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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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Aquafornia news Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

Blog: California SB 394 — cracking down on water theft from fire hydrants

On October 10, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 394 (SB 394) into law. This legislation is designed to strengthen existing legal protections for utility service providers against utility theft, particularly water theft resulting from the unauthorized use or tampering of fire hydrants. Under existing California law, a utility provider may bring a civil action for damages against any person who diverts, attempts to divert, or aids in utility theft. In certain cases, such as where a device was used to steal the utility, or when a meter is tampered with, there is a rebuttable presumption that the party who controls the premises or receives the direct benefit of the utility is liable for damages.

Aquafornia news California Department of Water Resources

News release: DWR highlights key actions to prepare for flooding, extreme weather during flood preparedness week

Climate disasters, from wildfires to frequent floods, have accelerated in recent years – emphasizing the importance of being prepared and planning ahead for extreme weather events. That is why for California Flood Preparedness Week, which runs from October 18 through October 25, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is calling on all Californians to understand the risk posed by flooding and how to respond during an emergency.

Aquafornia news California Department of Water Resources

Monday Top of the Scroll: DWR submits Delta Conveyance Project Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) submitted a Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan for the Delta Conveyance Project on October 17, 2025. According to Delta Stewardship Council regulations, materials relevant to this certification will be posted on their website (https://coveredactions.deltacouncil.ca.gov), if the Certification is appealed, an appeal hearing will be held by the Council followed by the issuance of a determination on the appeal. However, to support consideration of these materials by the public, DWR has prepared the Delta Conveyance Project Certification of Consistency Explainer. 

Other Delta tunnel news:

Aquafornia news Inside Climate News

Wyoming’s draft pilot conservation program ‘a good starting point’ but there’s room for improvement

 … In an attempt to slow the river’s decline and to convince the Lower Basin states that the Upper Basin can voluntarily conserve water as opposed to shouldering mandatory cuts, Wyoming has been developing a pilot water conservation program in the Green River Basin. Wednesday’s meeting offered members of the public and Wyoming’s Colorado River Advisory Committee an opportunity to give feedback on the draft legislation. … Wyoming’s pilot conservation program would allow water users with a proven consumptive water right in Wyoming’s portion of the Colorado River basin to apply to the state engineer’s office to implement a conservation project.

Other Colorado River news:

Aquafornia news E&E News by Politico

White House halts $11B for water projects in blue states

The Trump administration is “pausing” more than $11 billion in water infrastructure projects to 12 Democrat-controlled states, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said Friday. The Army Corps of Engineers projects in California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware and Colorado are now “under review,” according to the Office of Management and Budget. … One project would restore aquatic habitat for salmon and steelhead trout in California.

Other federal water funding news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Tribes say L.A.’s pumping of groundwater is drying up Owens Valley

In a desert landscape dominated by sagebrush, a piece of Los Angeles’ immense water empire stands behind a chain-link fence: a hydrant-like piece of metal atop a well. The electric pump hums as it sends water gushing into a canal, forming a stream in the desert. This well is one of 105 that L.A. owns across the Owens Valley. … While many Californians know the story of how L.A. seized the valley’s river water in the early 1900s and drained Owens Lake, fewer know that the city also pulls up a significant amount of water from underground. The pumping has led to resentment among leaders of Native tribes, who say it is leaving their valley parched and harming the environment. 

Other groundwater news:

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

A new chapter for the Salton Sea: California establishes first new state conservancy in decades

In a landmark move for environmental policy, California has fully established and funded the Salton Sea Conservancy, the state’s first new conservancy in over 20 years, paving the way for a more coordinated and sustainable future for the imperiled region, the California Natural Resources Agency announced. The conservancy, officially created by Senate Bill 583 authored by Senator Steve Padilla and signed in September 2024, received its crucial operational funding last month when Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 105. This dual legislative action marks a significant shift in the state’s approach to the long-standing challenges at the Salton Sea.

