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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: From Climate Challenges to Watershed Solutions from 10am to 11am. Join Sustainable Conservation on April 8 as we kick off the Spring 2026 season of our Voices from the Field webinar series! We’ll start with Turning Climate Challenges into Watershed Solutions, a conversation with state leaders on why healthy watersheds – above and below ground – are central to California’s climate future. We’ll explore how climate extremes are reshaping water management, why the San Joaquin Valley is often considered “ground zero” for both the state’s water challenges and opportunities, and how collaborative strategies like groundwater recharge, land repurposing, habitat restoration, and soil health practices can work together to build resilience. Click here to register.
- DWR: Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment Informational Webinar from 10am to 12pm. This is an informational meeting about the fifth round of the Annual Water Supply and Demand Assessment and the Annual Water Shortage Assessment Report. On or before July 1, 2026, urban water suppliers are required to submit the fifth annual water shortage assessment reports. Topics include conducting AWSDAs and submitting an Annual Shortage Report, review of submitted assessments and DWR Summary Report to the Board (AKA Bulletin 161), and AWSDA: a yearly stress test of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: A New State Water Plan to Secure Water in a Hotter, Drier Climate from 12pm to 1pm. California faces more extreme water swings as the climate warms. Droughts are deeper. Floods are more intense. Rising temperatures, including recent spring heat, reduce available water supplies and strain ecosystems. To adapt, the state’s Department of Water Resources has kicked off the development of an updated water plan. This is the first plan to set state law required targets to expand water supplies over the next two decades. Join us as we unpack how this water plan will help us adapt to a changing future and manage water for people and nature. We’ll also check in on current water supply conditions among record breaking spring temperatures and what it means to our water supply for the rest of the year. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Federal agency to release extra water into Sacramento River for salmon migration
“The Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday that it will temporarily release more water from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River to help juvenile Chinook salmon safely make their journey to the ocean. The move came about two weeks after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released more than 6.2 million young salmon from Coleman Hatchery into Battle Creek, prompting conservationists to urge the agency to increase dam-releases into Sacramento River that’s facing low flows. “This pulse flow is designed to improve survival rates for juvenile Chinook salmon as they migrate to the ocean,” the bureau said in a news release. Pulse flows are conditional events that span four to seven days and can increase or decrease dam releases, often triggered to support river conditions. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SEE ALSO: Reclamation Releases Pulse Flows to Sacramento River for Chinook Salmon!, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
Fourth San Joaquin Valley groundwater region avoids state intervention
“The state Water Resources Control Board unanimously approved releasing the Delta-Mendota subbasin from potential enforcement actions at its April 7 meeting. “The metrics I think about, and that I’ve mentioned at a number of other probationary discussions, is: progress, not perfection is what we’re looking for,” Water Board member Sean Maguire said before the vote. “I think what we’ve seen here from the basin is a willingness to coordinate amongst 23 different groundwater sustainability agencies.” Landowners in the region will escape probation, which requires growers to meter wells, register them at $300 each and pay $20 per acre foot pumped. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SEE ALSO: Delta-Mendota Subbasin exits state intervention, returns to DWR oversight, press release from the State Water Board
Strongest El Niño in 140 years? This one could actually deliver for California
“A rare cluster of three tropical cyclones will straddle both sides of the equator in the western Pacific this week, generating what one scientist called potentially the strongest westerly wind burst over the equatorial Pacific in the recent century. The burst is pushing warm water eastward at a critical moment, accelerating what Paul Roundy, an atmospheric scientist at the University at Albany, said has “real potential for the strongest El Niño event in 140 years.” The just-released April seasonal forecast from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts shows virtually all of its models expect the world to reach El Niño conditions by mid-June. Roughly half project sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding 2.5 degrees Celsius above average by October. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: A Super El Niño is coming. Here’s how a hotter ocean could change the weather near you, from CNN
After a historically hot March, an active April weather pattern will bring thunderstorms, cooler temperatures, and likely even some Sierra snow
“Well, I won’t belabor the point: March 2026 was a month that will long be remembered for its astonishing warmth across California and the broader West. Snowpack in most regions is now near or below all-time record lows for early April as a result, despite a very modest recent boost. And temperatures have once again rebounded to somewhere between “much warmer than average” and “record breaking” in recent days (though, it is worth noting, far from “record shattering” this tim earound), so April has generally been off to a very warm start once again. But April is not shaping up to be like March in the West, fortunately, despite the warm start. As the sections below describe, April is shaping up to be a much more active month, storm activity wise, and temperatures will alternate between warm and cool as opposed to being stuck seemingly at the very top of the thermometer for weeks on end. … ” Read more from Weather West.
SEE ALSO: Northern California weather turns unsettled with rain, snow, thunderstorms, from the SF Chronicle
Heat wipes out western snowpack, raising fears of drought, wildfire
“After the warmest winter on record for many states and a blistering March heat wave that left almost no snow in parts of the American West, the region is facing a summer of serious wildfire risks and a drought that could force broad water restrictions. New measurements this month show most of the Mountain West won’t be able to rely on melting snow, the region’s largest water source, because there’s hardly any snowpack there. And while some rain is forecast in the coming weeks, any spring precipitation will likely be too little, too late, scientists said. “It’s going to be a seriously dry summer ahead,” said Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado, Boulder. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Heat, drought and wildfire shatter records in the West, from E&E News
Will data centers threaten California’s water? It’s complicated.
