Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- LEG. HEARING: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife beginning at 9am. The Committee will hold an oversight on Outcomes Review of AB 658 (Arambula), Statutes of 2019 – Water rights: water management. Click here for more information.
- WEBINAR: Basin Characterization Exchange: Basin Characterization Program’s New Analysis Tools, Datasets, Recharge Maps, Subsurface Visualization, and Collaborations from 12:30pm – 1:30pm. Building on the foundation of California’s Groundwater – Bulletin 118, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Basin Characterization Program advances SGMA implementation by collecting and analyzing large datasets to improve understanding of aquifer structure. This presentation introduces a new suite of publicly available tools, datasets, and maps that help local agencies transform raw data into informed decision making. Key highlights include the release of Data2Texture, Data2HSM, and Texture2Par—specialized tools for developing texture and hydrostratigraphic models (HSMs) from AEM data, lithology, and geophysical logs. We will also showcase local and regional efforts supporting groundwater recharge, including the integration of new and existing datasets to create Aquifer Recharge Potential (ARP) maps and the use of towed-EM surveys to characterize small-scale recharge features. All maps and datasets are accessible via the CNRA Open Data Portal and can be explored in 2D and 3D using DWR’s new California Groundwater Subsurface Viewer. Finally, we will preview upcoming collaborative efforts with the USGS such as salinity mapping and refining the extent of the Corcoran Clay, and DWR initiatives tied to the 2028 California Water Plan and Senate Bill 659 to develop actionable recommendations for increasing groundwater recharge. Together, DWR’s Basin Characterization efforts represent a major step toward making California’s groundwater management more data-driven, collaborative, and resilient for the future. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Odds of strong El Niño surge — and potential California impacts become clearer
“One of the world’s top seasonal forecast models now puts the odds of a strong El Niño developing by late summer at 80 percent. The odds of at least a moderate event are even higher, around 98 percent, with some models flirting with super El Niño territory by fall. That’s the latest from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which released its updated predictions last week. (A NOAA long-range model output released over the weekend is in agreement.) What’s striking isn’t just the potential strength of the El Niño, but how sharply the forecast confidence increased compared to a month ago. “Something happened between February and March,” said Shang Ping Xie, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. As recently as a month ago, he noted, forecast models showed several possible outcomes. But now, there is a growing consensus that a moderate to strong El Nino will emerge by the end of the summer. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Will there be a super El Niño later this year? Here’s what that would mean, from the Washington Post
California to see unprecedented heat wave in coming days
“One of California’s most startling weather events in recent memory is set to unfold over the next 10 days, a spell that could shatter records by extraordinary margins. Daily temperature records are a near guarantee. Monthly records are likely. Highs as much as 30 degrees above normal are forecast in parts of California. The first 90- and 100-degree readings of the year might occur more than two months earlier than normal in many cities. Triple digits are forecast in the deserts and even parts of Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday. Heat will become more widespread Sunday and ramp up further next week, with parts of the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley threatening 90 degrees. Sierra Nevada communities are forecast to reach the 70s. Heat won’t be confined to California. Phoenix will probably measure its earliest 100-degree reading in modern history. Records are set to fall as far east as Colorado and Texas. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Water woes endgame? CEO urges Trump-Newsom alliance for California’s thirsty valley
California’s water crisis was built by years of bad policy, but one CEO believes there could be a solution. Since the state’s inception, California’s farming industry has been a powerhouse, producing nearly half of the nation’s vegetables and over three-quarters of its fruits and nuts using less than 3% of U.S. farmland. Chronic water shortages now threaten this success, hitting Central Valley farmers especially hard. The state holds roughly 1% of its water in the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to roughly one million acres. Meeting along the nearly 152-mile canal, Friant Water Authority CEO Johnny Amaral spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation about California’s water conservation crisis. Amaral explained that 32 contractors, including communities, farms and water districts, draw from the canal, which stretches from just outside Fresno to the Kern River. … “ Read more from the Daily Caller via AOL News.
