage crisis with several key items on the agenda Wednesday. Supervisors will review a new report on the health impacts to South Bay residents and consider additional funding for air purifiers. As supervisors meet to discuss the issue, viewers have continued to reach out to ABC 10News, frustrated and worried about what they’re breathing in every day. In numerous emails, viewers have voiced their frustrations about the smell and the health concerns linked to sewage flows from Tijuana, especially in the South Bay. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
All alternatives harmful to Arizona: CAP’s response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for post-2026 Colorado River operations
“Reclamation has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), a required step in the process to develop new operating guidelines for Colorado River operations by the end of the year when the current operating guidelines expire. It comes amid two-plus years of ongoing meetings and negotiations led by Reclamation working with the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Colorado River Basin tribes and other stakeholders. The DEIS lays out five alternatives for how the Colorado River might be managed after 2026. These include one “no action” alternative required by law, three alternatives that would require agreements among the basin states, and one “no deal” alternative which may be imposed if there is no agreement among the states. The DEIS places all the risk of a dwindling Colorado River on the Lower Basin, and all the alternatives proposed are harmful to Arizona. … ” Continue reading at Know Your Water News.
Colorado water officials plan for “exceedingly grim” drought forecasts, low reservoir levels
“Michelle Garrison, a state water resources specialist, saw something missing on her January drive from Oregon to Denver. No ice on the roads. No snow in the foothills. Her mind turned to drought and reservoirs and the recently expired drought management agreement between Colorado and three other states. “It makes me think that this year is going to be a real challenge,” she said. “It looked like November everywhere I drove.” Garrison presented this year’s outlook Monday during a meeting in Aurora of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state’s top water policy agency. As warm and dry conditions continue in the West, the forecasts for the amount of water flowing through the Upper Colorado River Basin keep dropping. For officials like Garrison, it’s hard not to be pessimistic: More dry and warm weather means greater concerns about hydropower generation, recreation and algal blooms on the Western Slope. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
As deal deadline approaches, Colorado River stewards debate options
“It’s crunch time for negotiators from seven western states trying to strike a deal before Feb. 14 on how to share the dwindling Colorado River. But four days of talks in a Salt Lake City conference room earlier this month did not appear to have sparked a breakthrough. “We got tired of each other,” Utah’s negotiator, Gene Shawcroft, said Tuesday at a public board meeting, days after the meeting ended. “And two of the days, we made some progress, but one day we went backwards almost as much progress as we made in two and a half days.” The states in the lower and upper basins remain at an impasse over how cuts to water use should be handled during times of drought. … ” Read more from KAWC.
Column: Civil servants arrange buffet for Colorado River negotiators
Brian McNeece writes, “Colorado River negotiations have bogged down, but dozens of experts at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) have been streaming right along. On Jan. 14, the BOR released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is bureaucratese for a report on options for the negotiators after the current rules expire this year. It’s a bit complicated. The report includes a modeling of 1,200 possible future scenarios for the entire Colorado River system and runs 1,600 pages. Just the Executive Summary is 66 pages. The theme of this massive undertaking is deep uncertainty. In fact, that is the name of the modeling process: Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty. What’s uncertain? Well, in a word: the weather. And not just the weather, but also population growth and water use patterns. Most scientists agree that climate change includes aridification, or a general drying of the Colorado River basin, but it’s impossible to quantify reliably. Thus the 1,200 futures. … ” Read more from the Calexico Chronicle.
It’s been a dry winter. What does that mean for the Mountain West’s water supply?
“Cold temperatures have settled over much of the Mountain West this winter, but precipitation has been harder to come by, leaving large parts of the region unusually dry for late January. That’s raising early questions about water supplies across the West, which rely heavily on mountain snow to slowly melt and replenish rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater through spring and summer. Federal data shows that snow cover across the West is at a record low for this time of year. In parts of Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming, snowpacks are holding less than half the water they typically would. “They have extremely low snowpacks,” said Dan McEvoy, a climatologist at the Desert Research Institute. “And that’s primarily due to the extremely warm temperatures we’ve had so far this winter, which isn’t isolated, really, anywhere — it’s spread across the entire Western U.S.” … ” Read more from Utah Public Radio.