“The explosive growth in data centers is fueling concerns in California, as well as across the country, about water and energy use. Some have gone as far as to propose a water usage fee on data centers. However, others argue that data center water use is just a drop in the bucket compared to other uses or that most data centers are moving toward less water-intensive practices, such as reusing water in closed-loop systems. To help us understand what we do and don’t know about California data centers and water use, we spoke with Dr. Marie Grimm, an environmental policy research fellow at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment, about their new report “Regulating Data Center Water Use in California.” What is a data center, and how does it use water? A data center is a facility that houses servers, digital storage systems, and network infrastructure. We use data centers every day—this Zoom meeting is probably running through a data center. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
The new battleground—water rights and data center development in the AI era
While much attention has focused on the electricity demands of AI-driven data centers, a quieter crisis is emerging around water consumption. Modern hyperscale data centers can consume between one and five million gallons of water daily for cooling systems, with some facilities using significantly more during peak operations. As tech companies announce plans to build dozens of new AI-focused campuses, communities from Arizona to Virginia are questioning whether local water resources can sustain this growth alongside residential and agricultural needs. Water rights and access have rapidly evolved from due diligence checkboxes to deal-breaking issues that require the same sophisticated analysis traditionally reserved for power procurement and real estate acquisition. … Data center developers must now conduct granular analysis of state water codes, municipal supply agreements, groundwater management plans, and endangered species considerations—often discovering that water permitting timelines rival or exceed electrical interconnection queues, fundamentally impacting project schedules and financing commitments. … ” Read more from Husch Blackwell.
Wine to water? California startup turns winery wastewater into drinking water – a commercial first
“Revida Water has converted winery wastewater into drinking water – verified by an independent lab against US EPA standards – making it one of the first commercial companies to achieve this result with independent third-party verification. The milestone, achieved at the Teaching and Research Winery operated by the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis during the 2025 harvest season, transforms one of agriculture’s most persistent regulatory liabilities into a clean, reusable asset. The timing is critical. More than 1,500 California wineries are now required to comply with the state’s Water Resources Control Board Winery General Order, forcing a costly choice: pay to haul wastewater offsite on an ongoing basis, or build permanent on-site infrastructure that can exceed $500,000. Revida eliminates that binary with a streamlined, on-site water reuse solution that satisfies state mandates without triggering major capital expenditure. … ” Read more from Wine Industry Advisor.
California launches new strategy to protect the agriculture and food sectors from climate change
“The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces the release of the Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture (Strategy). The document provides a comprehensive overview of state actions designed to help the agricultural community prepare for, respond to, and thrive under the many conditions imposed by climate change, from uncertainty about water supply and drought to extreme weather events, wildfires, flooding and more. “The Strategy celebrates the importance of what agriculture does for California every day and also acknowledges the tremendous challenges that California agriculture is facing today,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “This Strategy focuses on how we bring together all that we’ve learned about climate smart agriculture and the ability for agriculture to be a part of the climate solution.” … ” Read more from Morning Ag Clips.
SEE ALSO: Secretary Karen Ross introduces California’s plan to help agriculture thrive in a changing climate, from CDFA’s Planting Seeds
Technology helps this California dairy farmer grow more grass with less water
“Ronald Vevoda leads the farming and land management efforts on the certified organic dairy in northern California he works with his parents and brother. The family milks around 600 cows and raises 700 heifers on the operation, near Ferndale. His push toward intensive grazing, controlled irrigation, and technology is reshaping how this coastal dairy grows grass. SF: After college, you worked for a farm outside the family. What did that teach you? RV: I learned a whole new employee management style and got to see what it was like to be an employee. I had to learn how to ask the right questions, to get the right answers, to be able to do the job correctly. My boss was great at explaining things in a way that I was able to understand. Now, rather than just telling my employees what to do, I explain why we’re doing it. … ” Read more from Successful Farming.
