Following a wet spring that resulted in a vast amount of
vegetative growth, Boulder County, Colorado, experienced a very
dry fall. The dry conditions zapped the moisture out of the
vegetation. The county was under a red flag for extremely windy
conditions. The heavy winds were coming from the west through
the east, enveloping the open area of the county. The dry
vegetation, combined with the windy conditions, created the
perfect recipe for a fire to break out. What ensued over the
following hours would be studied for years to come. A case
study, titled “Water Utility Resilience: A Case Study of the
2021 Marshall Fire,” was conducted and prepared by Professor
Brad Wham, University of Colorado, Boulder, Professor Erica
Fischer, Oregon State University, and University of Colorado,
Boulder, Graduate Assistant Rachel Geiger. … Geiger
detailed the day the fire broke out, as well as the impact of
it on five nearby water systems and the
residents they serve.
Amazon is expanding the number of locations that will use
treated wastewater for data center cooling from 20 to 120. The
company this week announced it will expand its use of water
recycling to more than 120 locations in states and counties
where the cloud giant has data center operations by 2030.
… Though data centers typically reuse water by
recirculating the same water through their cooling systems
multiple times, it is often drawn from potable (drinkable)
sources. As the water can collect bacteria and limescale, it is
treated with chemicals, leaving it unsuitable for people to
drink once it leaves the facility. Exactly how much drinkable
water the data center industry uses is unclear, but estimated
to be in the billions of gallons annually. Today, Amazon
uses recycled water instead of potable or drinkable water
across 20 locations; 16 in Virginia and four in Santa Clara in
California.
On scorching days when winds blow across the California desert,
the Salton Sea regularly gives off a stench of decay resembling
rotten eggs. New research has found that the shrinking lake is
emitting the foul-smelling gas hydrogen sulfide more frequently
and at higher levels than previously measured. The findings
document how the odors from the Salton Sea add to the air
quality problems and health concerns in communities near the
lake, where windblown dust drifts from exposed stretches of
lakebed and where people suffer from high rates of asthma and
other respiratory illnesses. “The communities around the Salton
Sea are on the front lines of a worsening environmental health
crisis,” said Mara Freilich, a co-author of the study and
assistant professor in Brown University’s Department of Earth,
Environmental and Planetary Sciences.
… In new research published in the journal Biological
Conservation, (UC Davis PhD candidate Sidney) Woodruff and her
colleagues propose a possible — though intensive —
countermeasure: a near-total eradication of the bullfrog from
habitats that it has invaded. The result was the striking
recovery of the Northwestern pond turtle, California’s only
native freshwater pond turtle species, at a couple of remote
bodies of water within Yosemite National Park.
… Woodruff and her colleagues conducted a combination of
night surveys to remove the adults and day surveys to go after
bullfrog egg masses. Across two sites, she estimates they
removed some 16,000 bullfrogs, amounting to a near-complete
eradication. And after several years of removal, “we came
across our first couple of small pond turtle hatchlings and
juveniles swimming out in the environment,” says Woodruff.
A cross-border sewage crisis affecting Southern California
could play a role in a prominent congressional race, where a
Republican challenger has become a national figure on the
issue. Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, has been
sounding the alarm recently on Fox News and other conservative
outlets about the untreated sewage that’s been flowing from the
Tijuana River in Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, contaminating the
water and sickening residents. At the same time, he’s seeking
to unseat Rep. Mike Levin, accusing the Democratic incumbent of
not doing enough to protect residents. … Desmond says
Levin’s focus — including $635 million that Levin has gotten
approved for projects like improving a major sewage plant on
the Mexican side through the bipartisan infrastructure law,
among other actions — lets Mexican officials off the hook.
… Recently the governor used his May budget revision to
fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project, saying that was a
critical addition to the State Water Project. That announcement
drew criticism from opponents. The 15-member Delta Caucus
— a bipartisan group of lawmakers representing Delta
communities — sent a letter to Newsom and legislative leaders
saying they are “unanimous in strong opposition to the
governor’s proposal to fast-track the Delta tunnel.” One
of the caucus members is State Sen. Christopher Cabaldon
(D-Yolo), who previously served as the mayor of West Sacramento
for two decades. Cabaldon recently spoke with Insight Host
Vicki Gonzalez about the caucus’s opposition to the Delta
Conveyance Project, and the alternative methods that could help
meet the state’s water needs.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the
California Department of Water Resources have issued a warning
to residents about a toxic algal mat in the Pit River, located
in the Jess Valley area near the Modoc National Forest. The
departments urged the public to exercise caution when engaging
in recreational activities near this area. They explained that
harmful algal blooms (HABs) are caused by algae or
cyanobacteria that can grow suspended in the water column or
attached to the bottom, forming algal mats. Some species of
these algae can produce toxins, posing a risk to humans and
pets. The department said to call your veterinarian or doctor
immediately if you become sick after ingesting or coming in
contact with algae. … The departments said they will
provide updates through a routine water monitoring program that
conducts site visits at this waterway.
