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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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  • 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 KCRA (Sacramento, Calif.)

More than a pipe dream: Tahoe bolsters water infrastructure for larger fires

As wildfires grow in size and intensity, older communities are recognizing the need to update their municipal water systems. In Lake Tahoe, a robust water infrastructure is now considered one of the three cornerstones of wildfire readiness, alongside forest and fuels management and community and home hardening. Each summer, utility companies on both sides of the lake race to complete water system upgrades within the limited six-month construction window. Today, the Lake Tahoe community is leading the way in ensuring that firefighters always have access to water. … The Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership estimates that the Tahoe Basin will need an additional $125 million in funding over the next five years to upgrade its water systems.

Other fire preparation infrastructure news: 

Aquafornia news Fresnoland (Calif.)

Could Fresno’s San Joaquin River Gorge be sold to developers?

Much of the prized public land in the Sierras above Fresno that was at risk of getting sold off to real estate developers as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” such as Huntington Lake and Edison Lake, was taken off the bargaining table Monday afternoon after senate officials ruled that selling these key parcels owned by the National Forest Service could not be voted on in its current state due to procedural issues.  But one of Fresno’s top hiking spots, with cultural significance to local tribes – the San Joaquin River Gorge – could still be at risk of getting auctioned off. It is expected that the final decision will be made before the 4th of July. … The new proposal from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would still allow public land to be sold to developers to create more housing, but only land held by the Bureau of Land Management within five miles of a population center. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that Lee couldn’t sell off the national forest land, the Associate Press reported, due to restrictions in the budget reconciliation process. 

Other public lands news:

Aquafornia news Oregon Public Broadcasting

Indigenous kayakers traverse 6 dam sites on the Klamath River and head for the ocean

A group of young Indigenous kayakers is headed to the mouth of the Klamath River in free-flowing water after portaging around two dams and paddling through four former dam sites. They launched into the Klamath River headwaters two weeks ago and are now more than halfway through a momentous 30-day journey. So far, they’ve paddled through waves on a treacherous lake, portaged around the two remaining dams on the river, plunged into canyons with class 3, 4 and 5 rapids, and paddled through four former dam sites where removal operations wrapped up last fall. The nonprofit Rios to Rivers organized the event, which is the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath since dam removal. Their Paddle Tribal Waters team aims to reach the mouth of the river by July 11 and celebrate the removal of J.C. Boyle, Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams.

Other Klamath River news:

Aquafornia news San Francisco Chronicle

Controversial project to widen one of Bay Area’s most congested highways is a step closer to reality

Caltrans got one step closer to its controversial $500 million project to widen Highway 37, a notoriously trafficky corridor, with an infusion of funding Thursday. But critics said the money could be wasted as rising tides are expected to flood the low–lying highway within decades. On Thursday, the California Transportation Commission approved $73 million toward the plan, which calls for widening Highway 37 between Sears Point in Sonoma and Mare Island in Vallejo from two lanes to four. Caltrans said the project will greatly reduce congestion on a highway used by 47,000 daily. However, the highway is also expected to be inundated by rising tides by 2050, threats that will not be addressed by the project, Caltrans said. Instead, the agency has a separate $10 billion plan to elevate and protect the highway in the future. … Portions of Highway 37 “will be completely inundated by 2050,” especially during major storms and king tides, and there will be increased flooding leading up to that time, Caltrans said in a statement. 

Aquafornia news Daily Republic (Fairfield, Calif.)

F-S Sewer District begins long-range infrastructure planning

The Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, which provides wastewater service to Fairfield, Suisun City and Travis Air Force Base, is kicking off a long-range planning initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to “safeguard nearly $1 billion in aging infrastructure and control future costs.” “Our goal is to plan smarter now so we complete needed replacements and upgrades responsibly and efficiently,” Engineering Manager Irene O’Sullivan said in a statement. “This is about continuing safe and reliable sewer service to our community.” Many facilities are more than 50 years old. ”The district is investing $2.8 million, 1.5% of its 10-year capital budget, into a series of master plans for sewer collection, treatment, recycled water, storm drainage and mapping systems,” the statement said. The master plans were unveiled during a recent district board meeting. The Fairfield and Suisun City council members sit as the directors.

