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Aquafornia
Water news you need to know

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.
Aquafornia news Bay Nature (Albany, Calif.)

Fish kill at Clear Lake reveals a seven-foot sturgeon surprise

… Amid the silver-lined shores, one fish washed up that no one had known to be a resident: a dead seven-foot-long white sturgeon. It was Clear Lake’s first on record. … They became a candidate for listing as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act after a 2022 harmful algal bloom that killed hundreds of them. … This fall’s fish die-off is the lake’s largest since at least 2017, according to records from the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians. … Now, scientists are uncovering the exact cause of the die-off—and analyzing the sturgeon for more answers.

Other algal bloom news:

Aquafornia news State Affairs

Newsom signs bill allowing hunting of invasive mute swans

A new California law will allow hunters to kill nonnative swans. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, Assembly Bill 764, into law on Tuesday. The bill adds mute swans — the iconic white swan brought to the United States to decorate parks and estates — to the list of invasive birds that can be hunted with few restrictions. … They’ve spread to lakes and reservoirs across Northern California; however, [UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology curator Andrew] Engilis said they especially enjoy the open water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where researchers have observed flocks as large as 400 birds. 

Other wetland bird news:

Aquafornia news Delta Protection Commission

News release: DPC names Amanda Bohl executive director

The Delta Protection Commission has appointed Amanda Bohl as its next Executive Director. She is expected to join the Commission on Oct. 20. Bohl currently serves on the executive management team of the Delta Stewardship Council, where she is the Special Assistant for Planning and Science. There, she leads the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) and guides cooperation among the 18 state and federal agencies – including the Delta Protection Commission – involved in the Delta Plan. … She is a 2014 Water Education Foundation Water Leader, and serves on the board of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy.

Aquafornia news Cowboy State Daily (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

Casper lands massive 1.5-gigawatt data center project on nearby ranch

…[A] potentially giant data center is coming to the Casper area, announced by Prometheus Hyperscale, in partnership with Spiritus and Casper Carbon Capture. … Thornock’s data centers will all use a water frugal model, though it’s a different approach from the one Related Digital outlines this week in its groundbreaking ceremony for its $1.2 billion project in Cheyenne. … [Prometheus CEO Trenton] Thornock’s system takes a geothermal approach to cooling. It will pull up non-potable water from far below the drinking water table for cooling its systems, then send that water back where it came from. 

Other data center water use news:

Aquafornia news Navajo-Hopi Observer

Billy Kirkland, Diné, confirmed as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs

On Oct. 7, the United States Senate confirmed William “Billy” Kirkland as the assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs with a 51-47 vote. Kirkland’s confirmation makes him the highest-level Navajo currently serving in the U.S. government. … Kirkland told the committee that he first learned first-hand infrastructure struggles of reservation life while hauling water to his grandmother Susie’s sheep camp in LeChee. “Like on many reservations even today, water is scarce, and electricity was just a dream,” he said.

Other tribal policy news:

Aquafornia news E&E News by Politico

Lead pipe projects face delays amid EPA funding holdup

The Trump administration is months behind schedule in distributing an estimated $3 billion to remove and replace lead water pipes, delaying infrastructure projects critical to protecting people from the toxic heavy metal. The 2021 infrastructure law included $15 billion to help fund the replacement of millions of lead-based drinking water pipes nationwide. The money has been divvied up and distributed in tranches to states each year, typically in the spring. But nearly five months after EPA announced other funding this year for water projects through the State Revolving Funds, money for lead pipes remains held up.

Other drinking water quality news:

Aquafornia news The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

News release: Metropolitan names structure at Diamond Valley Lake after attorney key to reservoir’s construction

A key facility at Southern California’s largest reservoir, Diamond Valley Lake, was dedicated today in honor of a man who was instrumental in getting the reservoir built – former Metropolitan General Counsel N. Gregory Taylor. Current and former water leaders from across Southern California gathered to recognize Taylor’s legacy during a ceremony to name the Inlet/Outlet Tower, which controls the flow of water into and out of the reservoir, in his honor. Taylor, who passed away in 2023, used his visionary leadership and guidance to secure the necessary approvals for the reservoir’s construction, ensuring Southern California has reliable water supplies through drought, emergencies and other challenges.

