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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Report Launch: Ensuring law and policy enables climate resilient water and wastewater infrastructure from 12pm to 1pm. This webinar marks the launch of “Actionable Criteria for Achieving Equitable, Climate Resilient Water and Sanitation Laws and Policies”, a Center for Water Security and Cooperation (CWSC) and Pacific Institute report to ensure laws and policies are written to anticipate and manage climate change impacts on water and wastewater infrastructure and service delivery. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Basin Characterization Exchange: Constraining subsurface heterogeneity and optimizing groundwater management using hydrogeophysical surveys and hydrologic modeling from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Long-term management of groundwater resources in California’s Central Valley will require balancing groundwater abstraction with sustained recharge efforts while maintaining high groundwater quality standards. Hydrologic modeling is a powerful tool to support groundwater sustainability, allowing water managers to simulate changes in aquifer levels, storage, and water quality under future pumping and recharge regimes. At the basin scale, we combine airborne electromagnetic surveys, integrated hydrologic modeling, and machine learning surrogates to estimate recharge efficiency across critically overdrafted basins in California. Basin-scale results reveal that site-specific structures exert strong control on recharge outcomes. Together, these examples show that process-based modeling informed by geophysical surveys can improve our understanding of recharge processes and support future management decisions. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California bracing for localized flooding, pass-closing Sierra Nevada snow and severe thunderstorms
“As a deep plume of moisture makes its way inland across the West Coast, a multitude of hazards could arise this week, ranging from localized flooding and tornadoes to feet of snow in the mountains and gusty winds. After weeks dominated by weather that was dry and warmer than the historical average, the transition to stormier conditions will mark a clear change of pace for the region. Water levels statewide are running at about half of their typical mid-February levels. While the incoming storms may create hazards, they will also offer much-needed moisture. “It will be a wet week across California as a series of storm systems slam into the state. Multiple inches of rain will fall across much of the state, with several feet of snow expected in the Sierra,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Kai Kerkow. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Video: Why The Central Sierra Snow Lab is crucial for CA’s water
Justin Michaels visits the Central Sierra Snow Lab in California, which is nearly 7,000 feet in elevation. Listen to why this research is important to California’s water supply. Watch video at Yahoo News.
Podcast: California’s climate whiplash
California is lurching between extremes — from record-breaking heat and low mountain snowpack to torrential atmospheric river events and catastrophic wildfire. In this episode of Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton speaks with climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain about the phenomenon of “hydroclimate whiplash” and what it reveals about the future of the American West. … ” Listen at Earth Island Journal.
Tribes and allies form a coalition against the Delta Conveyance Project
“Gary Mulcahy steps through tufts of wild rye spilling down a bank of the Sacramento River, tromping into a clearing where several men have their rods and reels fixed under the branches of a blue oak. Mulcahy has fished up and down this river for most of his life, beginning with catching salmon as a teen in Shasta County. Mulcahy was raised there in the homeland of his people, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. Later, he would fish for sturgeon off boats near the riverbend he’s staring at now — the north gateway to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This river is a part of him. Mulcahy, government liaison for the Winnemem Wintu, has been engaged in salmon and wildlife conservation for 25 years. In 2022, his tribe joined forces with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Stockton-based Filipino cultural group Little Manila Rising and the conservation nonprofit Restore the Delta to form the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition, or DTEC. This group was founded on shared conservation values and is actively opposing the Delta Conveyance System, better known as the Delta tunnel. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
Delta tunnel: Harder calls on U.S. Army Corps to reject permits for $20 billion boondoggle
“Today, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considers a decision in the yearslong water saga, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) called on the Army Corps to deny the federal permits required for the Delta Tunnel to be completed. Joined by members of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Congressional Delegation, Harder led a letter urging the Army Corps’ final Record of Decision to protect Delta waterways, families, and our regional economy by denying these permits. If approved, the Delta Tunnel would be a disaster for the Delta: First proposed more than 60 years ago, the Delta Tunnel is a monstrous zombie project with ballooning costs, growing to at least $20 billion in 2024 and potentially as high as $100 billion last year according to the latest analysis. That doesn’t even factor in the devastating damages that Delta communities would face – Sacramento’s own findings revealed $167 million in damages to Delta agriculture, air quality, and infrastructure. … ” Continue reading from Congressman Josh Harder.
Harder steps up pressure to derail the Delta tunnel
Congressman Josh Harder is continuing to pressure the Army Corps to deny the federal permits required for the Delta Tunnel to be completed. The Tracy Democrat was joined by members of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Congressional Delegation, in urging the Army Corps’ final Record of Decision to protect Delta waterways, families, and the regional economy by denying these permits. … “This isn’t just some water heist to ship our Delta water down south to Beverly Hills lawns — this is an existential threat to our waterways, regional economy, and our very way of life,” Harder said. “And for all that devastation, it wouldn’t create a single new drop of water for anyone. That’s why we’ve been fighting tooth and nail to permanently stop the Delta Tunnel, and today I’m calling on the Army Corps to deny the permits needed for this boondoggle to ever be completed.” … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Stretched thin: Protestant attorneys face overlapping Delta Conveyance Project hearings
Deirdre Des Jardins writes, “The week of February 23-27 presents attorneys representing Delta communities with an impossible calendar. The State Water Board’s Delta Conveyance Project water rights hearing has added February 23, 24, and 25 as hearing days. The Delta Stewardship Council has scheduled its appeal hearing on DWR’s certification of consistency with the Delta Plan for February 26 and 27—and has required that parties appear in person. Many of the same attorneys represent protesting parties in both proceedings. … ” Continue reading from California Water Research.
