Aquafornia

Overview

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

Subscribe to our weekday emails to have news delivered to your inbox at about 9 a.m. Monday through Friday except for holidays.

For breaking news, follow us on X (Twitter).

Please Note:

  • Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing.
  • We occasionally bold words in the text to ensure the water connection is clear.
  • 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 Politico

Big Tech’s next major political battle may already be brewing in your backyard

The push by companies like OpenAI and Google to win the artificial intelligence race has led to a proliferation of data centers — giant warehouses for computer systems — in communities across all 50 states. The rise of these server farms has sparked fierce battles from the Virginia suburbs to Tucson, Arizona, and beyond, as city and county governments grapple with how to balance job creation and new revenue streams against the strain data centers put on water and energy resources. That debate is inching up the ballot as state lawmakers race to regulate a nascent industry, governors rush to embrace a new economic boon and Big Tech makes major investments in AI growth.

Other data center water use news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

DWP restores water service for thousands of L.A. residents, but boil water notice remains

The Los Angeles Department of Public Works has restored water service to more than 9,000 San Fernando Valley residents after a valve failure caused taps to run dry or slow to a trickle last week. According to the DWP, water flow to residents in the Granada Hills and Porter Ranch areas was restored as of 2:37 a.m. Monday. Residents however were told that a boil water notice would remain in effect for several more days. The boil water notice instructs residents to only used boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news The Sacramento Bee

Opinion: No water agreement risks Sacramento’s Upper Westside project

Within days, Sacramento County will consider approving a controversial 25,000-person housing development. north of Interstate 80 that currently lacks an amenity that no home or person can do without: A water source. … The 2,000-acre plan known as Upper Westside is surrounded on three sides by the city and the Sacramento River to the west. … A state law promoting better water planning two decades ago, and endorsed by the Sacramento Bee, aimed to prevent local land use agencies like Sacramento County from approving big developments with what is known as “paper water.” This describes some vague plan for water without a firm supply. At the moment, Upper Westside has paper water.
–Written by Sacramento Bee columnist Tom Philp.

Aquafornia news Palo Alto Online

Blog: We are not in a drought. So why is our utility still water-shaming us?

… One thing that I think would help to encourage “conservation as a way of life” would be to charge Palo Altans higher rates for excessive water use. Our rates, with only two tiers, are less progressive than those of surrounding water districts. We charge more for low water use and less for high water use. … People with large lots in Palo Alto tend to be wealthy, so charging them more for water may not do much when it comes to conservation. But at least we could then provide lower rates for lower-income households for more essential indoor water. And perhaps we could make more programs available for things like lawn conversions.
–Written by Palo Alto Online blogger Sherry Listgarten.

Aquafornia news The Sacramento Bee

Gene editing may help Sacramento Valley tomato farmers fight diseases

A breakthrough in agricultural gene editing may help farmers breed more disease-resistant crops. Aided by artificial intelligence, researchers at UC Davis managed to strengthen plants’ immune response by re-engineering protein structures that detect disease, known as immune receptors, to recognize newly evolved pathogens. The method may provide a more sustainable solution for tomato farmers near Sacramento — the Big Tomato — who typically fight illnesses such as wilt disease and southern blight with environmentally damaging pesticides.

Aquafornia news KSNV/News3 (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Friday Top of the Scroll: Lake Mead faces historic low water levels amid ongoing drought

Lake Mead is projected to reach some of its lowest water levels ever recorded by 2027, raising concerns about the future of the vital water source. … UNLV Emeritus Professor of Hydrology and Geoscience David Kreamer explained that the Colorado River Compact, an agreement from the 1920s, allocates only 4 percent of the lower basin’s water to Nevada, with California and Arizona receiving the remaining 96 percent. Kreamer suggested that revising this agreement could help Lake Mead’s water levels rise. ”We have to reach some sort of an agreement with reduction of water,” Kreamer said, noting that California has agreed to reduce its water usage.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

Aquafornia news Smart Water Magazine

$84 million Canyon Tunnel will secure water future for communities in California’s Central Valley

In a landmark investment in regional water infrastructure, South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) and Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) have officially launched the $84 million Canyon Tunnel Project—an ambitious initiative to protect and modernize water delivery for thousands of Central Valley residents and farmers. … The 12,000-foot tunnel will bypass a vulnerable section of the century-old Joint Supply Canal (JSC), which has been increasingly threatened by landslides and rockfalls. … The two districts are jointly funding the project, with SSJID contributing 72% and OID 28%, based on historical water usage from the shared JSC. 