Second district court of appeal affirms judgment in California’s first comprehensive groundwater adjudication
“On March 5, 2026, the Second District Court of Appeal issued an opinion in Las Posas Valley Water Rights Coalition v. Ventura County Water Works District No. 1, et al., Case No. B330837, affirming the trial court’s judgment in California’s first comprehensive groundwater adjudication since the adoption of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Downey Brand represents the Las Posas Valley Water Rights Coalition, a plaintiff group of landowners in the 40,000-acre Las Posas Valley, located in Ventura County. Groundwater from the Las Posas Groundwater Basin is the primary source of irrigation water for the various high-value crops grown in the Valley, including lemons, avocados, and berries. In 2018, the Coalition filed a complaint to initiate a comprehensive adjudication of the Basin following Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency’s (“Fox Canyon”) imposition of measures to drastically curtail groundwater pumping. … ” Read more from Downey Brand.
Podcast: Water restrictions hit home in California
“In California’s greatest farming region, there’s a water crisis from overpumping groundwater. The state passed a law in 2014 to restrict overdrawing the aquifers, and the limits are going into effect.” Listen at NPR.
California groundwater limits force almond orchard removals
“As of March 2026, California regulators are enforcing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) across parts of the Central Valley. Local irrigation districts have begun shutting down deep-well agricultural pumps as authorities implement groundwater limits. Historically, growers relied on deeper wells when surface water supplies declined. However, aquifer depletion has led state agencies to limit extraction rates. Reduced groundwater availability is expected to affect irrigated farmland and permanent nut orchards in the region. Almond orchards require long-term irrigation and cannot be left fallow like seasonal row crops. Growers report that when water allocations fall to zero, orchards can decline rapidly. Some producers have begun removing orchards that no longer have access to sufficient irrigation. … ” Read more from Fresh Plaza.
New program helps California land owners and managers coexist with beavers
“Pierre Paquelier was thrilled the first time he saw chewed bark and other signs of beavers at Lone Tree Farm, his 80-acre horse property along the Tuolumne River near the Central Valley town of Waterford. He grew up in France at a time when beavers there were all but gone. But then his majestic Valley Oaks started dying. Beavers stripped the bark all the way around their trunks, weakening and eventually toppling trees as high as 50 feet. “I was not so excited then,” says Paquelier, who offers equine retirement, training, and event services. “It gets really hot in the summer and we need shade for the horses.” Luckily for Paquelier―and the beavers destroying his trees―California has a new program called the Beaver Help Desk that promotes coexistence with these up to 80-pound rodents. The help desk offers free on-site troubleshooting for beaver problems, an up to 50% match for the cost of implementing solutions, and free training and certification for beaver coexistence professionals. … ” Continue reading from Robin Meadows at Maven’s Notebook.
Agrivoltaics: How combining solar panels and farming delivers big benefits
“Large-scale photovoltaic systems require significant space. To further expand production of solar energy, many have looked to build solar arrays in rural areas, competing with arable land that might be used for agricultural purposes. While some frame the use of farmland for solar production as an either/or situation, new research in agrivoltaics – or the colocation of solar arrays with agricultural pursuits, including farming and livestock grazing – shows the two may actually provide a “yes, and” opportunity. In fact, some of the latest studies suggest that these hybrid solar-agricultural projects can not just help further the adoption of renewable energy but also offer unexpected benefits to food and crop producers. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
Conservation NGOS sue Trump administration claiming water management in California threatens endangered salmon
“Three conservation NGOs have filed suit to block the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump from using more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, arguing that the action would harm endangered fish populations like winter-run Chinook salmon. The lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), San Francisco Baykeeper, and Friends of the River in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, claims that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s plan to pump more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to agricultural users and others violates the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and threatens wild fish populations. “The Delta is the irreplaceable home of iconic and endangered California fish, like salmon and steelhead, and we can’t let Trump’s reckless pumping destroy it,” CBD Staff Attorney Harrison Beck said in a release. “If the Trump administration continues to pump as much water as it can out of the Delta ecosystem, we may lose these native fish forever. We can’t allow mass extinction when it’s entirely avoidable.” … ” Read more from Seafood Source.