Tools tweak beaver dams
“The town of El Dorado Hills, California was facing a problem. A beaver dam had inundated a popular walking trail. The community wanted to reverse the flooding without harming their buck-toothed neighbors. Beaver experts visited the area and proposed a simple solution: a flood-control pipe threaded through the mass of sticks and mud that formed the dam. Once installed, the pipe quickly lowered the water level. Today, the trail remains dry, and beavers still call El Dorado Hills home. Projects that help beavers and humans coexist have only grown easier since 2018, when El Dorado Hills began its beaver friendly project. Last October, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center launched the Beaver Help Desk, a state-funded resource that matches beaver-beleaguered landowners like the ones in El Dorado Hills with certified beaver coexistence professionals. It’s just one of a flood of new efforts to restore the water-storing rodent to its former habitats across California. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
Sturgeon 2025 – A retrospective
Tom Cannon writes, “In a 9/12/25 post, I warned of poor summer conditions in the Bay for sturgeon. This came on the heels of a poor population status assessment by CDFW. From the Department of Fish and Wildlife: “Recent results from white sturgeon monitoring surveys by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) suggest the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) population has continued to decline. CDFW fisheries biologists now estimate there are approximately 6,500 white sturgeon between 40-60 inches long in California — down sharply from the previous estimate of approximately 30,000 fish in that size range, based on the 2016-2021 survey average.” Not only was the recent adult sturgeon population survey estimate down, but the products of sturgeon reproduction in 2025 were nearly non-existent, a pattern inconsistent with an above-normal water year. … ” Read more from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
ILRP: Expert panel nears completion of draft recommendations: A peek inside
“The Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel, convened by the State Water Board to advise it on reducing nitrogen (N) contamination of groundwater through the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP), is drawing closer to releasing a draft report for public comment after holding a series of working group meetings in January and February 2026. During working group meetings, panelists have been provided additional information that they requested including data on farm size differences in reported N applied and crop diversity, Eric Porse and Divya Prakash of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR); immobilizing soil nitrate using high carbon amendments to reduce nitrate leaching, Joji Muramoto, UC Santa Cruz, UC Cooperative Extension, and UC ANR; and gaseous N losses from specialty crops in the Central Coast, Stephanie Kortman, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Panelists spent the bulk of their working group meeting time hashing out wording and finessing details of their recommendations. … ” Continue reading from Jane Sooby at Maven’s Notebook.
CV-NPSAT: A scalable solution for groundwater contaminant modeling
“Understanding, managing, and regulating nonpoint source pollution of groundwater is a challenge for California. Nonpoint sources of groundwater pollution encompass tens to hundreds of thousands of individually managed plots, fields, and other land parcels, covering about 10 million acres in California. Models are used to assess the impacts of land management improvements on long-term outcomes at water supply wells, but scaling is an issue, as well as computational resources. The Nonpoint Source Assessment Toolbox (NPSAT) is an open-source groundwater modeling framework developed by the University of California Davis to serve as an alternative, efficient approach to standard groundwater contamination models. It evaluates the fate and transport of nonpoint source (NPS) contaminants (such as nitrate and salts) leaching to groundwater from agricultural, urban, and natural land uses, in irrigation, public, and domestic supply wells through “on-the-fly” evaluations of user-defined nonpoint source contaminant leaching scenarios. … ” Read more from the State Water Board.
Survey for small farms around SGMA-related needs
“The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources is conducting a survey to assess the needs and concerns of small farm operators when it comes to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act — SGMA. The survey can be accessed at bit.ly/4rgwUgi and consists of 32 questions. Most offer multiple choices for answers, with options to fill in more information. The questions include what types of crops or products the operation produces, amount of acreage and irrigated acres, source of irrigation water, familiarity with SGMA, and items of specific concern. The survey is anonymous, although there is an option to include a name, phone number and email address, if the person taking the survey wishes to be contacted with information about groundwater support. … ” Read more from the Daily News.
Sinking giant concrete orbs to the bottom of the ocean could store massive amounts of renewable energy
About 2,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, in the dark stillness off the coast of California, a concrete sphere the size of a small house will soon have its moment. Its walls must resist pressures 77 times greater than what we feel at sea level. Yet it has no living inhabitants. Its cargo is not oil or gas. It’s electricity (sort of). This is StEnSea — Stored Energy in the Sea — a bold new venture that seeks to solve one of the greatest challenges of the clean energy age: how to store renewable energy when the wind stops blowing and the sun disappears. The concept is disarmingly simple. Picture a hollow concrete sphere on the seafloor. When excess power is available — say, from a nearby offshore wind farm — it’s used to pump seawater out of the sphere, creating a vacuum-like condition inside. Then, when energy is needed, a valve opens. Seawater rushes back in, driven by the crushing pressure of the ocean. As it re-enters, it spins a turbine, which generates electricity. The process is reversible and can be repeated hundreds of times per year. … Read more from ZME Science.
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Design of Proposition 4 Watershed Resilience Program
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) invites you to participate in a short survey to help inform development of the upcoming Proposition 4 Watershed Resilience Program. This new program will combine funding from the following two sections of Proposition 4 to make approximately $152 million available for grants statewide: Section 91019 (Conservation), for projects that increase water conservation in agricultural and urban areas, and Section 91031 (Climate Resilience), for projects related to integrated regional water management to improve climate resilience on a watershed basis.Public feedback is essential to ensure these solicitations are designed to effectively support watershed-scale solutions, local priorities, equity considerations, and climate resilience goals across California. Survey responses will help DWR understand community needs, funding priorities, and address potential implementation challenges. … ” Read more from DWR.
Cadiz Mojave Groundwater Bank Northern Pipeline Project selected to submit application for $194 million WIFIA loan
“Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI / CDZIP, the “Company”) today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has selected the Mojave Groundwater Bank – Northern Pipeline (“MGB–NPL”) Project to submit an application for a low-interest loan of up to $194 million to fund capital costs under the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (“WIFIA”) program. WIFIA, established by Congress in 2014, is a federal financing program designed to accelerate investment in nationally significant water and wastewater infrastructure projects. EPA’s selection means that EPA has administratively reserved $194 million for the Company’s Northern Pipeline Project and has invited the Company to submit an application. EPA will hold this funding in reserve while the Company advances an application through the WIFIA underwriting process. “We appreciate EPA’s selection of the Mojave Groundwater Bank to move forward in the WIFIA process,” said Don Bunts, General Manager of Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company. “This selection is an important milestone for us as we finalize project financing and advance construction of the Mojave Groundwater Bank.” … ” Read more from Cadiz.
