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“California is now collecting more groundwater data than ever before as highlighted in the Semi-Annual Groundwater Conditions Update released today by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). Made up of groundwater data gathered over the past year from various DWR tools and annual reports from local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs), the Update includes information on statewide groundwater levels, groundwater storage, recharge, land subsidence, well infrastructure and the status of California’s groundwater conditions. “When it comes to water management in California, it’s important that state and local water decisions are made with the latest, most accurate data in mind. Thanks to the information collected from our local partners, we’re gaining more knowledge about the challenges our groundwater-dependent communities are facing and their progress towards meeting the overall goals set by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” said Paul Gosselin, DWR Deputy Director of Sustainable Water Management. … ” Read more from DWR.
“A year of average precipitation gave California’s groundwater supplies a significant boost, according to a state analysis released Tuesday. California’s aquifers gained an estimated 2.2 million acre-feet of groundwater in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, the state’s 2024 water year. That’s about half the storage capacity of Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir. State officials said local agencies reported that about 1.9 million acre-feet of water went underground as a result of managed aquifer recharge projects designed to capture stormwater and replenish groundwater. The boost to underground supplies occurred while the state is implementing water-saving programs and regulations intended to help curb chronic overpumping in farming areas in the Central Valley. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
“Today, Governor Newsom and the Department of Water Resources released a new report showing that the state is collecting more groundwater data than ever before, and strengthening partnerships with water agencies to ensure that more groundwater is collected. While this can help the millions of Californians who rely on this water supply, it is not nearly enough. In order to continue capturing, moving, and storing enough water for all Californians, the state must complete long-delayed infrastructure projects and water system improvements, such as the Delta Conveyance Project. “California is taking an all-in approach to its water supply — including creating more groundwater storage and data to help us plan for the future,” said Governor Newsom. “The data doesn’t lie, and it is telling us that our water system is unprepared for California’s hotter and drier climate. That means we also need to build new water infrastructure like the Delta Conveyance Project. We literally cannot afford to wait to complete this vital project and Californians are sick and tired of the self-imposed roadblocks standing in the way of our state’s continued progress.” … ” Read more from Governor Newsom.
SEE ALSO: Report: Spring 2025 – California’s Groundwater Conditions, Semi-Annual Update
“The rich, fertile soil of California’s Central Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions on the planet, producing about a quarter of the nation’s food supply annually. Much of that productivity relies on groundwater. During an average year, 43 percent of the freshwater used for domestic and irrigational purposes in the Central Valley comes from groundwater, rising to 70 percent in drought years, according to the United States Geological Survey. The Central Valley contains 75 percent of the irrigated land in California and 17 percent of all the irrigated land in the U.S. Because of overuse, groundwater levels declined significantly over the last century. Now, the region’s cropland may be critical for refilling groundwater reservoir, according to a new report by Stanford University scientists. “When surface water supplies run low during droughts, people turn to pumping groundwater,” Seogi Kang, a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford and co-author of the report, told TriplePundit. “The problem is groundwater is finite. We’ve been over-pumping it for decades, and natural recharge from precipitation can’t keep up.” … ” Read more from Triple Pundit.
“Scientists at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are making an iconic but troubled fish’s life easier, looking at how pesticides may impact Chinook salmon’s ability to avoid predators while migrating to the ocean. Michael Lydy, professor of zoology, and Kara Huff Hartz, senior scientist at SIU’s Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, are cooperating with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the University of California-Davis on the project. They are examining the specific sublethal effects that varying amounts and types of pesticides have on the fish’s natural predatory-avoidance behaviors. The goal is to create a tool called a “response spectrum model” that predicts the various effects associated with exposure to pesticides among the fish. It would give wildlife managers the chance to use residue data to assess the sublethal effects of such exposures in field-caught fish and then take various corrective actions designed to help them survive. … ” Read more from Southern Illinois University.