Upwelling fueled productive West Coast ocean, holding warm waters offshore in 2025
“A massive marine heatwave warmed the eastern Pacific Ocean through much of 2025, but the wind-driven upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that drives the rich marine productivity of the West Coast kept the ecosystem healthy. That is the conclusion of the California Current Ecosystem Status Report, an annual assessment of the West Coast marine ecosystem by NOAA’s California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment team. The report provides ecological insight for the Pacific Fishery Management Council and others on the ecological, social, and economic factors likely to influence fisheries and other ocean uses in the coming year. The report assesses conditions and trends over the last year for insight on coming seasons. … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
Sex and the sea snail: how a plucky marine lab brought a mollusk back from the brink
“On a sunny January afternoon in Bodega Bay, some 70 miles north of San Francisco, the White Abalone Culture Lab is humming with activity. It’s spawning day. Alyssa Frederick, the lab’s program director, invites me into an industrial room full of troughs and tubs of bubbling seawater. The abalone program is tucked away in the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, a research facility devoted to studying ocean and coastal health. The goal is to bring the endangered sea snails, known for their iridescent shells and delicate meat, back from the brink. Inside, a mix of volunteers and biologists stand in the aisle holding the abalone, some as big as coconuts. They’re measuring, weighing, and performing health diagnostics. If the animals are deemed robust enough, they’ll be moved into buckets filled with a “love potion” of hydrogen peroxide, which stimulates the females to expel eggs and the males to release sperm. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
How to handle toxic hexavalent chromium in water when regulations vary
“Access to clean and safe water is critical to public health and economic prosperity, and any presence of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen in most formulations, in drinking water is a major concern. Hexavalent chromium compounds are created as pigments for dyes, paints, inks, and plastics; added as anticorrosive protection in paints, primers, and other surface coatings; and chromic acid is electroplated onto metal parts to provide a decorative or protective coating. As a toxin it can enter water from both natural (when chromium-bearing minerals dissolve in groundwater) and industrial (industrial waste, leather tanning, and chromium plating) sources. Compliance and regulations vary across the globe with regulatory bodies ranging from US state-level and countrywide bodies to the European Union and the World Health Organization, making it challenging to apply uniform standards. Researchers Paniteja Madala and Bhavik Manish Shah sought to understand the international regulations associated with hexavalent chromium in the water sector as well as the compliance issues water utilities encounter. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
Data center water spikes could cost billions
“The rapid growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is outpacing the ability of many community water systems to deliver large bursts of water on the hottest days of the year to keep the nation’s data processing centers cool. A study by a UC Riverside research team in collaboration with Caltech found that community waterworks across the United States will need billions of dollars in new infrastructure to meet spikes in data center water demands during peak usage. Without new water efficiencies, data center cooling systems four years from now could require 697 million to 1.45 billion gallons of additional peak water capacity per day — roughly equal to the typical daily water supply of New York City. Even with optimistic water use reductions, the new water capacity, if pooled, could rival the supply to half of New York City for most of the year. Such water demands stem from the need to keep cool millions of servers that process our AI queries and other computing needs in a growing number of warehouse-sized data processing centers. These centers use evaporative cooling systems, which are the most energy-efficient method of cooling in many places. … ” Read more from UC Riverside.
Little Hoover Commission report: Data centers should pay their own energy costs
“Energy costs associated with the proliferation of data centers should be paid for by the centers themselves, not shifted onto other ratepayers, California’s Little Hoover Commission recommends in a new report. “The rapid growth of energy-hungry data centers presents both a serious challenge and a potential opportunity for California’s electricity system,” says the report, which includes 15 recommendations for ratepayer protection, smarter grid planning, and clean energy and community protection. The commission, which is charged in statute with recommending reforms for improving state government to the Governor and Legislature, decided last fall to examine how the state can best respond to the challenges that data centers pose to California’s electrical grid. In particular, commissioners decided to focus on how data center growth would affect the electricity rates paid by residential consumers. “Our message is simple,” said Commission Chair Pedro Nava. “The costs that data centers impose on the electrical grid should be paid by the centers themselves, not by average California families already struggling with high utility bills.” … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
SEE ALSO: New Report Offers Path for Cleaner, More Cost-Effective Data Centers in California, from Business Wire
What’s stalling markets designed to encourage carbon credits for reforestation?
“It seems simple: plant trees that absorb carbon, then sell credits to companies that need to offset their carbon emissions. So, why aren’t markets designed to do that working more effectively? The answer is a matter of perception, according to a new Stanford University preprint study that reveals persistent disagreement among market participants over what constitutes risk and who isliable for it when forest carbon projects don’t pan out. The researchers will discuss their findings and host a panel discussion with a range of market participants during a webinar on March 10. “We have buyers willing to pay for quality forest carbon offsets and developers who believe theycan deliver them,” said study lead author Connor Nolan, a staff scientist at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “What’s missing is transparency, standardization, and risk-sharing structures that would let both sides transact with confidence.” … ” Read more from Stanford News.
