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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… Across Indian Country, many reservations still lack access
to safe drinking water. On the Navajo Nation—roughly the size
of West Virginia—about 30% of citizens live without running
water. A reservation where nearly one-third of residents lack
running water exposes a stark divide between national wealth
and daily reality. This is more than an infrastructure issue—it
is a public health crisis, a matter of dignity, and an ongoing
policy failure. Earlier this month, Navajo Nation President Buu
Nygren testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs during a hearing that included review of the
Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of
2025. Nygren said a typical Navajo family that must haul
water to meet basic needs spends an average of $600 per
month. –Written by Levi Rickert, publisher and editor of Native
News Online.
A judge is now mulling whether to push pause on the attorney
general’s public nuisance lawsuit against a Saudi-owned alfalfa
farm as the state’s water resources department moves to
regulate groundwater in the area. Fondomonte
Arizona continues to face legal action from the state for
allegedly excessive groundwater pumping in the Ranegras Plain
Basin in La Paz County. But in January, the Arizona
Department of Water Resources’ director formed an active
management area in the basin, kickstarting the process for the
agency to assess and regulate groundwater use.
… Maricopa County Superior Judge Scott Minder heard
arguments from attorneys on March 25 and plans to issue a
ruling on whether to halt the case or let it proceed alongside
the AMA.
A state lawmaker has unveiled legislation designed to speed up
the construction effort that will bring much-needed flood
protection improvements to the Pajaro Valley. In the name of
increased efficiency, California Sen. John Laird has introduced
Senate Bill 1055, meant to expand the suite of contracting
tools available to the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency.
The local agency has been spearheading the ongoing overhaul of
the Pajaro River levee system in South Santa Cruz County and
North Monterey County alongside state and federal partners.
… The bill would authorize the flood management agency
to tap a number of additional contracting methods to maximize
flexibility in order to accelerate construction timelines and
reduce costs.
Sonoma County Regional Parks has received a $1.5 million state
grant to restore wetlands, streams and fish habitat at Mark
West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, county
officials announced. The funding from the California
Wildlife Conservation Board will support a three-year project
aimed at improving habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout
in a key tributary of the Russian River watershed, according to
a press release issued Friday. … The project
includes installing structures that mimic beaver dams, placing
large logs in streams, restoring side channels and wetlands,
and modifying or removing concrete dams that block fish
passage, county officials said.
The Golden Hills Community Services District Board of
Directors, along with representatives from the city of
Tehachapi, Stallion Springs and Bear Valley, heard a
presentation last week from the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water
District and the California Department of Water Resources on
the Delta Conveyance Works Project and the effects it would
have on the region. … Delta Conveyance Works would
essentially be a massive tunnel transporting water from the
Sacramento River under the San Francisco Bay Delta to be
returned to the system near the San Luis Reservoir. It carries
a hefty price tag of $20.1 billion.
Located in the San Francisquito Creek watershed in Portola
Valley on Stanford University’s campus, Searsville Dam blocks
wildlife migration and critical sediment between the headwaters
and San Francisco Bay, harming threatened Central California
Coast steelhead populations and reducing sediment that is
needed to protect sediment-starved San Francisco Bay wetlands,
a crucial buffer for communities from sea level rise. … Just
days ago, an updated NOP [Notice of Preparation] has been
released with dam removal included as one of the alternatives
and plans for offstream flood attenuation, indicating our
voices have been heard and our expertise incorporated into
their planning. Stanford announced that the draft EIR will be
released in November 2026, and we look forward to partnering
with Stanford University and others on the removal of this
antiquated, deadbeat dam.
For more than 50 years, NOAA Fisheries has conducted vital
research on seal and sea lion populations at a remote research
station on San Miguel Island, California. The long-term data
set provides clues to help us understand what environmental
conditions lead to malnourished California sea lion pups and
increased stranding levels. This information is important for
managing their populations and helping rehabilitation centers
prepare for periods when sea lion pup strandings may be
elevated.
Aquafornia is off Monday, March 30, in
advance of Tuesday’s state holiday recognizing farmworkers.
We will return with a full slate of water news
on Tuesday, March 31. In the meantime,
follow us on X/Twitter for
breaking news and on LinkedIn for
Foundation-related news.
A large coalition of Native American tribes, environmental
groups and fishing organizations is asking California Gov.
Gavin Newsom to oppose a federal plan to raise Shasta Dam,
saying it would harm rivers, wildlife and tribal lands. In a
letter sent to the governor, about 50 groups said the proposal,
backed by the Trump administration and some Central Valley
farming interests, would increase the height of Shasta Dam in
the Northstate. Supporters say the project could store more
water, but opponents argue the costs would be too
high. The groups say raising the dam would flood parts of
the McCloud River, which is protected under California
law.
It might seem like an April Fool’s joke. But it’s not. After a
month of dry and sometimes record hot weather, rain is finally
back in forecast. A low-pressure system from the Pacific
Northwest is expected to bring rain to much of Northern
California next Tuesday and Wednesday. The showers would be the
first rain in the area in a month — since March 2 — and
although it is still early, could generate half an inch to 1
inch of precipitation across the Bay Area. … The same
two-day system is also likely to bring 1 foot or more
of snow and cooler temperatures to the Sierra Nevada,
where ski resorts have been closing early for the season and
the snowpack has been dwindling due to record-high temperatures
in recent weeks.
