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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Intermountain West Snow Drought and Water Supply Briefing from 10am to 10:45am. This special briefing of the Intermountain West Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) will highlight the unprecedented snow drought in the region and will provide early warning on potential impacts to spring runoff and regional water supply. Information presented will include an update on current snowpack and drought conditions and forecasts for regional water supply. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
McNerney joins with Delta enviros & State Water Contractors on major bill to protect CA’s water
“State Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, today announced the introduction of SB 872, groundbreaking legislation that would help protect California’s primary water source for decades to come. Supported by environmentalists and State Water Contractors that have often been at odds over water use, SB 872 would safeguard both the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and the State Water Project (SWP). “Historically, California’s water wars have pitted North against South, the environment versus agriculture,” said Sen. McNerney, who is co-chair of the Delta Caucus and whose district includes the heart of the Delta. “SB 872 is a commonsense solution that brings traditional adversaries together to support vital water projects that will protect California’s water and the Delta, while also benefitting the entire state.” … ” Read more from Senator Jerry McNerney.
SEE ALSO: Schrödinger’s climate rules, from Politico (scroll down)
Senator Steven Choi introduces Senate Bill 1176 to prohibit adversarial foreign control of California farmland
“Senator Steven Choi, Ph.D. (R–Irvine) has introduced Senate Bill 1176, legislation to prohibit adversarial foreign actors from purchasing, acquiring, leasing, or holding a controlling interest in California agricultural land. SB 1176 adds Chapter 5 to the Civil Code to restrict ownership by businesses or governments from countries designated as nonmarket economies under federal law or identified as national security threats in the most recent Annual Threat Assessment issued by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Such entities would be barred from holding a controlling interest in California agricultural land. The measure authorizes the Attorney General to investigate violations and order divestiture within 90 days, subject to judicial review. … ” Read more from Senator Choi.
Hopes and fears for Sierra snowpack
“A series of powerful snowstorms are finally blanketing the Sierra Nevada this week, welcome news for skiers and climate scientists alike after a January that left California’s snowpack shrinking instead of growing. But just weeks ago, despite heavy precipitation from October through December, a monthlong dry spell and a warm January had experts and state officials worried about soil moisture and wildfire risk for the upcoming summer. In late January, the California Department of Water Resources conducted its second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe. The results were discouraging — the 23 inches of snowpack at the site held eight inches of water at the time, just 46% of the Jan. 30 average. The same measurements taken at more than 250 other locations in California showed that Sierra Nevada snow statewide was carrying 59% of its average water for this time of year. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
National Academies study: New and notable recommendations for protecting at-risk fish from water diversions in the Bay-Delta system
“In 2021, California suffered a severe drought and the hottest summer then on record. Water was beyond scarce. It was brutal for the fish, farmers and others who depend on flows in the San Francisco Bay-Delta watershed, a system that spans hundreds of miles from mountain headwaters to the confluence of California’s two longest rivers, the Sacramento and the San Joaquin. But that year also saw the beginnings of a new National Academies study to help California’s imperiled salmon, smelt and sturgeon survive people’s relentless water diversions from the Bay-Delta system. Supplying water without sacrificing fish is a “massive, high stakes balancing act,” says Dave Owen, a UC Law, San Francisco professor who has a background in geology and focuses on water resource management. “Science helps strike that balance.” … ” Read more from Robin Meadows at Maven’s Notebook.
California Fisheries Blog: Winter-run chinook salmon: A plan for the future
Tom Cannon writes, “Winter-run Chinook salmon were once found throughout the Upper Sacramento River watershed, including the Sacramento, McCloud, and Pit River drainages, as well as in Battle Creek (Figure 1). Following the construction of the Central Valley Project’s Shasta and Keswick dams in the 1940s, winter-run were confined to the lower Sacramento River below Keswick Dam. Winter-run are one of four Chinook salmon subspecies found in the Central Valley. As “winter-run,” the historical population took advantage of the Mediterranean climate’s wet winter and spring to migrate to and from the ocean to optimal spawning habitats in the Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen volcanic Cascade watersheds. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog.
