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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: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include Petition for Reconsideration of the Cease and Desist Order for Enforcement Case 2025-15719 (Padra Tarifard); Division 1 Rulemaking: 2025 Regulatory Fee Updates Hearing and Adoption; Merced County Black Rascal Creek Flood Control Project Update; and 2027 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include NPDES permits, Consideration of a resolution to adopt the Pyrethroid Research Plan, and election of chair and vice chair. Click here for the complete agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
Delta Conveyance Project opponents say plan would hurt environment, tourism, farming
“Attorneys and officials opposed to a massive California water project pleaded their case Thursday to an oversight panel, arguing point by point how the Delta Conveyance Project failed to meet specified criteria. Johnny Pappalardo, with the town of Courtland’s Pear Fair and one of several speakers at the Delta Stewardship Council meeting, emphasized that he wasn’t an attorney. His arguments, Pappalardo’s supporters said, focused more on “vibes.” … His sister, Emily Pappalardo, and also a fair volunteer, argued the Delta Conveyance Project, with two proposed intake facilities nearby, would destroy a fair that’s existed for over 50 years. Like other project opponents, she said a 13-year construction period would impact not only the fair but also agricultural land and the families that have farmed it for generations. The opponents — which included several groups, governmental entities and Native American tribes — delivered similar messages: a certificate of consistency issued in October that shows the project as consistent with the Delta plan is faulty. The state Department of Water Resources failed to show the project would uphold the plan’s two coequal goals: creating a reliable, statewide water supply while protecting and restoring the Delta ecosystem that preserves its values as a place. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Delta Counties urge Stewardship Council to reject the Department of Water Resources’ Delta tunnel Consistency Certification
“Today, Pat Hume, Member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, issued the following statement on behalf of the Delta Counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo regarding the Delta Stewardship Council’s hearing on appeals of the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) consistency certification for the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel): We strongly urge the Delta Stewardship Council (Council) to closely and impartially examine the evidence presented during the Delta Tunnel consistency appeals hearing and reject any determination that relies on incomplete, unsupported, or false conclusions, or interpretations of the Council’s regulations that would undermine the Delta Reform Act’s coequal goals. There is substantial evidence that the Delta Tunnel, according to DWRs’ administrative record, is not supported by the Delta Reform Act or Delta Plan policies, and there are significant failures to address impacts to Delta communities, agriculture, recreation, and cultural resources. Critically, the Delta Tunnel disregards local land uses and does not reduce reliance on the Delta through improved regional self-reliance, as required by the Legislature and the Council’s Delta Plan. … ” Read more from the Delta Counties Coalition.
SEE ALSO: Coalition of Tribes, Enviros Contests Delta Tunnel Certification of Consistency Confirmation, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
Reclamation announces initial 2026 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project contractors
“Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced initial 2026 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project water users. The Central Valley Project serves over 270 contracts that provide water for ~3 million acres of highly productive farmland, communities across the Central Valley and Bay Area, and Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley wildlife refuges. Water supply allocations are based on an estimate of water available for delivery and reflect current reservoir storage, precipitation, and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, as well as contractor-rescheduled water from the last water year. While early-season storms brought some precipitation to the Sierra, a dry and warm January significantly reduced snow accumulation. Recent measurements show statewide snowpack at roughly 59% of the historical average with key high-elevation basins below median snow-water equivalent for this time of year. … ” Some allocations include South-of-Delta contractors allocated 15%; Settlement contractors, and Friant Class 1 allocation is at 100%. Read the full press release and list of allocations.
Valley farmers, elected officials blast 15% CVP water allocation
“Local farmers and Valley congressmen pushed back Thursday after the Bureau of Reclamation announced a meager 15% initial water allocation for Westlands Water District and other south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) irrigation contractors — a figure critics say defies current conditions on the ground. Westlands General Manager Allison Febbo acknowledged the Trump administration’s stated commitment to water reliability while making clear the number falls short. “A 15% water supply allocation does not reflect current hydrologic conditions and falls well short of what is needed to sustain the District’s nearly 700 family-owned farms that feed the world,” Febbo said, pointing to recent storms, improved snowpack and increased reservoir storage as evidence the allocation should be higher. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
SEE ALSO:
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- California cities and farms brace for water cutbacks as snow falls short, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- Westlands Water District Responds to Initial Central Valley Project Water Allocation, from Westlands Water District
- Statement by Federico Barajas on the Initial 2026 Central Valley Project Allocation and Ongoing Water Supply Reliability
- Costa, Gray Respond to 2026 CVP Water Allocations, from Congressman Jim Costa
Sierra Nevada snowpack just 68% of normal after whiplash winter, but water supplies are OK, experts say
“There’s still a month left, but this winter in California so far can be summed up in two words: roller coaster. It began so dry that Lake Tahoe ski resorts couldn’t open for their usual Thanksgiving kickoff. Then, 10 feet of snow fell around Christmas, saving ski season and bringing totals up to historic averages. But five weeks of warm, dry weather followed. Then in mid-February blizzards dumped another 9 feet in five days, contributing to deadly avalanche conditions. On Thursday, the statewide Sierra snowpack — which provides nearly one-third of California’s water supply — stood at 68% of its historical average and falling, with at least two more weeks of dry weather forecast. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
DWR: A new era for the California Water Plan begins with launch of California Water Plan 2028
“DWR [Wednesday] announced the formal launch of California Water Plan 2028 (Water Plan 2028), marking the start of a multi-year effort to modernize statewide water planning in response to climate-driven extremes and long-term water reliability challenges. California is entering a defining moment for water. Climate-driven extremes, long-term supply uncertainty, and aging infrastructure are testing a system built for a different era. Water Plan 2028 is the State’s opportunity to respond with a clearer, more actionable, and more durable approach to statewide water planning. “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. The 2028 Water Plan is a commitment to every Californian that we will capture, store, and conserve the water our state — the fourth largest economy in the world — needs to thrive, no matter what climate change throws at us,” Governor Newsom said in a press release [Wednesday]. … ” Continue reading from DWR.