“California’s June 7-8 Ocean salmon season offered some of the best fishing many longtime anglers can remember. Fast action, quick limits and bustling harbors characterized the weekend along much of the coast with a hot salmon bite reported as far south as San Luis Obispo County. Excellent ocean conditions from Crescent City all the way down to Avila Beach allowed anglers to get out both days and try to catch the iconic sport fish in ocean waters for the first time since 2022. “We’ve seen so many pictures and heard many stories of people enjoying their time on the water with family and friends,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “By all accounts, the weekend was a huge success.” … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
SEE ALSO: Over 9,000 Chinook salmon caught during California’s 2-day season, from KRON
“A major clean energy and infrastructure project planned for California’s Central Valley could reduce electricity costs, create thousands of jobs, and breathe new life into fallowed agricultural land. The Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP), developed by Golden State Clean Energy, a Newport Beach-based renewable energy and infrastructure developer, in collaboration with the Westlands Water District, is a master-planned transmission and renewable energy project located in Fresno County. The project aims to repurpose up to 130,000 acres of drainage-impaired and subsidence-prone agricultural lands for solar generation, energy storage, and high-voltage transmission infrastructure in western Fresno County—one of the most productive but water-challenged farming regions in the U.S. According to the developer, the VCIP would generate 20 gigawatts of clean energy across the state, supported by new 500-kilovolt transmission lines and substations. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
SEE ALSO: Dried-up California farmland to become site of world-record solar facility, from SF Gate
“The newest, hottest power couple doesn’t live in Hollywood. It’s actually the marriage of solar panels and water reservoirs: Known as floating photovoltaics, or floatovoltaics, the devices bob on simple floats, generating power while providing shade that reduces evaporation. One primary advantage of the technology is that you don’t have to clear trees to make way for solar farms. As an added bonus, the water cools the panels, increasing their efficiency. Research has shown that if societies deployed floatovoltaics in just a fraction of the lakes and reservoirs of the world, they could generate nearly a third of the amount of electricity that the United States uses in a year. As floatovoltaic systems rapidly proliferate — the market is expected to grow an average of 23 percent each year between 2025 and 2030 — scientists are investigating how the technology might influence ecosystems. … ” Read more from Grist.
“In an era when agriculture often finds itself misunderstood by those far removed from farm life, voices from the industry are calling for a new focus: education. In a recent conversation on AgNet West, Nick Papagni, known as “the Ag Meter,” interviewed Nick Anderson from Helena Agri Enterprises to explore how California might better prioritize farming through outreach and awareness.Nick Anderson emphasized that while California’s agricultural community continues to be a pillar of innovation and sustainability, it faces strong headwinds from public perception. “California is overwhelmed by the other side,” Anderson said, referring to misconceptions held by many non-farm residents. He commended the agricultural community for making strides to integrate and educate, despite the challenges. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
“In a recent interview on AgNet West, Daniel Jackson of Family Tree Farms voiced deep frustration over what he describes as the California government’s growing disconnect from the realities of farming in the Central Valley. Speaking with AgNet West’s Nick Papagni, Jackson didn’t mince words: “They’re so disconnected to what’s going on… We don’t have the population here in the valley to run things. We know that.”This disconnect, according to Jackson, leads to policy decisions that harm agriculture rather than support it. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
“California’s regulatory authority over “waters of the state” continues to grow even as the federal definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) narrows under shifting legal and regulatory frameworks. In Sackett v. EPA (598 U.S. 651 (2023)), the U.S. Supreme Court significantly restricted the scope of federal authority over waters and wetlands under the Clean Water Act (CWA), rejecting the “significant nexus” test from Rapanos v. United States (547 U.S. 715 (2006)). The Court held that only “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing” waters with a “continuous surface connection” to navigable, interstate waters qualify as federally jurisdictional WOTUS.While the full impact of Sackett remains in flux, it is clear that many aquatic features previously protected under federal law are no longer considered jurisdictional WOTUS. This includes non-wetland features such as isolated waters and ephemeral streams, as well as wetlands that do not physically adjoin a jurisdictional waterbody. … ” Read more from Allen Matkins.
“USGS researchers are leveraging advances in satellite-based monitoring to better characterize and predict flood inundation, which is essential for effective emergency response and water management planning. Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long corridors of water vapor transport that extend from the tropics to mid-latitudes. These meteorological phenomena can bring large amounts of rain or snow to the western United States each year. In locations like California, AR storms are responsible for the largest magnitude floods in the state. Emergency responders, water managers and planners need to be able to predict where flood inundation will occur due to an AR storm. But the complex connection between AR precipitation and flooding – which is needed for these predictions – is only partially understood. … ” Read more from the USGS.