California opens $9.2M climate bond round for tribal land return, nature-based projects
The California Natural Resources Agency has opened a competitive $9.2 million funding round for tribal land acquisition and climate resilience projects — part of California’s push to return ancestral lands and finance tribally led conservation. The 2026 Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Climate Bond solicitation will support fee title acquisitions benefiting California Native American tribes, including purchases of property, conservation easements and water rights or instream flows, according to the program’s final guidelines. The funding is being distributed as competitive grants backed by the state’s Climate Bond, also known as Proposition 4, which voters approved to finance environmental and climate initiatives statewide. … ” Read more from TBN.
California, Humboldt County leaders decry Trump’s strident deregulation of EPA standards
“This week, the Trump administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that they would eliminate what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin characterized as “the ‘Holy Grail’ of the ‘climate change religion.’” In a press conference Thursday, Zeldin and President Trump announced that they would eliminate “both the Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond,” a move they characterized as “the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history.” … In a statement issued Thursday morning, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the decision “betrays the American people and cements the Republican Party’s status as the pro-pollution party.” Newsom vowed to sue to stop the Trump administration from rescinding the finding and related emissions standards. “If this reckless decision survives legal challenges, it will lead to more deadly wildfires, more extreme heat deaths, more climate-driven floods and droughts and greater threats to communities nationwide — all while the EPA dismisses the overwhelming science that has protected public health for decades,” Newsom’s statement reads. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
LandBack advances across the West
“The cold, crystalline waters of Blue Creek — a refuge for salmon and a place of cultural importance to the Yurok Tribe — cut through bedrock and over tumbled-smooth gray stones until they empty into the Klamath River in Northern California. Last summer, 14,000 acres encompassing the Blue Creek watershed were returned to the tribe. This transfer concluded the last phase of the largest tribal land return in California history, amounting to 47,100 acres of land previously used by timber companies. Twenty-three years in the making, it was achieved in partnership with Western Rivers Conservancy, which bought the land in phases and turned it over to the Yurok Tribe. The return more than doubles current landholdings for the tribe, which was dispossessed of more than 90% of its ancestral lands by colonizers. … ” Read more from High Country News.
Scientists in California are blazing new trails in fire weather research
Craig Clements hears the news: A wildfire has broken out around the California Bay Area. He quickly makes his way to the Duncan Hall of Science at San José State University, home of the Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC). He hops into the cab of a white Ford F-250, but this is no ordinary truck. The normal truck bed has been mounted with measurement tools that can survey wildfires and their plumes up close. And that’s exactly what Clements, a professor of meteorology and climate science and the director of the WIRC, plans to do: drive directly toward an active wildfire and study it. He’s not storm chasing; he’s fire chasing. … Read more from Environmental Monitor.
Southern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of comments
“The opposition appeared overwhelming: Tens of thousands of emails poured into Southern California’s top air pollution authority as its board weighed a June proposal to phase out gas-powered appliances. But in reality, many of the messages that may have swayed the powerful regulatory agency to scrap the plan were generated by a platform that is powered by artificial intelligence. Public records requests reviewed by The Times and corroborated by staff members at the South Coast Air Quality Management District confirm that more than 20,000 public comments submitted in opposition to last year’s proposal were generated by a Washington, D.C.-based company called CiviClick, which bills itself as “the first and best AI-powered grassroots advocacy platform.” A Southern California-based public affairs consultant, Matt Klink, has taken credit for using CiviClick to wage the opposition campaign, including in a sponsored article on the website Campaigns and Elections. The campaign “left the staff of the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) reeling,” the article says. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
A flood of hope
Tom Summer writes, “My most inspiring bike ride this past year was not on a mountain or in some exotic destination. It was sixteen flat and muddy valley miles under overcast skies. My destination was a new concrete structure designed to reconnect the Sacramento River with its adjacent floodplain, the Yolo Bypass. This habitat restoration project reflects decades of work by my team and represents one of the most important steps to save Central Valley salmon. In the late 1990s, I worked full-time as a scientist for California Department of Water Resources while moonlighting as a U.C. Davis Ph.D. student. Like several other scientists in my cohort, I was trying to answer the question of why wet years are so good for many species in the Bay-Delta and its watershed. I chose to study the Yolo Bypass, the primary floodplain of the region. … ” Read more at the California Water Blog.
California’s dry farmland is ideal for solar. Big Ag stands in the way
The McClatchy California Editorial Board writes, “The Trump administration has all but declared war on wind and solar projects, making it more important than ever for states to promote clean energy. That’s why it’s disappointing that California would let an important solar bill languish. Assembly Bill 1156, authored by Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, passed both the Assembly and Senate last year, but was shelved in September, following objections from the California Farm Bureau and other organizations. The Trump administration has all but declared war on wind and solar projects, making it more important than ever for states to promote clean energy. That’s why it’s disappointing that California would let an important solar bill languish. Assembly Bill 1156, authored by Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, passed both the Assembly and Senate last year, but was shelved in September, following objections from the California Farm Bureau and other organizations. … ” Continue reading at the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Early Scott River snow survey shows low snowpack, but it can change
“The U.S. Forest Service at the Klamath National Forest announced it completed its early February snow surveys in the Scott River sub-basin, providing important data for water forecasting. These surveys are part of the California Cooperative Snow Survey Program and are crucial for predicting water availability for agriculture, hydropower, recreation and streamflow management, the forest service said in the announcement. This winter has been notably dry and mild in the Scott River Valley, with little precipitation aside from a storm in early January, the data showed. The dry conditions are evident in the survey results, which show that snow depth averaged 29.4% of the historical average. Additionally, the snow water equivalent, which measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack, averaged 30.2% of the historical average, the forest service said. … ” Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News.