Aquafornia news Oregon Public Broadcasting

Salmon clear last Klamath dams, reaching Williamson and Sprague rivers

For the first time in more than 100 years, Chinook salmon have been spotted at the confluence of the Sprague and Williamson rivers in Chiloquin, the government seat of the Klamath Tribes in Southern Oregon. It’s the latest milestone following the removal of four dams on the Klamath River last year, which was the largest river restoration project in U.S. history. … Scientists have been tracking the migration of this year’s run of fall Chinook as they’ve passed all of the old dam sites on the river. Last week they reached a huge milestone: A Chinook was photographed entering Upper Klamath Lake. 

Other Klamath River news:

Aquafornia news SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.)

$21.5 million for flood projects in the southern San Joaquin Valley a “great start”

At least two residents of the tiny community of Pond were excited and hopeful by news that state money for flood control might go toward Poso Creek, which flooded several Pond homes in 2023. “I think it’s a great start,” Kevin and Diane White said in unison. The couple has lived in Pond for 38 years and said they only got about a 10 minute warning in 2023 that flood water was headed their way. The couple attended a press conference Friday in McFarland touting the appropriation of $21.5 million [from Proposition 4] – half the amount originally sought – for flood safety projects in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. 

Other San Joaquin River Basin news:

Aquafornia news San Francisco Chronicle

A raging jet stream is reshaping the Pacific. Here’s what it means for California weather

… [A] powerful “parent” low-pressure system will deepen explosively in the Gulf of Alaska, probably undergoing bombogenesis by Wednesday as it drops toward 965 millibars. On its southern flank, the jet will tap subtropical moisture, spinning up two distinct atmospheric rivers. … For California, the edge of that storm energy may only glance the far north. A few light showers could reach the North Coast, but widespread rain looks unlikely for now. Still, forecasts this far out tend to wobble. Even a slight shift in the jet stream’s orientation could steer one of those atmospheric rivers closer to California. 

Other atmospheric river news:

Aquafornia news The Nevada Independent (Las Vegas)

Invasive zebra mussels now found in upper Colorado River. What does it mean for Lake Mead?

… Nevada waterways are currently free of zebra and golden mussels. But, Nevada officials and water managers are preparing for what it could mean if the zebra or golden mussels find their way into Lake Mead and other state water bodies and using their experience with quagga mussels as a baseline.  Research shows that if quagga and zebra mussels are found in the same area, quagga dominate zebra mussels, according to Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) Regional Water Quality Manager Todd Tietjen. Research also shows that golden mussels could outperform both of them, “which is why we are really ramping up our detection efforts.” 

Other invasive species news:

Aquafornia news SFGate

California’s love for one flower is poisoning the state’s last wild river

Tucked into California’s remote northwest corner, the Smith River winds through Del Norte County. … Down on the river’s lower plain, though, the wilderness gives way to farmland. Here, a handful of growers produce nearly all of America’s Easter lily bulbs, which are then shipped off to greenhouses across the country. The iconic plant is the most famous export from Del Norte County — yet state scientists say decades of pesticide use by these growers have contaminated the tributaries that flow through those fields, threatening fish, wildlife and nearby residents.

Other water quality news:

Aquafornia news Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Drought is the natural disaster that threatens farmers, ranchers

New research shows how a variety of natural disasters are impacting the nation’s food supply, presenting costly challenges to ranchers and farmers who are already struggling. The full report covers over 3,000 U.S. counties and all 50 states. … Drought is a persistent challenge on the West Coast, particularly in California, as well as the Southwest and parts of the Southern Plains, where water scarcity hampers crop yields and livestock production. In fact, California leads the nation in agricultural losses due to natural hazards, with farms in the state incurring an estimated $1.3 billion in losses annually.

Other drought impact news:

Aquafornia news Monterey County Weekly (Seaside, Calif.)

Monterey Peninsula: New water meters after 16-year ban?