Aquafornia news The Santa Barbara Independent (Calif.)

Toro Canyon Oil Water Separator project completed

Santa Barbara County Public Works has wrapped up the Toro Canyon Oil Water Separator Project, a multimillion-dollar effort designed to stop crude oil from seeping into Toro Canyon Creek and protect the surrounding environment. On October 7, the Board of Supervisors approved the final accounting for the $2.5 million project, completed by Innovative Construction Services, Inc. Records of the Toro Canyon oil seep date back to 1882, when Occidental Mining and Petroleum Corporation (OMPC) dug into the hillside hoping to strike oil. Instead, they hit a water source. 

Other river contamination news:

Aquafornia news Pleasanton Times (Calif.)

Opinion: Importance of State Water Project to Tri-Valley cannot be understated

As best practice, public water agencies prudently plan for regional water supply needs and carefully piece together resilient portfolios of various water supply sources. Zone 7 is no different. … For these reasons, Zone 7 continues to support investment in and modernization of the State Water Project. We are supporters of the Delta Conveyance Project, the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program and other efforts to invest in and modernize the State Water Project.
–Written by Valerie Pryor, general manager of the Zone 7 Water Agency.

Other Delta tunnel opinions:

Aquafornia news Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, Calif.)

Essay: Land of extremes — reflections on rain in the Imperial Valley

Lately, the Imperial Valley has been graced by rain. Flooding streets, darkening the desert floor, and releasing the scent of desert soil. It has made me reflect on the impact of rain on the psyche of the Imperial Valley. For us here in the Imperial Valley, water is scarce and carefully managed; it also shapes agriculture, daily life, and the way people relate to the land. In a region defined by extremes, heat, and aridity, rain feels like a special event.

Aquafornia news Capital Public Radio (Sacramento, Calif.)

Thursday Top of the Scroll: Nimbus Fish Hatchery to drastically reduce salmon releases

Nimbus Fish Hatchery releases around 4 to 4.5 million young salmon and 430,000 yearling steelhead into California waterways annually. But due to rising costs and limited federal funding, the hatchery is planning to release half of both numbers, which is unprecedented. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funds the hatchery, which was originally created to mitigate the impacts of Nimbus Dam [on the American River in the Sacramento region] on steelhead and salmon runs. Fish raised in hatcheries like this one are key to keeping their populations alive in California. 

Other anadromous fish restoration news:

Aquafornia news The Sacramento Bee

Gavin Newsom greenlights a half-billion dollars for California’s sinking Hwy. 37

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 697 into law Wednesday, allowing expedited construction on a projected $500 million project to widen part of Highway 37 as it continues to subside into Bay Area marshland. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, carves out exceptions to endangered species law so that construction on the roadway can have a larger window. … Documents previously reported on by The Sacramento Bee show that it is sinking into the marsh and that it’s surrounded by sinking levees and berms as sea level rises and threatens to inundate the highway. 

Other subsidence news:

Aquafornia news E&E News by Politico

FEMA canceled $11B in disaster payments to states

The Trump administration canceled $11 billion in disaster payments to states in an unprecedented move that could signal a slowdown in the flow of federal funding after extreme weather events. The unannounced move was revealed in a Sept. 15 government report showing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency withheld $10.9 billion it had planned to give 45 states in the final two months of the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. … One-third of the $11 billion was slated for New York and California, according to an analysis of FEMA records by POLITICO’s E&E News. 