New volunteer program for collecting data on Clear Lake hitch unveiled
“Lake County’s Water resources Director Pawan Upadhyay presented at this week’s Judges Breakfast on Thursday in Clearlake. Joined by Hitch Program Technician Taylor Woodruff, the two explained the beginnings of a new volunteer program- the Community Science Hitch Spawner Observation Survey. This new program was explained by Woodruff, a Lake County local who moved back to the county after leaving to study Marine Biology. At first she found herself employed with the Big Valley Environmental Protection Agency but moved on to the Watershed Protection District where she celebrated two years to the day. Woodruff’s deep love for Clear Lake motivates her to want to know more about it, leading to the Community Science Program. … ” Read more from the Lake County Record-Bee.
SIERRA NEVADA
Progress toward sustainable groundwater in Sierra Valley
“The Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District is making progress on improvements to its monitoring networks, irrigation efficiencies and projects aimed at refilling and reducing demand on aquifers. The district’s Technical Advisory Committee shared details on corrective actions recommended by the Department of Water Resources at a Feb. 9 community meeting, which took place at Beckwourth’s Sierra Christian Church. It was followed by a SVGMD board meeting. The meeting provided an update on the district’s progress toward compliance with its groundwater sustainability plan, an outline for reaching sustainability in the Sierra Valley basin by 2042. The district submits an evaluation to the California Department of Water Resources every five years. In January 2027, the district will need to submit another evaluation, detailing progress on the corrective actions DWR identified in the 2022 evaluation. … ” Read more from the Plumas Sun.
Oil boom draped across lake below power plant disaster
“Yuba Water Agency directors were scheduled to meet in both private and public session Tuesday morning to receive a report on the catastrophic failure of a penstock pipeline recently installed as part of a $77 million upgrade to the water delivery system to a power plant that generates millions of dollars in hydroelectric revenue for local benefit. The water agency board of directors will meet in a closed door session at 9 a.m. at the Yuba County Government Center to discuss potential litigation resulting from the failure of the pipe as it was being refilled for the first time since it was dewatered in October. Over the weekend, the water agency released still and moving images of the scene at New Colgate Powerhouse in Dobbins where Friday afternoon a rupture in a penstock pipe sent mud and water and hillside vegetation washing across the power plant and into the Yuba River. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Water agency surveys damage from penstock failure at power plant
“The Yuba Water Agency has released still and moving images of the scene at New Colgate Powerhouse in Dobbins where Friday afternoon a rupture in a penstock pipe sent mud and water and hillside vegetation washing across the power plant and into the Yuba River. The agency spent Saturday investigating the cause of the rupture, securing the safety of the site and responding to potential environmental impacts on the river, according to a statement released Saturday morning. One person among water agency staff and contractors at the site when the rupture occured was hospitalized, the agency said. All others are accounted for. “Right now, we’re focusing on doing everything we can to prevent any additional debris from entering the Yuba River and continuing to secure the site ahead of forecasted rain tomorrow,” said Yuba Water Agency General Manager Willie Whittlesey. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Is there a future for a water bottle ban in North Tahoe? Supervisors split on proposal
“A similar ordinance implemented in surrounding jurisdictions received mixed reviews from the Placer County Board of Supervisors at a meeting at the beginning of the month. The board received a presentation and offered feedback on a potential plastic waste reduction ordinance for eastern Placer County on Feb. 3. The ordinance is similar to those passed within the last two years in the Town of Truckee and the City of South Lake Tahoe, centered around single-use plastic water bottles. One intention with Placer’s potential ordinance is to create cohesion, close the gap and prevent individuals from hopping jurisdictions to buy water bottles in Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun.
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency considers new forest health standards
“The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is updating regional environmental goals, called threshold standards, for forest health and community wildfire protection in the Lake Tahoe Basin and is seeking public input, the agency said today. As a founding member of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and leader of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, TRPA is working with land managers, scientists, and the community to restore balance and resilience to the basin’s forests. “Lake Tahoe’s forests are a vital part of the basin’s ecosystem, wildlife habitat and recreation, and they help protect the lake’s incredible clarity but they have changed dramatically over time,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. “Setting measurable forest health targets based on current science is essential to restore Tahoe’s forests to a healthy, resilient condition.” … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Learn about water, weeds and pests in rice
“Rice growers and agricultural professionals from across the Sacramento Valley are invited to attend the 2026 Rice Production Workshop, a two-day educational program focused on the principles and practices of rice production in California. The workshop will take place March 18–19, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day, at Lundberg Family Farms, 5311 Midway, Richvale. Hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension in collaboration with the University of California, Davis and the California Rice Experiment Station, the workshop will provide research-based, practical information to support successful rice production in the region. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
NAPA/SONOMA
A nonprofit opened a coastal Bay Area preserve. Neighbors hate it.
