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.
A contractor working for the U.S. Coast Guard has finished
removing the oil-soaked hull of a wooden minesweeper from
Little Potato Slough, completing the last large vessel removal
of the cleanup for the wreck-ridden waterway near Stockton,
California. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has long been
a catch basin for derelict vessels, some larger than others.
For decades, the Suisun Bay area of the Sacramento River
was home to dozens of decaying government ships maintained by
MARAD, almost all of which have been towed off to the scrapyard
to resolve an environmental lawsuit. But many more private
vessels litter the narrow waterways upriver, and Little Potato
Slough – a meandering waterway on the outskirts of Stockton -
has become notorious for its wrecks.
… Kabul is running dry, withered by scarcer rainfalls and
snow melts and drained by unregulated wells. It has become so
dry that its six million people could be without water by 2030
— and are now fighting about it. Its water reserves are
emptying nearly twice as quickly as they are getting
replenished. The Taliban administration, short of cash, has so
far been unable to bring water from nearby dams and rivers to
the choking city. Now, Kabul risks becoming the first modern
capital to be depleted of underground water reserves, the
nonprofit Mercy Corps warned in a recent report.
Sinking ground in California’s Central Valley is causing
property values to sink, according to a new study by UC
Riverside. ”When we see droughts, we see larger
subsidence, we see more extraction of groundwater, we see
larger subsidence, and that’s a sign for many other problems,
like water availability, job availability and so on,” said
Mehdi Nemati, author and UC Riverside Enviro Economics and
Policy assistant professor. … To determine how this
sinking is impacting home values, researchers used
satellite-based radar data to measure ground-level changes. …
They estimated that losses totaled $1.87 billion across the
region from 2015 to 2021.
Here’s the plain‑English version of what’s about to happen —
and what it means if you grow grapes or buy fruit in Sonoma
County. … FERC just approved PG&E’s 2025 flow variance,
which prioritizes holding more water back on the Eel to protect
fish and manage dam‑safety risks. Practically, that means lower
(and more variable) Potter Valley/Russian River diversions this
year, with releases allowed to dip below 25 cfs when needed.
… Second, the long‑term geometry of our supply changes from
“year‑round trickle” to “catch it in the rain.” ERPA’s New
Eel‑Russian Facility (NERF) is a pump station that only runs
when the Eel is up — fall through spring — pushing water
through the existing tunnel to the East Branch and, ultimately,
Lake Mendocino. … [I]n plain terms: load up in winter, live
off storage in summer.
The last remaining piece of the HMCS Chaleur, a Cold War-era
Canadian Navy minesweeper, was lifted from Little Potato Slough
on Thursday morning, concluding a 25-day demolition effort by
the U.S. Coast Guard and partner contractors. The operation,
which began in mid-July, cleared more than 400 tons of
oil-saturated hull from the Delta waterway.
… Submerged since 2021, the Chaleur had become a
slow-moving environmental hazard in one of California’s
most ecologically fragile and economically important river
systems. Its deteriorating Guardstructure leaked oil
into a channel that supplies drinking water to Stockton and
irrigates vast tracts of farmland across San Joaquin
County.
… Updated modeling this spring found that Sites [Reservoir]
could have stored more than 550,000 acre-feet in just five
months of the current water year. … South of the Delta, the
proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir … could store up to an
additional 82,000 acre-feet of new storage every year. …
[B]ut when the House debated an energy and natural resources
package earlier this year that included $2 billion dollars for
Central Valley water storage, I was the lone Democrat to vote
yes because reliable water is critical to my district and the
state. Most of the $1 billion that ended up in the final bill
is expected to support the enlargement of existing facilities,
such as Shasta Dam and San Luis Reservoir. This is a good
start, but many more projects are needed. –Written by Rep. Adam Gray, who represents California’s
13th Congressional District and serves on the House Natural
Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
For millions of years, water flowing through the Colorado River
shaped the geography of the West, carving out features like the
Grand Canyon. Now, the Colorado River sustains the cities,
farms and industries of the southwestern U.S., providing 40
million people with water. … The Colorado River is remarkable
in and of itself, it lays the foundation for remarkable
habitats, and, apparently, can precipitate remarkable political
alliances. This month, all 10 of Colorado’s U.S. legislators,
from the most progressive representatives to MAGA Lauren
Boebert, sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling for
the release of funding for Colorado River water projects. –Written by Colorado Newsline columnist Sammy
Herdman.