In commentary today …
Recharge the valley: Why California’s water future depends on groundwater
Jim Mayer, chair of the Northern California Water Groundwater Management Task Force, and Michael Saunders, chair of the Regional Water Authority, write, “By any honest measure, California is living in water extremes. Long droughts empty reservoirs, idle farmland, and impact our environment. Then, atmospheric rivers roar through the Sacramento Valley, sending millions of acre-feet of freshwater to the ocean in a matter of days. We lurch between scarcity and surplus—yet act as though we can’t store the water when it is most abundant. That paradox is no longer acceptable. A solution is beneath our feet. Groundwater recharge—intentionally moving high flows onto fields, floodplains, and dedicated basins so they percolate into aquifers, or shifting water supplies to leave more groundwater in storage—is a practical, affordable, and scalable storage system in California. When done through managed programs with clear accounting and sustainability safeguards, it allows regions to capture water during wet times for use during dry times. And now, after a decade of experience under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), it is clear we need legislation that makes recharge easier, faster, more affordable, and more certain. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Without federal climate action, California’s wild native fish face almost certain extinction events
“California Trout is deeply concerned by the repeal of the federal endangerment finding, a decision that departs from decades of scientific consensus and raises serious implications for the health of our wild fish, rivers, communities, and climate. At California Trout, we know that the climate crisis is real. Climate change is the primary threat to our organization’s mission of revitalizing waters for resilient wild fish and a better California — and human activity is the principal cause. The endangerment finding has long reflected the best available science showing that climate pollution poses risks to public health and welfare. Rolling it back does not align with the realities Californians are already experiencing: more extreme heat, intensified droughts, floods, and wildfires, shrinking snowpack, and warming waters. “The endangerment finding reflects decades of rigorous scientific research showing that climate change poses clear risks to both human and ecological systems,” said Darren Mierau, Director of Science at California Trout. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
Permitting reform vs. farm reality: Will faster federal reviews help producers?
Dan Keppen, Executive adviser, Family Farm Alliance, writes, “In Washington, D.C., “permitting reform” has become one of the hottest phrases in policy circles. Lawmakers and regulators are debating major changes to how projects move through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act permitting, and related environmental reviews. The stated goal is simple: build things faster. Move infrastructure. Cut red tape. Reduce delay. For farmers and ranchers, the question is more practical: Will any of this actually make it easier to get real work done on the ground? … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘It’s unfortunate’: Officials disappointed fish farm backed out
“With Nordic Aquafarms backing out of a proposed aquaculture facility on the Samoa Peninsula after about seven years of planning and regulatory work, public officials said they are disappointed but feel confident another project will happen at the former pulp mill. “We are aware that Nordic no longer intends to pursue a project on the Samoa Peninsula and are working with Nordic and the county for the orderly wind-down of the project,” said Chris Mikkelsen, executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, in a statement sent by email. This development, reported by the Lost Coast Outpost, follows a number of signs of shrinking local presence of the Norway-based company. The Outpost reported the company submitted paperwork to formally dissolve the California-based affiliate last month. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
SIERRA NEVADA
New Colgate Powerhouse failure: What we’re seeing on the Yuba
