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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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Aquafornia news Lake County News (Lakeport, Calif.)

Town hall presents opposing views on controversial plan to decommission Potter Valley Project

The vastly different viewpoints around whether or not the Potter Valley Project should be decommissioned — and dismantled — took center stage at a special event in Lakeport at the end of May. The Lake County Chamber of Commerce hosted the Lake Pillsbury and Potter Valley Project town hall on the evening of Wednesday, May 28, at the Soper Reese Theater in Lakeport. The Potter Valley Project includes the Potter Valley powerhouse, Cape Horn Dam and Van Arsdale Reservoir, Scott Dam and Lake Pillsbury. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has operated the project for decades but in 2019 the corporation abandoned its license for the hydroelectric facility after determining it was “uneconomic” for its customers to maintain. The negotiations about the future of the project, and in particular Lake Pillsbury — located in northern Lake County — have seen Lake County largely sidelined by larger regional and political interests.

Related article:

Aquafornia news SFGate

Wildfire causes major damage to infrastructure at Mono Lake natural reserve

On the afternoon of May 22, a wildfire sparked next to Highway 395 near the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, causing major damage to the reserve’s infrastructure. The Inn Fire took off quickly, fueled by high and erratic winds that caused it to jump across the highway, where flames burned into the reserve. … Officials are still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the Inn Fire. One home burned down soon after the fire ignited, and flames destroyed vegetation in the Inyo National Forest, burning up toward the mountains. In the state reserve, Jackson said flames burned into protected wetland habitat and around the tufas. But the tufas are undamaged, she noted. … The California State Parks Sierra District is working with local land managers and other partners to plan how to rebuild the boardwalk and the interpretative signs that were lost in the fire.

Aquafornia news Best, Best & Krieger LLP

Blog: Supreme Court issues first major NEPA ruling in two decades

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-0 opinion that clarifies the scope of environmental effects analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and requires substantial judicial deference to federal agencies in NEPA cases. This decision has broad implications for public agencies and Tribal Nations involved in infrastructure and economic development projects, natural resources management, water supply project operations and other matters where there is a federal nexus. … For local communities, water agencies, and Tribal Nations with projects that depend on the NEPA process, this ruling offers a couple of key takeaways. The first is straightforward. The scope of environmental effects analyzed in an EIS will continue to be limited by the authority of the federal agency. … A more complex implication relates to judicial deference—particularly deference to a federal agency’s choice of alternatives and its feasibility analysis. 

Aquafornia news Marine Insight

California launches largest-ever cleanup of abandoned vessels from Delta

The State Lands Commission of California has carried out the largest-ever cleanup of abandoned commercial vessels at a single site in its history. The operation took place at the Sevenmile Slough area in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, at a location locally known as the Skarry site. This stretch of water had been heavily affected by rotting, abandoned vessels for years. For decades, abandoned vessels have been a persistent issue across California’s waterways. However, the problem has been especially severe in the Delta region. The Commission said that the site contained several large and deteriorating vessels that had remained untouched in the water, continuing to break down and causing concerns for public safety and the environment. … Workers cleared nearly 1,000 tons of debris from the Delta. They also found and removed more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from one of the largest crane barges.

Related article:

Aquafornia news The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Richmond fined for sewage water releases into San Francisco Bay

Richmond agreed to pay a $336,000 fine after it was found to have released poorly treated sewage water into the San Francisco Bay for more than a year. Half of that money will go toward environmental education for children. Between July 31, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023, inadequately treated wastewater was released 112 times from the Richmond Municipal Sewer District Water Pollution Control Plant at 601 Canal Blvd., the San Francisco Bay Regional Water District announced Friday. Each violation cost the city $3,000, according to a settlement agreement between the city and water district. Richmond’s water pollution control plant is responsible for reducing the amount of harmful chemicals and pollutants flushed down toilets and dumped in the drains of Richmond homes, businesses and industrial operations before flowing into the San Francisco Bay.

