Focus
Newsom in fight to advance plans for $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento Delta
Los Angeles Times - April 6
Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to lay the groundwork for building a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta before his term expires, and state water regulators are considering whether to grant a key authorization. The State Water Resources Control Board (Board) has begun holding a series of hearings on a petition by the Newsom administration to amend water rights permits so that flows could be diverted from new points on the Sacramento River where the intakes of the 45-mile tunnel would be built. In recent weeks, the Newsom administration and water agencies have pushed back against how the Board’s officials are handling parts of the process, and as opponents have urged the Board not to bend to political pressure.
News
After years of drought, California water supplies in good shape as summer months approach
The Mercury News – April 1
In a much-needed break after multiple years of severe droughts over the past two decades, California’s statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack, which provides nearly one-third of the state’s water supply, was at 96% of its historical average on April 1, up from 83% a month before. The April 1 reading, considered the most important of the year by water managers because it comes at the end of the winter season, follows two previous years when the snowpack reached 111% of normal on April 1 last year and 237% in 2023. The biggest reservoirs statewide averaged 117% at the latest reading of their historical April 1 amounts.
California appeals panel reverses Kern River injunction
Courthouse News Service – April 2
The City of Bakersfield and nearby water districts secured a win on April 2 in a California appeals court, which reversed a lower court’s order setting water flow rates for the Kern River and remanded the issue. The water districts opposed a late 2023 preliminary injunction that required the City to maintain a certain amount of water flow to ensure fish downstream were in good condition. Remanding the case, the appellate court panel wrote that the lower court must examine a handful of factors when deciding how much water is needed to keep the fish in good condition. A trial on the issue is scheduled for December.
California reduces Delta pumping amid ample reservoirs and snowpack. Here’s why.
The Sacramento Bee – April 13
California water managers last week cut in half the amount of water being pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at the state’s plant near Tracy, saying the main reservoir it serves is nearly full and the water is needed for fish. The reduction is required under the state’s environmental permits for pumping from the fragile Delta, because despite nearly full reservoirs and a robust snowpack, the San Joaquin River watershed had less-than-normal precipitation during the water year which began October 1, said Ryan Endean, a spokesperson for the California Department of Water Resources.
California, Arizona, and Nevada all agree: The Trump administration needs to fix a key Colorado River dam
Los Angeles Times – March 15
Representatives of California, Arizona, and Nevada are urging the Trump administration to take a different approach in confronting the problems of the water-starved Colorado River. One of their top asks: consider fixing or overhauling Glen Canyon Dam. JB Hamby, California’s Colorado River commissioner, and officials representing the governors of Arizona and Nevada last month presented their concerns in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to scrap a report the Biden administration released in November outlining options for new water management rules, arguing that it failed to consider their proposals and would violate the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the foundational agreement that apportions the water.
One of California’s biggest reservoirs is about to expand — if it can clear a major hurdle
San Francisco Chronicle – April 1
Amid rising concerns about California’s water future, the fifth largest reservoir in the state is primed for expansion. A coalition of water agencies, from Silicon Valley to Fresno, has agreed to partner with the federal government to raise the 382-foot-tall dam at San Luis Reservoir, the giant holding pool in the hills between Gilroy and Los Banos. The dam’s enlargement would allow the federally owned reservoir to take in 130,000 acre-feet of additional water, equal to the annual use of more than 260,000 households. While the proposed expansion hasn’t faced significant opposition — no small feat for such a large undertaking — a sticking point has emerged: a plan to move the nearby highway, accounting for nearly half of the cost of the $1 billion project.
CA, Western states fall short in wastewater recycling efforts: UCLA
Patch – April 2
Despite persistent concerns about drought in the southwestern United States, the seven states that pull water from the Colorado River only recycle a small percentage of wastewater, squandering an opportunity to dramatically ease the regional water crisis, according to a UCLA study released on April 2. According to the report, only 26% of treated municipal wastewater is recycled by the seven states that rely on the river, with Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah recycling less than 4%. The report's authors noted that despite California having the nation's most comprehensive regulations in support of water recycling, the state recycles only 22% of treated wastewater.
From paper to progress: The $60 million project transforming California’s water rights data
Maven's Notebook – March 27
California is taking a major step forward in transforming how water is managed and monitored with the roll out of a tool aimed at modernizing water rights data. Launching this summer, the State Water Board’s $60 million Updating Water Rights Data for California (UPWARD) project is set to replace the outdated, paper-based system with a streamlined, user-friendly platform. UPWARD will provide timely, accessible information for better decision-making, especially critical during water shortages and droughts.
Proposed legislation to boost federal funding for local water recharge projects
Turlock Journal – February 18
Legislation introduced to the House by Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) aims to secure more federal funding for vital groundwater recharge projects in California. The Groundwater Recharge Technical Assistance Act and the Every Drop Counts Act propose modifications to existing water infrastructure laws, expanding eligibility and support for regional projects like the Del Puerto Water District’s Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery Project, which enhances local agricultural water supply resilience.
State groundwater sanctions paused but Kings County farmers, water managers moving forward
SJV Water – April 15
In the year since the Water Resources Control Board put the Tulare Lake subbasin of Kings County on probation for lacking a plan that would, among other things, stop excessive groundwater pumping, state actions were halted by a lawsuit, injunction, and appeal. While state well registration, reporting, and fee sanctions are on hold, just about every groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) in the subbasin has implemented its own version of those measures. Some of the region’s five GSAs are instituting penalties for exceeding pumping allocations, bringing farmers into the process for greater transparency.
San Diego Water Authority plans to sell surplus water, aims to lower costs
ABC10 News San Diego – April 1
The San Diego County Water Authority is considering selling or leasing surplus resources — an initiative that could help lower water costs for San Diego ratepayers. San Diego’s investments in water-saving infrastructure, such as desalination plants and diversified supply sources, have put the region in a stronger position compared to other parts of California. Now, with a surplus available, officials are looking at options to sell or lease excess water to other agencies.
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