“Disasters like the failure of the penstock water pipe at New Colgate powerhouse are not something anyone hopes for. But in these moments, it is crucial to take a slow, measured response to understand the environmental impacts and let the data inform the response. As news of the penstock failure spread the afternoon of Friday February 13th, my first job was to reach out to our partners at Yuba Water Agency to offer the support and assistance of SYRCL, if at all possible. At SYRCL, we are a science-focused, data-driven organization. That approach is one that I deeply value, and, as Executive Director, I believe is critical to our ongoing success as an organization. As the events unfolded Friday afternoon, I knew that collecting data was going to be crucial to helping us understand the near and long-term environmental impacts. I think about events like this on three different time scales: immediate response and engagement, medium-term monitoring, and the long-term implications for the Yuba watershed and water infrastructure. But first, let’s describe what happened. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
Busted pipe at Yuba power plant kills salmon, renews infrastructure fears
“River conservationists on Wednesday urged state regulators to reassess how aging hydropower infrastructure is operated and maintained — and, in some cases, whether certain facilities should remain in place — following a 14-foot diameter, high-pressure water pipe ruptured last week. While praising the immediate emergency response of Yuba Water Agency and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, advocates said the rupture raises broader questions about how dams and related infrastructure are managed in California. Friday’s penstock rupture in Yuba County, which hit as Yuba Water Agency was finishing a major tunnel and penstock upgrade at its New Colgate Powerhouse, has left the utility and state wildlife officials scrambling to clean up sediment and debris and to restore flows on the lower Yuba. A penstock is a large, pressurized pipe that carries water from a reservoir into a hydropower plant and then back into the river. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
A champion for the Truckee River
“The indicator dipped below the milky green waters of Northern Nevada’s Truckee River. Riley Roberts pulled hard on his 10-foot 4-weight. He looked at the water through the green mirror of his sunglasses. “Fish? No, maybe a stick?” he wondered with a laugh. “Wait, what? What is that?” As the line slowly lifted out of the water, a soggy camouflage trucker hat covered in thick brown algae rose to the surface, hooked by Roberts’ heavy nymph. It was the second piece of trash he’d hooked from his raft that day. The first was the crusty metal ring of an old minnow trap. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
BAY AREA
Predawn Bay Area storm brings damaging winds before one of winter’s coldest mornings
“A fast-moving band of thunderstorms, known as a squall line, is expected to sweep across the Bay Area between 1 and 4 a.m., bringing a brief but intense burst of heavy rain and wind gusts over 50 mph in some spots. The strongest winds and any potential for water spouts will likely be focused closer to the Central Coast and Monterey Bay, where atmospheric instability is greatest. With freezing air just a few thousand feet above the surface, the atmosphere will be unstable enough to support strong storm cells. These storms could produce brief downpours and small hail. Snow will fall along the higher hills of the Bay Area, with a few inches likely in the Diablo range in Santa Clara County. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Meet the stormwater robots
“The day before the first major fall storm in 2025, Kayli Paterson took four of her new coworkers to creeks in Richmond, Albany, and Oakland, tied them up securely, and left them. Like others on the sampling team, the new members were braving the storm to collect samples of contaminants in urban stormwater runoff. Unlike the rest of the crew, they weighed 25 pounds each and were the size of bulky briefcases. After three years of scheming, tinkering, and trial and error, Paterson and the SFEI team are putting a fleet of stormwater sampling robots to work. “Our little robot samplers, they don’t need showers. They don’t need sleep,” says Don Yee, who developed the first generation of samplers in 2023 and built the new robots along with Paterson and a small team. “They just need their batteries charged.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Estuary Institute.