SEE ALSO:
- California Water Plan 2028: What to Know for Water Providers, from Nossaman
- Inside California’s plan to find nearly 3 trillion gallons of water, from Newsweek
- California Water Reaches ‘New Era’ as Officials Issue Warning, from Newsweek
Improving atmospheric river forecasting
“A program aimed at improving understanding and forecasting of atmospheric rivers is expanding across the U.S., giving NC State undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to participate. The program, Coordinated University Soundings Program for Atmospheric River Reconnaissance (CUSP-ARR), led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, enlists 16 universities in the U.S. and Canada in an effort to collect data that can be used to study atmospheric rivers and other high-impact weather events. The main function of CUSP-ARR is to launch weather balloons equipped with high-tech sensors called radiosondes in coordination with AR Recon missions. The balloons will provide broad-coverage observations during atmospheric rivers and other major precipitation events. This year, CUSP-ARR will provide land-based data that complements airborne campaigns over the Pacific, Gulf and Atlantic Ocean basins. … ” Read more from the University of North Carolina.
Bird flu outbreak in California elephant seals prompts officials to cancel popular tours
“Researchers say seven seal pups have tested positive for an avian flu virus at California’s Año Nuevo State Park and several more are showing signs of the illness. The outbreak has prompted park officials to cancel the park’s popular seal-watching tours for the remainder of the seal breeding season. Researchers with University of California-Santa Cruz and University of California-Davis made the announcement Wednesday, calling it the first detected outbreak of the virus among marine mammals in California. The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of millions of domesticated birds and spread to wildlife around the world, and seals and sea lions appear to be particularly vulnerable to the disease. The virus has led to the deaths of thousands of sea lions in Chile and Peru, thousands of elephant seals in Argentina, and hundreds of seals in New England in recent years. … ” Read more from Mongabay.
AI-spurred surge in data-center development could have climate consequences
“The artificial-intelligence boom could significantly hinder the fight against planet-altering climate change. The large and growing demand for computing power to train and run the models that underlie chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude is prompting a wave of data-center construction. Demand for electricity to power those data centers is in turn leading to new power-plant development. But while tech companies in the past have made pledges to reduce their carbon footprints and have touted the potential of nuclear power to provide needed data-center electricity, many of those developing data centers right now are turning to natural gas. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Examiner.
Non-functional turf ban – compliance deadlines and action steps for public water systems, public agencies and certain property owners
“Beginning on January 1, 2027, California law will prohibit irrigating certain “non-functional turf” with potable water. The law, Assembly Bill 1572 (AB 1572) requires public water systems to adopt or revise their water service rules (e.g., an ordinance, policy, or regulations) to implement the ban and to communicate the requirements to customers on or before January 2027. AB 1572 was enacted in 2023 and prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional turf, with phased compliance dates depending on property type. “Non-functional turf” is defined as any turf that is not functional turf, which is limited to recreational use areas or community spaces. The statute also provides that non-functional turf includes turf in street rights-of-way and parking lots, as well as turf that is permanently fenced or otherwise permanently inaccessible for recreation or community gathering. AB 1572 includes limited exceptions, such as where potable irrigation is necessary to protect trees and other perennial non-turf plantings or to address an immediate health and safety need. … ” Read more from Best Best & Krieger.
