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On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING: Regarding the Appeals Filed for the Delta Conveyance Project Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan beginning at 9am. The Council will hold a hearing regarding the appeals of the certification of consistency submitted on October 17, 2025, to the Council by the Department of Water Resources. A certified electronic court reporter will record the hearing proceedings. Visit the Council’s “Delta Conveyance Project” web page to access documents related to the certification of consistency and appeals. The appellants and certifying agency (respondent) will each be provided with an opportunity to make an oral presentation at the hearing. The presentations will be limited to the issues and facts raised in the appeals. Click here for the meeting notice.
- MEETING: California Water Quality Monitoring Council beginning at 10am. This meeting will focus on regional monitoring programs, including the SF Bay Regional Monitoring Program, Russian River Regional Monitoring Program, Klamath Basin Monitoring Program, Delta Regional Monitoring Program, SoCal Bight Regional Monitoring Program, SoCal Stormwater Monitoring Coalition, and the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Regulating data center water use in California from 3pm to 4pm. Artificial intelligence is driving a rapid expansion of data centers, bringing both opportunity and growing demands on California’s water resources. Yet policymakers and communities lack clear information about how much water these facilities use, when that water use causes negative impacts, and how water use is regulated at the state and local levels. Existing reporting requirements have not provided a clear picture of data center water use in California, and oversight relies on a patchwork of policies with gaps and inconsistencies. A new report by the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, Regulating Data Center Water Use in California, examines the current state of knowledge on direct data center water use. The report maps the policy and regulatory framework and offers recommendations for the state, local leaders, and the data center industry. This webinar will feature the report’s authors, who will provide an overview of their findings, along with water service and state agency representatives. Panelists will discuss how data centers fit into the current regulatory framework, how water use is considered in decision-making processes, and what the state, the industry, and local governments can do to better understand and address data center water use. Click here to register.
- IN-PERSON: Wildfire Prevention and Environmental Policy Lecture Series: Jay Famiglietti beginning at 7:30pm in Chico. Join renowned climate scientist and water expert Jay Famiglietti for an urgent and engaging talk on the connection between wildfire, drought, and our changing climate. A former NASA scientist and current professor in the College of Global Futures at Arizona State University, Jay has briefed the UN and Congress and appeared on 60 Minutes and PBS NewsHour. Known for making complex science accessible, Jay will share eye-opening insights on water scarcity, wildfire prevention, and what we can do to protect our future. Don’t miss this powerful evening with one of the world’s most trusted voices on climate and water. This is a must-attend event for students, scientists, and concerned citizens alike. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
RESTORE THE DELTA: Tribes and environmental advocates call on Delta Stewardship Council to reject Delta tunnel certification of consistency
“[Yesterday], a coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates hosted a virtual press conference urging the Delta Stewardship Council to reject the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, warning that approval would signal a retreat from the Council’s promise to ensure that environmental justice and Tribal consultation are not merely procedural formalities, but central to its decision making. The press conference comes ahead of the Council’s February 26-27 hearings to consider whether the controversial Delta Tunnel project complies with the state’s Delta Plan. The coalition includes the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Baykeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Little Manila Rising, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta. … ” Read more from Restore the Delta.
STATEMENT: DWR asserts Delta Conveyance Project aligns with Delta Plan
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) found that the Delta Conveyance Project is consistent with the Delta Plan because it is consistent with all applicable policies of the Delta Plan. Additionally, the project is on the whole consistent with the coequal goals and substantial evidence demonstrates that DWR has followed the Delta Plan’s recommendations to promote, evaluate, design, and implement new and improved facilities for water conveyance and water diversion in the Delta. DWR documented these findings in a Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan, submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council in October 2025. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources.
MORE RESOURCES:
- The public hearing on the appeals starts today. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- All related documents are on this page.
- Questions about the appeals process? Here is an explainer.
- Here is a fact sheet from DWR.
DELTA CONVEYANCE PROJECT: Minimizing community impacts from construction
“Construction of major infrastructure projects can raise understandable questions about local effects. For the Department of Water Resources (DWR), a central priority for the Delta Conveyance Project has been to identify potential construction related impacts early, design around them where feasible, and commit to clear mitigation measures where needed. Construction activities would occur primarily near facilities such as proposed intakes and tunnel launch shafts, and only during defined construction windows. To provide clarity, DWR published last year a Community Impact Guide which offers a plain-language overview of anticipated construction issues and the commitments in place to address them. The guide links directly to detailed technical analyses and mitigation measures in the environmental documents. … ” Continue reading from DWR.
