Drought Challenges Increasingly Evident for Both Water Suppliers and Water Users
It’s official. California is in another drought cycle as are most of the western states. A look at the U.S. Drought Monitor shows a...
Drought Preparations Picking Up as State Dry Spell Continues with No Relief in Sight
California’s water supply levels are continuing to drop closer to those at the beginning of 2014, which was the start of the last drought...
Forest Action Plan Outlines Approach to Battling Year-Round Wildfire Season
The wildfire season seems endless. It starts earlier in the year and ends later. Practically, it’s morphed into a year-round phenomenon.
The California Department of...
California Water Outlook Trending Dry; Supply Depends on Rainy Season Outcome
It’s trending toward a dry water year. Long-range weather forecasts aren’t pointing to heavy precipitation in the coming months.
However, forecasting weather is iffy. It...
Governor Issues Framework to Help State Get Ready for Water Supply Challenges
Governor Gavin Newsom has released a framework to help prepare the state’s water supply for the anticipated impacts of climate change.
The Water Resilience Portfolio,...
Assembly Rejects Job Killer Housing Bill
The Assembly has narrowly rejected a California Chamber of Commerce-opposed job killer bill that would have limited financial opportunities for Californians, further harming the...
Controversial Permit Jeopardizes Efforts to Secure Water Supplies for Californians
Action by a state department to dictate when and how much water can be pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of...
Federal CARES Act Offers Relief to Small Businesses
Last week, Congress passed and President Donald J. Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which, among other provisions,...
Voluntary Water Agreements Get Nudge Forward from Administration
Ongoing discussions on improving conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, central to water access and supply considerations in California, inched ahead this month.
The focus...
Ready or Not, Here It Comes—State Groundwater Regulation
January 31, 2020 marks the first time in California’s history that groundwater will be regulated.
Twenty-one critically overdrafted groundwater basins must submit detailed plans showing...
State Begins Year with Good Sierra Snowpack
The first manual snow survey of the year on January 2 showed a healthy snowpack of 33.5 inches, according to the California Department of...
CalChamber, Coalition in Support of Plan to Fix Aging Water Delivery Infrastructure
A broad coalition that includes the California Chamber of Commerce and labor, business, environmental, community and water leaders has announced the formation of Californians...
Water Wars Continue over Managing Water Flows in Delta
Another lawsuit in the water arena is not news. Anything to do with water is complicated, controversial, and likely to take years to resolve...
The Blob: Wet or Dry Year in 2020?
The Blob is back in the Pacific Ocean. The Blob is a massive pool of water that is warmer than normal in the Pacific...
Sweetened Beverage Bill Tabled, Workers’ Comp Bill Falls Short
Two more job killer bills failed to advance this week in the face of strong concern about their negative impacts.
• The author of AB...
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Focus of Pending Legislation
A number of California Chamber of Commerce-opposed bills placing various restrictions on sweetened beverages will be considered by legislative committees next week.
Four bills, including...
Defining Wetlands: Process Leaves Questions Unanswered
It was clear toward the end of the March 5 workshop on the proposed controversial wetlands regulations that the State Water Resources Control Board...