Arizona has lost about 90% of its snowpack in just three weeks
following this month’s record-breaking heat wave, according to
a new survey. The snowpack in the White Mountains acts
like a slow-release savings account that feeds Phoenix’s
largest reservoirs. But this year, that bank is
emptying fast. … Arizona State University and SRP have been
tracking the snowpack from the sky using a new airborne survey
that measures snow across the entire watershed, not just one
spot. … SRP officials say runoff is still tracking below
normal. But with reservoirs slightly more than half full, they
say the water supply is stable for now as they wait for the
next big wet year.
Under the rusty cliffs of Marble Canyon, the start of the Grand
Canyon in Arizona, a nondescript river measurement gauge has
been tracking the flow of the Colorado River for decades. …
The Colorado River’s flows at the gauge, called Lees Ferry, are
fundamental to water sharing agreements among upstream states,
like Colorado, and downstream states including Arizona,
California and Nevada. If the river’s flow falls too low, the
three downstream states can raise a ruckus, arguing the
upstream states are breaking century-old agreements and forcing
the basin into a legal mire that might only be decided in the
U.S. Supreme Court.
Utilities and cities across California secured a victory
Thursday in a water dispute that hinged on contracts between
the federal government and local agencies. U.S. District Judge
Jennifer Thurston granted summary judgment to the U.S. Interior
Department and a host of cities and agencies, dismissing the
case against them. A coalition of environmental groups, headed
by the North Coast Rivers Alliance, failed to persuade her that
Central Valley Project water deliveries
require judicial approval. After years of litigation, the
environmental coalition had one remaining claim: that no water
delivery by a federal reclamation project to an irrigation
district could occur without a proper court confirming the
contract.
California Democrats on Wednesday moved to reinstate some
environmental protections they rolled back last year, reopening
a fight over how far the state should go in weakening its
landmark environmental law. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear on
Wednesday introduced amendments to SB 954, which previously was
a spot bill, to narrow the California Environmental Quality Act
exemption that lawmakers granted last year to “advanced
manufacturing facilities,” which range from data centers to
lithium mining. Lawmakers passed the exemption as part of
last-minute budget negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom in SB
131. … The advanced manufacturing exemption, however, ran
into immediate opposition from environmental and labor groups.
One Kings County groundwater agency will send an emissary to
Sacramento to ask for more time before its farmers are charged
fees while other agencies pour over a recent state report for
guidance. At its March 24 meeting, the Mid-Kings River
Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) approved sending Doug
Verboon, also a Kings County Supervisor, to Sacramento April 7
to appear before the Water Resources Control Board.
… Meanwhile, other GSAs are reacting to a recent Water
Board report on the neighboring Tule subbasin. … That report
recommended none of the Tule GSAs requesting exemptions from
reporting and fees be granted the so-called “good actor”
exclusions. The Water Board will consider the recommendation at
its April 21 meeting.
State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would allow a
New York-based investment company to sell water from rural La
Paz County to more urban parts of the state. The McMullen
Valley Basin is what’s known as a “transfer basin,” which
allows the water in it to be moved elsewhere. There are two
others, including the Harquahala Basin. Last year, lawmakers
approved a bill allowing water to be moved out of that basin.
Phoenix used to own the land in question but sold it in 2012. A
few years ago, a firm called Water Asset Management bought it.
The company is supporting the bill in the state Legislature.
As record heat melts snow in the Rocky Mountains and threatens
Arizona’s water supply, Phoenix is investing in a different
kind of solution, turning wastewater into drinking water. City
leaders say a major milestone at the Cave Creek Water
Reclamation Plant marks a step toward making that future a
reality. Crews this week filled a one-million-gallon treatment
basin as part of system testing, a sign the project is about
50% complete. … The facility is designed to take
wastewater and purify it into a reusable resource, something
water leaders say could help offset expected cuts to
the Colorado River.
During the 2024–2025 spawning season, endangered Central
California Coast coho salmon (CCC coho) migrated to Mendocino
Coast rivers in numbers few scientists thought they would see
in their careers. Monitoring teams estimated that more
than 30,000 adult coho returned, double the previous
season’s record-breaking return of 15,000 coho. These numbers
represent a significant leap from the past decade, where as few
as 3,000 fish returned annually. Several factors contributed to
this surge. Many scientists believe that reconnecting spawning
streams to mainstem rivers and other large-scale habitat
restoration projects significantly boosted their productivity
and abundance.
For decades, Southern California’s water system has relied
heavily on importing supplies from hundreds of miles away.
Water from the Colorado River and Northern California helped
sustain the growth of one of the world’s largest metropolitan
regions. But increasing pressure on those sources is prompting
the region to rethink how it secures its long-term water
future. Shivaji Deshmukh stepped into the role of General
Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California at a time when those questions are becoming more
urgent. … In this interview, Deshmukh discusses how
Metropolitan is diversifying Southern California’s water
portfolio through conservation, infrastructure investment and
new local supplies such as recycled water.
Mono County has adopted an ordinance aiming to protect
waterways from golden mussels. The ordinance was adopted by the
Mono County Board of Supervisors and establishes the mandatory
Water Vessel Inspection Program. Golden Mussels were first
detected in the state of California in late 2024, and county
officials say they have been spreading across the state
rapidly. Unlike other species of mussels, golden mussels can
survive in a wider range of temperatures and extreme alpine
environments, meaning they provide a greater threat to
ecosystems in the area.
