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 Interim Director Doug Beeman.
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A hearing on the city of Tehachapi’s objection to allegations
by Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District is set for 1:30
p.m. Friday, March 7, in Sacramento Superior Court. On Jan. 13,
the city filed a demurrer — the legal term for an objection —
challenging allegations by the water district that the city has
a “pattern and practice” of inadequate environmental review.
The city asked the court to strike the fourth cause of action
in the lawsuit filed by the water district after the city
approved the proposed Sage Ranch residential development in
September 2021. The water district responded with court filings
on Feb. 24. The district asked the court to overrule the city’s
demurrer and deny its motion to strike.
Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) announced Feb. 21 that
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has halted water
releases from Lake Spaulding to facilitate ongoing
infrastructure repairs. As a result, water reductions for
Placer County Water Agency customers in 2025 are expected
to match those implemented last year. PG&E’s damaged outlet
infrastructure at Lake Spaulding has severely impacted regional
water deliveries since March 2024. Multiple infrastructure
failures at PG&E facilities prevented water releases for
more than four and a half months, cutting off flows from the
reservoir into the Bear River, which ultimately feeds Rollins
Reservoir, a primary source for Placer County Water Agency’s
water system.
Lead pipes were banned in the United States in 1986. But dozens
of Inland Empire school districts still had lead showing up in
their drinking water in the past decade. California published
its final report on lead in school drinking water in 2020. At
that time, 18 of the Inland Empire’s four dozen districts and
other education agencies had lead in campus drinking fountains
or sinks, according to the State Water Resources Control
Board’s last listing. … After testing, all these districts
fixed the problems by replacing pipes, shutting off drinking
fountains and adding filters to sinks. Still, many Inland
students in recent years likely drank water with lead levels
higher than the recommended standard.
While Valley Water rebuilds Anderson Dam, we have ensured that
Coyote Creek and the Coyote Percolation Ponds in South San José
have enough water to recharge groundwater and support the
surrounding habitat and wildlife. In November 2024, our
agency completed the Cross Valley Pipeline Extension Project,
an important effort to enhance water supply and provide
environmental benefits in South County. This pipeline extension
allows us to send additional imported water into Coyote Creek
and the downstream percolation ponds while we rebuild Anderson
Dam. –Written by John Varela, District 1 Director on the Valley
Water board
The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water
Board) has begun its process to develop a new statewide Urban
Stormwater Infiltration Policy. The goal of the proposed new
policy is to establish statewide standards for stormwater
infiltration to provide a consistent regulatory framework to
“encourage infiltration of urban stormwater and increase local
water supply resiliency, provide greater protection of
stormwater quality, and develop projects with multiple benefits
for communities.”
Welcome to Women in Water 2025. This year’s women highlight
those working in landmark capacities who have truly dug into
the profession and its community. From a part-time meter reader
who became the first woman general manager of her utility (and
who has been on the front lines of PFAS since 2016) to water
law and solving disparity and accessibility across the world of
water, these women have embodied the can-do attitude required
by a vital industry that faces many challenges.
California is no stranger to drought. The worry about water
usage is an ongoing concern for homeowners and businesses
alike, but at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, the lush
landscaping suggests they don’t have a water worry at
all. … The reason for that peace of mind can be found in
the basement of the hotel. The Waldorf recently converted its
water recapturing system to Epic Cleantec, which allows
them to treat and reuse all of the hotel’s shower and sink
water to irrigate the landscaping throughout the property.
New requirements would be imposed on Oregon water rights
transfers under a bill that environmental advocates claim is
overdue but irrigators fear will block many transactions. Water
rights transfers would be prohibited under Senate Bill 427 if
they reduce stream flows along a longer stretch of a waterway,
which proponents say is needed to protect fish
habitat. … Currently, water rights transfers cannot
cause injury to other water users or expand the amount of water
used, among other requirements. Under SB 427, transfers that
involve changing the point of water diversion would also be
prohibited if they result in the “diminishment” of stream
flows.
Flooding remains one of the most frequent and severe natural
disasters in the United States, affecting communities
nationwide and causing long-term damage. Despite its widespread
impact, a significant portion of flood losses remains
uninsured, highlighting the gap between flood risk and
financial protection. The 2025 State of Flood Report, published
by Torrent Technologies, a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan,
examines these issues and emphasizes the need for expanded
insurance coverage to enhance community resilience. … (T)he
utilization of both (National Flood Insurance Program) and
private flood insurance remains low. A Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia analysis found that 70% of expected annual flood
losses in single-family residences across the US will remain
uninsured.
Perched atop craggy bluffs in a beachside city north of San
Diego, a railroad line offers passengers a sweeping view of the
Pacific Coast. But the ground beneath it is crumbling. No one
denies the problem, but a fight over how to solve it highlights
a broader challenge, and a worrisome reality, for California
residents: how to adapt to climate change that threatens
coastal living, a way of life that has long defined the state’s
identity, from its economy to its culture.
