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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Federal and state officials have proposed severe drought
response actions, like drastically cutting water releases from
Lake Powell, in face of a historically dry year and worsening
conditions in the Colorado River Basin. The Bureau of
Reclamation announced Friday it will likely reduce Lake Powell
water releases to 6 million acre-feet, the lowest amount in
decades. It also intends to release additional water from
Flaming Gorge, an upstream reservoir, to help elevate the water
level in Lake Powell. The decisions could
raise the specter of forced water cuts in states including
Colorado, impact endangered fish populations and affect
communities and economies.
As most Western communities expect to grapple with water
shortages this summer and fall, one is looking to share its
unlikely surplus. San Diego County in California spent nearly
$1 billion on a desalination plant after a 1990s drought left
it with scarce supply. Now, with the seawater-to-tap water
plant running at just one-third of capacity, its water utility
is shopping around deals to sell its water across the West.
… It’s not yet clear how interstate transfers of water
could occur — likely by Arizona or other states paying San
Diego for its Colorado River water rights.
Such transfers have never occurred and could require new
federal laws or regulations.
Local king salmon will be on menus in California for the first
time in four years after federal fishery managers voted
[last] week to reopen the state’s coastal waters to salmon
fishing. Since 2022, commercial fishing fleets have
been barred from catching the celebrated fish in the state
because of a frightening plunge in their numbers. A forecasted
bump in the population prompted federal regulators to change
course this year, albeit cautiously: They approved a limited
commercial season, which begins in
May. … Scientists pin the plight on a combination
of dammed rivers, too much water drawn off for cities and
farms, climate shifts such as intensifying droughts and warming
temperatures, and increasingly unfavorable ocean conditions.
Colorado’s weather modification program is seeing an increased
interest in cloud seeding technology after the record-low
snowpack this past winter. … The ability of cloud
seeding to add to Colorado’s snowpack was limited this year
compared to past years due in large part to the lack of
suitable storms that rolled through the state, [Weather
Modification Program Manager Andrew] Rickert said. He noted,
however, that the technology still likely added small amounts
of extra precipitation to the storms it did seed. In Colorado,
Rickert said all seven wintertime cloud seeding programs use
ground-based generator systems and operate from Nov. 1 to April
15, with contractors able to get an extension to the end of
April if conditions allow.
The Nevada Supreme Court reversed a previous decision that
could have taken water rights away from the nation’s only
operational lithium mine. In doing so, the court
affirmed the broad power granted to the state’s top water
regulator to make technical decisions about water
rights. In Nevada, water rights must be put to
“beneficial use” or be surrendered to the state. … The
dispute between two mining companies stems from a rush to
extract lithium in Esmeralda County, the state’s least
populated county with about 1,000 residents roughly halfway
between Reno and Las Vegas. It is home to Albemarle Corp.’s
Silver Peak mine, which remains the only producing lithium mine
in the country.
The Bureau of Reclamation is investing $6.3 million in
10 tribal water projects, including several projects to
ensure clean, reliable drinking water. … The funding
comes through Reclamation’s Native American Affairs Technical
Assistance Program, which is aimed at increasing opportunities
for federal recognized tribes to manage, develop and protect
their water and related resources. Since 2016, Reclamation has
invited tribes in the 17 western states to submit project
proposals as part of Reclamation’s Indian Trust
responsibilities. Projects funded range from drinking water
system installation and rehabilitation, well installation,
wastewater and lagoon construction to water quality testing and
workforce development.
… [S]cientists are deploying a new tool on the frontlines to
find and contain the invaders. Enter the environmental DNA
autosampler. At first glance, it looks like an unglamorous
silver storage trunk with a hose coming out of it. It’s hard to
tell it’s actually a $29,595 sophisticated robot. The machine
autonomously takes water samples to find microscopic traces of
organic matter, like scales and skin cells, to determine if
invasive species have been present in the water. U.S.
