A judge has temporarily blocked a plan by a California state water board to take over monitoring groundwater use in a portion of the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, according to a copy of the decision obtained on July 16. Kings...more
Like much of the western and southwestern U.S., California has experienced drought conditions on and off for decades. Fortunately, the regulatory landscape is starting to catch up with water treatment technology, paving the...more
State and federal officials move forward plans and policies for water conservation, conveyance, and climate resilience. The winter of 2022-23 brought historic levels of precipitation to California after years of deep...more
California legislators have passed a bill articulating the scope of the State Water Resources Control Board’s authority to investigate water rights. Senate Bill 389, which will go to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for a final...more
Relying on the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block recently adopted executive branch regulations, Congress on Wednesday approved a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s planned protections for...more
Supreme Court restricts EPA's authority to mandate carbon emissions reductions - Associated Press - June 30 - In a blow to the fight against climate change, the Supreme Court on Thursday limited the extent of the U.S....more
As severe drought conditions continue across the western U.S., Allen Matkins will begin publishing a quarterly newsletter focused on recent legal, regulatory, and policy issues impacting water users and suppliers in...more
Arizona’s Senior U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema is credited as being instrumental in negotiating the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, H.R. 3684, entitled “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface...more
With the Trump administration in full gear, hopes are high the new president and Congress will enact legislation supporting and expanding investment in U.S. infrastructure. While the two political parties may disagree on the...more
It’s been a productive time for advocates of water in the U.S. with President Obama signing into law the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN). WIIN includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2016...more
Stanford University released a study this week stating that California has three times more useable groundwater located in deep aquifers than previously estimated. This might come as welcome news to a state that continues to...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether landowners can challenge federal Water Act jurisdiction through pre-enforcement review - Reuters - - Dec 11 The U.S. Supreme Court on...more
Measure Would Allow Forced Consolidation Of Water Suppliers, Large Civil Fines - The California Legislature approved a budget bill that would grant the state authority to force water systems to consolidate to serve...more
June 5, 2015 marked the deadline for lawmakers to pass bills out of their house to the opposite house. Bills that did not pass in their house of origin by that date have effectively died (unless such a bill has been...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Crews struggle to clean up oil spill near Santa Barbara: KQED - May 21: Crews will begin excavating the 24-inch pipeline that ruptured Tuesday, unleashing a flow of crude oil that has...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California lawmakers pass $687 billion drought plan -- San Francisco CBS Local - Feb 27: California lawmakers have passed a $687 million plan to provide immediate relief to...more