The Ballona Wetlands — an ecological reserve on L.A.’s
Westside, bordered by Marina del Rey, Playa Vista and Playa del
Rey — are the second-largest chunk of open space in L.A.,
second only to Griffith Park. … Healthy wetlands
can absorb carbon in the atmosphere and buffer coastal
communities from flooding. … Across the world, calls to
protect them are growing as human-caused climate change
accelerates. Despite the potential, the Ballona Wetlands have
been the subject of one of Southern California’s longest
running environmental battles. Nearly 20 years after the
wetlands were designated by the state as an ecological reserve,
there’s still no timeline for completing the plans to restore
them, and public access to the green space remains
significantly limited.
A few strands of thin, feathery, green plants growing under the
dock didn’t catch anyone’s attention last spring. But those
strands spread quickly and within months the lake’s calm waters
were tangled in mats of the feathery Eurasian watermilfoil, an
aggressive aquatic plant that grows quickly and clogs
everything in its path. … This isn’t just an isolated
incident; it’s happening across California. Aquatic invasive
species are spreading faster than ever, infesting our ponds,
creeks, reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. Now is the time to learn
about aquatic invasive species; what they are, how they spread,
and what we can do to stop them. When we understand the issue,
we can make smart choices and protect California’s waters.
Toxins produced by algae have been found in the water of the
Venice Canals in Southern California, where 26 dogs have been
reported sick and five have died. County health officials
have not yet confirmed a direct link between the toxins and the
dog illnesses but are recommending that people and pets avoid
contact with the water as a precautionary measure. The Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health has reported 26
suspected cases of canine illness in the area as of Friday,
which includes five deaths. The most recent illness was
reported on July 30.
… While relatively unknown to the general public, cloud
seeding is nothing new. It was invented in the U.S. and
has been used with little fanfare for over 80 years.
Today, there are 10 states that actively invest in cloud
seeding programs at either a local or state level across the
American West: Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico,
Texas, California, North Dakota, Nevada and soon Montana.
… In times of drought and increasing water insecurity,
to take such a solution off the table would be tremendously
damaging to our national interest. Unfortunately, some are
trying to do just that. –Written by Augustus Doricko, founder and chief executive
officer of Rainmaker Technology Corporation.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday informed union
officials that it would terminate the contracts it signed
with various labor partners effective immediately, making it
the second agency to fully implement President Trump’s March
executive order stripping most federal workers of their
collective bargaining rights. … As part of the decision,
the agency will no longer allow union officials to employ
official time. … EPA also said it will “reclaim” office space
previously occupied by unions and cease participating in
arbitration proceedings—arbitrators will be paid only for “work
performed to date” and their decisions are now deemed
“nonbinding.”
Charcoal made from human waste could help solve fertiliser
shortages as well as reduce pollution and energy use, a study
has found. … Treated sewage sludge is already spread on
farmland, but its use is controversial as it often contains
microplastics, heavy metals, Pfas forever chemicals, pathogens,
and pharmaceuticals.The researchers say biochar can avoid this
problem by separating the waste at source. … The biochar
production process also allows nutrient proportions to be
adjusted according to the needs of individual crops. This can
address problems associated with fertiliser use such as weed
growth and eutrophication – when excess nutrients leach into
groundwater, causing rapid growth of algae which depletes
oxygen availability.
Nearly 240,000 residents in parts of southeastern San Diego
County will soon see higher water bills. The Otay Water
District notified customers that it will implement an 8.3% rate
increase effective Jan. 1, saying the “unavoidable” hike is
mostly due to charges passed down from its wholesale water
suppliers: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California and the county Water Authority. … Otay Water
officials said the vast majority of the increase is tied to
costs from suppliers, which have seen higher labor and energy
costs and inflation, while also bringing in lower water sales
due to drought conditions.