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.
A new science brief published today by Audubon California shows
that a number of factors have surprisingly resulted in an
increase in wetland habitat, and that an increasing number of
shorebirds are taking advantage of the changes—driving a growth
rate of 15 percent per year in waterbirds overall. This new
development comes as the Sea continues to witness the shrinkage
of deep-water habitats and fish-eating bird
populations. This finding and others are drawn from seven
years of Audubon’s bird surveys and habitat assessments at the
Salton Sea. … The science brief, which summarizes a
more comprehensive scientific study currently under peer review
in a scientific journal, points to significant shifts in
habitats, food availability, and bird populations. Newly formed
vegetated wetlands, for example, increased from 5,944 acres in
2019 to 7,312 acres in 2022, or by 23 percent.
… (T)hings only got worse on May 30, when the Trump
administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for NASA came
out. It proposes cutting the agency’s science funding by 47%,
and the agency’s workforce by about one-third — from 17,391 to
11,853. … According to the Planetary Society’s analysis
of the budget, that huge astrophysics reduction could mean
eight spacecraft dedicated to studying extreme events in the
universe (think, the Chandra X-ray Observatory) would be
terminated. This analysis also suggests 10 missions constructed
to study the region around Earth and the sun would be
cancelled, as well as about a dozen Earth-specific missions
that help scientists forecast natural disasters such as
hurricanes and track global
warming. … Per the budget proposal, the
White House also wants NASA to eliminate its “green aviation”
spending, dedicated to making airplanes better for the
environment, and instead work on “protecting the development of
technologies with air traffic control and defense
applications.”
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.
… (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.
The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management (CEM)
unanimously approved Resolution No. 25-005, officially
declaring a State of Emergency in response to worsening drought
conditions across the Nation. All six commissioners voted in
favor of the resolution. … Resolution 25-005 addresses a
range of urgent concerns, including critically low
precipitation, deteriorating rangelands, declining water
infrastructure, and heightened wildfire risks. The declaration
calls on livestock owners to reduce herd sizes, instructs
Grazing Officials to update tally counts, and encourages
farmers to shift to drought-resistant crops. It also places
restrictions on irrigation to conserve dwindling lake and
reservoir supplies. … The resolution authorizes
$6,553,730 from the Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) to
be directed toward critical repairs to windmills and the
installation of water storage systems in drought-affected
communities.
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.
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.
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.
… Last year, the final of four hydroelectric dams on the
Klamath River were removed in the largest project of its kind
in US history. Forged through the footprint of reservoirs that
kept parts of the Klamath submerged for more than a century,
the river that straddles the California-Oregon border has since
been reborn. The dam removal marked the end of a
decades-long campaign led by the Yurok, Karuk and Klamath
tribes, along with a wide range of environmental NGOs and
fishing advocacy groups, to convince owner PacifiCorp to let go
of the ageing infrastructure. The immense undertaking also
required buy-in from regulatory agencies, state and local
governments, businesses and the communities that used to live
along the shores of the bygone lakes. As the flows were
released and the river found its way back to itself, a new
chapter of recovery – complete with new challenges – emerged.
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.
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.
… The Colorado River Basin is in dire straits: The water
supply for 40 million people has been dwindling, and
climatologists say the climate future is bleak. State officials
have spent months mired in thorny negotiations over things like
how to split painful water cuts in the driest conditions — with
scant progress to report publicly. … The final plan
could determine everything from how key reservoirs store and
release water to who takes cuts in dry years and how
environments, like the Grand Canyon, will be impacted for years
to come. It will impact water supplies for cities, like Denver,
Phoenix and Los Angeles, ecosystems, a multibillion-dollar
agricultural industry, hydroelectric power and more.