California’s plastic bill faces challenges from federal court and GOP attorneys general
“California’s landmark single-use plastic law is slowly being eroded by pressures within the state. Now legal attacks from outside threaten to kneecap it entirely. Earlier this month, a federal district court judge in Oregon put parts of its single-use plastic law, which is similar to California’s, on hold while he decides whether it violates antitrust and consumer protection laws. At the same time, 10 Republican attorneys general sent letters directly to companies that are taking part in plastic reduction campaigns, telling them to stop. They threatened legal action against Costco, Unilever, Coca-Cola and 75 other companies for participating in the Plastic Pact, the Consumer Goods Forum and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. These efforts all include industry as an active partner in reducing plastics, but the letters say the companies are colluding against consumers “to remove products from the market without considering consumer demand, product effectiveness, or the cost and impact on consumers of a replacement product.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
In commentary today …
C-WIN: The Octopus: Mapping the tentacles of water politics
Carolee Krieger writes, “In 1901, social activist and “muckraker” Frank Norris published The Octopus, a novel centered on the vast power held by the Southern Pacific Railroad over the economy and civil life of California. It was a brutal tale of the corrupt “trusts,” or monopolies of the time, and their crushing effect on working people – in this case, small farmers and ranchers whose land tenure was threatened by the railroads. The book immediately gained a wide readership and maintains an important position in the early 20th Century canon of American literature. The death grip the railroads held on California has long been broken, but their contemporary heirs are a cabal of corporate growers who have seized control of state and federal water projects, local governments, and key research institutions to ensure their profits take priority over the environment, affordability, and independent research and media. The tentacles of this 21st Century octopus thus reach into every corner and cubby of our political, educational and social systems. … ” Read more from C-WIN.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
California regulators order developer to transfer Humboldt Bay property to Wiyot-area tribes
“California regulators have ordered a Humboldt County developer to transfer a bayfront property to three Wiyot-area tribes as part of a settlement resolving years of coastal and wetland violations, according to an agreement approved this month by the California Coastal Commission. The settlement requires developer Travis Schneider to convey the land to a nonprofit representing the Wiyot Tribe, Blue Lake Rancheria and the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria. He must also pay a $400,000 administrative penalty, restore the site and fund tribal monitors during the restoration process, according to commission documents and reporting by Lost Coast Outpost. … ” Read more from Tribal Business News.
Mendocino County supervisors approve $500,000 for Potter Valley water efforts
“The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors this week discussed allocating a half-million dollars to regional entities involved with the decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project, with one supervisor questioning the need for it and another saying it was essential. Ultimately, the board approved $500,000 earmarked for the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the Eel-Russian Project Authority. The money would go to “unanticipated” costs that may incur, according to Tony Rakes, deputy county chief executive officer. 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 more from the Mendocino Voice.
New wetlands preservation campaign announced at annual Lake County Land Trust Spring Dinner
“The campaign was announced at the group’s annual spring benefit dinner, held this past Monday at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville. More than 80 people enjoyed the dinner, presented every year by the Saw Shop’s owner, Marie Beery, who donates the dinners, staff time and facility for this important Land Trust fundraiser. During the dinner attendees learned about the history of the Land Trust and its past and current projects. They also learned about the new project, dubbed the Big Valley Wetlands, which is an effort to protect some of the last remaining wetlands on Clear Lake. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
SIERRA NEVADA
Sierra Nevada Conservancy board to consider $8.7 million in grants at meeting
“The Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a California state agency focused on improving the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra-Cascade region, announces it will host its quarterly meeting and field tour in Chico March 4 and 5. At its March 5 board meeting, a total of just under $9 million in wildfire and forest resilience grants to 10 projects in the Sierra-Cascade region — including Plumas County — will be considered for award in an effort to help protect communities from major disturbances, such as wildfire. On Wednesday, March 4, SNC staff and board members will host a field tour of wildfire and forest resilience project areas near the town of Chico in Butte County. Members of the public are invited to attend the field tour, but must provide their own food, drink and transportation. … ” Read more from the Plumas Sun.