Geological Survey fish biologist Kimberley Dibble has recently
been using the tech to search for invasive smallmouth bass in
the Colorado River near the Glen Canyon Dam. The
predators are devouring native species like razorback
suckers and humpback chub.
The bones of a 193-acre data center campus in Eagle Mountain
are ready after developers placed the project’s last beam on
Friday in an event crowded by the about 2,000 construction
workers employed at the site. … One aspect of the
facilities that company executives highlighted during the event
centered around the immense need for water notorious among most
data centers. This one, they said, uses a closed-loop cooling
system that would only need to be filled once and won’t consume
any additional water for cooling systems once the project is
operational. … Data centers across the country consumed
about 2.66 trillion liters of water in 2025, according to the
research firm Mordor Intelligence, and are estimated to
increase the number to 2.97 trillion liters this year.
The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to close scores of research
stations could threaten the nation’s wildfire readiness, many
foresters fear, and erode decades of work to understand timber
production, soil health, pests and diseases, watersheds and
wildlife. Late last month, the Forest Service announced plans
to close 57 of its 77 research stations, located across 31
states, merging them into a single organization in Fort
Collins, Colorado. The agency described the move as a way to
consolidate, not cut, the agency’s scientific work, and “unify
research priorities.” … But many longtime foresters fear the
closures will threaten vital research that has been the
backbone of forest management for state agencies, timber
companies and tribes.
At first glance, cannabis might not seem like a water-intensive
crop. But dig into the research and a more complicated picture
emerges, shaped by climate, drought cycles and a fast-growing
industry still learning how to adapt. Many cannabis customers
likely don’t realize that the plants need a meaningful amount
of water, especially during peak growing season. But because
cannabis is often grown in places with long dry seasons and
droughts, like California and Colorado, the water demand takes
a back seat to the water supply itself. Studies estimate
outdoor cannabis plants can use roughly 5 to 6 gallons of water
per plant per day in late summer, when temperatures are highest
and growth is most active. But in much of the western U.S., a
majority of rainfall happens in winter, creating a natural
mismatch.
Career Technical Education Community Health Worker students
from Southwest High School recently participated in an
immersive educational field experience at the Salton Sea
Management Area Restoration Site in collaboration with the
Imperial County Air Pollution Control District. The trip
aligned with the school’s Project ACE (Air Community Education)
initiative, giving students hands-on learning opportunities
focused on environmental health and the impacts of air quality
on community well-being. During the visit, guided by experts
from the Salton Sea Management Area Restoration Program,
students explored active restoration efforts designed to reduce
dust emissions, improve air quality, and restore natural
habitats around the Salton Sea.
Long-term drought has reduced Colorado River system storage to
about 36 percent of capacity, and the combination of the lowest
snowpack on record and record-breaking March heat has further
intensified drought conditions across the Basin. …To
stabilize the system, Reclamation is moving quickly and initial
plans include adding up to about 2.48 maf of water to Lake
Powell by moving water from the upstream Flaming Gorge
Reservoir and by reducing releases from Lake
Powell. Through the 2019 Drought Response Operating
Agreements, Reclamation is intending to release 660,000
acre-feet to 1 maf from Flaming Gorge Reservoir from April 2026
through April 2027. In addition, Reclamation is intending to
reduce the annual release volume from Lake Powell to Lake Mead
by 1.48 maf—from 7.48 maf to 6.0 maf—through September 2026.
… A final decision will be coming next week.
… Cave Creek, which gets about 95% of its water from the
Colorado River, will be among the first to feel the impact of
those cuts. … Colorado River water travels to Cave Creek
through the Central Arizona Project, a 336-mile canal that
carries water from the state’s western border to the Phoenix
and Tucson areas. The federal government has suggested major
cuts to the amount of water the CAP carries each year, forcing
Cave Creek officials to find a backup plan quickly. They will
be able to keep taps flowing in the short term, but the future
is uncertain, as long-term fixes are expensive and complicated.
With the Colorado River poised for a dry future, Cave
Creek’s struggles could provide lessons for other
cities that might feel the pinch of shortages in the
future.