Farmers gather to talk sustainability projects at dairies
“California dairy farmers have faced new challenges in recent years as they work to beef up their sustainability practices. About a decade ago, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and legislation setting a target to reduce livestock methane emissions by 40% of 2013 levels by 2030. “The reality of implementation is right here, right now,” California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said. Ross spoke to dairy farmers and other industry groups at this year’s annual California Dairy Sustainability Summit. The late March gathering, held in Visalia, focused on connecting dairy farmers with tools to save water and reduce methane emissions, and other ways to make their operations more sustainable amid changing state requirements. “These are all remarkable things that come out of innovation and partnership with incentive dollars,” Ross said. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Breakthrough at Salk Institute could help crops survive drought
“As drought conditions persist across California, a breakthrough discovery in San Diego could help crops survive with less water, and potentially reshape the future of farming. At the Salk Institute, scientists are taking a closer look at how plants respond when water becomes scarce. Their findings reveal something surprising: plants don’t just struggle during drought, they actually speed up aging. “Plants age, and when they encounter a stress like drought, they actually accelerate their aging process,” said Joseph Swift, a visiting researcher who studies how plants respond to environmental stress. That rapid aging can limit growth and reduce crop yields. But researchers say they’ve identified genes that could help plants continue growing, even with less water. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future
“When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing low-flow devices. While demand management techniques like these have had a lot of success in reducing water use, our new research suggests that they may not be effective enough in the face of climate change. We looked at three cities in the Colorado River Basin – Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver – to understand what each could do to increase demand management amid water shortages and how far those methods could go as temperatures rise and the Colorado River’s flow weakens. The results suggest the region needs to be thinking about bigger solutions. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
CDFW research links California’s nutria invasion to Pacific Northwest population
“Scientists with the Wildlife Genetics Research Unit at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have completed a genomic study of nutria, an invasive South American rodent, linking their 2017 discovery in Merced County to a population in central Oregon. This was the first genomic study of the semi-aquatic pest species that is harmful to wetland habitats and agriculture and has challenged control efforts of land and wildlife managers worldwide for decades. To identify the origins of nutria in California, CDFW research scientists compared DNA of invasive nutria populations around the world. This led to building a dataset showing the genetic similarity among nutria on a global scale that will serve as a toolkit for future research. The genetic data also give insight into how nutria populations spread across a landscape — information that will inform eradication efforts and development of management strategies. “CDFW conducts sophisticated genetics research to improve management outcomes for California’s wildlife populations,” said CDFW Wildlife Genetics Research Lead Mike Buchalski. “The results of this study additionally will benefit future national and global genetic research on nutria.” … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Toxic algae blooms pose growing health threat in California
“A new UCSF-UNESCO partnership is working to address the growing threat of harmful algal blooms, also known as ‘red tides,’ that can produce dangerous toxins and disrupt marine ecosystems. Toxicologist Matthew Gribble and public health expert Sheri Weiser are leading the effort to study the science behind these blooms and support communities, especially in Alaska, that are most at risk from exposure. Climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms, which can produce toxins that sicken humans, marine life, and birds. These blooms pose a serious public health threat, especially for coastal communities that rely on seafood as a dietary staple. Improving monitoring and early warning systems is crucial to protecting vulnerable populations. … ” Read more from National Today.
SEE ALSO: Toxic Red Tides Threaten California Coasts, from National Today
DRIP Collaborative’s third year centers on ecosystems, land use planning, and water infrastructure
“California’s climate is defined by extremes, and water year 2025 put that reality on full display. One month delivered warm, dry conditions that can typically stress water supplies; the next brought a surge of winter storms, only for January to swing dry again. These whiplash shifts aren’t outliers — they are becoming the new operating conditions for water managers, communities, and ecosystems across the state. Against this backdrop, the Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative continued its work to strengthen coordinated drought planning. The Collaborative convenes state agencies, Tribes, local governments, public water systems, community-based organizations, technical assistance providers, land use and water experts, environmental and agricultural interests, and members of the public to strengthen coordinated drought preparedness. Released in March, DRIP Collaborative’s 2025 Annual Report highlights the activities, discussions, and recommendations developed during the task force’s third year. … ” Read more from DWR.
Gov. Newsom appoints Chuck Bonham to state parks commission
“The California executive director of the Nature Conservancy has been named to the State Park and Recreation Commission. The appointment of Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, of Berkeley, by Gov. Gavin Newsom was announced Friday. Bonham was the director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2011 to 2025, according to the Governor’s Office. He held multiple positions at Trout Unlimited from 2000 to 2011, including California director and senior attorney. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
Governor hopefuls vow to cut regulations
“Six candidates running to be California’s next governor said last week during a televised forum that if elected, they would roll back regulations that have made it challenging to farm in the state. “The regulatory environment in California is choking off our agricultural communities, choking off our production,” said Katie Porter, an Orange County Democrat and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. “We’ve gone too far on regulations.” Four Democrats and two Republicans participated in the “Affordability and Rural California” gubernatorial candidate forum, which was held April 1 at California State University, Fresno. The forum, which was hosted by the California Farm Bureau and more than two dozen other agricultural groups, kicked off the final stretch of campaigning ahead of a June 2 primary election that will determine which two candidates advance to the general election in November. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
In commentary today …
Data center water use not sustainable in increasingly dry American West
Amanda Claire Starbuck, research director at Food & Water Watch, writes, “After years of failed negotiations between the states and decades of negligent water management, we now have just months for federal officials to decide how to divide up the ever-shrinking flow of the Colorado River between the seven river basin states that share it — and the 40 million people relying on the river for drinking water, including right here in Colorado. As we wait with bated breath for a conclusion, another major threat to our precious water in the American West is emerging: hyperscale data centers. If we don’t immediately halt this buildout, we will continue the legacy of failed water management of the river: giving our water away to polluters and profit-hungry developers at the expense of our communities and our future. … ” Continue reading at the Colorado Newsline.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
In the Klamath Basin, farmers brace for another tight water year
“An extremely dry winter will leave farmers in the Klamath Basin with less water than they need. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has announced this year’s water allocation for farmers who rely on Upper Klamath Lake, setting it at 221,000 acre-feet — just over half of what growers typically need. An acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. Roughly two acre-feet equals the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Snowpack levels are a key factor. In the Klamath Basin, snowpack is about 4% of average for this time of year — the lowest level since 2015, during a previous drought. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
SEE ALSO: ‘Short of need’: 2026 irrigation water supply will suffer, Klamath Water Users Association says, from KTVZ
SIERRA NEVADA
Wintry spring to arrive in Tahoe: prolonged rain and mountain snow expected
“Following months of limited storm activity, the Tahoe region could see a more sustained period of precipitation as a new weather pattern moves in later this week. “After a frustrating winter with only two stormy weather pattern periods from the end of November through March, we look to finally have a pattern coming that we could have used a lot more this season,” wrote forecaster Bryan Allegretto on OpenSnow. Allegretto said a broad area of lower pressure may settle over the West Coast by April 9 and linger through at least April 20. Unlike midwinter systems driven by a strong jet stream and colder air masses, this pattern will feature weaker, slow-moving low-pressure systems. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun.