Other California water infrastructure news:

Aquafornia news SFGate

Calif. senator picks up the fight for Lake Tahoe

 … [Sen. Adam] Schiff was here this week to host the Tahoe Summit, an annual event where lawmakers and community leaders gather at a lakefront venue to champion environmental protections, bipartisan collaboration and federal investment in Lake Tahoe. This year, calls to protect Lake Tahoe come as the Trump administration cuts funding for climate change research and reduces staffing at public land management agencies. … Schiff, who sits on the Senate’s agriculture committee, told SFGATE on Tuesday aboard the John LeConte that he is “deeply concerned” about cuts to the Forest Service. … [H]e told SFGATE he wants to carry on [former Sen. Dianne] Feinstein’s legacy and continue to advocate for Lake Tahoe. 

Other Tahoe Basin news:

Aquafornia news CalMatters

Opinion: California groundwater reform sets a dangerous precedent. Lawmakers should think twice

Assembly Bill 1413 seeks to quietly rewrite California’s water laws, raising alarm among local water agencies, business groups, lawmakers and many advocates of California’s agriculture industry. The Indian Wells Valley Water District in eastern Kern County has serious concerns about the proposal’s threats to groundwater rights, due process, transparency and scientific accountability. The bill would limit judicial oversight and fundamentally alter the role of groundwater sustainability plans in California, potentially treating them as a legally binding determination of water rights. The Indian Wells water district is undergoing an adjudication process to protect property rights, and officials like me worry that AB 1413 would prohibit courts from reviewing the science behind these plans, as well as potential errors.
–Written by David Saint-Amand, board president of the Indian Wells Valley Water District.

Other groundwater news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Energy secretary: White House may alter past climate assessments

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said this week that the Trump administration plans to review and potentially alter the nation’s climate science reports. In a Tuesday appearance on CNN’s “The Source,” Wright told CNN host Kaitlan Collins the National Climate Assessments have been removed from government websites “because we’re reviewing them.” … The National Climate Assessments are mandated by Congress and have been released five times since 2000. The federal reports, prepared by hundreds of volunteer scientists, are subject to extensive peer review and detail how climate change is affecting each region of the United States so far and provide the latest scientific forecasts. Wright accused the previous reports of being politically biased, stating that they “are not fair assessments of the data.”

Other climate data news:

Aquafornia news The Washington Post

After America’s biggest dam removal, 15 teens journey down a sacred river

… One great waterway, newly freed from the stranglehold of four hulking dams. More than 300 miles, through some of the most intense rapids in the West. And 15 young kayakers, nearly all of them new to the sport. Their goal: the first full descent of the Klamath River, from its headwaters near the Cascade Mountains in Oregon to its mouth on the Pacific coast of California. … Though last year’s unprecedented removal of the four dams on the Klamath’s lower stretch was hailed as a major achievement, two smaller dams still stand upriver. The tribes want them taken down next. The students reached the remaining dams after about a week of paddling. They pulled up on the bank, shouldered their kayaks and walked around the barriers.

Other Klamath River news:

Aquafornia news KJZZ (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Community outrage shut down Project Blue data center project in Tucson — but it’s not dead yet

Tucson residents have been up in arms about a proposed data center dubbed Project Blue. The project, which is tied to tech giant Amazon, would have been built on 290 acres of unincorporated land the developer wanted annexed into Tucson so it could access water supplies. But, as residents relentlessly pointed out, that’s water that Tucson desperately needs. On Wednesday, the Tucson City Council heard those constituents loud and clear. Council members voted unanimously against bringing the massive project to Tucson. … Arizona Luminaria reporter Yana Kuchinoff was there, and she joined The Show to talk about what she saw and what happens next.

Other data center water use news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

At Mono Lake, visitors witness the stark toll of L.A.’s water use

… In the early 20th century, Los Angeles built a massive aqueduct to take water from the Owens Valley and soon dried up Owens Lake. Reaching for even more water, L.A. leaders pushed farther and began tapping water from the mountain streams that feed Mono Lake. … In 1994, state regulators ordered the L.A. Department of Water and Power to take steps to raise the lake 17 feet by taking less water from the creeks, leaving more to flow into the lake. … The 1994 decision included a backstop: If the lake level doesn’t rise enough, the State Water Resources Control Board is to hold a hearing to determine if the rules need to change — an assessment that both environmental advocates and the DWP’s managers say they hope will happen soon.