“Lake Tahoe is big. It is about 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, and 191 square miles. On a surface that big at an elevation of 6,224 feet and full of snowmelt, situations on the water can change rapidly and be unpredictable. Saturday, June 21, 2025 was evidence that this is true, and it was a day that was even more unpredictable than normal. There were no wind warnings, though the day before, there was a Red Flag warning to the east in the Reno/Carson City area, while Lake Tahoe had a Wind Advisory that expired Friday night. A thunderstorm quickly developed Saturday afternoon with the outflow winds in a north-to-south direction, something that can happen in the winter, but not normally this time of year, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SEE ALSO: ‘A tragic day on Lake Tahoe’ How a sudden storm left 8 dead aboard boat, from the LA Times
“More than 16 million acres of California forests, parks and other public federal lands could be at risk of being sold under the “Big, Beautiful” tax and spending bill the Senate is considering this week, says the Wilderness Society, which opposes the effort. But supporters of the plan say the group, whose mission is to protect wilderness areas, is promoting claims that are wildly overblown. “It identifies unused, garden-variety federal parcels for potential disposal—nothing more,” said Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, of his plan. Lee sees potential sales of as much as 3 million acres nationwide, far less than the Wilderness Society projects. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SEE ALSO: Here’s a map of California’s public lands that could be sold off under Republican budget bill, from the San Francisco Chronicle
“The Trump administration said on Monday that it would open up 58 million acres of back country in national forests to road construction and development, removing protections that had been in place for a quarter century. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to repeal the 2001 “roadless rule” that had preserved the wild nature of nearly a third of the land in national forests in the United States. Ms. Rollins said the regulation was outdated. “Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common-sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,” Ms. Rollins said in a statement. She said the repeal “opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests.” … ” Read more from the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Trump administration rescinds ‘Roadless Rule’ that protects 58 million acres of national forests, from the LA Times
” … Fire is a natural part of many ecosystems and has been used by humans for tens of thousands of years to manage the ecosystems on which they depend. But the science is clear: climate change is fueling a profound shift in global fire patterns in a growing number of regions. The incidence of catastrophic wildfires is projected to surge by about 5% by 2030, a third by 2050, and over half by century’s end. The increase in severity and intensity of wildfires now ranks among the greatest threats to forests worldwide. This feeds a vicious feedback loop: more burning means more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. These increased emissions accelerate the effects of climate change, leading to more fire-prone regions subject to more intense and severe fires. … ” Read more from EDF.
“Jeff King has served on the volunteer fire department in Corydon, Kentucky, for over 30 years. He is well aware of the dangers of the job — including one that may be hiding in the supplies he and his crew use to keep others safe. Many of the foams firefighters spray to extinguish blazes contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a class of human-made chemicals that repel water and oil; it’s this quality that makes them effective at battling tough-to-put-out fires, like those started with diesel fuel. The chemicals are also tied to a host of human health problems, from reproductive issues to high cholesterol to certain types of cancer. King admits that some of the foams he’s used over his career “may or may not be good for us.” That’s why he visited Dalton, Georgia, last year to meet with representatives from Cross Plains Solutions, a company that developed a PFAS-free firefighting foam made from soybeans. After seeing the foam in action, he was impressed. “The product performs just fantastic,” said King. And because it has been certified as PFAS-free, he figured, “there’s nothing in it that could potentially make me or any other firefighter in this country that uses it sick. I just thought, ‘Wait a minute, this is almost a no-brainer.’” … ” Read more from Grist.
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“Tahoe is not for sale: that’s the message from Californians speaking out against a proposal by Senate Republicans to sell federal land. This is a proposal Senate Republicans included in something called the ‘budget reconciliation bill.’ It’s part of the ongoing negotiations over President Trump’s so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ Senate Republicans want to sell federal land to generate revenue and build more housing (page 30 here). Bipartisan opponents say—this isn’t the way to do it. Lake Tahoe is a gem of Northern California and tourist destination drawing visitors from around the world. Much of the land in the Tahoe Basin is federally owned and – now, under a new federal proposal – could be up for sale. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Opinion writer Tom Philp writes, “In 2002, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors got out of the growth business for the thousands of acres of lands surrounding the Sacramento International Airport in the Natomas basin. It wisely decided to empower the city of Sacramento to plan for any urban expansion and for the county to manage what was to stay as farmland. Now, nearly a quarter century later, supervisors are on the verge of abandoning this long-standing commitment. Key votes in the coming months, starting Monday, will decide the fate of a vast new community of 25,000 residents just east of a bucolic stretch of the Garden Highway bordered by interstates 5 and 80. Known as Upper Westside, this project, more than any, reveals how the county threatens the balance between growth and environmental preservation in Natomas. It feels like we are heading towards a historic conflict, particularly with state and federal wildlife agencies. … ” Read more at the Sacramento Bee.