The surprising element that’s boosting California’s stubbornly low snowpack
“As rain pelted the Sierra Nevada over the last couple days, it percolated into the dry layer of snow blanketing the landscape and froze into ice. Over that short time period, the rain has notably increased the amount of water in the snowpack. Experts welcomed the change, reporting that one essential metric, the median “snow water equivalent” or SWE, had jumped up by 5% since Monday. “SWE is the most important metric for all of our water resources,” Andrew Schwartz, the director of UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, wrote in an email to SFGATE. “… It’s the metric that we deal with the most and the one that the entirety of the snow research and operations community is working to get right. So, seeing an increase in SWE like that, even if it’s from mid-winter rain, is a great thing because that means we have more water stored in the snowpack moving forward.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: California Snowpack Gets Good News, from Newsweek
Western U.S. is about to see historic winter weather — with 90-degree temps in forecast
“An unusually warm winter in Northern California is about to end with its highest temperatures yet. But a far more momentous heat spell is about to unfold in the Southwest, where days of well above-normal temperatures will break records and lock in that region’s warmest winter in modern history. The mercury is forecast to climb significantly Thursday, with the heat lasting through Saturday in Southern California and Sunday in Arizona. Phoenix is forecast to reach 94 degrees Friday and Saturday. That would be the hottest temperature ever measured there in meteorological winter, which runs from December through February. Temperatures will be 20 to 25 degrees above normal in Los Angeles, where 90-degree readings are predicted Friday. Palm Springs will bake in the mid-90s. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Rain in Redding sets a record. See Lake Shasta’s level now
“A winter storm smashed a rainfall record in Redding in a February finale before warm weather returns to the North State. It also left Lake Shasta and other Northern California reservoirs burbling with more water than usual for this time of year. The wet storm brought consistent rain throughout the day on Tuesday, dropping 2.74 inches at Redding Regional Airport, according to National Weather Service data. “Redding set a daily maximum rainfall record” for Feb. 24, said Katrina Hand at the weather service’s Sacramento branch. That broke the old record of 2.04 inches of rain, set on Feb. 24, 1958. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
Newsom unveils California Water Plan 2028 to boost capture, storage and conservation
“California is starting a new long-term plan to protect its water supply as climate change brings longer droughts and stronger storms, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday. The California Water Plan 2028 is a multi-year effort to help the state capture, store and save more water so families, farmers and businesses have enough in the future. “Climate change is reshaping life in California through historic droughts and record storms that threaten the farms that feed the nation, communities that depend on reliable water, and the environment we all share,” Newsom said. “The 2028 Water Plan is a commitment to every Californian that we will capture, store, and conserve the water our state—the 4th largest economy in the world—needs to thrive, no matter what climate change throws at us.” … ” Read more from KRCR.
SEE ALSO:
- California Sets First-Ever Statewide Water Supply Goal of 9 Million Acre-Feet by 2040, from the Santa Monica Mirror
- Water wars, from Politico (scroll down)
Finding common ground and practical solutions in a California water war zone
“An unlikely coalition of farmers and water managers, who in the past would be at loggerheads over the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, are banding together in an effort to move the needle on how to better manage this unique resource. “When I told my father about this group, his quote was, ‘Why would you want to hang out with those guys down south that want to steal your water?’ Delta farmer Tom Merwin told a seminar audience gathered at World Ag Expo in February. “That has been ingrained in us for generations. We’ve all tried to make headway in our respective regions, but it’s failed.” The Great Valley Farm Water Partnership, formed two years ago, includes members from the delta and San Joaquin Valley, regions that have historically advocated for delta operations from their own silos. By seeking unity and practical outcomes for both farmers and the environment, the partnership is gaining traction. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Salmon numbers rebound in 2026 forecast, raising hopes for California fishery
“The Pacific Fisheries Management Council forecasts a current adult salmon ocean population of 392,349. This has improved significantly over recent years, with fishery managers now using this figure to plan the 2026 salmon fishing season. The information was released at a meeting called by the California Dept of Fish and Wildlife. The forecast is based on the number of sub-adult, or jack, salmon that returned to spawn in 2025. The 2025 jack count was the highest since 2011, the result of very rainy, wet conditions in the Central Valley during 2024, and other factors. The heavy runoff into the Central Valley rivers created conditions much closer to those juvenile salmon need to survive, underscoring the benefit salmon enjoy when there’s enough water in Central Valley rivers. … ” Read more from the Golden State Salmon Association.
