California clocked its second-worst snowpack on record Wednesday, a potentially troubling signal ahead for fire season. It’s an alarming end to a winter that saw abnormally dry conditions briefly wiped from CA’s drought map in January. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/02/c...

Every state in the West is expected to face an above-normal threat of wildfire this summer, according to the latest projections, released Wednesday by the National Interagency Coordination Center. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/02/g...

A new UC Riverside system can map soil moisture tree by tree, so growers water only where and when it’s needed. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/02/u...

With 80% of the Delta too deeply subsided to restore to tidal marsh, rice agriculture stands out as one of the most promising interventions for reducing subsidence while preserving agricultural livelihoods. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/02/d...

State says cormorants, pelicans among seabirds starving along California coast - Local News Matters Some of California’s seabirds are increasingly starving to death, state scientists say. Starvation is the “primary cause of increased mortalities” in

Starvation is the “primary cause of increased mortalities” in seabirds found from Mendocino County to San Diego #cawater localnewsmatters.org/2026/04/01/s...

A Yreka Creek cleanup could help struggling salmon populations A Yreka Creek cleanup will remove trash and invasive plants to protect endangered coho salmon habitat in the Shasta River watershed. Volunteers are invited to help.

The Karuk Tribe of California and the city of Yreka will host a creek cleanup April 25 aimed at restoring Yreka Creek, a waterway biologists consider the “last stronghold” for coho salmon in the Shasta River watershed. #cawater www.ijpr.org/podcast/the-...

St. Helena spells out plan to tackle brown tap water Though the city maintains it’s safe to consume, “I do not want to drink colored water and you should not drink colored water,” one consultant told a crowd of 50 at a recent town hall.

While St. Helena has made efforts to stop minerals that cause discolored water from flowing through city pipes to residents’ homes, a buildup of those minerals still remains in the old water distribution system the city may ultimately seek to replace. #cawater www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/04/01/s...

San Francisco Baykeeper prevails over the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View in a longstanding Clean Water Act lawsuit. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/02/s...

A Marina desalination project is underway to add drinking water supply. Marina Coast Water District is reviving a desalination plant to secure local water supplies, targeting completion by 2027 to reduce groundwater reliance.

A desal pilot project at Marina State Beach in 1996 is being revived by the Marina Coast Water District to help reduce reliance on groundwater. #cawater www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_n...

San Miguel CSD deadlocked over vacant board seat amid past groundwater dispute Conflict continues, San Miguel, San Miguel CSD, Community Services District, Steinbeck lawsuit, groundwater, water rights, Paso Robles, Raynette Gregory, board seat, vacant seat

A regional groundwater dispute that began more than a decade ago is now shaping who can sit on the current San Miguel Community Services District (CSD) board. #cawater www.newtimesslo.com/san-miguel-c...

Folks should pay close attention to two recent appellate court decisions from the Las Posas Valley Groundwater Basin. The March 2026 rulings mark the first contested comprehensive groundwater adjudication affirmed under the framework enacted alongside SGMA. #cawater www.omm.com/insights/ale...

When the Water Stops: One Rural Community’s Crisis and the National Problem Behind It In Alderpoint, a past-due power bill threatens to red-tag dozens of homes — but the real story is what’s happening to small water districts across California and the nation, and why it’s only going to...

Across California, 100s of public water systems are designated as failing by the state, most serving disadvantaged communities. The vast majority lack the resources to keep pace with rising costs and aging infrastructure. Nationwide, the picture is starker still. #cawater kymkemp.com/2026/03/25/w...

Contaminated water from California prison sickens residents of nearby town Ione residents say state and local agencies have refused to take accountability for elevated cancer rates and other health issues linked to water contamination at Mule Creek State Prison

Ione residents say state and local agencies have refused to take accountability for elevated cancer rates and other health issues linked to water contamination at Mule Creek State Prison. #cawater prismreports.org/2026/03/24/m...

Could salad get you high? Wastewater irrigation raises contamination questions Drugs found in treated wastewater can be stored in the leaves of vegetables irrigated with that water, Johns Hopkins researchers found. But are drug-infused greens sitting on your grocer’s shelf,

Drugs found in treated wastewater can be stored in the leaves of vegetables irrigated with that water, Johns Hopkins researchers found. But are drug-infused greens sitting on your grocer’s shelf, and how powerful is the dose? #cawater www.thederrick.com/ap/national/...

Fish groups say juvenile salmon will die unless feds release pulse flows into Sacramento River! Red Bluff — The federal government yesterday released over 6.2 million juvenile Sacramento River Fall-run Chinook Salmon into Battle Creek at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery, a move celebrated by r...

Over 6.2 million juvenile Chinook Salmon were released into Battle Creek, but conservationists warn that inadequate water flows during a record heat wave could jeopardize their survival. #cawater www.dailykos.com/story/2026/3...

Reclamation increases South of Delta allocation to 20%. Westlands: 'This additional 5 percent is simply inadequate' #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/03/24/r...

