Life history differences between natural and hatchery-origin winter-run Chinook present opportunities and challenges for managing the endangered species - California WaterBlog By Emily Chen, Katherine Lumahan, Rachel Johnson, Corey Phillis, George Whitman, Anna Sturrock, Will Satterthwaite, and Stephanie Carlson . . . Wild Pacific salmon and trout exhibit complex variation ...

"...natural-origin salmon spread out across the whole landscape, hatchery Chinook salmon spent less time exploring different off-channel habitats." #cawater californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/29/l...

From my blog:

San Diego regional water news roundup: Mar. 27, 2026
groksurf.com/2026/03/27/s...

#cawater #westwater

Mono Lake water levels are well below what's required. Now some want L.A. to tighten its tap Decades after a landmark decision called for Los Angeles to limit its taking of water to raise the level of Mono Lake, California regulators are reexamining why it still hasn't rebounded and what shou...

LADWP will do nothing to end its pillaging of water unless its sued. It'll fight endlessly for the 2% of water it "exports" from the Mono Basin. Sue LADWP. If CA Water Board won't hold DWP to account for the agreements it continually violates, force it to comply.

#cawater
#keepsavingMonoLake

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...

In the grip of an extreme heatwave, climate scientist Daniel Swain explains whiplash effect on So Cal & the uncertainties it poses for water supply, wildfire, urban heat, flood control etc. If you're not an LAT subscriber, search title for a syndicated version on AOL or Yahoo #cawater #cawx #drought

#CAwater

The headline in this May 1931 press release reads "Great Dam to Equal Height of L.A. City Hall Plus 2 Other Buildings." There's an image of Hoover Dam along with a map showing how water will travel from Hoover Dam to Southern California.

The #HooverDam press release (1931) from the Claremont Colleges Library's California Water Documents collection: ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/coll...

#WorldWaterDay #CAWater #WaterHistory

Where the sturgeon go: how age-related differences in habitat use shape exposure of white sturgeon to population risks - California WaterBlog By Jon Walter, Gabriel Singer, Scott Colborne, Andrew L. Rypel, and Erin Tracy . . . White sturgeon are a prominent member of the sturgeon family in North America. They are generally considered the la...

Intrepid fish #cawater californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/22/w...

As precious groundwater vanishes, a few in California find ways to bring it back Groundwater has fallen to precarious depths in much of the world. New research highlights areas that have been able to bring levels back up.

As precious #groundwater vanishes, a few in #California find ways to bring it back www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-0... #CAWater #water #climate

San Diego regional water news roundup: Mar. 20, 2026 Escondido has some of San Diego County’s priciest water. Avocado growers have waited a decade for a lifeline. (San Diego Union-Tribune) Cheaper water ahead? San Diego County Water Authority inks la…

San Diego regional water news roundup: Mar. 20, 2026
groksurf.com/2026/03/20/s...

#cawater #westwater

#cawater

Northern #California #drought could return by summer www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/calif... #CAWater #Water

#cawater #groundwater

Client Challenge

California report offers controversial way to save #MonoLake www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/mono-lak... #CAWater #Climate #LosAngeles #LADWP

3/18/26 10:25am:
Our #snow water equivalent is now in the bottom 10% for this time of year.

The warm temps at the lab have resulted in substantial melt over the last couple of weeks that has accelerated with the record-breaking temps that we've had in the past two days.

#weather #CAwater

3/16/26 10:40 am:
Record-breaking high temps are forecasted for the next several days, which will substantially accelerate snowpack melt.

Given current melt and lack of #snow in the forecast, we may see melt-out as early as the first week of April, ~5 weeks earlier than normal.

#CAwx #CAwater

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...