Other conservation news:

Aquafornia news USA Today

NOAA and National Weather Service cleared to hire 450 people

The National Weather Service has taken steps to begin filling some of the more than 550 positions left vacant by federal cutbacks and early retirements since Inauguration Day. Earlier in the summer, the agency received an emergency hiring exemption to fill 126 of its vacant positions and has begun to post those jobs on usajobs.gov. But in an all-hands meeting on Aug. 4, weather service employees learned the agency has since received permission to hire a total of 450 people by September 2026. … [Retired NWS meteorologist Brian] LaMarre said it’s also good news that hydrologists will be among those hired. It could allow the agency to follow through on a plan to place hydrologists in state emergency operations centers, to assist in forecasting flood events

Other NOAA and weather forecasting news:

Aquafornia news E&E News by Politico

Imminent Supreme Court ruling could doom lawsuits over canceled grants

A Supreme Court decision expected within days could affect thousands of federal grant recipients battling the Trump administration over the termination of their funding for projects including for climate and environmental justice work. The case on the high court’s “shadow docket” of emergency cases centers on the National Institutes of Health’s attempt to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants awarded to scientists and universities. … Lawyers are awaiting the Supreme Court decision — which could come at any time — for hints of how challenges to EPA’s termination of grants could be treated by lower courts or the Supreme Court itself. The latest briefs were filed with the Supreme Court on Monday.

Other environmental funding news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Order to boil water before drinking in Malibu continues due to bridge construction delays

An order to boil water before drinking or using continued Thursday for some residents of Malibu following bridge construction work at Solstice Creek, according to the California Department of Transportation and Los Angeles County Waterworks. The agencies said that a water main was temporarily disrupted while the bridge construction took place. After concrete unexpectedly blocked the water line, water supply restoration was delayed. Crews finished repairs Wednesday at noon and were working to re-pressurize and test the water line for any pathogens or contaminants, according to a statement from L.A. County Waterworks in District 29. The work was expected to be completed by Friday, the department said.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

San Diego’s water sellers are thirsty for revenue

On Sept. 30, the San Diego City Council will take up the uncomfortable exercise of approving a 63 percent hike in water rates and a 31 percent hike in wastewater rates over the next four years. … The city, unsurprisingly as we’ve covered, blamed the San Diego County Water Authority for the majority of those costs. A presentation given to the City Council says 40 percent of a San Diegan’s water bill pays for the Colorado River water the Water Authority transports to the region. San Diego expects the Water Authority to heftily raise rates in 2026 and 2027. … Ally Berenter, deputy director of external affairs for the Public Utilities Department, explained that’s largely due to the rising cost of energy purchased from San Diego Gas and Electric and chemicals – both key to treating the water we flush away.

Aquafornia news San Diego Union-Tribune

Opinion: U.S.-Mexico sewage deal proves that diplomacy can pay off

… Last month’s agreement to accelerate tackling the long‑running sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley is proof that — even now — quiet, institutional diplomacy can deliver. … Since the 1983 La Paz Agreement, the United States and Mexico have built a structured framework for environmental cooperation. … In 2022, this collaboration deepened with a memorandum of understanding and a commitment from Mexico to invest $144 million in wastewater infrastructure in the Tijuana River Watershed by 2027. … The new agreement reinforces this prior commitment by prioritizing the remaining $93 million and accelerating timelines, reflecting a shared understanding that expanded infrastructure and sustained operations are vital to protect public health and ecosystems.
–Written by Duncan Wood, CEO of Hurst International Consulting in Washington, D.C., and Marie Elena Giner, former commissioner for the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Aquafornia news The Fresno Bee

San Joaquin Valley almond farms battle devastating rat surge

An infestation of roof rats in the central San Joaquin Valley of California has caused more than $300 million in damage as the population of the hungry rodents has spiked and farmers struggle to stop the vermin from causing more damage. University of California researchers and almond industry officials said the rats have chewed through irrigation tubing, gnawed on trees, and chewed up nuts throughout Merced, Fresno, Kings and Kern counties. … The rats have also figured out that by scurrying along irrigation canals and other waterways they can connect to more orchards and vineyards. … Among the biggest losses was the replacement of irrigation drip lines that accounted for losses between $56 million and $168 million.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news State Water Resources Control Board

News release: New watershed demand visualizations now live

The State Water Board’s Supply and Demand Assessment Program has published new interactive surface water demand visualization dashboards for several watersheds across California. These dashboards provide insights into reported surface water demands and are part of our ongoing effort to improve data transparency and support informed water management. New dashboards are now available for the following watersheds: Butte Creek; Gualala River; Mattole River; Napa River; Navarro River; Putah Creek; Salmon Creek (Sonoma County); Tomales-Drakes Bay.