SEE ALSO: Promising News From CDFW’s Salmon Information Meeting, from the California Sportfishing
Greenhouse gas fees may shore up Delta levees
“Dicey levee stability — a longtime core argument to build a Delta tunnel to help assure water deliveries to 27 million Californians in the aftermath of a catastrophic seismic event — is being targeted in new legislation. And it does things that the Delta Tunnel project doesn’t do. It addresses subsidence issues that have substantially reduced the capacity of the California Aqueduct by as much as 46 percent in spots such as near Mendota. It gets Delta water users, environmentalists, and 27 State Water Contractors providing water to 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland on the same page. Subsidence issues involving the aqueduct through the San Joaquin Valley imperil water deliveries to the same 27 million people as well as agricultural users. Both levee integrity and aqueduct subsidence issues would be addressed in Senate Bill 872 introduced in Sacramento. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal.
Fears grow as invasive species spreads through California waterways
“An invasive species rapidly spreading through California’s waterways has made its way into one of the state’s most vital aqueducts less than two years after it was first discovered in North America. Data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirms that golden mussels, an invasive species of mollusk known to wreak havoc on water infrastructure and aquatic habitats, were detected in the Friant-Kern Canal south of Delano on Jan. 13. The canal is a 152-mile-long, gravity-fed aqueduct that transports water from the San Joaquin River to farmland and millions of residents throughout Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties. Golden mussels made their first known North American appearance in 2024, when they were found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s Port of Stockton. The mussels have since made their way into several Californian canals, lakes and reservoirs, traveling as far south as San Bernardino County. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: Fears Grow As Invasive Golden Mussels Reach Vital California Aqueduct — Officials Probe How They Got There, from the USA Herald
Planting 15 million milkweed to reverse the western monarch decline
“This past November, volunteers counted fewer than 13,000 western monarch butterflies overwintering along the California coast—the third lowest tally in nearly three decades of monitoring. The three lowest counts on record have all come in the last six years. “Western monarchs are in serious trouble. The migration is collapsing,” said Emma Pelton, a senior conservation biologist with the Xerces Society, which leads the annual Western Monarch Count and is a long-time partner of River Partners. “Our window for action is narrowing, and our conservation efforts must accelerate.” River Partners has responded with the largest coordinated monarch recovery effort in the West: 15 million milkweed plants by 2030. The milkweed—the only food source for monarch caterpillars and nursery for their eggs—will be planted in a primary monarch migration corridor, from Redding in Northern California to the Imperial Valley near the Arizona and Mexico border. … ” Read more from River Partners.
Thinking like a watershed
“In an essay of the same name, Aldo Leopold famously proposed “thinking like a mountain” as a way of reckoning with wildness, but in the West, we would be better served by trying to think like a watershed. Whatever precipitation falls in the watershed stays in the watershed, thanks to the laws of gravity—though technology has allowed exceptions to these laws. The watershed is the most logical organizational concept for the region politically (though it’s a little late for that) and geographically. For many thousands of years, Indigenous communities in the West lived largely on the resources naturally occurring in their watersheds, and the same can be said for early settlers. Then came the likes of William Mulholland, who captured every last drop of water from the roughly two-thousand square-mile Owens River Watershed for the present and future inhabitants of Los Angeles. The capturing, storing, selling, borrowing and stealing of water across the West quickly gained momentum, and today’s modern metropolises would be impossible without it. Water is our most important resource, which is why it is a key coverage area for High Country News, the only regional magazine serving the western United States. … ” Read more from PBS SoCal.
California’s 30 x 30 Initiative at its midpoint
“In October 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20, launching the state’s 30×30 initiative and setting a target to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. … The year 2025 marks the halfway point in the decade for achieving California’s 30×30 objectives—a natural moment to assess progress and recalibrate strategies. As of June 2025, 26.1% of California lands meet the criteria for ‘durable conservation,’ meaning they are protected and managed in perpetuity for biodiversity. Our study here was conducted based on data available in September 2024, before CNRA published its most recent (June 2025) update. As of September 2024, 25.2% of California lands met the 30×30 criteria, representing an increase of 1.5 million acres (for example the 13,500 Las Piletas Ranch Preserve – Figure 1) since the launch of 30×30 effort; an additional 4 million acres are needed to reach the 30% target. … ” Read more at the California Native Plant Society.