… [T]he [Monterey Peninsula Water Management District] board is poised to consider finally taking the historic step of applying to the State Water Resources Control Board to modify its cease-and-desist order against Cal Am, which has precluded the private utility from setting new water meters since 2009. … [W]ith the expansion of Pure Water Monterey complete and online as of Oct. 10, the Peninsula’s current supply of water is more than 11,000 acre-feet annually (as approved by the CPUC in August), while in the past water year that ended Sept. 30, the Peninsula’s demand was 9,092 acre-feet of water. 

Other water recycling and desalination news:

Aquafornia news Border Report

Signs point to start of construction at $165 billion Project Jupiter AI data center

Construction crews have begun clearing brush and working on the road leading to the planned $165 billion Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County, N.M. … Project Jupiter intends to produce its own gas-generated electricity for now and possibly incorporate solar-generated power later. Its four coolers will initially require a 625,000-gallon water “charge,” recycle it and thereafter a daily infusion of 20,000 gallons a day. … That’s a fraction of what a 100,000 square-foot water park would use, according to trade sources.

Aquafornia news Mountain Democrat (Placerville, Calif.)

Tour showcases collaboration, elevates rural water agency challenges

The Mountain Counties Water Resources Association joined Placer County Water Agency, The Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to sponsor the American River Forest Health Legislative Tour on Oct. 13, bringing members of the California Legislature and Capitol staff into the Sierra Nevada headwaters. Co-hosted by Assemblymembers Diane Papan and Joe Patterson, the tour highlighted how proactive forest management and watershed restoration protect California’s water supply while showcasing the power of local-state collaboration in addressing wildfire resilience and long-term water reliability.

Related article:

Aquafornia news FOX26 (San Diego)

Will future of sea levels rising bring more costs to California taxpayers?

… Several state legislators traveled to San Diego County on October 10th to host a committee on the sea level rise and the impact it might have on the state’s economy. … The Executive Officer Of The San Diego Water Quality Control Board Dave Gibson says his research indicates that sea level rise and climate change are indeed real. … ”We could now turn the question around and say, what could we do on the coast to emphasize, expand, enhance the wetlands there, enable them to advance inland as sea level rises,” Gibson said. “Can we create mitigation banks along the coast in existing areas where they can be expanded?”

Aquafornia news California WaterBlog

Blog: Resilient California fishes — Sacramento sucker

The fresh waters of California support a diverse native fish fauna, 130 taxa by our count (Leidy and Moyle 2021). At least 56 of these taxa are on trajectories towards extinction 7 are already extinct; 32 are listed as threatened or endangered by state and federal agencies. Not surprisingly, the declining species attract lots of attention because protecting them affects water use statewide. In this blog series, however, we discuss native fishes that are not considered to be in trouble. … The first species we discuss in this series is the Sacramento Sucker (Catostomus occidentalis). 

Aquafornia news SJV Water (Bakersfield, Calif.)

Old school pack trip takes crews to enhance high tech snow sensors

One of the core services provided by the Department of water Resources is to monitor the state’s snow pack to predict annual runoff. The department uses multiple methods including taking remote readings from sensors high in the Sierra Nevadas called “snow pillows.” A number of those sensors need to be repaired and enhanced but it’s not an easy task. Crews had to trek into the Emigrant Wilderness on horseback 18 miles for just one sensor. … The trip took four days. And it made for epic photos, which DWR shared online. Here are just a few.

Aquafornia news CBS News

Friday Top of the Scroll: Maps show NOAA’s new winter forecast for the U.S. Here’s what to know

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its 2025-2026 winter forecast outlook on Thursday, which predicts seasonal changes for different parts of the United States for the months of December, January and February. … NOAA’s winter outlook does not offer snowfall predictions, but it does forecast above-normal overall precipitation between December and February for the Pacific Northwest and northern California along the West Coast, as well as the northern Rockies, Great Plains and western Great Lakes, all of which are consistent with the presence of La Niña

Other weather and water forecast news: