A new aquatic invader, the golden mussel, has penetrated California’s ecologically fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the West Coast’s largest tidal estuary and the hub of the state’s vast water export system. While state officials say they’re working to keep this latest invasive species in check, they concede it may be a nearly impossible task: The golden mussel is in the Golden State to stay – and it is likely to spread.
Sweetwater Authority, which supplies drinking water to roughly
200,000 customers in Chula Vista and surrounding communities,
learned last month that its main reservoir contains levels of a
toxic industrial chemical that could require expensive
treatment or necessitate decommissioning the reservoir
entirely. The elevated chemical finding came as part of a
year-long testing process required by the Environmental
Protection Agency, or EPA. An earlier sample taken late last
year found PFAS levels high enough to require public
notification. Samples taken last month found even higher levels
of one chemical, PFOA, that the EPA has designated a “hazardous
substance” posing “a substantial danger to the public
health.”
Despite repeatedly warning that wildfire debris likely contains
hazardous substances, public officials are preparing to dump
millions of tons of contaminated ash and rubble from the Eaton
and Palisades fires into Southern California landfills that
were not designed to handle high concentrations of toxic
chemicals. … In the past, state environmental
regulators have issued violations for dumping hazardous
waste, including lead-contaminated soil, at these
landfills, citing the risk it poses to
groundwater.
The recent wildfires that devastated the greater Los Angeles
area have left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. More
than 10,000 homes were tragically lost, and entire communities
are now grappling with unimaginable loss and uncertainty. On
behalf of the water managers across the state, we extend our
deepest sympathy to all those affected by this catastrophe. We
recognize the importance of learning lessons from these events
to better prepare for wildfire response across the state, while
also understanding how public water systems are designed and
their limitations in the context of wildfire response. –Written by Joel Metzger, general manager of the Utica
Water and Power Authority, and David W. Pedersen, P.E., general
manager of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
The California agency in charge of the state’s Coachella Canal
failed to convince an appellate court to fully reverse a ruling
that awarded non-agricultural customers at least $17 million
for water-import charges that violated California’s
constitution. The constitution requires taxes imposed by local
government bodies such as the Coachella Valley Water District
to get local approval. The water district failed to convince
the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District that the
charges it imposed were exempt from that rule because there was
a rational basis to tax urban customers for the cost of
importing more water.
A California state appeals court upheld a $17 million decision
Friday awarding refunds to customers of the Coachella Valley
Water District after a panel of judges ruled the government
utility agency unconstitutionally charged non-agricultural
customers more than agricultural ones. In its 55-page ruling, a
panel of judges of California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal
affirmed a lower court decision in favor of the Howard Jarvis
Taxpayers Association, the nonprofit that brought the case. The
court said that the difference in water rates violated state
law because the rates are property taxes under the California
constitution — taxes that were not approved by voters.
Attorney Marc Chytilo filed the lawsuit in Santa Barbara courts
on January 17, challenging the city’s approval of the project,
which included plans for a 238-space underground parking garage
in an area Chytilo says has “known contaminated soil
and groundwater.” … “Disturbance of this groundwater
during construction is likely to cause health and safety
hazards to existing residents and businesses in the Funk Zone
from chemicals known to exist on and under the site,” said
Chytilo, who specializes in environmental cases. The legal
challenges argue that the city relied too much on its
14-year-old environmental impact report, ignoring the potential
for unknown impacts and allowing an exemption from California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for an independent
investigation into water supply and pressure, and his office
has released fact checks regarding whether there’s a water
shortage in the state. While President Donald Trump has been
critical of the state’s water management, he recently issued an
executive order directing more water be routed from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state, a
directive that one water expert described as not a solution but
a signal to supporters that “he’s trying to do something,” USA
TODAY reported. To fully understand the debate, it’s
important to know that Southern California gets most of its
water from two sources. Here’s an overview.
The Yorba Linda Water District (YLWD/District) is pleased to
announce that it has received a significant boost for its water
infrastructure initiatives with the authorization of $6.5
million through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.
This critical bill, S.4367, also known as the Thomas R. Carper
Water Resources Development Act of 2024 was officially signed
into law by President Joe Biden on January 4, 2025.
The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California voted to appoint a new top manager, dismissing Adel
Hagekhalil after a seven-month investigation into allegations
of discrimination that exposed deep divisions within
California’s largest urban water supplier. The new general
manager of the MWD will be Deven Upadhyay, who has been serving
in the position on an interim basis since Hagekhalil was placed
on leave last year. Board members announced their decision
to make a final offer of a legal settlement to Hagekhalil …
Hagekhalil’s lawyer, Kerry Garvis Wright, said he rejected the
offer. “This decision is nothing more than a political power
grab, clearing the way for Metropolitan to return to old and
antiquated water policies,” Garvis Wright said in an email.
“Over the past week, Mr. Hagekhalil offered to resolve his
legal claims against MWD, but now is left with no choice but to
pursue all his legal options to protect his rights and
reputation.”
The charred and toxic remnants of thousands of destroyed homes,
businesses, cars and electronics will eventually come to rest
in the ocean. Ash from the fires has been detected 100 miles
offshore. Public health officials have urged people to avoid
several miles of beaches as recent rains wash contaminants into
the sea. Unlike the smoke that emanates from rural wildfires,
the charred material now entering the ocean is the stuff of
“people’s homes: their cars, their batteries, their
electronics,” said Rasmus Swalethorp, a biological
oceanographer at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of
Oceanography. “It’s certainly going to contain a lot of things
that we ideally don’t want to see in our oceans — and in our
soils, for that matter, and our water streams, and certainly
not on our dinner plates.”
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power plans to hire an
independent engineer to assess whether an empty reservoir
contributed to the failure of its water system during the
Palisades Fire, when water supplies and some hydrants ran dry
after hours of intense firefighting. The 117-million-gallon
Santa Ynez reservoir, located adjacent to the Palisades
Highlands neighborhood, was emptied in early 2024 after a tear
was discovered in its rubber-like protective cover. The
decision to drain it has been the subject of speculation and
criticism by fire victims furious it was left dry.
The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California is considering the findings of a seven-month
investigation into accusations against General Manager Adel
Hagekhalil — a process that has revealed competing claims of
discrimination and exposed deep divisions among leaders of the
state’s largest urban water supplier. The board met twice in
closed session [last] week to consider the findings of
five completed investigations, which have not been made public.
Board members then voted to continue Hagekhalil’s leave of
absence until their next meeting Wednesday. Hagekhalil was
placed on leave in June in response to allegations by the
agency’s chief financial officer, Katano Kasaine, who accused
him of sexism and alleged he had harassed, demeaned and
sidelined her and created a hostile work environment.
Hagekhalil has denied the accusations, insisting he did nothing
wrong. During a public portion of Tuesday’s MWD meeting,
Hagekhalil told board members he was pleased with the results
of the investigations, which he said exonerated him, and that
he was eager and prepared to return to his job.
State water management officials must work more closely with
local agencies to properly prepare California for the effects
of climate change, water scientists say. Golden State
officials said in the newly revised California Water
Plan that as the nation’s most populous state, California
is too diverse and complex for a singular approach to manage a
vast water network. On Monday, they recommended expanding the
work to better manage the state’s precious water resources —
including building better partnerships with communities most at
risk during extreme drought and floods and improving critical
infrastructure for water storage, treatment and distribution
among different regions and watersheds.
It’s the most frustrating part of conservation. To save water,
you rip out your lawn, shorten your shower time, collect
rainwater for the flowers and stop washing the car. Your water
use plummets. And for all that trouble, your water supplier
raises your rates. Why? Because everyone is using so much less
that the agency is losing money. That’s the dynamic in
play with Southern California’s massive wholesaler, the
Metropolitan Water District, despite full reservoirs after two
of history’s wettest winters. … Should water users be
happy about these increases? The answer is a counterintuitive
“yes.” Costs would be higher and water scarcer in the future
without modest hikes now.
Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres and Congressman David Valadao
– members of the House Appropriations Committee – announced the
introduction of the bipartisan Removing Nitrate and Arsenic in
Drinking Water Act. This bill would amend the Safe Drinking
Water Act to provide grants for nitrate and arsenic reduction,
by providing $15 million for FY25 and every fiscal year
thereafter. The bill also directs the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to take into consideration the needs of
economically disadvantaged populations impacted by drinking
water contamination. The California State Water Resources
Control Board found the Inland Empire to have the highest
levels of contamination of nitrate throughout the state
including 82 sources in San Bernardino, 67 sources in Riverside
County, and 123 sources in Los Angeles County.
Explore the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
7830 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89123
The Topock Marsh has seen a significant drop in water levels
recently, with dry patches visible and locals concerned about
the effects on wildlife. The 4,000-acre Bureau of Reclamation
marsh is adjacent to the Colorado River in the Havasu National
Wildlife Refuge. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
it serves as a recreation area and wildlife habitat for the
Tri-state.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
7830 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89123
This special Foundation water tour journeyed along the Eastern Sierra from the Truckee River to Mono Lake, through the Owens Valley and into the Mojave Desert to explore a major source of water for Southern California, this year’s snowpack and challenges for towns, farms and the environment.