In commentary today …
Why groundwater is more important than ever
Richael Young, Senior Director of Water for the Future for Sustainable Conservation, writes, “Groundwater supplies approximately 40% of our state’s water needs, and even more in dry years when less surface water is available. These needs include community drinking water, irrigation water, and baseflows for our rivers, wetlands, and ecosystems. Climate change makes groundwater even more important to California. While our average precipitation isn’t expected to change with climate change, an increasing amount will fall as rain rather than snow. That’s not just bad news for California’s skiers and snowboarders. Snowpack is one of California’s largest and most important reservoirs, storing approximately 15 million acre-feet every year in the Sierras. We rely on the gradual melting of this snow for steady runoff during the spring and summer to sustain rivers, farms, and communities. With climate change shrinking this natural reservoir’s capacity, groundwater management becomes even more vital as we pursue water security. … ” Continue reading from Sustainable Conservation.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
How Trinidad’s big water leak highlights a much bigger quandary
“The calls rang out over and over, in the dispassionate water system codes that meant unmistakably: “Something’s wrong. I need you. Help.” Like a little kid pleading for someone – anyone — to respond, the alarm calls on that rainy January morning went to three different phone numbers at 3:02 a.m., 3:04 a.m. and 3:06 a.m. Then minutes later calls went again to all three phones, and yet again, before roping in a fourth phone by 3:35 a.m. No one answered. While 70,000 gallons an hour rushed from a broken pipe, two key Trinidad city workers slept, each thinking the other was supposed to be on call that night. The ensuing water crisis shuttered restaurants for days, dented Trinidad’s water reserve funds and prompted fresh conversations about a long-smoldering pipeline debate. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
SIERRA NEVADA
Yuba Water wraps up Englebright Lake cleanup after pipeline rupture
“Officials have finished cleanup and containment efforts at Englebright Lake following a 14-foot-diameter pipeline ruptured at the New Colgate Powerhouse, the Yuba Water Agency announced on Friday. The weekslong effort concluded after last month’s rupture, which left hundreds — and possibly thousands — of young Chinook salmon stranded and dying in the lower Yuba River, with officials estimating it may take years to fully repair the damage. “During our final on-water survey, we saw no visible oil or other hazardous debris on Englebright or upstream,” Lieutenant Ryan Hanson of California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s office of spill prevention and the response said, in a news release. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Lake Tahoe tourism braces for swings as winter wanes
“Lake Tahoe’s tourism-dependent communities are feeling the strain of an unusual winter that brought big bursts of snow followed by long dry stretches, leaving the region with snowpack well below normal as springlike weather arrives in March. The season started with a powerful October storm that blanketed the Sierra, followed by a long quiet stretch with hardly any precipitation until a Christmas-to-New Year’s blast refreshed the mountains. After that came another dry spell until February “roared back to life,” dumping more than 100 inches of snow in the high country. The area has since returned to a dry trend, with Lake Tahoe at 60% of median snowpack. Recent rain and warm temperatures have also started to shrink that snowpack. … ” Read more from Channel 4.
“The land has been calling us back, and we are answering that call.”
“Serrell Smokey is chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, which recently purchased significant portions of ancestral land in the Sierra region. This land return marks one of the largest tribal reacquisitions in modern California history. The property—more than 10,000 acres of sagebrush scrublands and juniper and pine forests, once known as Loyalton Ranch—will now be stewarded by Indigenous hands. He said the land is not just property, but a living cultural landscape tied to Washoe identity, history, and ecological responsibility. “Technically, we as the heirs of my great-great-grandparents should be entitled to those allotment lands,” Smokey said. “So according to the current records…how come we’re not on those lands?” The deal allows the tribe to control the property, about 20 miles north of Reno, Nev., and restore traditional cultural and conservation practices that were lost when the tribe was violently forced from the area. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Ally.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Oroville’s Feather River cleanup efforts aimed at protecting salmon population
“Illegal homeless camps along the Feather River are causing concern among locals about the impact on the waterway and its ecosystem. Community members worry that debris from these camps could harm the salmon that spawn in the river each year. Terry Gregg, a local fisherman, has been fishing in the Feather River for decades and expressed his feelings about the matter. “I have a concern for what’s going into the water,” Gregg said. “We’re blessed here to have a wonderful fishery, a healthy fishery that depends on good clean water and the ability to spawn and to navigate to make their life cycle.” … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Cal Fire practices year-round readiness as Northstate fire risk grows
“Current weather trends in the Northstate are creating the need for more resources, ready to respond to fires. Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit Division Chief Dusty Gyves told the Northstate’s News that, now, their team has more resources year-round to be ready for fire activity throughout the state. Gyves said Cal Fire has gone from preparing for fire season to being prepared for the fire year. During wetter periods, they’ll use resources for fuels reduction projects like pile burning. … ” Read more from KRCR.