As California experiences its second-worst snow drought
in 50 years, new images show a stark comparison with
last year’s snow levels. This year, the Sierra snowpack peaked
on Feb. 25. It was only 73% of average, then rapidly dwindled
from there. Then, summerlike heat in March broke monthly
records in many areas of the Western United States. Daniel
Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural
Resources, described it as one of the most “extreme heat events
ever observed in the American Southwest.” Though a spring
storm dropped up to 3.5 feet of snow in California’s Sierra
Nevada mountains last week, extending ski season, snow levels
remain extremely low.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has released a new plan setting goals for
the city to combat climate change and adapt to a warmer future.
Bass’ Climate Action Plan calls for doubling local solar power
in Los Angeles by 2030 and reducing the use of fossil fuels in
buildings and city buses. It outlines how the city intends to
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases at the Port of Los Angeles
and L.A. International Airport. And it sets targets for
reducing water use, addressing risks from extreme
heat, and expanding parks and green spaces to cool
neighborhoods and restore natural habitat. … The mayor
spoke about the plan on Thursday at the Donald C. Tillman Water
Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys, where construction is underway
on a new water recycling project.
Although the Ukiah Valley has received a lot less rain so far
this year than in 2025, new storage procedures at Lake
Mendocino have allowed a lot more of that water to remain in
the reservoir than ever before, regional water officials
reported this week. “Without (Forecast Informed Reservoir
Operations) and that ability to retain more water, the
reservoir would be below 68,000 acre-feet (instead of at 84,000
acre-feet),” said Donald Seymour, Deputy Chief Engineer for
Sonoma Water, speaking Wednesday during a virtual update on the
status of both Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma.
Communities across the US are struggling to cope with impending
federal requirements for eradicating two toxic PFAS chemicals
from their drinking water systems, utility leaders said at a
water policy conference this week. The US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) last year announced a proposal to delay
the deadline for utilities to comply with new regulation
limiting toxic types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS)
chemicals in drinking water supplies. But even with the
potential for a two-year cushion – compliance for meeting new
standards may be pushed from 2029 to 2031 – utilities are
faltering, industry experts said.
An extreme marine heat wave is simmering the Pacific Ocean off
the coast of California, and experts are warning that
it could affect coastal weather and ecosystems for
months. … El Niño could drive the ocean warmth even
higher in the months ahead. The latest federal outlook includes
a 61% chance that an El Niño will emerge between May and June
and persist through at least the end of the year, with a 1-in-4
chance of a particularly strong El Niño. The tropical Pacific
climate pattern is associated with warm, wet conditions in
Southern California. … There is less certainty around
the effect on wildfire season in California. Although more
storms and moisture could help quell blazes, there is also the
chance that a dry lightning storm could spark them, he said.
Kings County farmers will have to wait several more weeks to
find out if they owe millions of dollars in back fees.
The Kings County Superior Court set a hearing date for June 3
to consider a request from the Kings County Farm Bureau (KCFB)
to issue a preliminary injunction on the state collecting
groundwater pumping fees. … While Kings County farmers
await the June 3 hearing, groundwater users in the Tulare Lake
Subbasin are still required to submit their pumping reports to
the State Water Resources Control Board by May 1.
Zone 7 Water Agency, the Tri-Valley’s water manager and
wholesaler, is considering a large pipeline to exchange water
between the Chain of Lakes area and the South Bay Aqueduct to
prepare for the harsher water landscape expected in the coming
decades. Zone 7 staff, at a special April 1 Board of Directors
workshop, shared a proposal for a 7-mile-long, 42-inch-wide
pipeline that would run from Lake I and Cope Lake, located
south of Stoneridge Drive between the cities of Pleasanton and
Livermore, to the South Bay Aqueduct at the Del Valle Water
Treatment Plant in south Livermore. A new pump station at the
lakes would convey water uphill from the lakes to the aqueduct,
while gravity could carry water in the opposite
direction.
