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.
… When seven state negotiators took to the stage for the
annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference, they
didn’t have much progress to report about how the river’s main
reservoirs will be managed once the current operational rules
end in fall 2026. Instead, for the second time this week, many
of them used their time to highlight the same concerns they’ve
shared for years. With the clock ticking down, federal
officials started to ratchet up the pressure. … If the
states agree, then federal officials have said they will use
the states’ proposal to manage the Colorado River’s water
supply.
December has been a very dry month across California. But
that’s about to change, with three atmospheric rivers forecast
to hit the state through Christmas. The pattern that brought an
onslaught of destructive atmospheric rivers to the Pacific
Northwest in recent days is now shifting south. … More
than a foot of rain and seven feet of snow could fall
across parts of the northern Sierra over the next
week. Cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento and Los
Angeles could receive about a month’s worth of rain or more
over the next week to 10 days. … The latest round of
storms could make 2025 the third consecutive year with
above-average precipitation across California.
… On Monday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released its
monthly report, which projects a two-year hydrology outlook for
the operation of the nation’s two largest reservoirs: Lake
Powell and Lake Mead. … With the slow start to winter in
the Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming), the
report showed a drop in Lake Powell’s projected 2026 inflow of
1 million acre-feet since the November forecast. Under the
“minimum” possible inflow, Lake Powell would fall below the
surface-elevation level of 3,490 feet needed to generate
hydropower by October 2026 and stay there until spring runoff
briefly bumps up reservoir levels in summer 2027; but the water
level would again dip below 3,490 in the fall of 2027.
A sudden infrastructure failure at the Trinity River Hatchery
on Nov. 7 forced the emergency release of hundreds of thousands
of juvenile fish and thousands of adult salmon into the Trinity
River after a trash rack collapsed and blocked most of the
facility’s water supply, according to state and federal
officials. The incident was disclosed publicly for the first
time during the Trinity Management Council’s quarterly meeting
on Dec. 10, when Derek Rupert, a fish biologist with the Bureau
of Reclamation’s Northern California Area Office, briefed
council members on what he described as a rare and serious
operational emergency.
John Vidovich, who runs Sandridge Partners LLC, one of Kings
County’s largest farming operations, was shut out of gaining a
seat on a groundwater agency for fear he would move native
water outside the area. Board members of the Empire Westside
Irrigation District voted 3-2 at their Dec. 15 meeting to keep
Ceil Howe Jr. as their representative on the South Fork Kings
Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), rather than switch to
Vidovich. … Last July, Vidovich floated a proposal for
the Southwest Kings GSA – where he controls three of the five
board seats – to merge with the South Fork GSA. … More
recently, Sandridge Partners threatened to sue South Fork GSA
if it adopts a policy prohibiting movement of native
groundwater more than a mile outside its boundaries.
… Rich in biodiversity, the [Tijuana River] estuary is home
to hundreds of migratory bird species and endangered plant and
animal life. It’s also the site of a worsening
environmental crisis marked by billions of gallons of
wastewater that have spilled annually over the international
border in recent years, the byproduct of Tijuana’s urban and
industrial growth fueled in part by U.S. trade
policies. When storms sweep the region, massive downpours
collide with poor or aging wastewater infrastructure, causing
sewage overflows and dragging the waste and urban runoff
through Tijuana communities to the
border. … inewsource spent months talking to more
than 100 people living and working near the Tijuana River. Many
say this place — their longtime home — is making them
sick.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has
introduced a new suite of weather forecasting models that are
driven by Artificial Intelligence and are expected to deliver
faster and more accurate predictions, the agency announced on
Wednesday. … The AI technology became operational and
available to forecasters early Wednesday morning. Erica Grow
Cei, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service, which is
the branch of NOAA responsible for forecasts, told CBS News
that the latest models do not intend to replace the traditional
ones that rely on complex mathematical equations, instead of
machine learning, in order to run.
The reservoir that was empty during the Palisades Fire, which
sparked major backlash, needs to be drained again. This time
backups are in place. As we near the one-year anniversary of
the wildfire, it’s reigniting fears in the community. It was
the center of controversy almost a year ago. The Santa Ynez
Reservoir in Pacific Palisades was offline when the fires
started. It is a critical reservoir for firefighting efforts.
… The reservoir has a capacity of 117 million gallons of
water, but it was closed for repairs during the Palisades Fire.
A report, however, found that even if the reservoir was full at
the time of the fires, the system would have been quickly
overwhelmed.
A study from Westlands Water District lays out the difference
on the local economy between when farmers have water and when
they don’t. The district’s third economic impact report, which
was released Wednesday, compares 2022, a year following scant
rainfall and a 0% water allocation — later marginally increased
— with 2019, a plentiful water year and a 75% allocation.
… The study pegs $2.28 billion in direct impact from ag
in Westlands in 2022. Adding the indirect impact, ag activity
created $3.55 billion in total effect, leading to 27,657 jobs.
That’s a 28% decline in direct economic activity and a 25%
decline in total activity from 2019, when farm activity created
35,114 jobs.
… Who decides the needs and uses of stored water? Who
owns it? It is a fascinating debate that has raged for years,
and the U.S. Supreme Court may be about to weigh in on it
again. A case originating in California has brought the issue
back to the forefront of western jurisprudence. … The case,
City of Fresno, et al. v. United States, et al., began with the
2014 drought, and the Bureau’s decision to withhold available
water from part of the Central Valley Project. Irrigation
districts and municipal suppliers on the east side of the San
Joaquin Valley received a “zero allocation,” while the Bureau
released water to other districts. … Is the Bureau
required to pay for those property losses when taking that
water for other uses it decided were more important? –Written by Greg Walcher, former director of the Colorado
Department of Natural Resources.