“The regional agency charged with improving flood control around the San Francisquito Creek is backing off a proposal to install floodwalls along the volatile creek after Menlo Park residents and the city’s mayor publicly came out against the contentious feature. The floodwalls were a key feature of the flood-control project that the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority was considering last month as part of its decades-long effort to protect the cities of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park from major floods. An analysis that was commissioned by the creek authority and recently completed by the consulting firm WRA included floodwalls as a feature in all four of the alternatives that it presented as part of its analysis. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online.
“Sara Rubin here, more than a decade after I first reported on the lack of safe drinking water in the South County community of San Lucas. In the 21st century in the United States of America, this story is shocking, but it has persisted: The water is not safe to drink. In July of 2011, the County of Monterey Health Department issued a notice to residents not to drink the water, which exceeded the limit for nitrates safe for human consumption. In the 14 years since, there’s been a slog through bureaucracy, remedies that didn’t work and questions about how to pay for a remedy that would work, given that most residents of San Lucas would not be able to afford high utility bills or a costly bond. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
“Emergency repairs to the State Water pipeline delivering water to Santa Maria have been completed, according to the City, allowing for normal water usage. While water deliveries have been restored and outdoor water use can resume, residents are encouraged to be mindful of their water use and use it efficiently as part of long-term sustainability efforts, according to the city. Deliveries from the State Water Project resumed Sunday, following a swift response by the Central Coast Water Authority and the California Department of Water Resources. During the temporary shutdown, the City relied solely on groundwater supplies to meet essential water needs. Through the effort and cooperation of Santa Maria residents and businesses, water service continued uninterrupted throughout the shutdown period. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Times.
“Minutes from a June 13 conference suggested that two local agencies, embroiled in a court battle since September 2021, might be nearing a settlement. Apparently not. The city doesn’t seem to be backing off plans to approve a new Housing Element and City Manager Greg Garrett disputes a statement made by water district Board President Robert Schultz in a recent meeting. Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District and the city of Tehachapi were represented by counsel in a scheduled case management conference in Sacramento Superior Court on June 13. They had cooperated to prepare a status report for the court about the resolution of the fourth cause of action in litigation filed by the water district following the city’s approval of the proposed Sage Ranch residential subdivision. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
“Anaheim’s ambitious push to turn the often-dry Santa Ana River into a river walk with ample water and activities for the public is estimated to cost $200 million, according to a city budget overview. OC River Walk would add inflatable rubber dams to the Santa Ana River near Angel Stadium to create a riverbed with standing water. Along the Santa Ana River, the city would construct new park space with trails and terrace steps for what’s envisioned as a destination for the region. City spokesperson Mike Lyster said the $200 million figure is an estimate of what it would cost to build today, but there are no plans to begin construction anytime soon. The big costs are building the dam system, embankments and a pedestrian bridge. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
“After the longest toxic algal bloom on record off the southern California coast, marine mammal researchers are investigating how sea lions were affected, and releasing the last few back into the wild.” Listen at NPR’s All Things Considered.
“Communities living around the Salton Sea in California, US, are frequently exposed to levels of hydrogen sulfide that exceed the state’s air quality standards, a new study has found. The researchers found that the location of the current sensors within the communities neglect the effect of wind direction, resulting in consistent underestimation of the frequency and distribution of hydrogen sulfide emissions from the Salton Sea.Originally formed in 1905 when water escaped from irrigation systems, the Salton Sea is considered California’s largest lake, but also classified as an inland sea due to its lack of outflows. It has a long history of pollution, mostly from agricultural run-off and treated wastewater. This has created a suite of health problems for nearby communities. … ” Read more from Chemistry World.
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“There’s a break in the clouds that have hovered over Colorado River negotiations for more than a year. State water leaders appear to be coalescing behind a new proposal for sharing the river after talks were stuck in a deadlock for more than a year. The river is used by nearly 40 million people across seven states and Mexico, but it’s shrinking due to climate change. As a result, state leaders need to rein in demand. For months, they were mired in a standoff about how to interpret a century-old legal agreement. The new proposal is completely different. Instead of those states leaning on old rules that don’t account for climate change, they’re proposing a new system that divides the river based on how much water is in it today. “We finally have an approach that at least allows a glimmer of hope that the laying down of arms is possible,” said John Fleck, a writer and water policy researcher at the University of New Mexico. … ” Read more from KAWC.
“Arizona is working through tense negotiations with other states over shortages on the Colorado River. But what about negotiations inside Arizona? The state’s Department of Water Resources has announced it is launching conversations with the state’s major water users to decide how they’ll avoid the worst consequences of water supply reductions. Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, asked Arizona’s largest water users June 17, “What is your plan to be part of the solution?” Arizona has taken cuts to its Colorado River water since 2022. But a set of agreements among Arizona’s cities, farms and tribes that share the burden of those shortages expires in 2026. Water officials say previously stalled interstate negotiations found a fresh start by exploring a new concept for splitting the river among the states. … ” Read more from the Arizona Central.