Aquafornia news UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Blog: How is SGMA affecting growers’ planting and drilling decisions?

California is now ten years into a revolution in groundwater management. In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) which requires newly formed local groundwater sustainability agencies to develop long-term plans to reduce overdraft by 2040. To date, more than 250 local agencies have written and begun implementing groundwater sustainability plans, with more than 100 plans in action. This has taken enormous effort and represents a significant departure from the prior status quo for groundwater management in California. Many wonder, however, if SGMA is affecting behavior around the use of the groundwater resource yet. Are farmers making decisions around planting or drilling new groundwater wells with future SGMA reductions in mind? If so, are they switching away from permanent crops that may not have available water through 2040? We set out to answer those questions with publicly available data. 

Aquafornia news The San Diego Union-Tribune

County wholesale water rate to rise 8.3% in January, less than half of earlier proposals

Wholesale water rates in San Diego County — a key factor in how much local residents and businesses pay for water — will rise next year by less than half of what officials were predicting last winter: 8.3% instead of 18%. But the Jan. 1 increase, which the county water authority’s board of directors approved Thursday after months of debate and negotiation, is still a substantial hike that brings the cumulative two-year increase to 23.1%. Board members said they were frustrated that they have to ask residents and businesses to pay so much more for water at a time when everyone is already facing higher costs for groceries and many other things. “Am I happy about it? No,” board Chair Nick Serrano told his colleagues Thursday. “But it reflects a meaningful downward trend and it shows that this authority is listening and is turning the ship.”

Related articles:

Aquafornia news Manufacturing Dive

Tracking PFAS legislation across the US

PFAS are everywhere. Manufacturers have been using “forever chemicals” for their durability and resistance to heat and water, adding them in countless everyday products for decades, such as cell phones, laptops, medical devices, textiles and food packaging. … California, Maine and Minnesota have taken the strictest actions to restrict the use of fluorochemicals, but other states are following suit. Minnesota and others are also enacting legislation mandating manufacturers publicly report their use of PFAS. Manufacturing Dive is tracking the status of bills related to PFAS oversight and use during states’ legislative sessions in 2025 and beyond, with updates to be added over time. Read on for the status and details of each bill.

Other PFAS news:

Aquafornia news Stocktonia (Calif.)

Thursday Top of the Scroll: Trump cuts to Delta levee repair projects could put Stockton in jeopardy

The Trump administration is proposing to cut the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction budget next fiscal year by more than half, a move that could devastate levee restoration projects in the Delta. The proposed cuts, which would reduce the construction budget by 53% compared to the amount previously allocated, could include work on the San Joaquin Basin Project in Stockton, said U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy. The basin project is directed at protecting 300,000 residents from flooding. Harder is one of 12 members of Congress who sent a letter urging that funding be restored. The congressional members sent the letter to the chairperson and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Water Subcommittee. … Besides the San Joaquin Basin Project, the letter lists other environmental works that are in jeopardy. One involves 42 miles of American River levees protecting Sacramento and the Natomas Basin. Another includes 41 miles of levees along the Sacramento River and its ship canal that would protect West Sacramento.

Other Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta news:

Aquafornia news CalMatters

These 4 million acres of Calif. forests could lose protection

The Trump administration’s plan to repeal a rule prohibiting logging and road construction in undeveloped parts of national forests would strip protection from more than 4 million acres within California’s borders.  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Monday that she will act to rescind the “roadless rule,” developed during the Clinton administration, to allow “for fire prevention and responsible timber production” on more than 58 million acres of national forests. … These roadless areas are considered important for providing habitat for more than 200 threatened or endangered species of wildlife, including owls, salmon and frogs, and for protecting vital watersheds. … U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat representing Northern California coastal communities and parts of Trinity and Six Rivers national forests, said the revision would threaten watersheds that provide clean drinking water, the rights of tribes and local communities, and the power of forests to hold onto climate-warming carbon. 