Local water company aims to be a first in Firewise
“Lukins Brothers Water Company (LBWC) is aiming to be the first water company in the basin that is Firewise certified. It’s already joined the Fire Adapted Communities program and with new legislation, owner and president Jennifer Lukins hopes it could potentially lower insurance fees and water rates for the community. Born and raised in Tahoe, Lukins says that she began thinking about this as a result of the Caldor Fire. “As a small water system, our resources are limited,” she said. Despite never filing a claim, the insurance rates increased by over 200% after the Caldor Fire. “That burden falls on the rate payers, and it makes you sick to your stomach to see such a ridiculous amount to pay.” As part of the California Water Association’s executive board, she sought to address the larger issue of water affordability and insurance issues through legislation. Lukins and the California Water Association supported AB428 in the California legislature, which essentially allowed regulated water corporations to participate in risk pooling insurance—a bill that passed last October. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Functional beauty in the Sacramento Valley
David Guy, Executive Director of the Northern California Water Association, writes, “There is a particular kind of beauty in the Sacramento Valley that does not announce itself with spectacle. It reveals itself more subtlety—in the slow spread of winter floodwaters across a rice field, in the sudden lift of thousands of snow geese at dawn, in the rippling of water moving down a canal that has sustained generations of farms and communities. This is not ornamental beauty. It is functional beauty—beauty born from purpose, relationship, and harmony. The Sacramento Valley is a working landscape. Its farms produce food for the nation and the world. Its communities are rooted in the rhythms of water, soil, and seasons. And its rivers, floodplains, and wetlands sustain some of the richest fish and wildlife habitats in North America. What makes the Valley remarkable is not simply that these values coexist—but that, at their best and with the right care, they reinforce one another. Water is the connective tissue. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
Chinook salmon ‘find a way’ in Folsom Lake
“An interesting thing is happening on Folsom lake this year – or should I say, in Folsom Lake. Along with a good number of feisty trout, we’ve been catching lots of small Chinook salmon. Right now, they’re between 10 and 14 inches, which would make them about a year old. Now, king salmon in Folsom Lake are not unusual. Over the years, during spring, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has planted them there, as they do in several California reservoirs. Most recently in Folsom, there were three consecutive plants: May 2022, 2023 and 2024. They were put in in large numbers, too – 99,000 in 2022, 96,000 in 2023 and 125,000 in 2024. But that doesn’t mean there are 320,000 in the lake. They’re added in such large numbers because mortality rates are huge. Not only are they a perfect snack for predators like bass and birds, stocked fish – raised on pellets at hatchery – sometimes never learn to feed naturally and they starve to death. … ” Read more from Gold Country Media.
Environmental Best Management Practices helped protect a river
“Best Management Practices (BMPs) have become one of the most important tools the golf course industry uses to care for the land responsibly. While the term may sound technical, the idea is simple: use proven science and practical experience to protect the environment while keeping golf courses healthy and playable. BMPs are voluntary, research-based guidelines that help golf course managers make smart decisions about water use, fertilizers, pest control, stormwater, wildlife habitat and pollinator protection. Rather than guessing or relying on outdated habits, superintendents use BMPs to apply the right amount of resources, in the right place, at the right time. … I saw the value of BMPs firsthand while redeveloping a golf course next to the American River in Sacramento, Calif. The course sits in an environmentally sensitive area that includes a major fishery and the 5,000-acre American River Parkway. State regulations strictly prohibit fertilizer from entering the river basin, making environmental protection a top priority. … ” Read more from Golf Course Magazine.
Video: West Sacramento pump station aims to protect residents from flooding
“The city of West Sacramento is marking a significant step in flood protection. City leaders unveiled a pump station on Tuesday. The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished a stretch of levee improvements. It’s part of a larger project to protect West Sacramento from flooding.” Watch video at KCRA.