A federal judge awarded Friends of the River nearly
half-a-million dollars in attorneys’ fees Friday after the
conservation group prevailed in a Freedom of Information Act
dispute that had dragged on for nine years. The award —
$491,676 in attorneys’ fees and $2,548 in costs — was less than
what the organization asked for but nearly twice what the Army
Corps of Engineers had proposed paying. The Corps was on the
hook for at least some of the litigation costs after losing a
FOIA lawsuit related to endangered species and dams on
California’s Yuba River.
… Lithium is a vital component in renewable energy
technology, and we have long known that there is a rich deposit
underground near the Salton Sea.
… Sadly though, Lithium Valley has thus far generated
more unfulfilled plans and lawsuits than EV batteries.
… California’s latest economic blueprint calls out
critical minerals as an economic sector the state will “bet”
on, and it has already invested well over $100 million. Yet
businesses that committed to the effort are reconsidering their
plans as progress stagnates. … Each new lawsuit, policy
and delay pushes the realization of Lithium Valley’s promise
further over the horizon. –Written by Adela de la Torre, president of San Diego
State University.
In a lengthy and highly technical published opinion filed
August 5, 2025, the Fifth District Court of Appeal partly
reversed and partly affirmed a judgment that had upheld the
State Water Resources Control Board’s (“State Water Board” or
“SWRCB”) adoption of the “State Policy for Water Quality
Control: Toxicity Provisions” (the “Toxicity Provisions”),
which policy in relevant part required use of a new “Test of
Significant Toxicity” (“TST”) in analyzing a type of pollution
known as “whole effluent toxicity.” … As to the CEQA
aspects of the Court’s opinion, it provides valuable
CEQA-compliance guidance to agencies with certified regulatory
programs adopting new regulations that will trigger generally
foreseeable future compliance actions the parameters of which
are speculative.
… [T]raditional sources of water are projected to become less
reliable as global warming shrinks the West’s mountain snowpack
and unleashes more intense droughts. … With supplies at risk,
Southern California’s cities and suburbs face major challenges
in planning for the future. Decades from now, how might we get
our water supply? And what ideas are leaders and managers of
water agencies considering to ease risks of shortages — or even
a scenario of a “Day Zero” crisis, in which we approach a point
of running out? … Those who lead the region’s large
water agencies say they are seeking to line up a diversified
mix of sources by recycling wastewater, capturing stormwater,
restoring watersheds, possibly building new water-transport
infrastructure, and even tapping the Pacific Ocean.
The state Water Resources Control Board reversed course on a
proposed fee change for groundwater extraction in the San
Joaquin Valley after receiving a volley of negative letters,
saying changes are “premature.” The update came during an
online Water Rights Fees meeting July 31. Fees target pumpers
in overdrafted subbasins placed on probation by the Water Board
for lacking adequate groundwater plans. State fees … are
intended to repay the state an estimated $5.5 million a year
that it says it costs to oversee six groundwater basins in the
San Joaquin Valley where plans have been deemed
inadequate. Water Board staff had suggested creating a
graduated fee structure based on farm size, giving small
growers a break at $5-per-acre-foot pumped and charging large
growers $40 per acre foot pumped.
… Removing the Scott Dam, alongside the removal of the
smaller Cape Horn Dam downstream, both on the picturesque Eel
River, is part of PG&E’s plan to retire a century-old
hydroelectric operation known as the Potter Valley Project,
which the company says has gotten too expensive to run.
… Downstream communities along the Eel River as well as
environmental groups and tribes have cheered dam removal as a
way to restore the river’s natural flows. Long-declining salmon
and steelhead runs stand to benefit from the
restoration. At the same time, the plan has raised
concerns about power and water supplies in Northern California.
… Much less talked about is the fate of Lake Pillsbury.