Other public land and national forests news:

Aquafornia news SJV Water

Kern River plaintiff alleges region’s groundwater plan ignores harm to river flows

In a comment letter to the state Water Resources Control Board, one of the plaintiffs in the ongoing lawsuit over Kern River flows alleges information has been withheld from the region’s groundwater plan to the detriment of the river. Water Audit California states a number of entities, including the City of Bakersfield and its main drinking water purveyor California Water Services, “…failed to disclose the adverse impacts that their groundwater extraction is having on interconnected surface waters, thereby causing injury to the public trust and its biological components,” according to the June 20 letter. … Water Audit contends that diverting Kern River water into groundwater recharge basins that are then pumped for drinking water, creates an interconnectivity that may affect stream flows. … Kern’s plan states that there are no areas of interconnectivty in the subbasin per the definition under SGMA regulations, which is that there must be a continuous connection between underground and overlying surface water. 

Other groundwater news:

Aquafornia news University of Washington

News release: Strategic transactions of Colorado River rights could help conserve water and restore fish habitat

… Climate change has exacerbated shortages, with studies indicating that recent Colorado River flows are near their lowest in at least 2,000 years. That has had severe consequences for fish: Of the 49 fish species native to the Colorado River Basin, 44 are already threatened, endangered or extinct. … New research led by University of Washington water policy expert Philip Womble found that a market-based approach to managing water could provide more reliable supplies for farmers, communities and industry. The right market design and a little extra investment could also help threatened fish species. The study, published June 20 in Nature Sustainability, details a new system for leasing rights to water from the basin while reallocating some water to imperiled habitats. Among the paper’s most substantial findings, researchers estimate that strategically spending 8% more than under the cheapest water conservation program could nearly triple the ecological benefits.  

Other Colorado River Basin news:

Aquafornia news NOAA Fisheries

News release: Anchovy dominated diets off the West Coast pose new dangers for salmon

A vitamin deficiency likely killed as many as half of newly hatched fry of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River in 2020 and 2021. These new findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The deficiency of thiamine, or Vitamin B1, is linked to large-scale shifts in the ocean ecosystem. These shifts changed the prey adult salmon consume before they return to West Coast rivers to spawn, scientists reported. They said the longtime loss of habitat and water has already weakened many California salmon populations. Further declines from thiamine deficiency or other impacts may lead to their extinction. The deficiency syndrome can also affect salmon runs like the Central Valley’s fall-run that once supported valuable commercial fisheries across California. They have since dwindled to the point that commercial ocean salmon fishing in California has been closed for the last 3 years. … Anchovy manufacture an enzyme called thiaminase that breaks down thiamine and can, in turn, affect salmon that eat large amounts of the small fish.

Aquafornia news Natural Resources Defense Council

Blog: In uncertain times, tribes provide steady protection for clean water

Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court slashed federal Clean Water Act protection of wetlands, streams, and all of our clean water with its decision in the Sackett v. EPA case. NRDC scientists mapped the potential impact of the Sackett decision and found it devastating—threatening harmful repercussions for droughts, wildfires, flooding, wildlife, and the drinking water supply. In the absence of federal protection, the imperative to defend our shared waters falls increasingly on individuals, states, and Native American Tribal Nations. NRDC is actively working to prevent any further weakening of the Clean Water Act (which the federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to pursue) and to ensure the law remains a robust tool for all wetland and stream advocates, including Indigenous Peoples. Tribal Nations protect and manage millions of acres of wetlands in the United States, and with commitments made by the U.S. government to Tribal co-management and co-stewardship of federal lands, the amount of clean water safeguarded by Tribal Nations is growing.  

Aquafornia news The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)

Golden mussels threaten California lakes. Napa County acts to keep them out of Berryessa

Lake Berryessa remains free of invasive freshwater mussels — for now. But the recent arrival of golden mussels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has prompted Napa County to bolster its efforts to keep the pests out. On Tuesday, the Napa County Board of Supervisors signaled support for a new ordinance that would give county inspectors and sheriff’s deputies the authority to stop and inspect any vehicles, trailers, boats or other watercraft that could be carrying mussels — either adult or larval — at any of the lake’s resort areas. The ordinance would also allow them to issue citations, including fines and misdemeanor charges, to violators. The inspection program itself isn’t new, said Thomas Zeleny, chief deputy county counsel. The ordinance essentially codifies what the county is already doing. … Sheriff Oscar Ortiz added that existing rules lack enforcement power. Right now, there’s “no teeth” — nothing inspectors can actually write a citation for, he said.