Washington, Oregon and Tribes get partial victory in Columbia River Basin salmon battle
“In a win for a coalition of conservation groups, tribes and the states of Washington and Oregon, a federal judge on Wednesday partially granted their request for a preliminary injunction in a long-running lawsuit regarding the recovery of salmon in the Columbia Basin. “For decades, the battle for the life of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead has not been fought at the end of a hook and line, nor in the woven threads of a fishing net, nor even based on the appetites of sea lions, avian predators, or killer whales. Instead, the greatest battle has been waged in the courts,” U.S. District Judge Michael Simon, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote in a 47-page opinion. The lawsuit over fish conditions began in 2001 and had reached an agreement until the Trump administration in June abruptly withdrew from the Biden-era 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, which promised to spend $1 billion to protect endangered steelhead and salmon. … ” Read more from Courthouse News Service.
Will the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling help West Coast agriculture?
“Tariffs are a dirty word for many people in agriculture. As the American Farm Bureau Federation has pointed out, trade disruptions have created additional hardships for farmers who entered 2025 already dealing with crippling inflation and declining farm prices. Nowhere is this truer than on the U.S. West Coast. California’s agricultural exports totaled $23.6 billion in value in 2024, representing a 6.1% increase from the previous year, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The state’s ag economy has become increasingly dependent on exports, whose value has increased by 14.6% since 2015. So when the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 overturned the sweeping global tariffs imposed unilaterally last year by President Donald Trump, on the grounds that he usurped powers reserved for Congress, the ruling inspired hope among West Coast producers and the lawmakers and organizations that represent them that the trade impediments would ease. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In commentary today …
Can energy and water interests find a common agenda?
Edward Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “It’s a risk to promote an agenda that calls for practical water projects, and at the same time, calls for practical energy projects. To begin with, the word “practical,” in both cases, is a matter of bitter debate. Equally challenging is the fact that even within each of these communities, water, and energy, there is no common agenda. How can they join forces if they don’t even have internal cohesion? Then there is the controversy. Why should a water agency or a farm bureau identify with an energy agenda that invites even more opposition than they’re already enduring for their own goals? In particular, why would a farmer want to be part of a coalition, or endorse a campaign platform, that calls for preservation of California’s oil and gas industry? To answer this, let’s define “practical” as any investment that will lower the cost of doing business. … ” Read more from Edward Ring.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Planning Commission approves 400-Acre Elk River Restoration; Debate focuses on ag land loss
“An ‘ecosystem-wide” Elk River Valley restoration project has gotten approval from Humboldt County’s planning commission but some commissioners have doubts about its long term viability and loss of ag land. Maintenance of the project area’s tide gates and loss of farmland were the prime issues as the commission reviewed the project at its Feb. 19 meeting. Lauded by commissioners, the project’s aim is to restore 400 acres of the estuary area to the condition it was in prior to agricultural installation of tide gates, levees and drainage ditches that are now dysfunctional and impair fish habitat. But recently-seated Commissioner Todd Fulton is concerned about ag land being “subject to tidewater.” … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
Your guide to the Potter Valley Project and what comes next
“The Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, local organizations, engineers, politicians, and community members have been exploring long-term water supply options ahead of PG&E’s plan to decommission the Potter Valley Project. The commission’s most recent meeting this month looked at proposals such as raising Coyote Valley Dam at Lake Mendocino, which could significantly increase water supply in the aftermath of the decommissioning. The Potter Valley Project, owned by PG&E, is a hydroelectric facility that will be dismantled as soon as 2028. The Potter Valley Project diverts water from the Eel River to the Russian River watershed through two dams — the Scott Dam at Lake Pillsbury and Cape Horn Dam at Lake Van Arsdale. The two lakes supply water to communities throughout Mendocino and Sonoma counties. The water has been crucial for agricultural, municipal, and environmental uses. … ” Read moire from the Redheaded Blackbelt.