Environmental groups monitor Yuba River after pipe burst
“Environmental groups are closely monitoring the Yuba River for contamination after a major pipe burst at the New Colgate Powerhouse nearly two weeks ago. The burst occurred on Feb. 13, sending water rushing down the hillside below the 14-foot diameter pipe, causing significant erosion and damaging downhill facilities. This incident carried mud, sediment, and man-made debris, including oil from the hydraulic pump system, into the Yuba River. “There’s no way to turn it off. That amount of water mobilized the slope and created a kind of a landslide mudflow debris flow,” said Aaron Zettler-Mann with the South Yuba River Citizens League. … ” Read more from KCRA.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Looking back, moving forward: Historical ecology as a tool for restoration in the Sacramento Valley and beyond
“They say that those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. While initially used in the context of politics, this quote holds true, as well, for the restoration of California’s rivers and the recovery of the fish populations that depend on them. After nearly two centuries of dramatic alteration to the landscapes through which California’s rivers run, nearly 2/3 of the state’s 132 native fish populations are in steep decline.(1) We stand to lose 45% of our remaining native salmon and trout in the next 50 years unless current trends change sufficiently to halt the decline.(2) If we want things to turn out differently, we must look back at our history and learn. Despite California’s diverse landscape and its large number of species and populations, there is a single common recovery goal that applies to all of them: each native fish must be able to recognize the river in which it evolved and the patterns of biological and physical conditions to which it is adapted. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
500,000 juvenile salmon take part in imprinting project to strengthen their return home to the Sacramento River
“A multi-year effort to improve adult Chinook salmon returns is underway, with more than 500,000 juvenile fall-run salmon being placed in protective net pens so the fish can “imprint” on Sacramento River waters. The innovative project is led by The Bridge Group — a coalition of rice farmers, fishermen, water suppliers, researchers, and conservationists — in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority. The project places juvenile salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery into large, predator-protected net pens within the Tehama-Colusa Canal forebay for three to four weeks. During this period, the fish are exposed to Sacramento River water, allowing them to imprint on the river’s unique chemical and olfactory cues, signals scientists say are critical for successful navigation back to natal spawning areas as adults. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
SEE ALSO: New Red Bluff salmon pens could teach fish the path back home on the Sacramento River, from Action News Now
Photos: Sacramento’s native oak trees become key issue in housing and flood planning
“Hundreds of people marched along the American River in July to protest the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to remove over 600 trees, including oaks, from the riverbanks for a flood control project. Dozens attended a November meeting of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to urge the rejection of a solar energy project that would remove thousands of oaks from land near Prairie City. Sacramentans have also rallied against projects that would remove oaks for flood control along the Sacramento River and homes in Rancho Cordova. Sacramento was once known as the City of Trees, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that some residents are concerned about what is happening to local oaks, despite the impact the projects would have on ongoing issues like the housing crisis, flood risk and fossil fuel consumption. “If you look at the land-use changes in the Central Valley over the last 200 years, so many of the oaks have been removed through conversion to agriculture and cities,” says David Rizzo, distinguished professor of plant pathology at UC Davis. “There are very few classic oak woodlands left.” … ” Read more from Comstock’s Magazine.
Where does Sacramento’s rain season stand after another round of wet weather?
“The last round of wet weather didn’t amount to impressive totals in the Valley, but significant rain fell in the Foothills and Sierra. While Yuba City picked up nearly 0.50 inches of rain, most of the Valley received less than 0.25 inches. Portion of the Foothills and Sierra picked up more than 0.50 inches, with parts of Plumas, Sierra, and Nevada counties seeing up to 5 inches of rain during the 36-hour period. … ” Read more from KCRA.
BAY AREA
State awards Marin Audubon Society $2M for Novato baylands project
“A plan to restore two former tidal marshlands spanning more than 300 acres in Novato has received a $2 million boost from the state. The funding from the 2024 Climate Bond will help the Marin Audubon Society purchase the parcels so it can pursue a major restoration effort to expand the Bahia wetlands to about double the size. The project would create a contiguous corridor of tidal habitat from Novato through the Petaluma Marsh along the Petaluma River. The California State Coastal Conservancy voted unanimously to award the funding at its meeting on Feb. 19. “Certainly, Marin Audubon Society needs no introduction,” said Douglas Bosco, chair of the State Coastal Conservancy. “They have been partners with us on a number of projects and they always do a superb job.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Environmentalists, Navy grilled over radioactive waste cleanup at Hunters Point shipyard
“A federal judge appeared dissatisfied with both sides embroiled in the fight over the radiological cleanup of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard near San Francisco. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria heard arguments from the Navy and from Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice on Thursday morning over claims that the government has not followed the proper procedures for the radiological and chemical cleanup of the old shipyard. Greenaction, which seeks summary judgment, says the Navy’s cleanup efforts violated environmental law by relying on outdated soil testing data and underestimating the scope of potential risks to human health. It says that the Navy has relied on old soil testing data in its most recent mandated five-year review of the site — published a year late — to recommend protective remedies. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO: Residents, environmental activists rally as judge weighs Hunters Point shipyard cleanup, from Local News Matters
Renovations coming to Oakley’s wastewater collection system
“To reduce energy costs, the Ironhouse Sanitary District is planning on building 1.5 megawatts of solar generation capacity, plus adding more battery storage capacity, to complement their existing 1.1-megawatt system, which only produces 42 percent of the energy needed for their water treatment plant. Over the next five years, Ironhouse Sanitary District Engineer Danea Gemmell said at the Oakley City Council meeting on Feb. 24 that Ironhouse will invest $48,329,000 on its entire system. And $23,884,000 of this will go into the collection system, covering such costs as the 14-inch parallel force mains, a renovation program for the collection system, truck replacements, and pump station improvements, according to Gemmell’s presentation. … ” Read more from the Brentwood Press.
CENTRAL COAST
Hollister facing fines for wastewater facility violations
“Not only is Hollister required to address the sewer-like odor that has been plaguing the city’s west side and downtown, but it also needs to correct seven other problems. Hollister could face fines up to $5,000 for each day per violation going back to 2024. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board sent a notice dated Feb. 20 that lists problems ranging from failing to maintain its wastewater treatment plant, known as the Domestic Water Reclamation Facility, to allowing overflow from basins. The city is required to submit a noncompliance report on or before April 20 along with its plan to address the issues and how it plans to prevent future ones. … ” Read more from Benito Link.
