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Appellate court justices heard arguments Tuesday in the highly watched dispute over whether the state exceeded its authority when it placed the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation last year for failing to come up with an adequate plan to protect the region’s groundwater.

Or, whether a Kings County judge erred by refusing to dismiss the case and issuing a preliminary injunction that has held probationary sanctions at bay all this time. A ruling by the 5th District Court of Appeal is expected “soon,” which could mean two months or longer.

A bill with unanimous support is basically a unicorn in today’s divided politics, so California just saw the return of a water-planning unicorn in the form of SB 72 that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Oct. 1.

Prior to being signed, the bill — effectively an update to the California Water Plan that enforces the need for quantifiable water needs reports and water goals — passed through the state’s legislature without any “no” votes.

The results are in.  California’s 446 urban water suppliers have conducted their supply and demand assessments, and 95.5% say they will have ample supplies to meet projected demand in the coming year, even if it is dry.  The remaining 4.5% who project some level of shortage have identified response actions to address and mitigate the potential shortage.

The Annual Shortage Report is a yearly stress test for water suppliers and serves as an important tool for successful and effective local water shortage contingency planning, ensuring water supply reliability and drought resiliency.  This year’s Annual Shortage Reports cover projections for the 12 months from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.  The Department of Water Resources prepares a report summarizing the findings by September 30 and submits it to the State Water Resources Control Board.

This year, winter storms could be on the way for California, thanks to a Pacific marine heatwave that could trigger storms along the West Coast.