SIERRA NEVADA
A California county’s main water source just got cut off
“Tens of thousands of people in Tuolumne County are being asked to use as little water as possible after water delivery to the region was cut off by last week’s snowstorm. The Main Tuolumne Canal, a series of canals and flumes that brings water through the Sierra foothills to Sonora and other communities along Highway 108, was battered by heavy snow and fallen trees, prompting its temporary closure. The canal is the main source of drinking water for 90% of Tuolumne County’s roughly 50,000 residents. While repairs to the canal are made, the Tuolumne Utilities District will provide water from its limited supplies in storage and at groundwater wells. There is no estimated timeline for when the canal will be fixed. The utility district did not specify how long the current supplies would last but officials expect to have enough for the duration of the repairs. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Updates to water quality and forest health thresholds: governing board updates
” The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) governing board met on Wednesday to discuss updates to the water quality and forest health thresholds, in conjunction with the Tahoe Science Advisory Council and Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT). Executive director Julie Regan also gave a report. … Teshara, along with Keep Tahoe Blue, TFFT program manager Anabelle Monti and Bob Larson from the Tahoe Science Advisory Council, gave their support to the threshold updates on the agenda. Keep Tahoe Blue urged TRPA to update other thresholds to keep up with advances in science, and also supported the updates to the watercraft fee schedule on the consent agenda. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
New Red Bluff salmon pens could teach fish the path back home on the Sacramento River
“A groundbreaking partnership between farmers and fishermen aims to save salmon in the Sacramento River. More than 500,000 juvenile fall-run salmon are now part of an imprinting project in Red Bluff to help improve their survival. The project, known as the “Bridge Group Project,” introduces juvenile salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery into large, predator-protected net pens within the Tehama-Colusa Canal Forebay in Red Bluff. During a three to four-week period, the fish are exposed to the chemical and olfactory cues of Sacramento River water, allowing them to imprint on these signals. Scientists believe these cues are crucial for the salmon’s successful navigation back to their native spawning areas as adults. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
BAY AREA
Hundreds rally against proposed budget cuts to San Francisco’s Environment Department
“Hundreds of climate activists filled the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Wednesday to rally against possible funding cuts to the city’s Environment Department. “When climate justice is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” shouted activists. The Environment Department helps formulate and oversee climate goals for the city that promote sustainability, clean energy, and the reduction of pollutants. For fiscal year 2026 to 2027, Mayor Daniel Lurie has proposed budget cuts to the department that could eliminate positions and several initiatives related to implementing and keeping track of the city’s climate and sustainability goals. “We’re being told that many of us are at risk of losing our jobs,” said Nicole Appenzeller, who works as the department’s electric vehicle ombudsperson. “You cannot cut climate staff and reach your climate goals. You cannot slash the workforce and call yourself a climate leader without us.” … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
How 900 feet of rusty metal overtook Millennium Tower as the biggest metaphor for San Francisco
“San Francisco’s weather, of late, has resembled the opening credits of “Gilligan’s Island.” Yes, it’s getting rough. It’s also getting expensive: After the storms of November, the 900-foot Dry Dock No. 2 at the Port of San Francisco’s Piers 68-70 experienced “significant hull tearing at the waterline and uncontrolled flooding in ballast compartments.” This left the massive vessel dangerously listing to the side like the U.S.S. Yorktown after the Battle of Midway. This city has had its fair share of experience with building-sized structures sinking and tilting. But it warrants mentioning that, at just 645 feet, Millennium Tower is dwarfed by Dry Dock No. 2. If things, quite literally, go sideways at the Port of San Francisco, it would be a catastrophe. Recovering a two-block-long structure from underwater would be costly, and the environmental consequences would be dire. … ” Read more from Mission Local.