What are the impacts of California’s unseasonably hot March? Western states have been feeling the heat for more than a week, which has broken temperature records and raised longer-term concerns as California’s snowpack continues to melt.

DWR said the snowpack has been melting at an average rate of 1% per day, putting CA on track for a near record-low April 1. Climatologist Michael Anderson speaks with Cap Radio. #cawater www.capradio.org/articles/202...

California's snowpack was already meager. Now comes an extraordinary heat wave Winter has brought California's Sierra Nevada a below-average amount of snow, and the snowpack has been shrinking for weeks.

California's snowpack has been shrinking for weeks and is expected to melt rapidly with a heat wave this week. #cawater @ianjames.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...

Anna Caballero, author of SB72, says there’s no concrete estimate for the cost to respond to worsening drought conditions, so she’s proposing a bond that could pay for implementing much-needed updates to the state’s water plan. #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/03/14/c...

Crazy or genius? A nuclear-powered solution to the West's water crisis A $40 billion plan proposes massive desalination plants to save the Colorado River, but critics call it "crazy."

A group has proposed an ambitious plan to build 8 massive desal plants off the CA coastline, making water for farming, and reducing demand on the ailing Colorado River. To meet the energy demand, the plants might have to be powered with nuclear reactors. #cawater www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

In Ski Towns, a Bad Snow Year Is Worsening Wildfire Fears

In Colorado, mountain towns are wrapping up one of the worst ski seasons that anyone can remember. But it’s not the slushy slopes that are on people’s minds right now. It’s the wildfire risk. #cawater #ColoradoRiver www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/c...

Golden Mussel Patrol: Detector Dogs are on the Scent - FISHBIO | Fisheries Consultants Even though golden mussels were only detected in California in October 2024, they pose a significant and immediate threat to the state’s waterways...

Common inspection programs and methods for detecting golden mussels—like boat inspections or eDNA—can be costly, labor intensive, and slow. Luckily, a new solution is on the rise: dogs that can smell invasive species. #cawater fishbio.com/golden-musse...

After Dam Removal, Salmon Reach Upper Klamath Basin for First Time in Over 100 Years Recent fish monitoring indicates early success for the largest dam removal in U.S.history.

Recent radio monitoring shows that chinook salmon have reached stretches of the Upper Klamath River Basin—an area that anadromous fish have been absent from for over a century, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. #cawater fieldandstream.com/stories/cons...

When a meter turns 15 years old or so, it stops measuring the water usage accurately, almost always in favor of the customer, sometimes undercounting by huge margins. Arcata has 6,600 old water meters that need to be replaced. #cawater lostcoastoutpost.com/2026/mar/13/...

Yuba Water reports salmon and steelhead habitat affected during pipe rupture In a report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency outlined the potential environmental impacts of the Feb. 13 water pipe rupture.

Yuba Water Agency filed a report with FERC regarding the New Colgate Powerhouse incident, stating that the incident may have reduced water flow in the lower Yuba River and temporarily dried out rearing habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead. #cawater www.sacbee.com/news/politic...

The State Lands Commission relied on flawed data to mischaracterize the impact of sand mining leases, which pose a threat to Bay wildlife and shorelines, says SF Baykeeper #cawater mavensnotebook.com/2026/03/14/p...

San Joaquin Valley farmers will have water certainty –  if they can make it through the next few years, panelists say – SJV Water Water supply certainty is in the future for San Joaquin Valley growers, according to three water experts who spoke at California Citrus Mutual’s Citrus

Water supply certainty is in the future for San Joaquin Valley growers, according to three water experts who spoke at California Citrus Mutual’s Citrus Showcase Wednesday in Visalia. But it’s at least five to eight years out, acknowledged Paul Gosselin, at DWR. #cawater sjvwater.org/san-joaquin-...

Some Kings County farmers call "BS" on state proposal to let small pumpers off the hook – SJV Water • Editor's note: Monserrat Solis covers Kings County water issues for SJV Water through the California Local News Fellowshipinitiative.  A proposal for

A proposal for the state Water Resources Control Board to exclude “small pumpers” in both the Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins from the groundwater reporting and fee requirements required under probation, elicited strong reactions from some Kings County farmers. #cawater sjvwater.org/some-kings-c...

The Lonely Lake That Revolutionized American Environmental Law | Essay In the 1970s and 1980s, Battles to Preserve Mono Lake Set New Protection Precedents

Mono Lake has revolutionized environmental law in California, the American West, and the U.S., bringing about important changes to water use and air quality regulations in recent decades. #cawater www.zocalopublicsquare.org/lonely-lake-...

Monday Morning Coffee: Can Long Beach curb trash flowing down the L.A. River? Here's what's on the agenda for city and business leaders.

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday is expected to enter into an agreement with Los Angeles County and Ocean Cleanup, an international conservation group, to forge a plan for stewarding a new trash collection system at the mouth of the river. #cawater lbpost.com/newsletter/c...