“As conservation groups scramble to motivate advocates in support of public lands, one item in the Trump administration’s budget is the quiet redirection of $387 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund that Trump “permanently” funded at $900 million with his Great American Outdoors Act in 2020. Slashing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF, funding threatens three high-profile and long-planned projects in Colorado, all ranking among the most high priority national conservation efforts listed by LWCF for the coming year. One of the largest LWCF conservation projects ever considered in Colorado includes a $34 million plan for 2025 to protect the 650-acre Snowmass Falls Ranch outside Snowmass Village. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
“A new water market approach could offer a solution to the worsening water shortages in the Colorado River basin. This system allows voluntary leasing of water rights to protect both farms and fish. The Colorado River supplies water to seven U.S. states, 30 tribal nations, and parts of Mexico. However, overuse and ongoing droughts have lowered river flows to their lowest levels in 2,000 years. Researchers from Stanford and the University of Washington have developed a simulation that demonstrates how trading water through legal markets can protect ecosystems. The study focuses on the river’s headwaters, which supply 25% of the flow to Lake Powell. … ” Read more from Farms.com.
“A new poll released Monday finds Arizonans are concerned about the state’s two biggest water sources – the Colorado River and groundwater. And they want officials to do more. When it comes to the Colorado River, 91% of respondents said they are concerned about its ability to continue providing needed water supplies to Arizona, with more than half (51%) saying they are “very concerned.” Groundwater — which accounts for about 40% of Arizona’s water supply — is regulated only in what are known as active management areas, or AMAs, in the state’s urban areas. Nearly 80% of the land has no such regulation and no limits on how much groundwater can be pumped by businesses or residents. Almost all of the survey respondents expressed concern about this (89%), with nearly half (49%) saying they are “very concerned.” … ” Read more from KJZZ.
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“At the end of the movie The Big Short, which focuses on the 2008 global financial crisis, Christian Bale’s character, Michael Burry, correctly predicts the collapse of the US housing market and focuses all his investment into one obscure asset class – water. The investor’s interest in H20 was well-founded. Water is in some ways our most valuable commodity, not only in its ability to stave off death by dehydration but in its crucial use across basically every major industry. This is especially true within the data center sector, where water plays a crucial albeit understated role in ensuring the facilities can run continuously without overheating. However, with the power of compute increasing by the day, the subsequent heat generated is in turn increasing, requiring even larger volumes of water to maintain operations. … ” Read more from Data Center Dynamics.
“A plan to sell millions of acres of public lands has been ruled out of the Republican-led megabill by the Senate parliamentarian. The decision, according to a Monday night release from Senate Budget Committee Democrats, would seem to scuttle a proposal from Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah). The move to sell the lands for housing had kicked a hornet’s nest with both his GOP colleagues and online conservative allies. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough also ruled out a host of other provisions Monday, including the construction of a mining road in Alaska, as well as changes to permitting and oil and gas leasing. Her opinion is key because Republicans want to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass the Senate filibuster to pass their tax cut, energy and border security package. … ” Read more from E&E News.
“Bipartisan leaders of Western states cautioned Congress on Monday against broad mandates to sell public lands to help pay for Republicans’ tax cuts, energy and border security megabill. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said during a news conference here, ahead of the Western Governors’ Association annual meeting, that cutting public land access to hunters, anglers and other recreationists in Colorado through sales “would be a devastating blow to the quality of life, as well to our economy.” Republican governors were more open to the idea of selling off some federal land but said those decisions should be driven by local and state leaders, not Congress. … ” Read more from E&E News.
“Every spring for the last 31 years, Reed Lewis has traversed Idaho to do what technology still cannot: examine rocks, collect samples and make a map that is critical for mining, oil and gas and other industries. He knows getting an early start is essential, as summer smoke and winter snows limit the days that are useful for gathering data. Dr. Lewis, a geologist for the state of Idaho, is normally in the field by June at the latest. But halfway through the month, he’s stuck at his desk. That’s because amid uncertainty over the federal budget, funds from Washington that pay for geological mapping have not arrived. “It’s starting to be worrisome,” Dr. Lewis said. The concern is widespread; no states have received their 2025 mapping money. What’s more, one line in the Trump administration’s proposed budget could hamstring the ability of states to create basic geologic maps for years to come. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
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