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Utah To Receive $35M From Feds for Colorado River Projects

/in , /by /The Times-Independent Utahby Brooke Larsen

The Bureau of Reclamation plans to release about $35 million to Utah from the Inflation Reduction Act for drought mitigation projects in the Colorado River Basin, said Amy Haas, director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah.

That’s just a portion of the $90 million that the Biden administration awarded to Utah for 11 projects, ranging from wetland restoration near Moab to removal of invasive Russian olive trees along the Green River. Shortly after the funds were awarded in early January 2025, though, President Donald Trump froze spending from the IRA.

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Data Centers Are Guzzling California’s Water

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker

Data center builders don’t tell the public how much water they use, according to a new report — and the industry is encroaching into water-stressed and vulnerable communities.

The report, by the think tank Next10 and researchers at Santa Clara University, finds that planned data centers — the ganglia of artificial intelligence — are spreading to regions reliant on overtapped groundwater and strained surface water, with potentially major effects in the Central and Imperial Valleys.

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Releasing Cool Water Protects Fish in the Grand Canyon. That Comes at Cost to Hydropower

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Dorany Pineda and Brittany Peterson

As the Colorado River and its once massive reservoirs shrink from overuse and climate change, officials are faced with a decision that pits conservation against ratepayer costs for electricity.

To fight off predators of the humpback chub, a threatened fish native to the river, Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona would need to do what is known as a “cool mix flow,” where cold water is released from deep in its reservoir to cool the river below. But there are no hydropower turbines in the cool, deep section, so significant power generation would be lost.

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California Proposal Would Change How Millions Get Their Water

/in , /by /NewsWeekby Jasmine Laws

Conservation groups are pushing a major overhaul of how Southern California gets its water, arguing the state must rely less on imported supplies as climate change, drought and rising costs threaten long-term water security for millions of residents.

The coalition, made up of 12 groups, says California should dramatically expand local water capture, wastewater recycling and groundwater cleanup rather than continue depending heavily on imported supplies from the Colorado River and Northern California.

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Peaches, Pears and PFAS: California Lawmakers May Limit ‘Forever’ Pesticides in Foods

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Nathan Donley

Amid growing awareness that so-called forever chemicals, or PFAS, can linger in landscapes and waterways for centuries, federal and state regulators have repeatedly insisted they’re working aggressively to protect us all from the cancer-linked poisons.

They are not.

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Could Ocean Desalination Help Solve Las Vegas’ Water Woes? It Might

/in , /by /Las Vegas Review Journalby Alan Halaly Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Southern Nevada is now looking to the Pacific Ocean to ease its water woes.

In a vote Thursday, the Southern Nevada Water Authority board approved a memorandum of understanding that allows General Manager John Entsminger to hammer out a first-of-its-kind water transfer deal with the San Diego County Water Authority. In a region where growth could outpace permanent water supplies in the next few decades, that matters.

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This New Colorado River Plan Could Force Talks Every 2 Years. Is That a Good Idea?

/in , /by /KJZZ Phoenixby Alex Hager

A new federal proposal for managing the Colorado River would force states to reassess their strategy every two years over the next decade. That would mark a shift from the old way of doing things, which saw water-sharing rules implemented for 20 years at a time, with no mandatory check-ins along the way.

Policymakers and policy analysts say the new strategy would come with pros and cons.

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California’s 250-Acre Rainwater Storage Project Could Help Curb Devastating Wildfires

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Brooklyn Smith

Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, California began work Monday on a broad package of projects involving water reuse, fire preparedness, and habitat repair, according to ABC 7 News. All of these projects aim at making the botanical garden more resilient in the face of drought and fire risk.

Officials said the plan’s new underground stormwater capture system will hold about 1.5 million gallons. It’ll take in up to 21 million gallons of stormwater annually from a 256-acre drainage area.

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As Colorado River Outlook Worsens, Western Water Users Seek $2 Billion in Federal Aid

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Scott Franz

Dozens of communities and environmental groups in the Colorado River Basin are asking Congress for $2 billion to endure what they’re calling “one of the most challenging hydrologic years in more than a century of recordkeeping.”

Celene Hawkins, who leads the Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River program, said Friday the money could help with a wide range of projects to respond to the drought.

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How ‘Super’ El Niño Could Impact Colorado River Water Crisis

/in , /by /News Weekby Joe Edwards

A potential “super” El Niño later this year could bring much-needed relief to the drought-stricken Colorado River system, raising hopes for improved snowpack, reservoir levels and water supplies across the American West.

The river irrigates millions of acres of farmland and provided water to tens of millions of Americans, making the prolonged drought a major concern for long-term water stability. Key reservoirs along the river have seen declining water levels in recent years, raising concerns about power generation, water supply, and local ecosystems.

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