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Exploring legal and policy decisions impacting water, including water rights, groundwater and conservation.
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A lawsuit aimed at draining San Francisco’s reservoir in Yosemite National Park recently met another obstacle. But efforts to restore the flooded valley are far from over, supporters say.
Stephen Pyne Regents Professor in the School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
We need a new strategy to address multiple issues with wildfires, particularly in the wildland-urban interface where development and nature mix, says Arizona State professor Stephen Pyne.
The state’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act takes a big step in protecting ecosystems that depend on groundwater, but now the hard work of incorporating that mandate into sustainability plans begins.
New federal estimates suggest serious water shortages on the Colorado River are closer than thought. While Arizona water users try to cooperate on a conservation fix, one group of farmers stands in the way of a compromise.
Augustin Plains Ranch wanted to build 37 wells and a pipeline to deliver groundwater from remote Catron County to the Albuquerque metro area. For the third time, the state engineer found the plan would violate New Mexico law.
With plans to remove four dams on the Klamath River in 2021 moving along, Trout Unlimited’s Brian Johnson and Chrysten Lambert talk about the broader picture of restoration efforts in the Klamath Basin.
The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is likely to result in fallowing thousands of acres of farmland. Local governments are just waking up to the big opportunities, and risks, in how that land gets reused.
Statewide regulations and local innovations are contributing to making water conservation a ‘California way of life.’ Listen to two experts explain the implications of new water efficiency laws and highlight promising trends in conservation throughout the state.
A final draft of the state’s plan to increase flows in key tributaries of the Bay-Delta will mean more water for fish but less for urban areas like the San Francisco Bay Area.
Kathleen Stone M.S. Graduate Student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California
New regulations that have come with state marijuana laws could spur more effective environmental management of California’s streams, writes Kathleen Stone of U.C. Davis.
Steve Evans Wild and Scenic Rivers Program Director, CalWild
After years of work, the state’s Mokelumne River has been awarded Wild and Scenic status. It’s a significant win for conservationists and local residents, as well as an important example of consensus building.
California’s rural-urban divide figures prominently in an important midterm race for the U.S. House of Representatives, where Democratic challenger Josh Harder is attempting to unseat Republican incumbent Jeff Denham.
While some other states monitor water deliveries to farms in real time, California has allowed irrigation districts to submit annual reports on paper. According to one recent analysis, fewer than half are even doing that much.
Mike Wade Executive Director, California Farm Water Coalition
The board has failed to listen to the concerns of cities, farms, school districts and other experts when it comes to its Bay-Delta Water Quality plan that would reduce flows in critical California rivers, says Mike Wade of the California Farm Water Coalition.
Four dams on the Klamath River may be simultaneously removed as early as 2021, after years of planning. It’s being hailed as a crucial effort to save salmon, but it won’t solve all the basin’s water problems.
Sean Bothwell Policy Director, California Coastkeeper Alliance
The Golden State may face a future with more extreme weather, which will further stress water resources, but California is well on its way to dealing with this new reality, writes Sean Bothwell of California Coastkeeper Alliance.
Drilling new water wells is strictly regulated in New Mexico, causing hardship for an oil industry that needs water for fracking. So groundwater is being piped across the state line from Texas, prompting worry over the shared aquifer.
A new report from the Pacific Institute outlines creative collaborations and policy changes needed to better scale stormwater solutions, explains research associate Morgan Shimabuku.
Taylor Graham Water and Environmental Journalist
Utah is proposing two large water developments to augment supplies, while the state has some of the highest consumption in the country, writes Taylor Graham of the Utah Rivers Council.
Holly Doremus James H. House and Hiram H. Hurd Professor of Environmental Regulation, University of California, Berkeley
The Clean Water Act has failed to protect California’s wetlands and a recent executive order by the Trump Administration could make things worse. California needs a state program to get the job done, says environmental law professor Holly Doremus.
The local water agencies that stand to benefit from California’s WaterFix tunnels project have formed a new joint powers authority to oversee construction. Here’s a look at how that will work.
Four groundwater basins in Napa and Sonoma counties may be in worse shape than previously thought. The state of California recently signaled they should be subject to new groundwater sustainability rules.
Eight obsolete dams have been removed or modified on the Rogue River over the past decade. Now its salmon help sustain commercial fishing, despite recent droughts that have devastated fish in other rivers.
In Humboldt County, a conservation group is suing the government, arguing that a new ordinance regulating the local marijuana industry doesn’t adequately address the environmental impact of an estimated 15,000 cannabis grow operations.
The pilot program is kicking off in Ventura County, but experts say that it may be replicated in other parts of the state as California works to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and curb overpumping of aquifers.
The state’s new per capita limit on indoor water use is groundbreaking, but there is no practical way to enforce it. Rather, it is intended to inspire more conservation and guide larger efforts by water utilities.
The Santa Cruz River was once the lifeblood of Tucson, Arizona. Due to heavy development and groundwater overdraft, it hasn’t seen year-round flow in 70 years. The city plans to revive the storied desert river with recycled effluent.
Construction is set to begin next year, but environmentalists have filed a lawsuit over Chimney Hollow reservoir, which would store water for communities in Colorado’s Front Range.
A study by researchers from Stanford University found that subsidence is not the only consequence of overpumping of groundwater – deadly water quality problems could also result.
Sean Hood Water Lawyer Specializing in Water Adjudications and Other Complex Water Rights Litigation
As California works to implement its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, water rights attorney Sean Hood explains why it’s important to engage actively in the process.
Many small community water systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley suffer from polluted wells and financial challenges. To fix these problems, some are moving to connect with a neighboring water system. It’s not an easy process.
A horizontal levee built by the Oro Loma Sanitary District in the San Francisco Bay Area helps treat wastewater, provide wildlife habitat and protect against sea level rise. And it’s a model that may soon be replicated in the area.
Kirsten James Oversees the California Policy Program, Ceres
Driscoll’s Berries and its farmers in Ventura County are working to save water and tackle sustainable management of the local groundwater, writes Kirsten James of Ceres.
Tribal officials want the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to continue purchasing power from the coal-powered Navajo Generating Station, but the water district hopes to use cheaper and cleaner sources to pump Colorado River water.
Just how long interim funding will play a central role in responding to water issues depends on implementing long-term solutions to contamination and groundwater depletion.
Chuck Winn Member of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors
Don Nottoli Member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors
California voters don’t get a say about the governor’s Delta tunnels plan, but that hasn’t stopped organizations such as the Delta Counties Coalition from continuing to work to halt the project.
California’s largest reservoir may get even bigger, despite opposition from the state. Some welcome the opportunity to store more water, but others are skeptical it could significantly ease competing demands for limited water and aid fish.
Holding the best water rights doesn’t always guarantee tribes get to exercise them. They must often negotiate settlements that require federal approval, such as three deals now being considered by the U.S. Senate.
Leo Heller United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights
California has an opportunity to be a clean drinking water leader, as it is a leader on the climate front, says Leo Heller, the United Nations special rapporteur, on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Most water agencies don’t think of local water projects like green roofs or efficiency rebates as assets, but now they can. And that means agencies can now access capital markets for funding, which could help dramatically grow these projects.
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