Aquafornia

The federal government has restored funding for a captive breeding program designed to ensure survival of California’s delta smelt, even as President Donald Trump has sharpened criticism of the endangered fish. A five-year grant for the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Laboratory in Contra Costa County, which raises the smelt, expired last month, and many believed the funding would not be reinstated. Eleven of the lab’s 17 employees were let go. This week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and UC Davis confirmed that the federal funding, which makes up about three-quarters of the lab’s budget, would resume. Why the financing lapsed and why it ultimately returned amid the widespread funding cuts initiated by the Trump administration over the past two months was not immediately clear.

Other smelt news:

• E&E News by Politico: Trump admin approves funding to keep California’s delta smelt alive
• Daily Kos: Blog: Republican Rep. LaMalfa introduces resolution to repeal longfin smelt listing under the ESA
  

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced today the release of the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future: Progress Report, developed in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) with support from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Progress Report follows the release of the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, released in January 2024. California’s salmon populations are struggling to recover from years of drought, climate disruption, and other environmental and human-made challenges. … Of the 71 action items outlined in the Progress Report, roughly 67% of the projects are actively in development. Another 26% have already been fully completed. Only 7% of the action items are in the early, preliminary stages. 

Other salmon news:

• National Geographic: Our car tires are poisoning salmon—and maybe us, too​

Republican state lawmakers advanced an Arizona rural groundwater protection bill in the House on Tuesday, but rural stakeholders say the bill doesn’t do enough. Groundwater aquifers are running low in rural areas of the state, but Democrats and Republicans haven’t been able to come to an agreement on a conservation plan. The GOP management plan is in the form of a bill pushed by Sen. Tim Dunn (R-Yuma). It advanced out of a House committee on party lines Tuesday, despite the concerns of speakers and several lawmakers. The main sticking point is the amount of water use the plan would allow. In Dunn’s bill, SB 1520, water users would have to cut up to 10% of their use. Opponents say that isn’t enough. A group of rural stakeholders held a hearing protesting the bill before the committee hearing and said the maximum cuts to water use should be 25%.

It’s going to take an act of God or some savvy last-minute negotiating for Mexico to liquidate its enormous water debt with the United States by October 24. A new minute to the 1944 binational water treatment was signed late last year and American officials particularly in Texas have been pressing for Mexico to catch up on late – very late – water deliveries to the Rio Grande. … But the fact remains that northern Mexico is experiencing a prolonged drought and reservoirs on both sides of the border are running low, a Mexican official familiar with the issue told Border Report. … The 1944 treaty requires the U.S. to deliver water to Mexico from the Colorado River and Mexico to apportion the water from six Rio Grande tributaries from Chihuahua to Tamaulipas.

At the March 6, 2025, Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA) meeting, the Board welcomed its newest member, the Calpella County Water District, and swore in two new representatives. The discussion quickly turned to potential expansion, as several small mutual water companies expressed interest in joining. The Board also voted to approve a $147,750 comprehensive rate study that could pave the way for regional water consolidation, while tackling future challenges like PG&E’s plan to abandon the Potter Valley Project. As the Board works to secure water for the future, the weight of rising costs and strained resources looms large.

Other North Coast water news:

• Lake County News (Clear Lake, Calif.): Opinion: Making the most of the changes at Lake Pillsbury

A flash fire at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility prompted an emergency response on Tuesday, but no serious injuries were reported, authorities said. The fire was reported at 10:20 a.m. at the treatment plant on Los Esoteros Road north of Highway 237, according to statement from the San Jose’s Environmental Services Department. Two workers were in an enclosed area at the facility and working with unspecified chemicals when an aerosol ignited, resulting in a small fire, the department said. The workers’ protective gear spared them from being injured, the department said. The San Jose Fire Department was summoned to the site, and the two affected workers were given an “all clear” later in the morning. 

The California dairy industry, renowned for its significant contributions to agriculture, is navigating a series of challenges that demand substantial adaptation to ensure future success. Water scarcity, stringent labor laws and complex permitting regulations top the list of challenges in the Golden State, the nation’s largest milk producer and home to 1.71 million milk cows. Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, emphasizes the need to support the state’s farmers during these challenging times. “What we would like to do is focus on smart incentives because, over the years, the cumulative effect of so many regulatory agencies is adding to the complexity … as well as the cost of compliance,” Ross said in a one-on-one interview with Farm Journal during the California Dairy Sustainability Summit.

A group of 29 international students from the International House at UC Berkeley have been exploring Shasta County this week, courtesy of the Redding Rotary Club. Their itinerary included skiing at Mt. Shasta, paddle boarding on Shasta Lake, and a comprehensive tour of Shasta Dam. The students, hailing from countries such as China, India, and Pakistan, were given an in-depth look at the dam, from its towering heights to its base, along with a lesson in local history. The experience left a lasting impression on the visitors. Nakul Srikanth expressed his amazement, saying, “This is so cool… so much history, it has been around for like, 100 years almost. I learned a lot about the Hoover Dam to see that this was constructed exactly the same way, with the same engineers… it is so amazing.”

Last year, Indigenous tribes in California and Oregon realized a longstanding dream: the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. It was the largest such environmental restoration project in U.S. history, opening the way for salmon to return home to the Klamath and for tribes and other advocates to begin restoring the ecosystem that once flourished there. And last week, Grist’s Jake Bittle and Anita Hofschneider published a five-part, 14,000-word feature delving into the decades-long history of how it all happened. In their story, they describe the dam removal as “the result of an improbable campaign that spanned close to half a century, roped in thousands of people, and came within an inch of collapse several times. Interviews with dozens of people on all sides of the dam removal fight, some of whom have never spoken publicly about their roles, reveal a collaborative achievement with few clear parallels in contemporary activism.”