Other golden mussels news:

Aquafornia news Politico

Trump admin scraps NOAA’s climate website

Goodbye, climate.gov, the popular online clearinghouse for federal climate science. Hello, noaa.gov/climate, a revamped website that deemphasizes the previous site’s content. Kim Doster, a NOAA spokesperson, said in an email that “NOAA is relocating all research products from Climate.gov to NOAA.gov/climate in an effort to centralize and consolidate resources. Future research products previously housed under Climate.gov will be available at NOAA.gov and its affiliate websites.” In a reader notice atop the redirected website, NOAA said the change was to comply with President Donald Trump’s May 23 executive order titled “Restoring Gold Standard Science” followed by a Monday memorandum from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy about implementing the order. “For the curious citizen, if you click on climate.gov, you get redirected and the archived components of climate.gov are buried,” said Craig McLean, the former assistant administrator for research at NOAA and a Trump administration critic.

Other NOAA cut news:

Aquafornia news San Diego Union-Tribune

Regional water board could remove cease-and-desist order for Ramona egg farm

Demler Brothers Egg Ranch is proposing a newwastewater handling system to address one of the major issues that resulted in a cease-and-desist order from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. The order against Demler Brothers, often referred to by its former name of Pine Hill, was issued in November 2023 after a three-year investigation over complaints about odors and possibly contaminated water runoff at the facility at 25818 Highway 78 in Ramona. The improper discharge of wastewater used for washing eggs produced at the ranch resulted in the contamination of two nearby creeks and stormwater basins, water board staff reported. Although water board inspectors originally found high levels of ammonium-nitrate and phosphorus at the egg ranch, later tests found almost no contaminants after the facility began putting all of the egg wash wastewater into temporary holding tanks and hauling it offsite.  The new wastewater system will feature 34 above-ground, double-lined evaporation ponds housed in four barns.

Other wastewater news:

Aquafornia news Fast Company

Like electric lights, water reuse is destined to become a necessity

… As the United States grapples with an escalating water crisis, a powerful solution is gaining momentum. Buildings can intelligently capture, treat, and reuse their own wastewater by leveraging advanced technology, data analytics, and automation to optimize every step of the water reuse process. These smart systems continuously monitor water quality and usage, automatically adjusting treatment processes to ensure safety and efficiency. While current regulations limit this recycled water to non-potable applications, the reality is that water from these systems is often treated to a level that is scientifically safe enough to drink. This isn’t about compromise—it’s about building smarter, managing water as a circular resource, and using it where it’s needed most, all within the building itself. This innovation comes at a critical moment. Nearly 45% of the lower 48 states are currently experiencing drought conditions, with the Southwest and Plains regions particularly hard-hit. 

Other water recycling news:

Aquafornia news Fortune Well

Forever chemicals are in your drinking water: Here’s how worried to be—and what to do about it

It’s not uncommon nowadays to fill a glass of water from your tap and wonder what chemicals and contaminants may be lurking in there. That’s because research has increasingly revealed that heavy metals, radioactive substances, and harmful PFAS (“forever chemicals”) are present in our water systems. … The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that roughly 60% of the U.S. population—about 200 million people—are served by water systems that have the chemicals PFOA or PFOS in their drinking water at a concentration of 1 part per trillion or higher, which is the maximum limit for PFAS in drinking water endorsed by the EWG. Knowing there are chemicals in your water is one thing—but should you be worried? And is there anything you can do to reduce your exposure? Here’s everything you need to know, according to experts who spoke with Fortune.

Other drinking water contamination news:

Aquafornia news The National Law Review

The future of water conservation for California urban retail

Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use objectives.” And beginning January 1, 2027, the regulations require urban retail water suppliers to annually demonstrate compliance with those objectives. The objectives are calculated based on indoor residential water use; outdoor residential water use; commercial, industrial and institutional irrigation use; and potable reuse. Implementation of the objectives includes setting and meeting specific targets for reducing water use per capita, improving system efficiency, and reporting progress to state regulators. Urban retail water suppliers are also required to implement water conservation programs, support the development of drought–resilient infrastructure, and encourage customers to adopt water-saving practices such as using “climate ready” landscapes.