Hardscapes that filter rain
“Most roads, sidewalks, and parking lots are designed to shuttle stormwater and other runoff straight toward drains. Since concrete and asphalt are impervious, or impermeable, water runs off them instead of through them — in some cases carrying oil, microplastics, and other contaminants straight to bodies of water like the San Francisco Bay. Climate change is making winter storms more intense, leading to heavier runoff that picks up more pollution and is more likely to overwhelm existing stormwater infrastructure. A solution that local cities and regulatory agencies are increasingly considering is replacing these hard surfaces with porous alternatives that let water pass through into the underlying soil. There are four main categories of permeable paving — porous asphalt, pervious concrete, permeable pavers, and grid pavements — and each has a specific use case or application, explains Peter Schultze-Allen, a senior technical scientist with Oakland environmental consulting firm EOA, Inc. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
Residents tell Suisun City council to put expansion plan on June ballot
“Craig Loop bought his home in 1976. There were fewer than 3,000 residents at the time, and a regional newspaper had declared the city the worst place to live in the Bay Area. Loop told the City Council on Tuesday night that the declaration was enough to convince him to make the move. He just had a feeling something special could happen. He thinks it has – over the years. However, Loop was part of a chorus of voices who urged the council to place an advisory measure on the June primary ballot – what one speaker called a “pulse check” of the residents on the proposed Suisun Expansion Specific Plan. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
Milpitas expands help with water bills for low income households
“Milpitas is significantly expanding a program to help low-income households pay their water bills. Since 2019, the city’s had a subsidy program that gave participants $22.50 off of their bi-monthly water bill, discounts on city-run recreation programs and reduced permitting fees for certain utility-related replacements. Now, the city is offering more generous aid for water bills, with three different tiers of assistance depending on need. For residents who make less than half of the area’s median income — currently $195,200 for a family of four — the program would provide 50% off fixed water bills, water meter and sewer connection costs, and up to $50 off water consumption costs. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
More rain is headed to Stanislaus County. Who is most at risk for flooding?
“Heavy rain soaked Stanislaus County as the “coldest storm of the season” swept across California, bringing gusty winds and rolling thunderstorms — and the wet weather isn’t over yet. More rain, breezy conditions and colder temperatures are expected in the Modesto area this week, according to the National Weather Service. “Although the heavier rainfall have diminished, the cold front and shortwave energy dives southward along the West Coast and will bring renewed rainfall,” the weather agency said in an area forecast discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Forecasters expect about another half-inch of rain in the Modesto area through Thursday, Feb. 19. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Beavers building dams on Dry Creek in Modesto. Why that’s a good thing
“At least three beaver dams spanning Dry Creek in different spots between the Creekside Golf Course and Claus Road were spotted for the first time recently. Michael Hart, a volunteer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who routinely monitors the area, was alerted to them in early February by a homeowner close to the creek. “Look how you can see how it catches all that sediment, that stuff floating on the water,” Hart said while observing one of the dams recently. He pointed to a line of twigs and branches that stretch along the creek, pooling upstream water. Beavers are native to California, and the Central Valley in particular, but their numbers were decimated during the fur trade in the late 1800s. Dams like these are evidence of recovery in the region. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Data Land USA: PG&E says it won’t let AI data centers raise Central Valley power bills
“With the rise of AI and cloud computing, some neighborhoods are getting a little louder. One Chicago-area resident could hear the hum of a data center’s backup generator near their home last April. It’s what Andy Masley says happens when the services Americans love meet the computers that do the work. “…Anything from like internet storage to video streaming and now, increasingly, AI tasks, specifically,” Masley, an AI Expert and Director of Effective Altruism DC, recently told ABC News. An investigation by the network and ABC Owned Stations reveals more than 3,000 data centers across the country. There are 275 of them in California, and three are in Fresno. … ” Read more from ABC 30.
Kings County groundwater agency approved $360,000 “ballpark” cost for drying wells
“The Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) will spend $360,000 to repair four dry wells in its boundary caused by excessive groundwater pumping. The Mid-Kings board approved drilling three new domestic wells and connecting one home to the City of Hanford’s water system during its Feb. 17 board meeting. This is all part of its $2 million pilot program to help owners repair well damages. “This is a very ballpark budget based on the understanding that we have of the wells, understanding of how much pipe we have to run,” engineering consultant Amer Hussain told the board. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Lightning fires, avalanches and floods: Deadly string of storms slams California
“A series of storms drenching California continued to cause problems across the Southland on Wednesday, triggering crashes on freeways, knocking over trees and sparking concerns about floods and debris flows in fire-scarred foothills. Much of the region was under a wind advisory Wednesday morning, with forecasters warning of powerful gusts of up to 60 mph. And after significant rainfall soaked the soil during Monday’s storm, trees were particularly vulnerable to toppling during Tuesday night’s strong winds. By Wednesday afternoon, some areas of L.A. County had accumulated several inches of rainfall, including Mt. Baldy, which recorded 5.31 inches. According to the National Weather Service, Bel-Air got 3.38 inches, downtown Los Angeles 2.54 inches and Santa Monica 2.35 inches. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Metropolitan Water District begins $280M drought project
“Officials from Los Angeles and Ventura counties celebrated on Jan. 21, 2026, the start of construction of a $280 million project to bring additional sources of water to Southern California communities hit particularly hard by the state’s last drought. J.F. Shea Construction is the project’s prime contractor. The Sepulveda Feeder Pump Stations Project will allow The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to reverse flows in its system if needed during severe California droughts, pushing water from the Colorado River and Diamond Valley Lake into communities that have limited access to these resources. These areas normally rely almost exclusively on water from the northern Sierra, delivered through the State Water Project. … ” Read more from Construction Equipment Guide.