Central Coast Water Board adopts new water quality permits for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
“The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board today adopted two permits necessary to extend operations at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, as directed by Senate Bill 846 (2022). Operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Company and located in San Luis Obispo County near Avila Beach, Diablo Canyon is California’s last operable nuclear power plant. The permits contain critical regulatory requirements for PG&E to continue operations following a state mandate to extend the plant’s operational timeline. The two adopted permits are a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, which regulates how the plant discharges once-through cooling water, desalination brine and treated wastewater into the ocean, and a new Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification. Both permits are necessary for PG&E to continue its relicensing process with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. … ” Read more from the Central Coast Water Board.
Goleta Water District representatives discuss local water quality, sustainability
“UC Santa Barbara Sustainability hosted a discussion panel on water safety in Goleta on Feb. 19 in collaboration with the Goleta Water District. Established in 1944, the Goleta Water District is governed by an elected five-member Board of Directors, with each director representing one of the five water districts in the Goleta Valley. Isla Vista falls within the fourth district. Principal Policy Analyst Brooke Welch spoke during the event. Her job includes preparing strategic reports, sustainability planning and facilitating projects interdepartmentally. According to Welch, the Goleta Water District provides water to approximately 87,000 people across 29,000 acres within the Goleta Valley. “Uses range from residential to commercial to industrial, UCSB, to landscape, irrigation and agriculture,” Welch said. … ” Read more from the Daily Nexus.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
District Attorney Ron Freitas announces felony convictions in Smith Canal environmental disaster case
“San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announces that a jury has convicted David Sump (DOB 9/5/73) on multiple felony and misdemeanor counts following a deliberate and significant oil spill into the Smith Canal. Sump, who has a prior strike, was remanded into custody by Judge Villapudua. He faces up to six years in state prison. On the afternoon of Friday, September 27, 2024, Sump drove to the Smith Canal levee on Shimizu Drive towing a trailer loaded with an industrial “Lube Cube” containing over 200 gallons of used motor oil, lubricants, and filters. To offload the heavy container, Sump tethered it to a nearby pole with a chain and accelerated his vehicle several times until the tank was yanked onto the levee. The resulting spill contaminated the embankment and flowed into the canal, an area that serves as a vital link between American Legion Park and the San Joaquin River. Following the incident, Sump attempted to conceal the crime by spray-painting the trailer. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin County District Attorney.
NOW AVAILABLE: San Joaquin Basin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies online data portal and metrics dashboard
“Last December, DWR released the San Joaquin Basin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies (Watershed Studies) — five individual reports (covering the Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, and Upper San Joaquin watersheds) and a summary document that together provide an in-depth look at the future climate challenges and adaptation opportunities within the San Joaquin Basin. The Watershed Studies examined 185 performance metrics tracking system-wide conditions across three major water management sectors — flood, water supply (surface and groundwater), and ecosystems. The results were collected at and aggregated across various reporting units, including watershed study areas, groundwater subbasins, districts, reservoirs, rivers and creeks, flood control points, diversion locations, and stream reaches. This information is now publicly available through the San Joaquin Basin Watershed Studies Metric Dashboard, an interactive tool for exploring the climate vulnerabilities and adaptation potential of flood-managed aquifer recharge (Flood-MAR) strategies in the San Joaquin River Basin. … ” Read more from DWR.
Largest solar farm in us coming to Central Valley
“In general, solar and farming are not good friends. Actually, it’s not the farmers that are opposed to solar so much as people supported by fossil fuel interest groups who are paid to complain — loudly and often — that solar is a blight on the land that ruins the character of rural communities. Who wants to look at ugly solar panels instead of cute red barns and white silos? In central California, however, farmers are forced to leave large parts of their farms uncultivated because there is not enough water to grow crops on all the land available. So, when Golden State Clean Energy came knocking and told them they could put that fallow land to productive use, the farmers listened. Who would say no to an increase in income? … ” Read more from Clean Technica.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Metropolitan to reopen Wildflower Trail at Diamond Valley Lake
“After a burst of early-season rain, spring has arrived ahead of schedule at Diamond Valley Lake — and so have the wildflowers. Thanks to the late fall and early winter storms, colorful blooms are already dotting the hillsides above the reservoir, prompting the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to reopen its popular Judy Abdo Wildflower Trail beginning Friday, Feb. 27. The seasonal trail, which winds along the slopes overlooking Diamond Valley Lake, offers sweeping views of the 4.5-mile-long reservoir and a close-up look at Southern California’s spring display of native flowers. Visitors can typically expect to see vibrant California poppies, deep blue arroyo lupines, purple Canterbury bells, yellow rancher’s fiddleneck, delicate white popcorn flowers and pink, red maids…. ” Read more from the Metropolitan Water District.