“Unsullied beaches beneath windswept bluffs are drawing a number of outdoors people onto a hotly contested preserve in Sonoma County. With Point Reyes to the south and Bodega Head to the north, the crescent bay offers a wide panorama of the California coast, but the allure is starting to wear on a nearby neighborhood. Named Estero Americano Coast Preserve, the 547-acre estuary empties into Bodega Bay. It was off-limits to the public for a century until recently, when a nonprofit land trust called the Wildlands Conservancy liberated the coastline following 10 years of planning. Accessing the preserve is allowed after reaching the farthest end of Bodega Harbour, a scenic coastal community of 700 homes linked within an 18-hole golf course. But once word about the hike began to spread last month, locals began saying their neighborhood was upended overnight by hundreds of cars, and a thousand visitors appeared on the busiest day. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
BAY AREA
Worst of the storms is about to hit S.F. Here’s when to expect downpours and hail showers
“A cold storm moving over the Bay Area on Tuesday will bring a chance of snow to the region’s peaks, along with downpours, gusty winds and small hail in some places. Frigid air from the Gulf of Alaska will spill toward California, moving over relatively warmer Pacific Ocean waters on its way to the coast. This temperature differential between the sea and air above will generate rapid rising motion in the lower atmosphere necessary for thunderstorms. Lightning won’t be the main hazard. Rather, small hail, downpours and erratic wind gusts are the main threats in the Bay Area. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Chart: Bay Area rain totals from this week’s first wave, from the San Jose Mercury News
Bay Area city’s plan for sea level rise could abandon businesses along the waterfront
“The restaurant, on a spit of land stretching into the bay, serves up petrale sole and panoramic views. But during January’s record-high king tides, waves blocked the entrance. The decades-old Sausalito institution became an island that only pelicans could visit — and a symbol of the existential threat facing the town’s waterfront. Just months before, Sausalito had published a new sea level rise adaptation plan. The plan, still in draft form, was full of maps depicting the restaurant, the Spinnaker, and other landmarks underwater in the coming decades. It even suggested that some of the places — including the Spinnaker and other restaurants as well as boatyards, art studios and other businesses along its busy waterfront — might not be worth saving from the rising waters. “We were floored,” said Jeff Scharosch, general manager and partner at the Spinnaker. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Marin Municipal Water District dedicates 11 miles of Bay Area Ridge Trail on Mount Tam
“A series of fire roads in the Mount Tamalpais watershed has become part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, a planned 500-plus-mile network of paths along the spines of ranges in the nine-county region. The Marin Municipal Water District, which owns the land, voted unanimously this month to dedicate the six new segments. All paths are fire roads that allow hiking, biking and equestrian access. “It’s hard to imagine any reason not to support this,” said Ranjiv Khush, a district board member. The Bay Area Ridge Trail was established in 1989 to promote and sustain connected hiking, cycling and equestrian trails on the ridgelines around San Francisco Bay, said Carly Blanchard, an environmental planner for the district. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
New cleanup proposed for old San Jose Superfund site near San Jose State
“Most people don’t pay much attention to the ordinary-looking parking lot at the corner of South 10th Street and East Alma Avenue just south of downtown San Jose. There are plenty of bigger draws nearby: San Jose State University’s football stadium, the San Jose Giants’ ballpark, Happy Hollow Zoo and Sharks Ice at San Jose, a popular ice rink where the San Jose Sharks practice. But the 5-acre, asphalt-covered lot is home to one of Silicon Valley’s longest-running environmental cleanups — a former business where workers scrubbed and recycled more than 2 million industrial steel drums between 1947 and 1987, often dumping pesticides, solvents, acids and other chemicals into the ground and storm drains. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
As Watsonville levee project construction begins, protection for Pajaro could be a decade away
“On New Year’s Eve 2022, Sonia Corrales and her family watched the floodwaters rise in their Watsonville neighborhood. The Corralitos Creek, which borders the neighborhood, swelled with heavy rains and splashed over the levees to either side. By 8 p.m., the water had entered their house. Surrounded by water too deep to drive through, she, her parents, three children and three sisters had to evacuate with the help of the fire department. “This whole street looked like a lagoon,” Corrales, 35, recalled. Following the floods, her family received money from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to rent another home. But it wasn’t enough to pay for a house large enough to accommodate all nine family members. They instead crammed into makeshift quarters in their garage as Corrales’ parents worked to repair the damage to the house. After three months of repairs, they hoped to soon move back into the main house. That’s when the second flood hit. “Everything they had fixed went to waste,” she said in Spanish. … ” Read more from Santa Cruz Local.
Monterey commentary: Affordable housing requires affordable, reliable water — now
Michael D. DeLapa, executive director of LandWatch, writes, “On the Monterey Peninsula, we talk endlessly about the housing crisis. We argue about zoning, density and affordability requirements. But there is a quieter bottleneck that has become just as decisive as land or financing: water policy. For nearly a decade, a cease-and-desist order intended to stop illegal diversions from the Carmel River has effectively frozen new water connections across much of the Peninsula. That freeze has blocked affordable housing, workforce housing and modest infill projects, even as verified water supplies have improved. The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District has now asked the State Water Resources Control Board to update that order based on current facts, not outdated fears. California American Water, however, appears not to support local housing solutions. Instead, Cal Am is urging delay — or outright denial — of the Water District’s request by invoking speculative future risks and tying relief to the completion of a costly desalination plant that is not required to meet near-term demand. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
State of Morro Bay 2026: Understanding bay health
“As part of our triennial State of the Bay year, we compile a report sharing the latest monitoring and research information for our bay and creeks. In this blog, we’ll be summarizing some of the data from our 2026 report that indicate the health of the Morro Bay estuary. Eelgrass is a type of seagrass that is abundant in Morro Bay. It puts down roots in the bay floor, helping to reduce erosion and improve water quality. This plant also sequesters carbon and serves as habitat and food for wildlife. Morro Bay’s eelgrass has undergone many changes in the past 20 years. From 2007 to 2017, the bay experienced a steep decline from 344 acres to only 13 acres of eelgrass. This sparked numerous monitoring and research efforts to better understand eelgrass extent and the factors that impact health. Starting around 2017, small patches of eelgrass were emerging in parts of the bay where it had been lost, primarily in the mid and back bay. This was the start of a steady increase in eelgrass acreage. Our mapping efforts indicated 500 acres in 2021 and 750 acres in 2023. … ” Read more from the Morro Bay NEP.