New partnership enhances water resilience for SoCal region
“California’s jarring shifts between extreme drought and heavy rains have led many water agencies across the state to explore innovative approaches to water storage. The newest example is a Water Storage and Exchange Program partnership between Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) and Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD). Through the partnership, LVMWD will have access to a portion of the 50,000 acre-feet of water stored in the IRWD Water Bank for use during an emergency. The IRWD Water Bank captures and stores water in wet years and times of surplus for use during extreme shortages. Like an emergency savings account for water, LVMWD can withdrawal up to 850 acre-feet of water annually in times of declared emergency restrictions — enough to serve 1,400 average-sized families for up to three years. Roughly half of the 6,000 acre-feet of stored water included in the agreement is available for use by LVMWD and half for IRWD. … ” Read more from the Irvine Ranch Water District.
Powerful winter storms dislodge dozens of concrete slabs in Santa Monica channel
“A series of intense back-to-back winter storms battered Southern California this week, unleashing powerful rushing waters through the Santa Monica Channel and dislodging dozens of large concrete slabs from its aging walls. The massive blocks—part of a sacrificial concrete overlay installed in the 1970s—peeled away and were carried downstream, piling up dramatically in sections near Pacific Palisades and the confluence with Rustic Canyon. Residents living adjacent to the channel described hearing sounds like a freight train roaring through, accompanied by noticeable ground vibrations as the forceful currents tore loose chunks of the nearly 50-year-old infrastructure. … ” Read more from Santa Monica Observed.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Supervisors ratify letter to Padilla amid public backlash over data center
“The ratification of a letter to State Sen. Steve Padilla regarding the Imperial Data Center was a point of contention during the Board of Supervisors’ special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17. The ratification of the letter to Sen. Padilla is listed as Item 19 under the “Executive Office” portion of the consent calendar on the Feb. 17 agenda, and a copy of the letter is linked there. According to County Executive Officer Dr. Kathleen Lang, the board sent a letter to Padilla on Feb. 11 requesting an in-person or virtual meeting to discuss Padilla’s questions about the Imperial Data Center project. The County Executive Office recommended that the board ratify the letter, which it did. The board’s letter to Padilla is in response to his Feb. 10 press release in which the state senator said that the proposed data center is “unacceptable and cannot be allowed to move forward,” citing environmental and health concerns. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
SAN DIEGO
Congress secures $26M for Oceanside flood mitigation project
“California elected officials announced on Wednesday that $26 million in federal funding was secured to help support flood mitigation efforts in Oceanside. This funding was passed after efforts from Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, Representative Mike Levin and other local leaders. The investment will go towards the San Luis Rey River Project, which will remove sediment from the river channel, improve its levee system and provide funds for geotechnical investigations. “For decades, the Oceanside community has been at the mercy of aging flood protection systems that threaten residents, the local economy, and infrastructure in the region,” Schiff said in a news release. “These federal dollars will underwrite work toward mitigating those flood risks.” … ” Read more from Fox 5.