SEE ALSO: Supervisors to continue fire fuel reduction talks, from the Chico Enterprise-Record
One well at a time: How local projects are building a resilient water future
“The Sacramento region is putting state funding to work. Today, the Sacramento Suburban Water District commissioned four new groundwater wells. And, last year, Citrus Heights Water District made significant construction progress on two aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells, a type of well that can both inject drinking water underground for storage in wet years and recover it for use in dry years.These are among more than a dozen groundwater projects supported by $55 million in state funding—part of a landmark partnership between the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Regional Water Authority (RWA) announced in 2023. The state’s funding infusion is enabling the construction of up to 21 new or improved wells, pumps, interconnections, and storage facilities across the region. These projects are designed to expand the Sacramento Regional Water Bank, giving local agencies the ability to recharge aquifers during wet years and rely on groundwater during dry years. … ” Read more from the Regional Water Authority.
Three new groundwater wells increase reliability, flexibility of water supply in Antelope
“Three new groundwater wells are giving the city of Antelope more reliable access to drinking water and the flexibility to meet water needs in wet and dry years. The Sacramento Suburban Water District formally commissioned the three wells, known as “the triplets” on Monday. The three wells plus a fourth recently brought online can serve up to 33,500 homes in the Antelope area daily. This project is part of a decades-long larger effort to balance the Sacramento region’s use of groundwater and surface water. During dry years, the use of groundwater wells reduces the demand on surface water sources like Folsom Lake and the Lower American River. … ” Read more from KCRA.
NAPA/SONOMA
‘Smells like swamp’: This Wine Country town is fed up with brown tap water
“In the heart of Napa Valley, St. Helena is home to world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, a historic stone-and-brick downtown and, to locals at least, brown tap water. Some days, clear water flows from the taps in this city of about 5,250 residents between Napa and Calistoga. But other days, some residents say the water looks more like beer or Chardonnay but with less appealing attributes: Silty. Frothy. Stinky. The problem is that naturally occurring minerals, mostly iron and manganese, have built up in the city’s aging pipes, according to city reports. Routine changes in water velocity caused by anything from maintenance projects to seasonal water changes can dislodge the buildup and transform clear water into brown swill. City officials have insisted the water may seem unappealing at times, but it is not harmful and is safe to drink. The city’s reassurances have not satisfied some residents who argue they can’t be expected to consume or bathe in brown water — while still paying some of the Bay Area’s highest water bills. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Podcast: The effort to restore California’s Russian River
“For a century, California’s Russian River has been a haven for the LGBTQ+ community. But the health of the river and the surrounding area is suffering the effects of climate change. KQED’s Ezra David Romero reports how the community is working to preserve it for another hundred years.” Listen at WBUR.