New Los Osos well completed
“It’s been a long time coming but Los Osos Community Services District’s new drinking water well is finally done and ready to pump. Called the “Program C Well,” the new water well is located at the south side of Los Osos Valley Road near the end of South Bay Boulevard on Bay Oaks. According to a report from the LOCSD staff, “On Jan. 27, the project contractor, consultants and staff were able to complete the startup of the Bay Oaks well. All systems are operational and the permit from the Division of Drinking Water has been received.” The LOCSD has been working on the new well, which taps the upper ground water aquifer, since 2018. It involved much study, environmental review, and installation of a significant water line to deliver the water to the system. “The well will add operational flexibility to the aging water production and distribution system,” the report said. “Many thanks to all the people that have worked diligently on this project over the years.” … ” Read more from the Estrero Bay News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Federal funding brings $4 million+ in Merced County improvements
“Several infrastructure, water and education projects in Merced County have been included in a federal funding package advanced by U.S. Rep. Adam Gray and approved at the House Appropriations Committee level for fiscal year 2026. The projects are part of more than $16 million in community project funding requests submitted for California’s 13th Congressional District and are pending final approval by Congress. According to Gray’s official press release, Merced County projects moving forward in the federal process include a $3,150,000 allocation for the Bear Creek Infrastructure and Flood Protection Initiative in the City of Merced. The project is intended to construct and complete flood resiliency infrastructure and habitat restoration features along Bear Creek, strengthening flood protection for public safety infrastructure and nearby agricultural areas. … ” Read more from the Los Banos Enterprise.
East Orosi’s $13.5M safe water project nears state approval after years of delays
“After a series of delays, a $13.5 million project to supply safe drinking water to the community of East Orosi is expected to receive state approval later this month. The project is funded by the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, specifically by an Emergency Drinking Water Assistance Grant. The use of the word “emergency” to describe the funding of the long-delayed project has an irony that is not lost on Denise England, Tulare County grants and resources manager. “We have reminded the state of that on a number of occasions,” she said. “You call this an emergency and we’re ready to go, and you all are still reviewing things and deciding with your attorneys whether or not we can actually go. It’s quite frustrating.” … ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta.
EASTERN SIERRA
Studying Eared Grebes on wings and over water
“It’s not every day that your dreams and scientific research converge, but sometimes the stars—or the grebes—align, and something magical happens. That’s exactly what happened on September 20, 2025, when I had the unique opportunity to join one of the four Eared Grebe survey flights of the year, led by our Restoration Field Technician, Robbie Di Paolo. These flights, typically conducted between mid-August and mid-November, are timed to maximize the likelihood of documenting peak abundance of Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricolis) on Mono Lake. Each fall since 2008, the Mono Lake Committee has partnered with biologist Dr. Sean Boyd of Environment and Climate Change Canada to conduct aerial surveys of Eared Grebes during their migration staging period. The purpose is simple yet vital: count the birds over time and space to better understand their arrival timing and abundance. Data that ultimately illuminates the ecological health of this hypersaline lake. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
First wave of nearly a week of rain hits Southern California. Snow expected for Mammoth, Tahoe
“Heavy rains hit Southern California on Monday, triggering flood watches and wind advisories in Los Angeles and evacuation warnings in burn scar areas, including alerts over the threat of mud and debris flows at the site of the Palisades fire. The first of multiple storms expected this week brought cold temperatures and the potential for mountain snow, with the National Weather Service estimating 1 to 2.5 inches of rain in coastal and valley areas and more than double that amount in mountain and foothill communities through Monday. The weather service also warned of the possibility of “small” or “weak” tornadoes — although none had been reported as of Monday morning. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Altadena utility customers to see water rate increases in 2026, amid fire recovery
“More than a year on from the devastation of the Eaton fire, some Altadena utility customers will be seeing changes to their water and power bills this year. Las Flores, Lincoln Avenue and Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association are the three mutual water companies that service Altadena and whose customers are shareholders of the companies. Pasadena Water and Power serves a portion of the town and Kinneloa Irrigation District is a special district for the Kinneloa Mesa neighborhood. All three mutuals suffered various levels of damage to their infrastructure in the Eaton fire. At a Rubio Cañon shareholder meeting last week, officials presented a potential average rate increase of 11% with the company also considering a fire recovery fee of either $30, $20 or $10 a month. No final decisions have been made by the Board of Directors. … ” Read more from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
Nearly half of L.A County’s pavement may be unnecessary, new map finds
“Los Angeles is often described as a concrete jungle, a city shaped by asphalt, parking lots and other hardscape. Now, for the first time, researchers have mapped that concrete in detail, and they claim a lot of it doesn’t need to be there. A new analysis finds that some 44% of Los Angeles County’s 312,000 acres of pavement may not be essential for roads, sidewalks or parking, and could be reconsidered. The report, DepaveLA, is the first parcel-level analysis to map all paved surfaces across L.A. County, and to distinguish streets, sidewalks, private properties, and other areas. The researchers divided all pavement into “core” and “non-core” uses. A street, for example, is core. Then they paired that map with data on heat, flooding and tree canopy, creating what they intend as a new framework for understanding where removing concrete and asphalt could make the biggest difference for people’s health and the climate. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times.
Notoriously hazardous South L.A. oil wells finally plugged after decades of community pressure
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that state oil and gas regulators have permanently closed one of the most infamous drill sites in Los Angeles, bringing an end to a decades-long community campaign to prevent dangerous gas leaks and spills from rundown extraction equipment. A state contractor plugged all 21 oil wells at the AllenCo Energy drill site in University Park, preventing the release of noxious gases and chemical vapors into the densely populated South Los Angeles neighborhood. The two-acre site, owned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is located across the street from several multifamily apartment buildings and less than 1,000 feet from St. Vincent School. For years, residents and students had repeatedly complained about acrid odors from the site, with many suffering chronic headaches and nosebleeds. The health concerns prompted a community-driven campaign to shut down the site, with some residents even pleading (unsuccessfully) with the late Pope Francis to intervene. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Check out Carson’s ‘secret refuge’ — the Bixby Marsh
“Just east of the Harbor Freeway, in the middle of an industrial area of Carson, lies a 17-acre haven for birds, ducks, plants and other wildlife. The Bixby Marsh is a wetland that’s home to 110 different plant species, 69 bird species and other animals, including more than 40% of them federally listed endangered and threatened species, according to a fact sheet about the marsh. The marsh was once threatened by development and other challenges. But now, thanks to ongoing efforts by the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the wetland is thriving — an urban refuge for wildlife and nature lovers. “It’s a nice refuge outside of the city,” said Genesis Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. “It’s a wetland right in the middle of an urban area. It’s like a secret.” … ” Read more from the Daily Breeze.