San Diego releases water from full Lake Hodges dam
“Water from the 108-year-old Lake Hodges dam was released into the San Dieguito River to meet safety requirements, the city of San Diego said Wednesday. The city said recent rain raised the levels of the Hodges Reservoir beyond the 280-foot-elevation threshold set by the Division of Safety of Dams, making the water release necessary. The 280-foot level is 35 feet below the dam’s spillway. The threshold is set to “protect downstream communities and ensure the safe operation of Hodges Dam,” a city statement read. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
Poway’s three-phase water infrastructure improvement project reaches milestone
“A nearly $87 million project to improve Poway’s water system will reach another milestone this spring when an aging Clearwell is replaced with two 4 million-gallon circular concrete water tanks. The Clearwell replacement project is under budget, approximately 95% complete and on schedule for commissioning in spring 2026, according to a staff report. The water infrastructure improvement program is the largest capital project in the city’s 45-year history, said Robert Weber, the city’s principal civil engineer for public works-utilities, at the Feb. 3 Poway City Council meeting. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Well water contaminated with sewage from Mexico, border rancher says
“As a storm passes through the San Diego-Tijuana region, Ruben Cervantes says the non-stop flow of sewage-tainted water coming from south of the border is contaminating wells used by ranchers like him in the Tijuana River Valley. Cervantes has lived and worked in the Valley for 35 years, and as time has gone by, he says horses have gotten more prone to getting ill. “The reason it’s a big problem is that we’re on well water, the well water is what we give to the horses, goats and other animals.” For decades, sewage-tainted water has made its way from Tijuana into the U.S. side of the border through the Tijuana River Valley and out to the ocean. On rainy days, the International Wastewater Treatment Plant is often overwhelmed by the effluent coming in from Tijuana, and as way to prevent damage to its pumps and other infrastructure, it gets shut down. The polluted water is simply released. … ” Read more from the Border Report.
Along the Colorado River …
Battle over Colorado River water ends in a draw
“Twice, the seven states which rely heavily on the Colorado River for drinking water and irrigation have been given deadlines by the federal government to find a solution to the chronic lack of fresh water in the river and twice the states have failed to do so. Now it is up to the feds to impose a solution and it is pretty damn certain no one will be pleased with the result. The issue is simple — the states are taking more water out than nature is putting in. The two human-made lakes built decades ago — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — are at historically low levels while demand for fresh water from the river goes up every year. To fix the problem, experts say the states need to find a way to reduce their demand for fresh water by up to four million acre-feet a year. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover a typical football field in water one foot deep — 326,000 gallons, to be precise. Do the math — figure, figure, scribble, carry the one — and the answer is…a whole heckuva lot of water. … ” Read more from Clean Technica.
Bill to inform ‘sleepwalking’ Arizonans of Colorado River water cuts fails
“As the state has built up its legal warchest ahead of a legal battle over how Colorado River water will be divvied up, one failed Republican proposal at the Capitol sought to notify Arizona residents of the worst case scenario. “When you live in the suburbs, you get used to turning on the tap and water coming out and you don’t think much about it,” Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, said Tuesday while explaining his House Bill 4100 to the House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. Kolodin’s bill would have required that every municipal water provider that receives water from the Central Arizona Project notify customers of the potential increase to their water rates if 100% of that water is no longer available. … ” Read more from the Arizona Mirror.
Commentary: Unchecked growth is starving Colorado River
Rusty Childress writes, “The Arizona Republic deserves real credit for finally asking a question that has been avoided for far too long: As states draw Colorado River water, what’s left for the river? That question alone represents progress. For years, coverage treated the river as scenery or a victim of bad luck rather than something structurally squeezed by human decisions. This piece does an excellent job showing what is at stake. From the delta wetlands in Mexico to the Grand Canyon and the headwaters in Colorado, it makes the ecological damage tangible. Birds, fish, wetlands, and entire river systems are shown not as abstractions but as living things hanging on by a thread. It also makes clear that environmental water is not guaranteed. It comes last, if it comes at all. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
Threat of a Colorado River lawsuit looms. Here’s how Utah is preparing.