Other San Francisco Bay news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Newsom’s power play on the Delta tunnel

Gov. Gavin Newsom is up to his old tricks, trying to ram major policy change through the state Legislature on short notice. And again lawmakers are pushing back. Not only lawmakers, but the Legislature’s nonpartisan, independent chief policy analyst. The Legislative Analyst‘s Office has recommended that legislators hold off voting on what the governor seeks because they’re being pressed to act without enough time to properly study the complex matter. Newsom is asking the Legislature to “fast-track” construction of his controversial and costly water tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. … Delta towns and farmers, environmental groups and the coastal salmon fishing industry are fighting the project and the governor’s latest move to expedite construction. If there are any supporters at the state Capitol outside the governor’s office for his fast-track proposal, they’re not speaking up.
–Written by Capitol Journal columnist George Skelton.

Other Delta tunnel news:

Aquafornia news inewsource (San Diego)

Sweetwater Authority may buy more water to dilute algal bloom

Facing its largest seasonal algal bloom in 20 years, the Sweetwater Authority may need to buy water to address the problem. At its May 28 board meeting, the South Bay agency agreed to increase its budget for the year in case it must purchase more water to dilute the water supply. The agency says doing so would help mitigate changes to the water’s taste and odor caused by the algae. … For the past six months Sweetwater has been grappling with a number of pollutants in its main reservoir and has been using its water surplus to dilute the problem. Earlier this year, the authority transferred water to the Sweetwater Reservoir from Loveland Reservoir to lower levels of chemicals, known as PFAS, detected in the water. Now, in what they say is a separate issue, the agency would either use purchased water to dilute the algal bloom, or may also sell the purchased water to customers rather than diluting its own.

Aquafornia news Arizona State University

News release: Water-cleaning bacteria can produce health, economic benefits

… (Bruce) Rittmann leads the Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology in ASU’s Biodesign Institute. For more than 20 years at ASU, Rittmann has been creating and refining a technology that uses microbes like bacteria to remove harmful substances from water. The technology is called membrane biofilm reactor, or MBfR. … His team developed the membrane catalyst-film reactor, or MCfR, to support the bacteria in the MBfR. The MCfR uses a metal called palladium to break the fluorine bonds in the chain. This step allows the microbes to finish the job of turning harmful PFAS into its harmless components. Rittmann says the combined MBfR and MCfR system works on the top six PFAS chemicals targeted by the EPA in drinking water. It can also work on others that are of concern to environmental and human health.

Aquafornia news E&E News by Politico

Friday Top of the Scroll: Interior needs to step up in Colorado River talks, critics say

Negotiations over a new operating plan for the Colorado River are being hobbled by the federal government’s failure to take a more aggressive role in the discussions, said current and former state and federal officials Thursday. The critiques came from a cadre of former water managers who took part in previous deals on the waterway under both Democratic and Republican administrations, speaking during the annual 45th Annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources at the University of Colorado. “The current process kind of feels like the conclave,” said Jim Lochhead, the former CEO of Denver Water and former executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, referring to the process of electing a new Catholic pope. “We’re waiting for the black smoke or the white smoke to come out of the seven-state negotiating meeting.”

Other Colorado River negotiation news:

Aquafornia news Los Angeles Times

Recreational salmon fishing is resuming this weekend in California

After a two-year shutdown, fishing boats will fan out along the California coast angling for Chinook salmon this weekend as recreational fishing resumes under strict limits. Coastal salmon fishing was banned in 2023 and 2024 in an effort to help the population recover after years of declines. … The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is limiting ocean fishing under quotas in two windows in the summer and fall. The first is set to open Saturday-Sunday and allow for up to 7,000 salmon to be caught statewide. … Biologists say salmon populations have declined because of a combination of factors including dams, which have blocked off spawning areas, the loss of vital floodplain habitats, and global warming, which is intensifying droughts and causing warmer temperatures in rivers. … Those who work in fishing also blame California’s water managers and policies, saying too much water has been pumped to farms and cities, depriving rivers of sufficient cold water at the times salmon need it.

Related article:

Aquafornia news Stocktonia (Calif.)