Volunteers work on reversing erosion at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach
“Cars speed past Talbert Marsh along Pacific Coast Highway, as erosion creeps at about six inches a year toward the road. Workers with the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy and OC Habitats hope to reverse the loss by installing coconut fiber logs, woven mats, and native plants to secure the shoreline. On the southern edge of the marsh, the shoreline is creeping toward a line of telephone poles that feed electricity to the lights on PCH, said John Villa, Executive Director of HBWC. “So far, it’s working,” Villa said, as sand builds up where it should and native plants take hold. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
San Bernardino County firefighters testing water-dropping drones
“San Bernardino firefighters may soon have a new weapon against California wildfires: autonomous water-dropping drones. While the San Bernardino County Fire currently uses drones to spot fires, its robotics division is working with the company Ponderosa to develop the Fire Sparrow Mark 10. “The benefit of water-dropping dones is their reflex time, their ability to be in the air within seconds,” SB County Fire spokesperson Eric Sherwin said. The Fire Sparrow is still in development, but Sherwin said the current iteration can carry 10 gallons of water, which can be trickled along a fire line or dumped in a single spot to put out an emerging fire. … ” Read more from CBS LA.
SAN DIEGO
In 50-year fight to protect California’s coast, they’re the real McCoys, still at it in their 80s
“Mike and Patricia McCoy answered the door of their cozy cottage in Imperial Beach, a short stroll from crashing waves and several blocks from the Tijuana River Estuary, where California meets Mexico and the hiking trails are named for them. They offered me a seat in a living room filled with awards for their service and with books, some of them about the wonders of the natural world and the threat to its survival. The McCoys are the kind of people who look you in the eye and give you their full attention, and Patricia’s British accent carries an upbeat, birdsong tone. In the long history of conservation in California, few have worked as long or as hard as the McCoys. Few have achieved as much. And they’re still at it. Mike at 84, Patricia at 89. … ” Continue reading from the LA Times.
Mexico to begin construction of US$840 million desalination plant in Baja California
“The Mexican government is set to begin construction of the Playas de Rosarito desalination plant at the end of March, marking a key step in Baja California’s efforts to expand its water supply, reports BNAmericas. The project is part of the region’s water infrastructure plan and involves a combined investment of over 14.6 billion pesos (approximately US$840 million) from both federal and state sources, according to Efraín Morales, the general director of the National Water Commission (Conagua). The desalination plant, expected to be the largest and most modern of its kind in Latin America, will have a production capacity of 2,200 liters per second. This will boost the water supply by up to 45% for the cities of Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito. Morales stated that while Conagua will oversee the plant’s construction, the state government will manage the distribution infrastructure. … ” Read more from Smart Water Magazine.
Along the Colorado River …
With no Colorado River deal in sight, risk of federal action intensifies. Here’s what that means.
“J B Hamby spent an evening in Southern California last week flipping through pages full of Colorado River meeting notes reflecting the same arguments and negotiating positions over the waterway’s future dating back to 2023. “I’ve kept all my notebooks since I began this sick, twisted hobby back in early 2023,” Hamby, the state’s top negotiator on Colorado River issues, said Friday. “Our real issue is not that we’ve run out of time. … The problem is that we don’t have sufficient compromise all around to be able to close a deal.” He’s not the only state negotiator feeling the frustration: There was no love between opposing blocs in the basin as they failed to meet a Valentine’s Day deadline. The seven Colorado River states, including Colorado, are trying to reach a joint agreement on how to manage the river basin’s water supplies before the current rules expire this fall. Without state consensus, President Donald Trump’s administration will decide what to do. With every missed deadline, the risk of expensive, yearslong court battles over water heightens, and communities are left in limbo. Coloradans are nervous the president could contradict a century of water law and give water to states he favors. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
States reliant on Colorado River fail to meet the latest deadline to find consensus
The seven Western states that depend on the Colorado River missed a deadline for the second time Saturday to agree on a plan addressing record drought and water shortages. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo released a joint statement calling on Upper Basin states to offer more concessions. Those states include Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. “The Colorado River is essential to our communities and economies, and our states have conserved large volumes of water in recent years to stabilize the basin’s water supplies for years to come,” the governors said. “Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation.” Arizona, California and Nevada have offered to decrease Colorado River allocation by 27%, 10% and 17%, respectively, according to those states. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
IID affirms leadership and preparedness as federal post-2026 Colorado River process continues
“As the U.S. Department of the Interior reaches its February 14 milestone in the ongoing federal planning process for post-2026 Colorado River operations, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) reaffirmed today that it remains actively engaged, fully prepared, and committed to protecting Imperial Valley agriculture, senior water rights, and the Salton Sea. The February 14 date is not a deadline for final decisions on river operations or water allocations. Rather, it reflects the Department of the Interior’s target for identifying the framework for an agreement in order to complete the modeling and analysis required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to develop a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be released later this year. Any new operating framework will not take effect until the 2027 Water Year, beginning October 1, 2026. “The February 14 milestone is part of a longer federal process, not the end of it,” said Karin Eugenio, Chairwoman of the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors. “IID is approaching this moment with focus and discipline. Our responsibility is to ensure that any post-2026 framework is lawful, durable, and provides for a sustainable Colorado River, while respecting the critical importance of Imperial Valley agriculture and our environmental resources, including the Salton Sea.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Irrigation District.