BAY AREA
Lagunitas Creek salmon habitat project gets $1.1M grant
“The Marin Municipal Water District has secured a $1.1 million state grant to support its ongoing effort to restore habitat for endangered coho salmon and other aquatic species in Lagunitas Creek. The district plans to use the grant to initiate the project “phase 2,” which is set for construction in 2027. The funding from the California Wildlife Conservation Board comes as the district expects to wrap up the first phase of the project this fall. “We are thankful for California Wildlife Conservation Board’s funding and collaboration on this tremendous project to protect the home of one of the largest remaining populations of coho salmon in Northern California and ensure the ecological health of our watershed,” said Jed Smith, president of the water district board. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Navy begins hazardous materials removal for Hunters Point shipyard demolition project
“The U.S. Navy has begun to remove hazardous materials from several contaminated buildings slated for demolition at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, the department announced. Abatement and removal of waste at six buildings in the Superfund site has started, with demolition scheduled to begin in late March. Superfund sites are federal designations for areas contaminated with hazardous materials that require long-term cleanup. The site, which sits at the southeastern corner of the city in the Bayview-Hunters Point area, was once an active shipyard where the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory conducted research on the effects of radiation and atomic weapons. The site was also used to decommission radioactive ships, leading to the accumulation of radionuclides contaminating the surrounding soil and water. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
CENTRAL COAST
Roads, health care and San Lucas water among top concerns at Monterey County legislative workshop
“Since 2018, County of Monterey officials have met annually with state and federal representatives to get on the same page about priorities for the community at the local level. It serves as a chance for the county to highlight large projects that present significant funding challenges requiring state and federal dollars, alongside discussion about the state of affairs at the federal level. … Road, water and climate mitigation projects dominated the remainder of the workshop, including the decades-old problem of securing safe drinking water for San Lucas, repairs and safety modifications to the Nacimiento and San Antonio dams, and updates to Pajaro after receiving $20 million from the state to support communities impacted by the 2023 flood. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
The rodent with a desert on its shoulders
“It was a race against nightfall. As he hurried across the sandy, bristling landscape of California’s Carrizo Plain, ecologist Ian Axsom stopped every 9 meters (29 feet) to place an aluminum live trap on the ground, eventually distributing traps over an area the size of two baseball fields. Against the rolling playas and tawny mountains, the traps glinted with golden remnants of the September dusk. Axsom had no time to admire the view. Then again, as a land steward at the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, he’d already seen plenty of striking skies. “If you spend enough time out here, you will inevitably end up trying to take pictures of amazing sunsets on your phone, and it never quite captures it the way the colors look,” he said. Three of his teammates trailed behind him, pausing at each trap to insert a fistful of birdseed mix and set its trigger. Finally, the traps were ready for their target: the nocturnal giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens, a keystone species of the Carrizo Plain. … ” Read more from Biographic.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Cross levee will hold back Manteca growth
“Flood protection isn’t the only long range impact a pending dry levee will have on southwest Manteca. *It will effectively protect nearly 20 square miles of agricultural land from urban development. It will likely bolster the value of roughly 2.5 square miles of area not yet annexed to Manteca. The reason has everything to do with what it will cost to develop land south of where the dry or cross levee that starts near the San Joaquin River and that will be extended as far east as Tinnin Rod. “It would ultimately cost billions as billions with a ‘b’,” noted Councilman Charlie Halford who represents southwest Manteca. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
San Joaquin River Parkway Trust complies with Fresno County’s cease and desist over human composting
“The San Joaquin River Parkway Trust will no longer use human compost at its 76-acre property in Fresno County. The agreement ending nearly a year’s long partnership with Earth Funerals. “It’s a more environmentally friendly way to deal with somebody after they die,” said San Joaquin River Parkway Trust Executive Director Sharon Weaver. According to Earth Funerals, this alternative involves a 45-day process in which it explains a body is transformed into nutrient-rich soil. “It has all the normal components of compost. We do a test on every load. Earth Funeral has to do a lot of testing at their site to make sure they are complying with regulations,” said Weaver. … ” Read more from KMJ.
NOTICE of Board Meeting: Proposed Aquifer Exemption for the Kern River Oil Field in Kern County
“The State Water Resources Control Board will consider adoption of a resolution during the June 16, 2026 Board meeting related to the proposed aquifer exemption for the Kern River Oil Field, located in Kern County, California. If adopted, the resolution will direct State Water Board staff to issue a final concurrence letter to the Oil and Gas Supervisor of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) supporting approval of the proposed aquifer exemption by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).” Read State Water Board notice.
EASTERN SIERRA
Wildflowers are blooming in the driest place in North America — but not for long
“Death Valley, known as the driest place in North America, is teeming with life with a once-in-a-decade blossoming of wildflowers known as a superbloom, transforming a normally brown desert landscape into carpets of gold. Wildflowers bloom across parts of southern California and Nevada at different degrees usually every year. In some years, superblooms are so vibrant they can be seen from space. But it’s rare for Death Valley National Park, the hottest place on Earth, to burst with color. “This landscape that sometimes people think of as desolate or devoid of life is coming alive right now with this really beautiful palette of colors,” said park ranger Matthew Lamar. This year’s bloom is the best the park has seen since 2016 thanks to steady rainfall and warm temperatures in the last six months, Lamar said. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SCV water supply off to a good start this year, but snowpack problems loom
“Santa Clarita’s local rainfall is in a better place than this time last year, and with more Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency wells back in production, the agency will likely have more locally sourced water available to meet demand in 2026. Because of significant storms that hit the valley in late 2025, local precipitation is at 147% of the water year average, for a total of about 25.3 inches of rain between October and February. That’s according to Sarah Fleury, SCV Water’s senior water resources planner, who presented on the status of the agency’s water supply at its regular board meeting Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal.