What does geospatial science look like at Audubon California in
2025? It starts at the Salton Sea, where our science is helping
move roughly 2,000 acres of wetland habitat
toward restoration planning. From there, it expands statewide:
research that informs California’s climate policy, modernized
data models that support smarter renewable energy siting, and
science-driven convenings that bring researchers and decision
makers to the same table. … At a California State Water
Resources Control Board meeting in the Coachella Valley, the
Salton Sea Management Program presented a new project to
protect and enhance emerging wetlands in the northern Salton
Sea, totaling roughly 2,000 acres.
San Diego State University broke ground Wednesday on the One
Water Laboratory in Mission Valley, a facility dedicated to
research on sustainable water management. The facility is
scheduled to be completed next summer, adjacent to the river
park at SDSU Mission Valley. Once it is up and running, SDSU
students will be able to gain experience and learn more about
watershed science and hydrological systems. … When
complete, the One Water Laboratory will include a
480-square-foot modular building and outdoor space using
bioretention basins located throughout the river park. … The
basins were designed to actively capture and filter stormwater
runoff from the surrounding landscape, cleaning it before it
flows into the San Diego River and makes its way to the Pacific
Ocean.
In the next few weeks, the public will get their first look at
a critical document two and a half years in the making that
will define how the Colorado River is managed for the next
decade. The Bureau of Reclamation – which manages water in the
West under the Interior Department – is on track to release a
draft environmental review by early January with a range of
options to replace the river’s operating rules, which are set
to expire at the end of 2026. Several elements of the draft
were shared during the annual Colorado River Water Users
Association’s conference in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace
Wednesday.
A powerful Pineapple Express storm could deliver a wet, white
and potentially wild Christmas to California, with the
possibility of snow in the Sierra Nevada and
plenty of rainfall across the Southland. … “This
atmospheric river pattern will bring significant amounts of
rain,” said the weather service office in Sacramento. Snow
levels could drop to 5,500 feet above sea level by Tuesday and
Wednesday, suggesting “potential major mountain holiday travel
impacts” for Christmas Eve. … In the Sierra, where resorts
have been pained by warm weather and a snow drought so far this
season, it was far from clear whether there would be enough
cold air to lower snow levels.
The two largest tribal water rights holders in Arizona and the
Central Arizona Water Conservation District accomplished
something that has eluded states so far. They have pledged
greater cooperation in managing and addressing Colorado River
issues, including shortages, river restoration and a long-term
drought that bodes a long-term change in the Southwest’s
climate. The Colorado River Indian Tribes, Gila River Indian
Community and CAWCD, which manages the Central Arizona Project,
put their promise in a proclamation demonstrating their
commitment to collaboration and conservation, signing it on
Dec. 17 during the Colorado River Water Users Association
annual meeting.
The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National
Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a
senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world’s
leading climate research labs. Trump officials have circled the
federally funded research institution, based in Boulder,
Colorado, as a hub for “federal climate alarmism” after it was
established decades earlier in 1960 for research in atmospheric
chemistry and physical meteorology. The administration
plans to identify and eliminate what it calls “green new scam
research activities” … while “vital functions” such
as weather modeling and supercomputing will be moved to another
entity or location.
Are you an emerging water leader in the Colorado River Basin?
Consider applying for our
2026 Colorado River Water Leaders cohort. The
biennial program, which will run from March to September next
year, selects about a dozen rising stars from the seven states
that rely on the river – California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico – Mexico and tribal nations.
Listen to
a recording of our virtual Q&A session where
executive director Jenn Bowles and other Foundation staff
provided an overview on the program and tips on applying.
Two Central Valley Democrats brought a legislative package to
the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to address water
infrastructure issues — particularly storage — in the San
Joaquin Valley. Rep. Adam Gray of Merced introduced the
package, cosponsored by Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno, in the House
on Dec. 11. Titled the “End California Water Crisis Package,”
it includes three bills: the Water Agency and Transparency
Enhancement Review (WATER) Act, the Build Now Act and the
Central Valley Water Solution Act. … The WATER Act,
introduced as House Resolution 6639, codifies provisions of
Executive Order 14181, which was issued by President Donald
Trump in January and orders the Secretary of the Interior and
the Bureau of Reclamation to take emergency action to provide
water resources in California.
City leaders voted down a data center in Chandler last week,
but Arizonans can expect to see even more proposed. The state
offers tax breaks for data center projects – significant
incentives, Governor Katie Hobbs says, are “clearly working.”
On Wednesday, she suggested state lawmakers take another look
to find “the right balance.” … Arizona could see
big cuts to its allocation of water from the Colorado
River, which has been diminished by decades of drought
and overuse. Hobbs said she hears the concerns, saying her
administration’s Arizona Energy Promise Task Force is looking
at how to ensure costs don’t hit consumers. … Water is “part
of the conservation, Hobbs said, adding that there’s technology
to help data centers reduce their water consumption.
Directors of the Kern County Water Agency selected Tamara
Johnson, a long time California Water Services manager, to fill
a vacant board seat, despite an outpouring of support from
agricultural water districts for another candidate.
Representatives from several of the agency’s 13 member ag
districts spoke at Wednesday’s meeting in support of Mark
Mulkay, former Kern River Watermaster and retired General
Manager of the Kern Delta Water District. Managers agreed all
candidates were outstanding but said Mulkay brought needed
expertise with regard to the State Water Project as well as
local water rights.