Imported water supply remains unsettled after deadline missed for river plans
“Leaders from the seven states that rely on the Colorado River missed a February 14 deadline set by the Trump administration to reach a shared plan for handling deeper shortages. The deadline doesn’t, by itself, change water deliveries to Los Angeles overnight. But it does keep one of Southern California’s key imported water sources tied up in negotiations as federal officials move ahead with the next set of river operating rules. For the Westside the story is less about faraway governors and more about how much Southern California still relies on imported water. When the states can’t agree, local agencies have to plan for uncertainty—not sudden shutoffs, but a tighter, more complicated future for water that comes from outside the region. … ” Read more from Westside Connect.
Commentary: Long-term investment and collaboration between states and tribal nations can create water security for the Colorado River Basin
” … The decisions we make about the Colorado River now will shape life in the West for generations to come. Any plan to protect the communities who rely on the river has to start with protecting the river itself. That is why it is imperative that Colorado River Basin states, Tribal Nations, and Mexico do more to work together to manage the river sustainably so it can support healthy ecosystems and thriving communities now and for future generations. New Operating Guidelines that direct how water will be shared among the states must focus on lasting, sustainable solutions for the Colorado River. But they are only one piece of the puzzle. Guidelines on their own cannot generate new water supplies, address root causes, or mitigate the impacts of supply and demand imbalances on their own. In order for any agreement to succeed, it needs to be backed by long-term funding for strategies that make the river more resilient, conserve water, and protect communities from increasingly severe fires, floods, and drought. … ” Read more from the Walton Family Foundation.
EXPLORE MORE COVERAGE:
The Supply Chain Risks of Colorado River Water Shortages, from Supply Chain
Could Colorado River Water Shortages Impact Nearshoring?, from Procurement
The Water Scarcity Crisis in the Colorado River Basin, from Food & Drink
The Colorado River now holds legal personhood. Experts hope it can slow a severe water crisis, from Green Matters
Arizona lawmakers push back on river plan, from Western Water
Spring runoff projections for Colorado River basin worsen
“The Bureau of Reclamation today released the February 24-Month Study, which highlights the worsening hydrologic conditions across the Colorado River Basin. A lack of precipitation over the past month has pushed the most probable water year inflow forecast for Lake Powell down by 1.5 million-acre feet (maf) since January – now roughly 3.0 maf lower than projections made in November. That loss is equivalent to approximately 50 feet in elevation in Lake Powell. “The basin’s poor hydrologic outlook highlights the necessity for collaboration as the Basin States, in collaboration with Reclamation, work on developing the next set of operating guidelines for the Colorado River system,” stated Acting Commissioner Scott Cameron. “Available tools will be utilized and coordination with partners will be essential this year to manage the reservoirs and protect infrastructure.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Lake Powell could reach ‘minimum power pool’ by end of year
“Federal water managers say the level of Lake Powell could fall to historic lows by the end of the year amid worsening drought conditions across the Colorado River Basin. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s newest 24-month study predicts that by December the lake could, for the first time, fall to 3,490 feet, or “minimum power pool,” the lowest level at which Glen Canyon Dam can produce electricity. In addition, if dry conditions persist officials say by March 2027, Powell could drop to 3,476 feet—the lowest level on record since the lake was filled decades ago, possibly limiting the dam’s ability to release water. “The basin’s poor hydrologic outlook highlights the necessity for collaboration as the Basin States, in collaboration with Reclamation, work on developing the next set of operating guidelines for the Colorado River system,” said acting Commissioner Scott Cameron in a press release. “Available tools will be utilized and coordination with partners will be essential this year to manage the reservoirs and protect infrastructure.” … ” Read more from KNAU.
SEE ALSO:
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- Colorado River runoff outlook darkens, from Western Water
- Lake Powell water could drop to critical levels sooner than expected, from Newsweek
Pinal County says cloud seeding produced 34,000 acre-feet of rain in 2025
“An experimental cloud seeding program conducted near Maricopa last summer generated an estimated 34,000 acre-feet of additional rainfall, according to a new Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority report. About 30 test flights were conducted between July and September within the county’s Active Management Area in western Pinal County, Executive Director Joe Singleton told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday. “Cloud seeding is taking artificial means to try to induce rainfall that you otherwise may have not naturally got out of a cloud,” Singleton said. “Rain clouds aren’t always as efficient as they could be, and cloud seeding encourages them to give up more moisture than they might have otherwise.” … ” Read more from In Maricopa.
Golf courses and water have a sustainable relationship in Fountain Hills
“With a deep nod to Rusty Childress’ recent spot-on warnings about unsustainable Western regional water consumption, let’s focus attention on a critical local industry: Golf. By any metric, four 18-hole courses in a town of 25,000 or so residents is not par for the course. But for this town, it’s a great score. Three courses are centerpieces of mature, master planned communities, SunRidge Canyon, Eagle Mountain and Firerock. Housing in these developments and our town as a whole produces significant waste. Those drains must lead … somewhere. And that somewhere is our Fountain Hills Sanitary District that treats “every drop” into top-rated A+ recycled wastewater. That valuable reclaimed water is then paid for and redistributed to irrigate those golf courses as well as town parks and of course our iconic Fountain Lake. Our non-potable water demand and supply are largely in balance. In a word, sustainable. … ” Read more from the Fountain Hill Times.
In national water news today …
Global warming forced scientists to change the way they look at El Niño
“Is your idea of El Niño and La Niña mainly informed by a 1990s-era Chris Farley sketch from “Saturday Night Live?” The late comedian’s definition was hilarious, albeit a bit lacking in scientific precision. (Spanish for “The Niño.”) There’s now far more interest in the tropical Pacific climate pattern, and it’s even more complicated than SNL made it out to be. El Niño happens when ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific spike way above average. Because that region is so much warmer than the water around it, the atmosphere reacts and weather patterns change — which is why we care so much about El Niño and its cooler sister, La Niña. The old way of detecting it was known as the Oceanic Niño Index: Scientists compared the ocean temperature in a specific part of the tropical Pacific, known as the Niño 3.4 region, to the past 30 years of average temperatures in that region. The bigger the difference, the bigger the El Niño. But that method ignored what was going on in the rest of the tropical Pacific. … ” Read more from CNN.