CENTRAL COAST
Federal deep-sea mining proposal sparks backlash from Santa Cruz County leaders
“Santa Cruz County leaders are doubling down on their opposition to Trump administration efforts that could open up the California coast to what many local advocates say are harmful resource extraction projects. The county Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution at its meeting Tuesday that formally denounced recent federal actions that seek to expedite seabed mining permits and projects in coastal waters. The resolution, drawn up by 3rd District Supervisor Justin Cummings, states that “deep-sea mining remains an unproven, speculative industry with no demonstrated record of safe commercial-scale operation, while existing coastal and ocean economies — including fisheries, tourism, recreation, and cultural practices — depend upon healthy marine ecosystems that could be jeopardized by seabed mining impacts.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Carpinteria: The treatment protections and safety behind CAPP
“Lake Cachuma is currently full, although it was not long ago we faced an extreme drought with water shortages in our community. This resulted in historic low water levels in our local groundwater basin that will take years to recover. To plan for a more reliable water future, the Carpinteria Valley Water District is constructing the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP) to replenish the groundwater basin. After more than a decade of comprehensive evaluation, design and permitting, CAPP construction is expected to begin this spring. CAPP is a “potable reuse” project, which means purifying highly treated wastewater to meet State of California drinking water standards using advanced, proven technologies. While the concept of recycled drinking water may sound new, the technology is not. Advanced water purification systems like CAPP are already operating successfully in communities across California, some for more than 20 years. … ” Read more from the Coastal View.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Kings County stragglers face fines of $100 per well for not registering
“In an effort to prod stragglers, a Kings County groundwater agency approved charging penalties to Lemore-area well owners who don’t register with the agency by April 30. “We have to get these wells registered. We have to do something to get over the hump” Frank Coelho Jr., chair of the South Fork Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) grower advisory group, told the board at its Feb. 18 meeting. The board agreed and approved a $100 per well late fee for landowners who aren’t registered by the deadline. So far, the GSA has received well registrations from about 67% of landowners. The registration and penalty policies apply to wells that pump more than two acre feet per acre of land. Owners of domestic or abandoned wells won’t be subject to the penalty for registering late. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Death Valley erupts in wildflowers in sign of developing superbloom
“Death Valley and parts of southern California have erupted in wildflowers thanks to record rain that helped deliver spectacular blooms. In the famously arid national park, the rare display has covered miles of the landscape in vibrant shades of yellow and purple. Park officials announced on Sunday that Death Valley was experiencing an “above-average bloom year” that is nearing levels of a superbloom, a phenomenon that typically occurs once a decade. The area most recently had a superbloom of millions of flowers in 2016, which can only occur in “perfect conditions” with “well-spaced rainfall” and mild temperatures, the park said in a statement. “It looks like it will be a superbloom – maybe not fully developed yet – but we’re heading in that direction,” Abby Wines, Death Valley’s acting deputy superintendent, recently told the Pahrump Valley Times. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Floods, federal work, and suburban growth: new deal flood control in north Los Angeles County
“In January 1934, walls of mud and debris tore through the foothill suburbs of La Cañada, La Crescenta, Montrose, and Glendale, causing mass devastation. One eyewitness described the disaster as a “scouring agent” of almost unimaginable force, as torrents of mud and boulders swept through American Legion Hall during a New Year’s Eve celebration.[1] Local authorities, overwhelmed by the scope of destruction, turned quickly to the federal government for aid. Within months, New Deal relief agencies launched flood control projects that would permanently reshape the foothill landscapes of North Los Angeles County. These included debris basins and conduits in La Crescenta, a massive concrete channel along the Verdugo Wash in Glendale, check dams in Brand Park, and the channelization of the Arroyo Seco through Pasadena and Los Angeles. New Deal flood control projects in North Los Angeles were not simply emergency measures but transformative works that linked environmental engineering, suburban growth, and federal labor policy. … ” Continue reading from PBS SoCal.
Along the Colorado River …
The crisis on the Colorado River — six things to know
“The latest news about the Colorado River is dire. Since 2000, the river’s flow has shrunk about 20%. An extremely warm winter has brought very little snow in the Rocky Mountains. Reservoirs are declining to critically low levels. And the leaders of seven states are still at loggerheads over the water cutbacks each should accept to prevent reservoirs from falling further. Here are six things to know about the current crisis: A short-term deal, at best: Negotiators for the seven states still are discussing ways they might reach a short-term deal as a “bridge into a longer-term agreement,” said Wade Crowfoot, California’s natural resources secretary. But after missing a Feb. 14 federal deadline, the states are running out of time. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Mailchimp newsletter.
The Colorado River rift abides
Jonathan Thompson writes, “When I was growing up in southwestern Colorado along the banks of a tributary to a Colorado River tributary, I was immersed not only in the quirks of water law, but also in Western water culture — the peculiar mores and customs that come from constantly looming scarcity. One oft-repeated maxim, usually used to justify building a new dam or encouraging inefficient irrigation practices, was: If we don’t use the water, it will just flow downstream to California — where it would presumably be used to water golf courses, fill LA’s swimming pools and serve other nefarious West Coast purposes. I’m sure the idea arose partly from the animosity — and envy — the Interior West has long harbored toward its largest and wealthiest coastal neighbor. But I also think it comes from our idiosyncratic laws governing water use and the way they pit the headwaters communities against their downstream neighbors. … ” Read more from High Country News.