Putting the ‘lake’ back in Riverside: Hole Lake revitalization project to begin this year
“Amid Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson’s mission to put the “river” back in Riverside, Councilmember Steve Hemenway is starting with a lake – the former reservoir in the southwestern part of the city known as Hole Lake. “Picture this,” Hemenway said, excitement creeping into his voice. “You grab a cup of coffee from a cafe, maybe a pastry or dessert, and take a walk across the street to Hole Lake, and you just sit there gazing out at the water, enjoying the peace of the outdoors.” Maybe there’s a park and a sports field nearby where kids can run around, he added. “That’s what I envision for Hole Lake… a community gathering place, with its own unique Riverside flair,” Hemenway said. … ” Read more from the Raincross Gazette.
Newport Beach is making sure its ocean piers are ready for visitors
“Thousands of locals, tourists and fishermen enjoy Newport Beach’s two iconic ocean piers, and for the next few months, crews will make sure they are sturdy and ready for continued use. “It’s a big cost for coastal cities to maintain these piers,” said Dave Webb, director of public works for the city. The Newport Pier was initially built for commerce, he pointed out. “When it was a working pier, it made sense, it had commerce on it, and you were making money, but it’s really just a tourist attraction. But Newport is known for its piers, and a lot of people come and use them.” The council recently budgeted $717,000 for this year’s maintenance projects, which include replacing broken or damaged piles, fixing the stringers and frames underneath the piers, replacing corroded and rusted-out metal hardware and bolts, and installing vinyl “jackets” to protect against marine organisms that bore into the wood. That project, Webb said, is done every two years. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River may deliver just a third of normal water supplies this spring, projections show
“Extended warm weather across the Colorado River basin may reduce the amount of water delivered during the spring runoff to just a third of normal, according to federal forecasters. Modeling released late last week showed the river system on track to deliver a scant 2.3 million acre-feet to Lake Powell, one of the river system’s largest reservoirs. That’s 36% of the median of 6.4 million acre-feet recorded between 1991 and 2020. If the forecast comes true, it would be the fifth-lowest inflow to Lake Powell since the reservoir’s establishment in 1963, according to the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. “It’s not a pretty picture here,” Cody Moser, a hydrologist with the center, said of the basin’s snowpack during a briefing on the forecast Friday. … ” Read more from the Denver Post.
SEE ALSO: Snow drought creates a troubling outlook for Colorado River Basin, from Western Water
Warm, dry winter could leave Lake Powell near record-low levels
“A warm, dry winter could produce the lowest runoff into the Colorado River in a quarter century, further lowering water levels at Lake Powell, which is already at near-record lows, federal forecasts show. As of early March, hydrologists were projecting the Colorado River inflow to the critical storage pool in Lake Powell of just 2.3 million acre-feet, or 36% of the 1991-2020 average. If that projection holds up, it would be the lowest April-July boost for Lake Powell since the disastrous year of 2002 firmly entrenched this age of megadrought. The snow drought comes at an especially awkward time after nearly 30 years of regional aridification drained the nation’s two largest reservoirs to precarious depths. Lake Powell started March at just 24% of capacity, with much of that water functionally unavailable to flow downstream to Lake Mead and the Southwest because it’s below Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower and bypass intakes. Lake Mead began the month at 34% of capacity. Both began this century essentially full. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Central Arizona Project warns of $2.7 trillion loss in worst case Colorado River plan
“Central Arizona Project is running public ad campaigns urging residents to prepare for the worst, as the agreement governing Colorado River water is set to expire this year and federal replacement options could cost Arizona’s economy trillions of dollars over the next 34 years. The agency, which manages Arizona’s Colorado River supply, said every framework the federal government has proposed would hammer Arizona with deep cuts while leaving other states untouched. In a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation, CAP estimated the economic damage at $2.7 trillion between now and 2060. The fight has moved well beyond closed-door negotiations. Arizona’s Democratic members of Congress sent their own letter to federal officials, arguing the damage wouldn’t stop at the state line. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Arizona marks major water policy milestone