The big storms that pounded California in early February, after
a terribly dry January, did only so much to boost the state’s
lackluster snow levels. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, southern
Cascades and Trinity mountains will likely hover around 85% of
average, for the date, on Friday when state water managers
conduct their monthly snow survey. The survey comes after what
are typically the three snowiest months in California, helping
shed light on the state’s water picture for the coming year.
Snow, as it melts and fills rivers and reservoirs, accounts for
nearly a third of California’s water supply.
Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on
probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather
experts said. Federal workers who were not let go said the
afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local
forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the
country. Cuts at NOAA appeared to be happening in two rounds,
one of 500 and one of 800, said Craig McLean, a former NOAA
chief scientist who said he got the information from someone
with first-hand knowledge. That’s about 10% of NOAA’s
workforce.
Other weather and natural resource agency layoff and
resignation news:
The California Department of Water Resources announced Thursday
determinations for groundwater sustainability plans in 16
basins across the state. Officials say that these plans are
expected to present a roadmap for how local agencies will
sustainably manage groundwater, a critical water supply for
millions of Californians over the long-term. … Officials
say that of the 16 plan determinations that were announced on
Thursday, the DWR has approved 15 of the plans and deemed one
plan inadequate … Pleasant Valley (Fresno County).
A recent federal funding freeze has raised concern in Apache
and Navajo counties, where communities rely heavily on the
Colorado River for their water supply. The Trump
administration’s decision to halt funding for key conservation
and infrastructure projects has placed local initiatives in
jeopardy, intensifying concerns amid ongoing drought
conditions. … The Navajo Nation, which spans both Navajo
and Apache counties, has been working to secure water rights
and develop infrastructure to deliver Colorado River water to
its residents. However, the funding freeze threatens to delay
or derail projects including pipelines, water treatment
facilities and conservation efforts that are essential for
providing clean water to underserved areas.
Other water and environmental project funding news:
… Pacific Gas & Electric went public with its draft
application to walk away from the (Potter Valley Project) in
late January, citing financial losses and aging infrastructure
and setting the stage for one of California’s most contentious
water battles. Conservationists and tribal leaders say this is
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore the Eel River’s
salmon runs, long blocked by dams. Farmers, ranchers and local
officials warn that losing the project’s diversions could
devastate water supplies, cripple fire protection and threaten
a multimillion dollar agricultural industry. Some have even
urged the Trump administration to intervene, arguing that
PG&E’s plan to dismantle the project is reckless and puts
entire communities at risk.
Invasive species such as zebra, quagga, and now golden mussels
have become a significant financial burden in the United
States, with prevention and control efforts costing an
estimated $6 billion since 1988. The Nevada Department of
Wildlife has raised concerns about the potential impact of
these species on local ecosystems, particularly if zebra or
quagga mussels were to invade Lake Tahoe. The estimated
financial impact of such an invasion could exceed $20 million
annually.
Navajo Nation Delegate Shaandiin Parrish said that after Utah
signed the decree formalizing the Navajo Utah Water Rights
Settlement — allocating 81,500 acre-feet of water per year to
the Navajo Nation in Utah — work can begin on delivering clean
running water to thousands of people who have long needed it. …
Navajo officials now turn their attention to Congress, where
their Colorado River settlement with Arizona awaits action. The
agreement was left behind last year.
… On Feb. 19, the White House Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) eliminated all of the rules that implement
NEPA in an effort to “unleash” oil and gas drilling
at the same time that the world is heating up from fossil-fuel
driven climate change. … The Trump Administration’s decision
involves direct stakes for environmental conditions in the
river ways of Sacramento, Yolo and San Joaquin counties: The
National Environmental Policy Act authorizes NOAA
Fisheries to issue mandatory conditions for fish passage,
as well as to recommend other protection, mitigation and
enhancement measures for fish that migrate between freshwater
and saltwater—such as salmon, shad, steelhead, river herring,
eel, and sturgeon—and their habitat.
The California Water Institute at Fresno State announced Laura
Ramos has been appointed director, after serving in an interim
role since January 2023. Since that time, Ramos guided the
institute through significant advancements in research,
educational partnerships and community outreach. … Ramos played
a key role in launching several educational initiatives
including the option for Fresno State students to minor in
water education, the Water Book Club, the Water Bootcamp in
both English and Spanish and the Legislative Water Bootcamp in
partnership with the Maddy Institute. She has also co-authored
several reports and publications and secured nearly $1 million
in grants during her tenure as interim director.
From ducks and cranes to giant garter snakes and salmon,
flooded rice fields in California’s Central Valley offer
important — often vital — habitat to many wildlife species. Yet
uncertainties around crop markets, water and climate can prompt
some growers to fallow rice fields or change their management
practices. Will today’s rice acreage under current practices be
enough to meet key species’ needs? If not, how much rice is
needed? Where should it be planted? And what management
practices offer the greatest benefit for species of
concern? Scientists from the University of California,
Davis, and Point Blue Conservation Science address these
questions in a new report, “A Conservation Footprint for
California Rice,” written for the California Rice
Commission.