Satellite data, study gives new insight on which beaches are growing, shrinking
“Not all beaches are considered equal. Some stretches of coastline, like in south Orange County, are thin and shrinking, a well-reported worsening each year. But, to the surprise of even the experts, other areas of California’s coast are actually growing, with widening beaches that have made the state about 500 acres bigger than it was 40 years ago. A new study released by UC Irvine and the United States Geological Survey used NASA satellite data and newly developed measuring techniques to track coastal changes. The study was funded by NASA and USGS and recently published in Nature Communications. “This is a counterintuitive finding considering previous reports of widespread beach erosion in Southern California,” said co-author Brett Sanders, UC Irvine professor of civil and environmental engineering. “While several individual beaches did experience severe erosion, there were also several that experienced dramatic widening.” … ” Read more from the OC Register.’
$1 mil OK’d for San Gabriel River trash project
“Rep. Dave Min’s request for $1 million dollars for the San Gabriel River Trash initiative was recently approved by the EPA. Seal Beach District One Council Member Joe Kalmick announced the funding at last week’s City Council meeting. “We’ll be seeing that money very soon,” Kalmick said. In related news, the council on Feb. 23 approved an amendment to its contract with the city’s consultant on the river trash project. The River Trash Initiative is a working group made up of Seal Beach, Long Beach, Orange County, Los Angeles County, the Surfrider Foundation (North Orange County and Long Beach chapters) and the offices of Assembly members Diane Dixon and Josh Lowenthal. “These funds will be used for designing additional trash mitigation measures that have been identified in the recently completed feasibility study,” Kalmick wrote in a Feb. 10 email. … ” Read more from the Seal Beach Sun.
Solar panel project near Los Cerritos Wetlands paused for full environmental review
“For many months, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust and local residents have urged the City of Seal Beach to order a full environmental review for a proposed 4.6-acre solar panel project near the Los Cerritos Wetlands, due to environmental concerns over its threats to nearby wildlife and endangered species. Running through Long Beach and Seal Beach, the Los Cerritos Wetlands make up about 500 acres of precious ecological habitat for numerous wildlife, flora and fauna, including rare and endangered species. It is all that remains of the historic 2,400-acre wetlands complex that previously went through areas of Los Angeles, the San Gabriel River and Orange County. Over the decades, city developers have taken chunks of the land for private and commercial projects. … ” Read more from the Signal Tribune.
SAN DIEGO
“Left in the stench:” South San Diego communities frustrated as federal response ramps up for Potomac sewage spill
“While the federal response ramps up to address a major sewage spill in the Potomac River, residents in San Diego County’s southernmost communities who have endured decades of wastewater spills in the binational Tijuana River say they feel left behind. A major sewer line, known as the Potomac Interceptor, collapsed last month, dumping more than 240 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. A month into the break, the public is advised to avoid all contact with the river as water samples show elevated levels of E. coli. There have also been reports of noxious sewer gas odors impacting nearby residents. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
The Colorado River is nearing collapse. It’s Trump’s problem now.
“The Colorado River currently supports 40 million people and $1.4 trillion in annual economic activity in seven U.S. states and Mexico — but it was never intended to be stretched so thin. A century-old legal framework promises those users more water than there is to go around. Since the river’s reservoirs almost collapsed in 2022, however, the state’s lead negotiators have been arguing in boardrooms and on Zoom calls with little to show for it. They missed a negotiation deadline in November and another one in February, with each state publishing catty press releases blaming the other side for a breakdown in talks: Colorado’s representative said that the Upper Basin was “being asked to solve a problem we didn’t create with water we don’t have,” while Arizona’s said that the Lower Basin had “offered numerous, good-faith compromises” and that “virtually all of them have been rejected.” Meanwhile, a nearly snow-free winter is pushing reservoirs toward record lows. The river could grow so dry this year that its massive Lake Powell reservoir will stop producing hydropower. … ” Read more from Grist.
Utah’s Colorado River commissioner says Lower Basin states are being ‘untruthful’
“The Colorado River states are still stuck in a stalemate over future water allocations, and the Utah River Commission is growing frustrated. In a press conference on Thursday, Utah River Commissioner Gene Shawcroft said the Lower Basin states, and particularly Arizona, have been “untruthful” about the ongoing negotiations. Recent broadcasts from Arizona claim Upper Basin states, including Utah, have been “unwilling to share in major cuts.” Shawcroft reaffirmed that the Upper Basin states (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico) presented a framework to the Lower Basin states (California, Nevada and Arizona) about a month before their last deadline on Feb. 14. “They were not interested, even really, in understanding the complexities or the details of what we put on the table,” Shawcroft said. The framework was “extremely generous to Lake Mead, frankly at the risk of Lake Powell,” and the Upper Basin put “significant conservation activities” on the table. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Between two watersheds: San Diego to explore selling desalinated water across state lines
“The Colorado River may be running dry, but the Pacific Ocean is not — and on Thursday, San Diego took a first formal step to turn that into a business opportunity. The San Diego County Water Authority voted to sign a memorandum of understanding with federal, Arizona and Nevada water managers to explore selling desalinated Pacific Ocean water across state lines. The pilot, if formalized, would turn ultra-expensive water and underused capacity at the Western Hemisphere’s largest desalination plant, in Carlsbad, into a resource for fast-growing neighboring states as they absorb potentially-economy-shattering cuts on the Colorado River. The deal is still far from done, nor would it alone solve the West’s water problems — but for Dan Denham, the general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, it opens a door the basin has never walked through. … ” Read more from Politico.
