A collection of top water news from around California and the West compiled each weekday. Send any comments or article submissions to Foundation News & Publications Director Vik Jolly.
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The headlines below are the original headlines used in the publication cited at the time they are posted here and do not reflect the stance of the Water Education Foundation, an impartial nonprofit that remains neutral.
For as long as there have been people in what is now
California, the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada have held
masses of ice, according to new research that shows the
glaciers have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than
11,000 years ago. The remnants of these glaciers, which have
already shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s, are
retreating year after year, and are projected to melt
completely this century as global temperatures continue to
rise. … This water from glaciers serves as a
“stabilizing force” that can sustain mountain streams through
droughts. … [T]his water
eventually will go away as the glaciers continue to retreat.
Tulare County will hold two sets of meetings – one set
for landowners and one for community members – to share their
input about the future of agricultural land in the region as
groundwater restrictions tighten under the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … Tulare
County landed a $500,000 Sustainable Agricultural Lands
Conservation (SALC) grant from the Department of Conservation
and needs input specifically from the agricultural community on
crafting a land use plan that will directly impact where
productive land is preserved. The goal is to protect land
at risk of being converted to non-ag uses while maximizing
limited water resources.
Other SGMA and agricultural water management news:
A La Niña pattern for the first few months of this water year
(Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) means there is potential for extreme
weather events, both flooding and drought, depending on where
you are located in California. Despite Sacramento receiving 76%
of its normal rainfall for this past water year, Lake Oroville,
the State Water Project’s largest reservoir,
is currently sitting at 109% of average. … California is
also starting out this new water year with more groundwater
data than ever before, helping communities monitor conditions
and protect drinking water supplies.
A new report from a coalition of environmental nonprofits is
calling for changes to Colorado River management and urging
policymakers to act more quickly in their response to shrinking
water supplies. The report’s authors stress a need for urgent
action to manage a river system that they say is “on the cusp
of failure.” … A crash, they said, could mean water
levels so low in the nation’s largest reservoirs that major
dams are rendered inoperable, leaving some cities and farms
with less water than they are legally owed. To stave off that
crash, the report includes nine recommendations, including
calls for major cutbacks to water demand.
An Arizona water expert was tapped to lead the federal Bureau
of Reclamation, but his nomination was withdrawn earlier this
year. He says it was a political decision and leaves a
leadership vacuum. Ted Cooke is the former director of Central
Arizona Project and now serves on the board of Arizona’s Water
Infrastructure Finance Authority. He was nominated to serve as
commissioner of the bureau but heard that lawmakers from other
Colorado River states worried Cooke would be biased in favor of
Arizona. … Cooke said not having a commissioner makes it
far less likely the states will be able to come to an agreement
in time.
Representatives of the Yurok Tribe announced Tuesday that
restoration efforts on Jenny Creek, a tributary of the Klamath
River, have been completed, marking a significant milestone for
the local ecosystem. … According to Yurok Tribal
leaders, for over 60 years, the creek was inaccessible to
salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey due to its location
behind the former Iron Gate Dam, as well as its own concrete
dam. Shortly after the smaller dam removal was conducted
by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, more than
300 Chinook salmon entered Jenny Creek for the first time in
decades, Tribal leaders said.
A new abatement project is underway in Madera County to help
reduce flood and wildfire risks while improving local water
supplies. The project targets Arundo donax, an invasive weed
that can grow up to four inches per day and reach 30 feet in
height. Highly flammable, the plant clogs waterways and can
cause floodwaters to overtop levees and other infrastructure,
posing a threat to public and private property. Last month,
crews completed a detailed, non-invasive drone mapping process
to identify key areas for removal.
Baja California has launched a landmark water regeneration
project designed to treat and reuse up to 720L/s of wastewater,
aiming to boost water security, reduce reliance on the Colorado
River, and strengthen binational cooperation with the United
States. … The initiative is part of the agreements under
the Minute 328 for the Sanitation of the Tijuana River.
… The plan includes the rehabilitation of the Ing.
Arturo Herrera and La Morita Wastewater Treatment Plants
(WWTPs), as well as the construction of a conveyance system to
channel treated water into a tributary leading to the Abelardo
L. Rodríguez Dam.
… The U.S. DOE’s announcement of up to $95 million in funding
to transform domestic mining has generated excitement,
particularly in California’s “Lithium Valley,” which sees the
investment as a direct accelerant for its unique extraction
industry. Bari Bean, Imperial County Deputy CEO for Natural
Resources, took to LinkedIn to highlight the direct relevance
of the DOE’s focus areas to the region’s potential.
… “These investments could help accelerate testing,
validation, and scaling of DLE approaches right here in the
Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area,”
Bean stated.