Other FEMA and flood response news:

Aquafornia news AP News

Nobel Prize in chemistry goes to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside, laying the groundwork to potentially suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere or harvest moisture from desert environments. … The committee said Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were honored for “groundbreaking discoveries” that “may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges,” from pollution to water scarcity.

Other water scarcity and innovation news:

Aquafornia news NBC News

In Nevada, the driest state, some hope to limit water-guzzling data centers

… Today, Reno, “the Biggest Little City in the World,” is poised to become a new player in the nation’s data center construction boom. At least three data center projects have been approved since 2024, with more in a nearby industrial park. … But opponents argue that data centers can also bring consequences, if they raise electricity costs or cause water shortages down the road. … A Bloomberg investigation found that two-thirds of all new data centers are being built in water-stressed regions, like Nevada, where severe drought is a major concern.

Other data center water use news:

Aquafornia news Aspen Times (Colo.)

Colorado River users are at a crossroads as two looming decisions hang over the West’s future

Western Slope elected officials, water managers, engineers, and conservationists met in Grand Junction on Friday, Oct. 3, all focused on one thing: the uncertain future of the Colorado River. … While the seminar broached many of the challenges and opportunities facing those who rely on the Colorado River, most discussions came back to two looming decisions that will dictate how the future looks for the 40 million people, seven states, two counties, and 30 tribal nations that rely on the waterway. 

Other Colorado River news:

Aquafornia news SFGate

Calif. region faces ’serious risks’ from lithium mining project, report says

… According to a September 2025 report issued by Comité Cívico del Valle and Earthworks, Controlled Thermal Resources’ proposed lithium mining operation, the Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power Project, will have significant environmental impacts on the surrounding area. The operation, which is still in the beginning stages, will divert at least 6,500 acre-feet of fresh water each year, straining natural resources in an arid region that’s already struggling to combat drought. According to CCV, mining will speed up the recession of the Salton Sea’s toxic shoreline, exacerbate dust pollution, and produce hazardous waste containing arsenic and lead. 

Aquafornia news Sentient Media

Blog: In the Arizona desert, where your neighbor is an alfalfa farm

… In Arizona, 76 percent of water use goes toward agriculture. Mature alfalfa (hay) is largely used to feed cattle, and in Arizona, alfalfa is a commonly planted thirsty crop. A 2020 study found 79 percent of Colorado river water goes to alfalfa. … Outside of certain areas, like Phoenix, if you own the land, you can drill a well and take as much water as you want. And many farms are doing just that. In 2015, the Center for Investigative Reporting did a deep-dive into the Saudi-owned farm drilling deep wells to water alfalfa that they then harvest and ship to Saudi Arabia. The story brought light to a situation that, as time has gone on, is slowly rendering the desert almost unlivable.

Other agricultural water use news:

Aquafornia news EurekAlert!

Wastewater plants produce twice as much greenhouse gases as officially estimated

Wastewater plants emit about twice as much greenhouse gas as previously believed, according to Princeton engineers who used a mobile lab to check plants across the country. In an article published Oct. 8 in the journal Nature Water, a research team led by professors Mark Zondlo and Z. Jason Ren, in collaboration with Prof. Francesca Hopkins of UC-Riverside, reported that collectively sewer plants produced 1.9 times the nitrous oxide gas estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 times the methane. Based on the new measurements, wastewater plants contribute 2.5 percent of U.S. methane emissions and 8.1 percent of nitrous oxide. 

Other wastewater treatment news:

Aquafornia news SeafoodSource

Neil Jacobs confirmed as NOAA head

The United States Senate has confirmed the nomination of former NOAA Acting Administrator Neil Jacobs to lead the agency once again as the undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. … Jacobs also said he would prioritize getting stock assessments for commercial fisheries “back on track” and expressed interest in “beefing up” the country’s Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). An atmospheric scientist by trade, Jacobs was previously selected by Trump to lead the administration during Trump’s first administration, naming him acting administrator in 2018.

Other NOAA news: