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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
… (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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
… 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.