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) announced this
week that it is taking action to create and conserve defensible
space – a buffer zone that aims to protect structures from
wildfire – around dozens of water supply sites. The
project, scheduled to begin later this month, is funded by a
Cal Fire prevention grant, which was approved at the Sept. 4
meeting of the SLVWD board of directors. The project’s goal is
to create defensible space around 37 district water supply
infrastructure sites, including water tanks, pump stations,
wells and water intakes, further bolstering efforts against
catastrophic wildfire.
The city of Livermore has agreed to credit a total of
$3,783,000 to water and wastewater utilities to settle a
lawsuit alleging the agency’s overcharging and misuse of
utility fees. The settlement follows nearly two years of
litigation wherein the Alameda County Taxpayers’ Association
Inc., a California nonprofit corporation, and Livermore
resident Alan Heckman claimed that the city unlawfully inflated
water, sewer and stormwater charges to generate excess
revenue.
The city and county of San Diego have filed a lawsuit along
with more than two dozen local governments across the nation
that challenges alleged Trump administration attempts to place
unlawful conditions on emergency and disaster preparedness
funds. … The San Diego City Attorney’s Office says that
locally, those funds support wildfire and flood prevention
projects, counterterrorism emergency response efforts, port and
transit security infrastructure, and fire department staffing.
Repairs on a century-old dam with a suspected leak located
downstream from Lake Hodges are underway. The repairs to the
San Dieguito dam are projected to cost $650,000. … The
dam was built in 1918, forming the San Dieguito Reservoir,
which serves as a regulating reservoir when receiving water
from Lake Hodges. … The Department of Safety of Dams
discovered a potential leak in the dam during a maintenance
check last year. Officials isolated the area and created a
temporary dam made of rebar and tarps to pull the water away
from the dam so repairs can be made.
A new model of the area’s groundwater basin suggests that new
wells in southwest Pleasanton could supply PFAS-free water for
at least 20 years if built, but questions remain on some of the
model’s assumptions. The update, performed by the Zone 7 Water
Agency and its consultant, EKI Environment and Water, Inc.,
collected data from new geophysical studies, pumping tests and
third parties to replace the previous 2016 model of the area’s
aquifer. … Based on the new model, Zone 7 Water
Resources Manager Ken Minn concluded that new wells in
southwest Pleasanton would not draw the PFAS plume into the
area, nor would they adversely affect existing pumping
operations elsewhere in the basin.
Most residents or visitors rarely think about where their water
comes from or where it goes after use. … California created
Water Professionals Appreciation Week in 2017 to recognize the
contributions of the state’s water workforce. This year, the
observance takes place October 4-12. This week highlights the
essential role water agencies and their employees play in
providing essential services, protecting natural resources, and
supporting local communities. This week, residents are
encouraged to reflect on the work that these teams perform.
The Kern County Water Agency (Agency) has noted that the
federal government has refused to direct additional funding
towards the high-speed rail. The Agency strongly encourages
elected officials to shift these infrastructure investment
funds toward California’s proposed State Water Project (SWP),
Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The SWP supports a $2.3
trillion regional economy, delivers water to 27 million people,
supports 750,000 acres of farmland, and sustains 8.7 million
jobs and 800,000 businesses. It has delivered consistent,
measurable benefits and remains a California essential
infrastructure system, but one that is in serious need of
investment and federal funding.
The Delta Independent Science Board has welcomed three new
members – Dr. Peter Goodwin, Dr. Cathleen Jones, and Dr. Steve
Lindley – who were appointed to five-year terms by the Delta
Stewardship Council on July 24, 2025. … Dr. Jones and Dr.
Lindley’s terms took effect on September 1, 2025. Dr. Goodwin’s
term will begin on October 1, 2025. The new members succeed Dr.
Virginia Dale and Dr. Bob Naiman, whose terms end on August 31,
2025, and fill one vacancy.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is
working with Crowe LLP and their partner, Blankinship &
Associates, (collectively, Crowe) to conduct a regulatory
alignment study. … Crowe prepared the Draft Final
Recommendations and Implementation Steps outlining draft final
recommendations for consideration by CDFA, CalEPA, Water
Boards, and all interested parties. The draft final
recommendations were informed by a broad range of interviews
and feedback throughout the Study.
… The Great Basin Water Network, Living Rivers-Colorado
Riverkeeper, Utah Rivers Council, and the Glen Canyon Institute
released a report Wednesday with several recommendations they
say would prevent the continued over-consumption of the river’s
water. … Those recommendations include preventing new
dams and diversions, sharing water cuts among states, improving
hydrology data, increasing water recycling, stabilizing
groundwater decline, preserving endangered species, and
improving agricultural irrigation.
California heads into the new water year facing continued risks
from climate-driven extremes, the California Department of
Water Resources said on Tuesday. In a briefing held virtually
on Tuesday afternoon, the department said the state is expected
to see “big swings” in weather patterns between large storm
events and long, intense dry periods — conditions that are seen
as “new normal” for California’s water management — over the
next 12 months.