Big decisions loom for a rapidly shrinking Lake Powell
“Officials at the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that manages Colorado River dams, outlined several actions they are considering in the coming months to boost water levels in a rapidly shrinking Lake Powell, which could drop to a record low later this year that would halt hydropower production from Glen Canyon Dam for the first time. The Colorado River’s second-largest reservoir behind Lake Mead is entering one of the most difficult periods in its six-decade history. The basin is drying due to a warming climate. Powell is just a quarter full, and projected to drop lower this year. Winter has been a dud, with warm temperatures and a historically bad snowpack in the Colorado mountains that feed into the reservoir. Decisions in the next three months about how much water to release from Powell and how much to hold back will reverberate across the basin, affecting hydropower production, legal obligations, watershed ecology, threatened species, and millions of people who use its water and energy. “Things are happening in parallel and not in sequence,” said Wayne Pullan, Reclamation’s Upper Colorado Basin regional director. “We’re going to be doing everything all at once.” … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
Arizona braces for cutbacks on the Colorado River. Here’s what to know
“A federal government plan to manage water shortages on the Colorado River could dry up the Central Arizona Project Canal and “wipe Arizona off the map.” That’s one of the messages in a new series of ads posted online and aired on television, part of a campaign by the CAP and cities across the region to draw attention to what they see as unfair treatment of Arizona in the federal proposals. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on Feb. 14 that his agency would take over drought planning on the Colorado after the seven states in the river basin failed to reach an agreement. Among the alternatives in a federal document is one that could severely reduce Arizona’s allocation. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Data centers aren’t the water villains you think they are, environmentalist says
“The rapid expansion of data centers in Arizona has set off a chorus of residents and lawmakers focused on the question of water use in a drought-prone state. But one environmental analyst argues the concern over water is misplaced, and that electricity demand poses the more significant long-term risk. Andy Masley is a former high school science teacher turned environmental blogger whose fact-checking of a bestselling book about AI’s environmental footprint earned him a polite correction from the author and an interview with the New York Times. He appeared this week on Generation AI. His conclusion on water use is blunt: critics are relying on outdated or incorrect numbers that don’t tell the full story. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Scottsdale signals possible water rate hike as Colorado River cuts loom
“Phoenix city leaders are warning that higher water prices may be on the horizon, and the city is not alone. The problem is the ongoing Western drought and its effect on the Colorado River. The city of Phoenix has been ahead of the curve, spending millions of dollars to build a pipeline that will help replace Colorado River water with water from the Salt River Project reservoirs. But city leaders now say they need to do more, including expanding Bartlett Dam and recovering water the city has stored underground over the years. All of that will cost money, and that’s where Phoenix water customers may see rate increases in the future. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
SEE ALSO: Scottsdale leaders may raise water rates. Will bills get more expensive in other Valley cities?, from Arizona Family
Colorado River uncertainty is driving up water bills in these two Valley cities
“Water bills are poised to go up in two Valley cities, and the shrinking Colorado River is part of the reason why. Scottsdale is the latest Arizona city to propose a water rate increase tied in part to the Colorado River’s uncertain future. The proposed 4.5% increase breaks down into two parts: 3.5% would cover regular operating and capital projects, while the remaining 1% is specifically dedicated to finding new water sources. The Scottsdale City Council voted on Tuesday to discuss and put the proposed rate increase on its agenda on May 19. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
In national water news today …
Data center construction fell for the first time in years as permits and power constrain growth
“Construction of new data centers in the U.S. fell for the first time since 2020 despite soaring demand for artificial-intelligence computing capacity, as developers face delays in permitting, zoning and power procurement. Capacity under construction fell to 5.99 gigawatts at the end of 2025 from 6.35 gigawatts at the end of 2024, real estate brokerage CBRE Group Inc. reported Wednesday. The construction delays and faster long-distance networks are driving development to move outside traditional data center sites such as northern Virginia, Gordon Dolven, CBRE’s data center research director, said in the report. The overall vacancy rate in primary markets fell to a record low 1.4% at year-end. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