NAPA/SONOMA
Russian River nonprofit to fold as Brenda Adelman looks back on five decades of environmental activism
“The record heat that last month barreled into the final days of winter in California ushered in the sounds of summer along the lower Russian River. Beachgoers laughed and splashed as kayakers and paddleboarders paraded between the banks, all of them beckoned to the water weeks earlier than most years. Still, the soundtrack was music to Brenda Adleman’s ears. The 86-year-old activist has for more than half her life fought to clean and protect the Russian River, serving as a chief watchdog and champion for the 1,500-square mile watershed. At the outset of her work in the early 1980s, the lower river was still used by Santa Rosa as the primary way to dispose of its wastewater. That is no longer the case in large part due to unrelenting pressure from Adelman and allies at that time, whose broader legacy over the ensuing decades would include greater public recognition and regulatory care given to the river — a lifeblood for residents, visitors and farms alike, and a sensitive refuge for wildlife. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Belvedere considers contract for Beach Road seawall project
“Belvedere is close to selecting a construction contractor for a project to reinforce the eroding seawall along Beach Road. In 2019, the city conducted emergency repairs on the seawall after determining that the road, which sits atop an 80-year-old earthen levee, might be at risk of collapsing. Four years later, an assessment of the seawall’s stability identified significant movement and subsidence in the road. The city is pursuing a project designed to tackle three key areas of the seawall in need of repair. In February, a subcommittee tasked with overseeing the project began meeting to discuss issues such as designs, costs, the bidding process and community communications. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Golden mussels in California: What Santa Clara County needs to know
“California’s water infrastructure is facing a new threat—one that’s tiny, invasive, and alarmingly fast-spreading. Golden mussels, native to Asia, were first detected in the Delta in 2024 and have spread to several California waterbodies hydrologically connected to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including San Luis Reservoir. These invaders pose a serious risk to water delivery systems across the state, including those serving Santa Clara County. Golden mussels threaten native ecosystems and water infrastructure by growing in dense layers that clog pipes, pumps, and other equipment. They spread by attaching to boats, plants, and recreational gear, often moving from infested waters to clean ones. Their microscopic larvae can also be transported in live wells, bilges, or bait buckets, making them difficult to control. The good news? Golden mussels have not been detected in any of Valley Water reservoirs in Santa Clara County. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
South Bay cities fined over raw sewage seeping into creeks
“Two South Bay cities are facing more than $1 million in fines after sewage was found in some local creeks. A federal judge ruled both Mountain View and Sunnyvale violated the Clean Water Act by allowing raw sewage to seep into creeks through their stormwater systems. When San Francisco Baykeeper began testing water in Stevens Creek in Mountain View nearly nine years ago, the environmental watchdog group started sounding the alarm. “Based on sampling that Baykeeper took from 2017 to 2019, based on sampling that the cities each took in 2023 and 2024, there were persistent high levels of bacteria and human fecal matter in their stormwater discharges throughout the system,” San Francisco Baykeeper managing attorney Eric Buescher said. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area.
CENTRAL COAST
Santa Cruz wharf repair project finished after dramatic collapse in heavy winter storms
“Fifteen months after raging winter storms battered the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, causing a 180-foot section to collapse into the ocean in a startling incident that made international news, the historic structure is on the mend. Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on a $1.3 million project to repair and strengthen the end of the half-mile-long wooden landmark — California’s longest public pier. City officials plan to reopen the repaired section, which has been blocked by chain link fencing and busy with heavy equipment for months, next Friday after workers lay asphalt over the new decking in the coming days. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for April 29. “It’s gone pretty well,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley. “But it is a roadway over open ocean. It takes constant perseverance.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
After 30 years of work, SLO finishes $13 million creek project to prevent flooding
“After almost 30 years of work, the city of San Luis Obispo has completed a $13 million flood prevention project in San Luis Obispo Creek. The project is designed to help the creek hold 40% more water during major storms, which will prevent future flooding along Higuera Street from Madonna Road to Marsh Street. “Picture 2023: We’d be up to our knees in flood water right about now,” civil engineer and project leader Noah Maidrand said. “But with the improvements we’ve made here, you know, maybe not so much. I think that’s really something to be celebrated.” … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Paso Robles city council to decide on water park appeal
“The Paso Robles City Council will hear an appeal from a local real estate agent regarding the Ravine Water Park’s plans to add a new ‘no splash’ adult pool and hot tub area. The planning commission had previously approved the project, but the appeal alleges issues with the project description, offsite improvements, drainage, and other concerns. City staff is recommending the council reject the appeal. … ” Read more from National Today.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Ceres Council Oks $4.9m solar power system for sewer plant expansion
“The Ceres City Council voted 3-2 last month to approve a $4.9 million contract to build a 995-Kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at the Ceres Wastewater Treatment Plant. In 2024 the council Ok’d Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. to design energy and infrastructure improvement projects at the plant to improve plant capacity, reduce operating costs, and address increasing regulatory and operational demands at the plant. Schneider Electric evaluated multiple energy and infrastructure improvement options. A large-scale on-site solar photovoltaic system was determined to significantly offset the plant’s high electrical demand and as the city seeks to upgrade the plant. Officials believe it will not only reduce energy consumption but will control long-term utility costs and improve the financial sustainability of wastewater operations. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier.