Invasive golden mussels first found in Stockton may bring action from Congress

An invasive species of mussels first discovered in the Port of Stockton is now getting attention in Washington, D.C. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, said this week he has joined other Delta-area members of Congress in introducing a bill aimed at trying to halt the spread of golden mussels. The mollusks have been found in various parts of the Delta and as far south as Bakersfield. The discoveries have prompted a variety of measures, including closure of at least one popular San Joaquin County reservoir to the launching of boats, kayaks and other watercraft. Perhaps most alarming, officials at Lake Tahoe say their inspectors found a boat that the owner had hoped to launch that was encrusted with golden mussels. … Harder said the bill that was introduced will protect Delta and waterways by initiating a rapid response program to contain and eradicate infestations. It also will fund new technology and inspection stations and foster coordination between local, state and federal agencies.

Other golden mussels news:

Aquafornia news SJV Water

Powerful Kern water agency wants to boot judge off of Kern River case

The Kern County Water Agency filed a motion May 30 seeking to remove Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp from the long-running Kern River lawsuit saying it believes he is prejudiced against the agency. It’s highly unusual – one opposing attorney said improper  – to try and get a judge removed from a case without a ruling, much less one that hasn’t even gone to trial yet. Disqualification efforts are typically filed if one side gets a negative ruling at trial that’s later overturned at a higher level and then sent back down to the original judge. … The Kern County Water Agency is making its case to Kern County’s Presiding Judge John Lua that Pulskamp is biased against it because his preliminary injunction, which had required enough water in the river to support fish, was overturned by the 5th District Court of Appeal. “The term ‘new trial’ is interpreted broadly to include any reexamination of actual or legal issues in controversy in the prior proceeding,” the agency’s motion states.

Aquafornia news KERO (Bakersfield, Calif.)

Hurtado’s ‘Common Sense Plan’ bills advance to California Assembly

Four bills authored by State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) have cleared the California Senate, advancing to the State Assembly as part of what she calls her “Common Sense Plan” to address affordability, infrastructure, and corporate accountability in the Central Valley. … The advancing legislation includes Senate Bill 224, the Preventing Artificial Water Shortages Act, which would require the Department of Water Resources to adopt better forecasting tools to avoid unnecessary water releases. Hurtado said the bill is aimed at avoiding the kind of mismanagement that led to skyrocketing water prices in some communities. … Senate Bill 556, the Flood Protection and Groundwater Recharge Act, would direct funding toward floodplain restoration projects in flood-prone areas such as McFarland. The measure is intended to reduce flood risks while helping to replenish groundwater supplies in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.

Other California water and environmental legislation news:

Aquafornia news Bureau of Reclamation

News release: Reclamation awards Colorado River Indian Tribes $1.1M to assess existing infrastructure and potential modernization opportunities

The Bureau of Reclamation announced an investment of $1.1 million to the Colorado River Indian Tribes to assess the Colorado River Indian Irrigation Project. The funding will assist the tribe to review existing infrastructure and identify necessary maintenance. It will also be used to identify potential opportunities to install new equipment and utilize updated technology to modernize the project. “We appreciate the Colorado River Indian Tribe’s collaboration for many years on implementing its decreed water rights and the Water Resiliency Act,” said Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. “We look forward to utilizing this funding to further this partnership.” This assessment is intended to assist the Colorado River Indian Tribes as they evaluate a potential title transfer of the project in order to take direct ownership. This could allow for water leasing and other opportunities that could contribute to overall water savings in the Colorado River Basin. 

Aquafornia news Native News Online

Land back: 47,097 acres returned to Yurok Tribe

The Yurok Tribe, California’s largest federally recognized tribal nation, was given 73 square miles of land — or 47,097 acres — along the eastern side of the lower Klamath River on Thursday. The land exchange is being called the largest single “land back” deal in California history. … The 73 square miles of land is now owned and managed by the Yurok Tribe as the Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest. … These lands — comprising forests, river corridors, and prairies — support essential habitat for many imperiled species, including coho and Chinook salmon, marbled murrelets, northern spotted owls, and Humboldt martens. In the face of climate change, Blue Creek remains a crucial cold-water refuge for salmon, steelhead, and other native fish.