Will it ever snow in Utah? Salt Lake City snowpack plummets to record low
“Things have been really dry in many parts of Wyoming this winter but it’s not as dry as Utah, where it’s record-breaking. As of Jan. 27, only a tenth of an inch of snow has fallen on Salt Lake City, Utah, this winter. That’s the lowest snowfall on record, by a significant margin. The warmer side of these storms means Utah’s snowpack is in dire straits. The latest records show the statewide snowpack is currently at 59% of the median, close to a new historic low. “All the storms that we’ve had so far have been on the warmer side,” said meteorologist Brittany Whitlam with the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Salt Lake City. “We’ve had a good amount of moisture with our storms. It’s just they’ve been on the warmer side, so the snowpack hasn’t been building.” … ” Read more from Cowboy State Daily.
Arizona to consider cloud seeding methods to boost snowfall
“Drought-plagued Arizona could see state-funded drones spraying microscopic silver iodide particles into mountain clouds to boost snowfall if proponents get their way. The state Legislature is considering allowing the use of money earmarked for boosting rural water supplies to pay for so-called “cloud seeding” operations to increase precipitation in the state’s high country. But the proposal sponsored by Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, might have a tough road ahead. That’s because even some majority Republicans on the committee that heard her proposal expressed concern about the safety and efficacy of cloud seeding. It passed Griffin’s committee on Jan. 13 with a bare majority. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Sun.
Congress could let $150M for Colorado River water recycling expire
“To keep taps flowing in the parched Colorado River Basin, recycling water that’s already in the system seems like an easy solution. But pooling enough money to get construction projects off the ground is a challenge big enough that some states fail to recycle any meaningful amount of water in the face of extreme drought. That’s where the Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act comes in. Introduced Tuesday by U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and John Curtis, R-Utah, it could reauthorize $150 million in unallocated federal grants to boost water recycling in the basin. The federal government has doled out $300 million of its intended $450 million, and the remaining funds would expire if this bill doesn’t pass. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In national water news today …
AccuWeather 2026 U.S. spring forecast: Slow transition to spring warmth, elevated risk of floods and fires
“AccuWeather long-range experts say weather patterns in the United States this spring will be shaped by a rapidly fading La Niña, a slower jet stream and a stronger southern storm track. “The transition to warmer spring weather will be slower across the Northeast, Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest this year, compared to historical averages,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. “Warmer springlike weather is expected to arrive early this year across much of the Southwest, from Southern California to Texas.” … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Meta campaigns to change opinions on data centers
“The advertisement began with a panning shot of Altoona, Iowa, a town of 20,000 near Des Moines. The camera moved from a diner to a farm to a high school football field. To the pluck of guitar strings, a voice-over promoted a boon for the local economy. “We’re bringing jobs here,” the ad said. “For us, and for our next generation.” The ad’s folksy vibes were not for a political candidate. They were for a data center that Meta had built in Altoona — part of an ad campaign by the Silicon Valley giant to shape a new narrative around the vast computing facilities that power artificial intelligence. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
A shift for NOAA’s surveys: from science to mining
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is shifting from science to prospecting as it surveys a region of the Pacific Ocean to help private companies find mineral deposits buried on the ocean floor. Deep-sea mining holds the promise of harvesting vast quantities of potato-sized nodules that contain manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper used in high-tech equipment like electric vehicle batteries and weapon systems. Commercial seabed mining has not yet started and conservation groups and scientists warn it could significantly damage marine environments. But the Trump administration is fast-tracking the nascent industry and has urged NOAA to prioritize processing the first commercial seabed mining permits. On Thursday, the agency announced a survey that, beginning next month, will map the seafloor near American Samoa to find minerals for industry. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
EPA cuts top executive jobs under Trump’s reorg
“EPA plans to clip its managerial corps as the agency is reshaped under the Trump administration. More than a dozen top executive positions will be eliminated, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by POLITICO’s E&E News. The reduction in the agency’s leadership ranks comes as it undergoes a wide-ranging reorganization and thousands of staff have left its payroll. Ending those positions will impact EPA’s “institutional knowledge” and continuity of career leadership across administrations, said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who served 40 years at EPA, including as principal deputy assistant administrator for science. … ” Read more from E&E News.
CW3E Subseasonal Outlook: 27 January 2026 …
CW3E subseasonal (2–6 weeks lead time) atmospheric river, ridging, and circulation regime products use three different global ensemble prediction systems to create these products: NCEP CFSv2 (US Model): Weeks 2–4,ECCC (Canadian Model): Weeks 2–4, and ECMWF (European model): Weeks 2–4.