Public invited to a ‘day of fishy fun’ on the Kings River
“The Kings River Conservancy is hosting its latest “Get Outdoors!” youth program Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m where participants can fish, learn about trout, make fish clay ornaments and journal about science. The event will take place at the Kings River Wildlife Area, 27709 Pine Flat Rd, in Piedra. Transportation will be available from the Betty Rodriguez Library in Fresno and the Sanger Community Center in Sanger with a $5 refundable deposit. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Affordability analysis of Bakersfield’s proposed 2026-2031 sewer rate increases
“The City of Bakersfield is proposing sewer rate increases over the next five years to fund critical infrastructure improvements, including the replacement of the Planz Road wastewater treatment plant built in the 1950s. The total investment needed is estimated at $500 to $600 million. These infrastructure needs are real, and this analysis does not dispute them. The proposed rate schedule raises the annual single-family residential sewer charge from $247 to $875 over five fiscal years. The U.S. EPA’s wastewater affordability guidance (USEPA 1997) establishes 2.5% of household income as the threshold above which wastewater costs represent a high financial burden. At the proposed FY 2030-31 rate of $875 per year, any household earning less than $35,000 annually would exceed this threshold. … ” Read more from UC ANR.
EASTERN SIERRA
New water source could allow LA to pause Mono Basin diversions
“Last fall the President of the Los Angeles Water & Power Commissioners made headlines in the Los Angeles Times when he proclaimed, “This is a solution with lots of winners,” and that once the water starts flowing, “we won’t need Mono Lake water to meet the supplies in LA.” President Richard Katz was talking about the remarkable success of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) engineers creating new, affordable, and local water that will soon supply the city. Earlier this year, Katz, who has since retired, advanced his win-win proposal in a letter to the California State Water Resources Control Board. The proposal looks beyond traditional conflicts of water policy to a refreshing, mutually beneficial future built on the abundance of local water supplies DWP has successfully engineered for the City. The Katz concept is simple: Use DWP’s new local water supply to meet the needs of Los Angeles and pause DWP’s Mono Basin water diversions to meet the needs of Mono Lake. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
State poised to OK controversial Soda Mountain Solar Project near Baker
“Staff officials are moving forward with long-dormant plans for the 2,600-acre Soda Mountain Solar Project near Baker despite opposition from environmental groups warning of severe impacts to desert bighorn sheep and sensitive desert ecosystems. The California Energy Commission is scheduled to vote April 27 on a staff recommendation to approve the 300-megawatt electrical generating and battery storage facility, which would generate renewable electricity to the statewide electricity transmission grid. The state is advancing the proposal under a fast-track process that shifts authority on such projects from local officials to the state so it can pursue its clean energy goals. A 2025 law enabled developers to revive stalled desert projects even when local officials object. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors went on record in 2016 opposing the project, six miles southwest of Baker, over environmental concerns. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
California’s largest data center may be built in their backyard. Not if they can stop it.
“A flimsy orange flyer on her doorknob – that’s how Fernanda Camarillo found out that her family home could soon be in the shadows of the largest data center in California. She had come home from a day’s work as a substitute teacher and could have easily thrown the paper away without looking. “I thought it was maybe someone advertising their car wash or any sort of services that they do,” she said. But time spent going door-to-door as an intern for a congressional campaign made her look. She opened the flyer, spied a map and saw plans for the empty lot two houses down from her own. “It was a shocker,” she said. The flyer was the City of Imperial’s effort to inform residents about plans for a nearly 1 million square foot, 330-megawatt hyperscale data center proposed on unincorporated Imperial County land near her neighborhood without environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. … ” Read more from iNewsSource.
SEE ALSO: Imperial County supervisors clear path for massive data center complex amid fierce opposition, from KPBS
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River supply forecast melts after March heat wave
“Last month’s record breaking heat across the Mountain West led to the worst snowpack on record in Colorado and Utah, along with a significantly downgraded forecast for the upcoming supply of Colorado River water. Cody Moser with the federal Colorado Basin River Forecast Center said in a monthly briefing Tuesday that just 1.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water is expected to reach Lake Powell through July. That’s less than a quarter of what’s considered normal. It’s also much lower than the 2.3 million acre feet Moser’s office projected a month ago, before the heat wave in the West melted away an already meager supply of snowpack. “With record low snow pack, we have well below normal water supply forecasts,“ he said. “In many cases, our April through July (water) volume forecasts rank in the lowest five on record when compared to historical observations.” … ” Read more from KUNC.