Related articles:

Aquafornia news SFGate

Lake Mead, the biggest US reservoir, is at third-lowest elevation in a decade

Every year, boating enthusiasts across the Southwest hitch watercraft to their vehicles and haul them down to Lake Mead, a Colorado River reservoir straddling Arizona and Nevada. This year, though, they’ll have to contend with dramatically low water levels. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the reservoir’s 2025 elevation is the third lowest it’s seen in a decade, and the Colorado’s meager snowpack isn’t expected to help matters. In response, the National Park Service is taking steps to ensure that visitors can still recreate on the lake this summer and beyond. But the future remains uncertain for the country’s largest reservoir. … With reduced supply, Lake Mead’s elevation is dwindling. At the end of May, the reservoir sat at just 1,057 feet above sea level, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. That’s 5 feet lower than the end of April, which was another 4 feet lower than in March.

Other Lake Mead and Lake Powell news:

Aquafornia news SJV Water

Small Kings County city jumps in the ring in legal fight against state Water Board

The small city of Lemoore recently joined the legal fight against the powerful state Water Resources Control Board over groundwater sanctions issued against Kings County farmers by the state last year. The Lemoore City Council on May 22 submitted an “amicus brief,” or friend of the court motion, in support of an injunction that has, so far, held those groundwater sanctions at bay.  The injunction was ordered by a Kings County Superior Court judge as part of a lawsuit filed against the Water Board by the Kings County Farm Bureau. The state appealed the injunction, which is now under review by the 5th District Court of Appeal. … Because of that injunction, local farmers have avoided having to meter and register their wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay $20 per acre foot pumped to the state. The sanctions were issued after the Water Board placed the region on probationary status in April 2024 for not having an adequate groundwater plan.

Aquafornia news ABC10 (Sacramento, Calif.)

California faces growing drought as risk intensifies

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows growing dryness in California. Parts of the northwest corner of the state are now in the abnormally dry category. The typical impacts in this category include growing fire risk, dry soils, and more required irrigation. Other areas in the state remained unchanged as of June 3, 2025. Much of Central and Southern California are in some drought category. The Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley from Merced County to parts of Kern County is in moderate drought. Surrounding hill areas remain abnormally dry. Farther south, from Santa Barbara to San Diego Counties, coastal and inland communities remain in severe drought. Dryness intensifies in parts of Inyo County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, San Diego and Imperial County where extreme drought conditions are present. The most intense category is exceptional drought which only covers a small portion of the southeast corner of Imperial County.

Other drought news around the West:

Aquafornia news Inside Climate News

New Mexico bans release of treated oil and gas wastewater

After months of deliberation, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission on May 14 voted to prohibit any discharge of treated “produced water” from oil and gas extraction to ground and surface waters. Produced water flows back to the surface during fracking and conventional oil and gas drilling and contains chemicals used in the extraction process as well as numerous other hazardous compounds, including arsenic and benzene, both human carcinogens. New Mexico creates around two billion barrels—84 billion gallons—of this toxic wastewater each year. Cleaning through multi-stage filtration, desalination and other processes could allow for the reuse of produced water for irrigation and other commercial applications, saving precious water resources. But environmental advocates, scientists and the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) have urged that proper regulations are not yet in place to make such reuse safe. 

Other New Mexico water news:

Aquafornia news The Guardian (London, U.K.)

‘Tastes like water’: how a US facility is recycling sewage to drink

… The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County, California, houses the pipes, filters and pumps to move up to 130m gallons each day – enough for 1 million people – processing it from dark to clear. The facility, which opened in 2008, is part of broader moves to help conserve water. … The idea is to take the water from the sanitation district next door and to push it through a three-step process – microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light purification – to make clean water. The facility provides 45% of central Orange County’s water and helps manage storm water inflows and reduce reliance on imported water. … In general, once sewage has been treated, the water is returned to our rivers, but extreme droughts and climate breakdown are pushing cities to consider using recycled sewage for drinking water. It is already done in Israel, Singapore and Kuwait, but Orange County has been a US pioneer in this area, hoping to reduce dependence on water piped from faraway rivers or pumped from shrinking aquifers under the ground.