SEE ALSO: San Diego officials say they’re close to selling off some water oversupply. from columnist Columnist Michael Smolens at the San Diego Union-Tribune
Colorado River Basin negotiations put western land use and real estate at a crossroads
“The Colorado River is one of the most precious natural resources in the United States, and its future hangs in the balance. The main problem is that the river carries less water flows than the amount people are entitled to withdraw. Federal and state negotiators are arguing over the Colorado River Basin’s next set of operating rules, which will have long-lasting effects on land use and real estate. On November 19, 2025, ULI’s Water Wise Development Coalition convened land use and real estate professionals with public sector decision-makers to discuss the Colorado River Compact negotiations that are currently underway and their potential impacts on land use and real estate. … ” Read more from the Urban Land Institute.
How will this winter affect the 40 million people living in the Colorado River basin?
“Recent storms brought much needed snow to ski areas in the western United States, but as the East Coast digs out from another blizzard and New England ski areas continue to enjoy record setting snow years, many Western ski areas continue to struggle to open and maintain terrain. With March rapidly approaching, this season has crossed the “bad start” threshold and is now solidly in “bad year” territory. The recent wave of storms brought much needed snow to many areas, with Palisades Tahoe reporting over 100 inches in the last 10 days, Alta reporting almost 60 inches, and Steamboat reporting almost 25 inches. Yet, most SNOTEL sites across the West still report below average snowpacks compared with twenty year averages. … ” Read more from Snow Brains.
Commentary: The Glen Canyon Dam needs a new system to allow more water to pass through
Ronald Rudolph writes, “Glen Canyon Dam, which impounds the Colorado River to form Lake Powell, is a single point of failure that poses an unacceptable risk to the functioning of the entire river system. Modifying the dam to allow more water to pass through or around it is an essential component of any plan for allocating the river’s dwindling supply. The dam’s structural flaw limits the amount of water that can pass from Lake Powell downstream to Lake Mead. Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, is the primary repository of water for the Colorado River’s so-called Lower Basin states: California, Arizona and Nevada. A paucity of water released from Lake Powell would eventually force reductions in the amount of water extracted from Lake Mead, diminish drinking water supplies for millions, harm agricultural productivity throughout the southwest, and embroil the federal government, seven states, more than two dozen Tribal Nations, Mexico, and others that share the river’s water in a cascade of costly court cases. … ” Read more from the Daily Camera.
Mexican farmers gave up water to protect the Colorado River. They claim payment is still due
“Farmers in Mexicali are protesting again, arguing they haven’t been paid in full for pulling land out of production to save water for the imperiled Colorado River. The farmers argue they’ve only been paid half for the amount of land they’ve left out of production. Earlier this month those farmers staged a days-long sit-in at the offices of CONAGUA, Mexico’s federal water agency. They claim they’re still owed millions of dollars, which ultimately come from the U.S. government under international agreements to compensate farmers who agree not to grow crops and save river water. The agreements work like this: Farmers take thousands of acres out of production, meaning they reduce the demand on the drought-stricken Colorado River. Then, once U.S. officials verify those crops haven’t been sown, the U.S. government pays the Mexican government, which then pays the farmers. Under those agreements, called Minute 323 signed in 2017 and Minute 330 signed in 2024, the U.S. would pay a total of $96.5 million to Mexico for water conservation. That conservation could come from paying farmers to take land out of production, known as fallowing, or by building canals and other water infrastructure. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Can this Mexican paradise navigate a water crisis?
“Water has been a godlike force determining life and death for centuries across Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula. And today, climate stressors, a boom in tourism, and urban growth are making water an extra precious resource in Mexico’s driest state. “The effects of climate change are serious here in Baja California Sur,” said María Z. Flores López, a hydrologist and director of the Integrated Water Management Program at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, speaking in Spanish. In many ways, Baja offers an extreme snapshot of a globally intensifying aridification crisis, where landscapes are permanently drying up. But the state’s situation also offers an opportunity: If an arid, fast-growing peninsula can stabilize its water supply, it could share those lessons across the country – and even beyond Mexico. “If we learn how to conserve water, it can be a prime example of sustainable conservation,” Flores López said. … ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections.