AI models map the Colorado River’s hard choices
” … By some measures, 2026 is shaping up to be the worst year the [Colorado River] has seen since records began. Flows are down 20 percent from 2000 levels. Lake Powell, the reservoir straddling Utah and Arizona, may drop below the threshold for generating hydropower before the year is out. The negotiations between the seven states over how to share what’s left have collapsed twice, and the U.S. federal government is threatening to impose its own plan. While the states argue and the river shrinks, a growing set of machine learning tools is being deployed across the basin. Federal water managers are running millions of simulations to stress-test reservoir strategies against different possible futures. Researchers are forecasting streamflow months out using satellite data and deep learning. These technologies don’t promise to resolve the crisis, but they’re making the tradeoffs visible. They’re showing, more precisely than ever before, what each decision will cost. … ” Read more from IEEE Spectrum.
Interior Sec. Burgum advocates for Colorado River water deal during Las Vegas visit
“U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reiterated Tuesday that the federal government favors a negotiated deal between the seven states that share Colorado River water over the resource’s allocation rather than a protracted legal battle. During a Las Vegas Valley visit, Burgum said the federal government will continue pushing for a possible deal before the current 20-year-old one expires in the coming months. “We’re acting as a facilitator,” said Burgum, noting drought conditions and a continued slowed stream of snowpack water over the last year. As talks have reached a stalemate, Burgum said states will need to make concessions. “The only thing I can be certain of is that everybody will be unhappy with it,” he said. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
‘Dismal,’ ‘depressing’ and ‘seriously dry’: Low snow threatens Colorado River water supply
“The latest forecasts for Colorado River water supply are strikingly poor, and the impacts of a dry winter on the region are starting to come into sharp, upsetting focus. Wide swaths of the Rocky Mountains saw meager snowfall, setting the region on course for the driest conditions in recorded history. That shortage could threaten major reservoirs, dams and the water supply for central Arizona. About 85% of the Colorado River starts as mountain snow, largely in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Scientists described the conditions as “seriously dry,” “dismal” and “depressing” in an otherwise rote briefing on the state of Western drought hosted by federal forecasters. “The notion that a wet April, May, June, might save us is quickly leaving the building,” said Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with the Western Water Assessment. “There is a possibility that we could experience the driest or historical low flows on record.” … ” Read more from KJZZ.
‘We’re in a really tough shape’: Lake Powell’s grim outlook only getting worse
“Lake Powell was already facing a near-record low snowpack runoff this spring, but the odds of this being its worst season on record have now increased after an abnormally warm and dry March. The nation’s second-largest reservoir, located between Utah and Arizona, is projected to receive inflows of 1.4 million acre-feet of water this year, which would be 22% of normal and the third-lowest on record, the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center reported on Tuesday. That’s nearly 1 million acre-feet below the agency’s March outlook. It adds that there’s about a 30% probability that it could match or exceed the previous record low of nearly 964,000 acre-feet set in 2002, up from 10% last month. The likelihood will only increase if the warm and dry weather trends continue, says Cody Moser, a hydrologist for the center. … ” Read more from KSL.
SEE ALSO: Lake Powell Warning Issued As Water Levels Could Break 24-Year Record, from Newsweek
Looming Colorado River cuts could Reshape Phoenix’s water future
“Potentially severe Colorado River cutbacks could significantly reduce water delivered to the Phoenix area through the Central Arizona Project canal, though city taps aren’t expected to run dry soon. Federal officials are weighing mandatory reductions to protect Lake Powell, while local water managers warn of long-term drought and possible legal fights over ‘devastating’ proposed cuts. The Colorado River is a critical water source for the Phoenix metropolitan area, providing around 40% of the region’s water supply. Any significant reductions in Colorado River allocations could have major impacts on the city’s long-term water security and force difficult decisions about water usage and conservation. … ” Read more from National Today.
Arizona business and political leaders need to work together on Colorado River messaging, advocates say
“Arizona’s business community and local leaders are attempting to balance pragmatic water solutions with urgent messaging to the public and the federal government as the state’s Colorado River position remains precarious. In a conversation for the Arizona Capitol Times’ Morning Scoop, Greater Phoenix Leadership President Neil Giuliano, Intel Senior Technologist Kelly Osborne and Central Arizona Project Board President Terry Goddard discussed the state’s “critical” water situation and the role corporations and cities can play in advocating for a stable water future. Negotiations between the seven Colorado River states over a renewed sharing agreement are deadlocked, while the U.S. Department of the Interior considers alternatives that Arizona’s negotiators say are unworkable. The state has retained the high-powered law firm Sullivan & Cromwell to represent its position in a potential court battle, but more needs to be done at the local and business levels to conserve water, find alternative supplies and communicate Arizona’s position. … ” Read more from the Arizona Capital Times.
How Edged Phoenix delivers waterless data centre cooling
“Edged US has unveiled a new data centre in Mesa, Arizona, built for AI and inference at scale. The facility delivers 36MW of critical capacity to a growing technology corridor while focusing on resource efficiency in a region facing water constraints. … The Phoenix facility supports ultra-high compute densities of more than 400kW per rack using liquid cooling and more than 120kW per rack with air cooling. Bryant Farland, President and CEO of Edged US, says: “This marks a major milestone in offering a high-performance environment to power the next generation of heavy compute while protecting local resources. … ” Read more from Data Centre Magazine.