“Utah leaders are preparing for a legal fight over the Colorado River as the seven states that share the dwindling water supply remain at odds. Utah lawmakers have requested roughly $6 million to be earmarked for litigation over the Colorado River. “It’s really, really critical to our state,” Rep. Rex Shipp, vice chair of the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, said about the river during a committee meeting on Feb. 11. About 40 million people across Utah, the Southwest U.S. and northern Mexico rely on the Colorado River for drinking water and agriculture. Over two decades of drought and an exceptionally warm and dry winter this year have pushed the river system near a breaking point: Lake Powell may reach power pool this year, cutting off electricity generation and unleashing infrastructure challenges at Glen Canyon Dam. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
As the Colorado River shrinks, it’s revealing an iconic canyon that’s been underwater for decades
“We’ve been hearing a lot about the Colorado River lately, as Western leaders failed yet again to meet a consequential deadline to come to a deal about who will take less water from the drying river. But there are other stories about the mighty Colorado. This one is something of a silver lining. As the Colorado River shrinks, it’s revealing an iconic canyon that’s been underwater for decades since it was dammed up in the 1960s: Glen Canyon. ”What the River Knows,” a new documentary being screened Wednesday in Phoenix, tells its story. “I went down into Glen Canyon thinking we were all screwed. I came away actually being hopeful,” says scholar and advocate Len Necefer in the film. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Legacy mining mercury still pollutes Nevada rivers, raising concerns across Mountain West
“A new study from researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, finds elevated mercury levels in wood ducks along the Carson River, downstream from Nevada’s historic Comstock Lode. In the 1800s, miners used mercury to extract gold and silver from crushed rock. Much of that toxic metal washed into nearby waterways, where it settled into sediments along riverbanks and floodplains. Researchers analyzed 15 years of feather samples from wood ducks living year-round along the Carson River. They found that some ducklings carried mercury concentrations far above federal safety thresholds for human consumption. Co-author Perry Williams said the contamination has not simply stayed buried. … ” Read more from Wyoming Public Radio.
In national water news today …
EPA’s focus on PFAS to persist with ongoing efforts to increase knowledge of the large family of compounds
“The Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a press release on its efforts over the last year regarding PFAS contamination, noting it “represents just the beginning of the Trump Administration’s fight against the risks of PFAS contamination.” Some of the work the agency highlighted included “better testing and detection, direct community support, enforcement, clear public education, commonsense regulation, and cutting-edge research…” … “The EPA plans to continue expanding testing programs, advancing new treatment technologies, increasing community outreach, and strengthening enforcement actions to work with local municipalities and the private sector to pursue practical solutions,” the release said. … ” Read more from the Environmental Law Monitor.
El Nino is brewing: Here’s what it means for US weather in 2026
“A major shift may be brewing in the Pacific Ocean: Forecasters say El Niño could develop later this year. If it does, it can reshape weather patterns across the United States during the second half of 2026, as well as the Atlantic hurricane season. El Niño is part of a natural climate cycle that shows up every few years. It happens when ocean water warms in the tropical Pacific near the equator. The opposite phase is La Niña, when that same region runs cooler than average. When such a large stretch of the Pacific warms (or cools) for months at a time, it can nudge the jet stream into a different position. That shift can change where storms track and where wet or dry patterns set up around the world. It’s one of the factors AccuWeather considers when building long-range weather forecasts. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
“The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows. And more than half of that increase is caused by human-caused climate change, researchers calculated. What this means is that as the world warms, more places across the globe are prone to go up in flames at the same time because of increasingly synchronous fire weather, which is when multiple places have the right conditions to go up in smoke. Countries may not have enough resources to put out all the fires popping up and help won’t be as likely to come from neighbors busy with their own flames, according to the authors of a study in Wednesday’s Science Advances. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