Nevada: Bill to build $2B water pipeline under Sloan Canyon heads to White House
“A bill that would allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to install a massive water service line under a conservation area cleared the U.S. Senate Thursday. Without the approval the agency seeks in the bill brought by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., another route the agency proposed for the construction project could have disrupted major roads in Henderson. A companion bill from Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., cleared the House of Representatives last year. “It will protect the water supply for nearly half of our Las Vegas residents and businesses,” Cortez Masto said on the Senate floor Thursday. “And if you’re from the West, water is an issue.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
SEE ALSO: Southern Nevada water pipeline bill passes U.S. Senate, headed to president’s desk, from Nevada Current
Fearing doxing, attorney in ‘useless grass’ lawsuit asks judge to shield IDs
“A Las Vegas attorney said he plans to add hundreds of plaintiffs to his lawsuit agains the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and he asked a judge on Thursday to consider protecting their identities. “I’ve talked to plaintiffs who are willing to join, but they’re concerned about being doxed,” said attorney Sam Castor, representing three named plaintiffs from throughout the Las Vegas Valley. “I’m just asking for a limited protective order that says that residential names and addresses will not be disclosed in public record.” At issue in the case is the water authority’s enforcement of a 2021 law that will make it illegal at the beginning of next year to use water from the Colorado River to irrigate “useless grass,” or grass that an expert committee has deemed nonfunctional. It was another packed courtroom Thursday, when District Judge Anna Albertson called attorneys back to discuss the terms of a limited restraining order that normally can last up to two weeks. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In national water news today …
See the places that have gotten the most (and least) snow this winter
“It’s been a weird winter across the United States, as far as snow goes. Earlier this week, the official tally for Providence, Rhode Island, came in at 37.9 inches of snow in about a day — more than its annual average and more than Salt Lake City has received in the last two years. In fact, there’s been much more snow in Charlotte than there’s been in typically powdery Salt Lake City this season. And flurries have been spotted as far south as as Cape Coral, Florida, south of Tampa. For populated places in the East and Midwest, it’s been a snowy winter, although D.C. has been an exception to that general rule, despite unusual cold. About 123 million people have experienced above-average snowfall so far this season, the highest number in five years and the second-highest in the last 12 years. At the same time, the Intermountain West has suffered through a record-shattering snow drought and exceedingly warm conditions that will have critical implications to water availability in the region this year. These maps highlight just how weird the snow season has been. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
U.S. groundwater drought data often disagree
“Groundwater is the water stored underground in aquifers, the water-bearing layers of sand, gravel, or rock that feed wells and also help support streams, springs, wetlands, and wildlife. “Groundwater drought” happens when underground water levels stay unusually low for long enough that water supplies, ecosystems, and water costs can be affected. The February 2026 study in the Journal of Hydrology explains that groundwater drought can raise pumping costs, reduce water that normally flows from aquifers into rivers and wetlands, harm crops, worsen water quality, and contribute to land subsidence in some areas. The paper also notes that drought can start with low precipitation and then move through the system over time, eventually lowering groundwater recharge. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Birds aren’t just declining. They’re declining faster, a new study finds.
“Birds in the United States are not only declining, but they are declining faster, especially in areas with intensive agriculture, according to new research. Overall drops in bird population, measured from 1987 to 2021, were sharpest in warm and warming areas, suggesting that climate change may play a role. The study, published on Thursday in the journal Science, shows only correlation with intensive agriculture and temperature, not causation. It does not factor in other circumstances that may be affecting birds along migratory routes or while they are overwintering. But it adds to an ever more robust body of evidence that birds — one of the best measured families of animals on Earth, and a sentinel for the health of other species — are not OK. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Warming and farming hasten bird losses across North America, study shows, from Mongabay
Trump wants to move on data centers. Not so much Congress.
“President Donald Trump is trying to manage the political risks of data centers. But congressional Republicans are far from settling on a strategy of their own. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have introduced legislation to make sure the proliferation of energy-hungry data centers don’t continue hiking electricity prices — and some are jockeying for leadership on the issue. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have one of the more aggressive bills. “Guaranteeing Rate Insulation from Data Centers (GRID) Act,” S. 3852, would mandate that all new data centers use their own power sources separate from the grid and would require all currently operating data centers to migrate off the grid within 10 years. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Trump EPA lays off more environmental justice staff
“EPA plans to let go another batch of employees who helped disadvantaged communities long burdened with pollution. On Wednesday, the agency sent reduction-in-force, or RIF, notices to 22 employees who work in environmental justice, according to American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, EPA’s largest union. Those staffers, based in the agency’s regional offices across the country, will leave government service next month. The move to cut more workers will further cement the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda for a smaller EPA. “This memorandum is to inform you that because your position is being abolished, you will be separated from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” said a RIF notice viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News. … ” Read more from E&E News.