Could startup company bolster Arizona water supply with undersea desalination system?
“A desalination startup company hopes to gain Arizona customers as the state prepares for more cuts to its Colorado River water supply. Desalination is the process of taking ocean water and removing the salt to make it drinkable. California-based OceanWell is developing a subsea system that is more energy efficient than traditional onshore desalination. OceanWell is three years into a five-year research and development phase to create an underwater operation called Water Farm I about 4.5 miles off the coast of Malibu in Santa Monica Bay. … ” Read more from KTAR.
Priority, calls, and a historic drought in Colorado: What you need to know
“Colorado is heading into one of the most severe drought years in modern memory—and for many water users who have never faced a water call, this may be the year that changes. Snowpack across Colorado is alarmingly thin. As of mid-March 2026, statewide average snow water equivalent—the measure of how much water the snowpack holds—sits at just 62% of median, the second lowest recorded in the past 46 years. The water year has also been the warmest on record in 131 years of tracking by the Colorado Climate Center. Governor Jared Polis responded on March 16, 2026, by activating Phase 2 of the Colorado Drought Response Plan, citing severe drought conditions across 40 counties, convening within 30 days to assess conditions and guide the state’s response heading into irrigation season. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
Climate change is already happening in Colorado. Here are 10 signs we can see right now.
“Here is just a sampling of things happening right now in Colorado that we can’t attribute solely to climate change, but that we know will be happening more and more often precisely because of climate change. Loveland banned golf carts and ordered duffers to walk because the dried-out turf couldn’t handle any more damage from tires. Satellite sensors show the portion of Western lands covered by snow at record lows. Thornton has already imposed strict watering limits for the summer. Ski resort workers had their hours cut. Colorado’s signature ponderosas are on hospice. The governor just activated the drought task force, again, warning that Colorado is in the middle of its warmest year in 131 years of recordkeeping. Colorado is warmer and drier than 50 years ago. That is not in dispute. Climate change is present-tense. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Under Trump, the Department of Agriculture has ditched conservation and climate efforts
“Amanda Koehler has spent the past decade working to help young and first-time farmers gain access to land—the single biggest obstacle for people who aspire to grow crops or raise animals but can’t afford the soaring cost of acreage. Recently she and other advocates learned the Trump administration in late March quietly axed a little-known but nonetheless critical Biden-era program designed to boost opportunities for these farmers, determining the program had, in essence, failed. In fact, it was just gaining momentum. “I wasn’t surprised it happened,” Koehler said. “But the timing was a shock.” The program, called Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access, aimed to help underrepresented farmers, but also had the potential indirect effect of countering the growing consolidation and corporate control in the agriculture industry, which has made it nearly impossible for new farmers to break into the business. These larger, industrial-scale farms are typically responsible for agriculture’s sizable carbon impacts. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
The GAO says better data should be kept about weather modification efforts
“Driving in northern Nevada, Frank McDonough is checking on cloud seeding sites. But he said the sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s aren’t ideal. “We cannot seed in these temperatures,” he said. “We need widespread, low clouds to be present for us to do cloud seeding.” Essentially, cloud seeding works by introducing specific types of particles into clouds, which essentially supercharges the cloud to produce precipitation–snow in higher elevations and rain in lower areas. McDonough leads the cloud seeding division at the nonprofit Desert Research Institute, which operates a half dozen ground-based cloud seeding sites across Nevada. “What you’re trying to do is create these small ice crystals inside of a cloud that’s full of sub-freezing liquid water drops,” McDonough explains. … ” Read more from KNPR.
U.S. warns of cyberattacks tied to Iran on water and energy systems
“A vaguely worded warning from the Trump administration on Tuesday said that hackers backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had begun a series of cyberattacks on water and energy systems across the United States, presumably in retaliation for American and Israeli strikes over the past five weeks. But the warning, issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, did not name specific American facilities that had been struck or say whether any damage had been done. It said only that the attacks were focusing on equipment made by a major American producer of computer controllers, in an effort to make government agencies and utilities lock down their systems before the Iranian hackers can disrupt more systems. The report was issued in conjunction with the F.B.I., the National Security Agency and the Energy Department, among other government agencies, and said that the purpose of the Iranian-affiliated attacks was “to cause disruptive effects within the United States.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Iran attempting cyberattacks against critical U.S. infrastructure, officials say, from the LA Times
US is ‘using Mexico as a garbage sink’ leading to ‘toxic crisis’, UN expert says
“Mexico is facing a “toxic crisis” and has become a “garbage sink” for the US, exposing Mexican communities to dangerous pollution, a UN expert has warned. In an interview with the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, an investigative outlet, Marcos Orellana, an environmental specialist, said pollutants ranging from imported waste to dangerous pesticides were affecting people’s right to live healthy lives. Orellana, whose title is UN special rapporteur on toxics and human rights, conducted an 11-day investigative mission in Mexico last month to learn about toxic threats facing its population. He said he found lax environmental standards and a lack of oversight, which have allowed pollution to accumulate over the years. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