“Arizona officials marked a significant step in the state’s long-running effort to balance growth with water security in early March 2026. On March 3, 2026, the Arizona Department of Water Resources formally granted Arizona Water Company a Designation of Assured Water Supply for its Pinal Valley service area. The designation was recognized the following day during a ceremony in Casa Grande attended by Governor Katie Hobbs, local officials, and water industry representatives. The approval represents the first new 100-year water supply designation for the Pinal Active Management Area in more than two decades, according to state and company announcements. The designation confirms that Arizona Water Company has demonstrated the ability to provide a reliable water supply for at least 100 years to both existing customers and future development. The decision is expected to support housing construction and economic growth in parts of Pinal County while maintaining protections for groundwater supplies. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Arizona’s Verde River scores a C+ in new report card. Here’s why
“A new report card for the Verde River gave the watershed a C+. Environmentalists who watch the river closely say the grade is more than meets the eye. The score comes from the nonprofit groups Friends of the Verde River and The Nature Conservancy. It’s designed to assess the health of the Verde, its tributaries and the communities around them. The watershed scored high in categories like recreation and bird habitat, but received low marks for water quality. The river runs through northern Arizona before filling reservoirs in the Phoenix area. An earlier report card, released in 2020, also landed a C+. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Solar-powered ionization system tested to boost Utah precipitation
“The Beehive State is widely known as a national leader in cloud seeding, a technique used to help boost snowfall and water supply in the state’s mountains. But a new project in Grand County is testing a very different approach—one that uses electricity instead of chemicals. The testing site is situated south of Moab, where a private company has installed what it says is Utah’s first ionization site. The system is designed to enhance precipitation from passing storms without releasing any substances into the atmosphere. At first glance, the equipment doesn’t appear particularly complex. … ” Read moire from Fox 13.
Despite recent precipitation, it’s still dry in southeastern Colorado and that has dire implications for agriculture in the region
“The recent rain and snow in southeastern Colorado might help drought conditions in the region. But it’s still one of the driest winters in decades for snowfall and that has dire implications for agriculture in the Arkansas River Basin. This is the time of year that farmers can start irrigating fields. Jack Goble leads the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District. He said agricultural producers on the Plains rely on snowmelt from the mountains to fill the Arkansas River with water for their crops, and that is likely to be extremely low this year. “We’re eternal optimists,” he said. ”We’re always hopeful that we’ll get another snowstorm or two, but it’s a pretty bleak outlook at this point.” “You’ll likely see thousands of acres that go idle,” he said. “If we stay on the hydrologic trend that we’re on right now.” … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio.
SEE ALSO: With Colorado’s warmest winter on record, experts weigh in on summer wildfire and water supply concerns, from KOAA
In national water news today …
A warmer climate means bigger hail
“Regions that are often pummeled by severe storms—like the Midwestern United States under last weekend’s powerful thunderstorms and deadly tornadoes—could also face the threat of more extreme hail. New research published Monday in Atmospheric Science Letters for the first time linked human-caused warming with the size of hailstones in a single thunderstorm. The study examined a May 3 storm that pelted Paris and other parts of France with hail ranging in size from marbles to golfballs, destroying or damaging more than $350 million worth of property.. The researchers compared real-time data from May 3 with dozens of similar weather patterns from past decades to isolate how a warmer atmosphere changed the storm’s ingredients. The analysis shows that, in France and Germany, the probability of hail under similar atmospheric conditions has increased by up to 30 percent. And warming made the hailstones grow from nuisance-size to chunks of ice big enough to shred crops and damage cars and structures. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In a first, researchers confirm global warming has accelerated in last decade
“For the first time, scientists have stated with statistical confidence that global warming is accelerating, not merely continuing at a steady pace. According to a new study, the past decade ranks as the fastest-warming on record. At the current pace, the authors wrote, Earth will exceed the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming set by the Paris Climate Accord before 2030. Although the finding is not unexpected, its level of certainty sets it apart from previous research. The study appears in Geophysical Research Letters, AGU’s journal for high-impact, innovative, and timely articles on major advances across the geosciences. “We can now demonstrate a strong and statistically significant acceleration of global warming since around 2015,” said Grant Foster, a retired statistician formerly at Tempo Analytics and co-author of the study. … ” Read more from AGU.
