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The Ocean off California Keeps Breaking Heat Records

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

An extreme marine heat wave is simmering the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, and experts are warning that it could affect coastal weather and ecosystems for months.

The ocean heat wave started forming at the end of last year but has worsened in recent weeks, according to readings from the Scripps Pier in La Jolla, which has broken more than 25 daily temperature records this year. The surface water temperature on Wednesday was 68.5 degrees — 7.7 degrees above average for the date. The sea bottom was 67.6 degrees, the hottest April 15 in about 100 years of records.

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San Diego County Water Authority Resets With Supply Deals

/in , /by /The Bond Buyerby Keeley Webster Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority has finalized two long-term water supply agreements with neighboring water districts, securing a potential revenue stream of $660 million and, it says, establishing a new model for regional water cooperation in Southern California.

The SDCWA, a wholesale water provider with no direct retail customers, sells water to 22 member agencies, including cities, special districts and the 125,000-acre Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, primarily located in northern San Diego County.

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Bay Area City Becomes First To Ban Data Centers Over Power and Water Concerns

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Aidin Vaziri

Oakley has become the first Bay Area city to temporarily ban new data centers, signaling a more cautious approach as other parts of Silicon Valley continue to line up projects to meet rising demand for artificial intelligence.

The Oakley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a 45-day moratorium on data center projects, barring the city from accepting or processing related land-use applications. Under state law, the ban can be extended in phases to last up to two years.

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California Water Commission Approves Updates to State Dam Safety Regulations

/in , /by /ABC 7 Sacramentoby Christina Mendez

California dam safety regulations are set for a significant update after the California Water Commission approved changes proposed by the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) Wednesday, April 15,2026.

Under DWR’s Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), the state proposed additions and modifications to existing dam safety regulations. The Division of Safety of Dams updated Articles Two, Five, Six and Seven to clarify the application process for dam alterations, repairs and removals, as well as time extensions and how unlawfully constructed dams are addressed. The changes also require the State Water Project to cover DSOD labor costs, eliminate hard copies of technical memorandums, allow written hearings and simplify the lien process.

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Why It Matters: Water Authority Makes Another Water Delivery Deal

/in , /by /KPBS Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority signed a new agreement Thursday to sell water to Riverside County. As Voice of San Diego’s Scott Lewis explains for our latest ‘Why It Matters’ segment, it’s the latest balancing act of high rates and securing a vital resource.

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San Diego Now Has So Much Water That It’s Selling It

/in , /by /Wall Street Journal by Jim Carlton Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

With the Colorado River in crisis, Arizona and Nevada are turning to an unconventional lifeline: the ocean water off California’s golden beaches.

Both desert states are pursuing a deal with the San Diego County Water Authority to tap millions of gallons of fresh water produced by a Carlsbad ocean-desalination plant—the largest in North America—to help offset their reliance on the collapsing Colorado River.

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A Gas That Causes Climate Change Is Bubbling out of Reservoirs

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Methane, the second-biggest contributor to climate change, is spewing into the atmosphere from the oil and gas industry, landfills and dairy farms. It’s also coming from another lesser-known source: reservoirs.

As plants break down underwater, they form methane, which then bubbles to the surface. California doesn’t monitor how much is coming from these waters, but now several environmental groups are urging air regulators to find out, and some experts agree it’s important.

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Years of Drought Has Major Energy Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, Wrestling With Water Crisis

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Michael Phillis

In parched southern Texas, a yearslong drought has depleted Corpus Christi’s water reserves so gravely that the city is scrambling to prevent a shortage that could force painful cutbacks for residents and hobble the refineries and petrochemical plants in a major energy port.

Experts said the city didn’t expect such a bad drought, and new sources of reliable water didn’t arrive as expected. Those problems arose as the city increased its water sales to big industrial customers.

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Eastern Sierra Snowpack Drastically Below Average, Expected To Meet 40% of L.A.’s Water Demand, LADWP Says

/in , /by /KTLA 5by John Ross Ferrara

The snowpack in the Eastern Sierra is currently 76% below average for this time of year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced Tuesday following its final snow survey of 2026.

Warmer-than-average temperatures caused California’s snowpack to melt faster than normal this year, LADWP said. The below-average water supply will meet 40% of L.A.’s demand for the rest of the year, supplying roughly 81 billion gallons of water to the city.

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What Does 200 Years Tell Us About Corpus Christi and Water?

/in , /by /Corpus Christi Caller Timesby Kirsten Crow

As Corpus Christi continues a fierce fight against the impacts of record-breaking drought, what led to this point reflects the history of hundreds of years of water development, according to an academic expert.

While there are differences compared to some of the earlier political dynamics in the state — and while the stakes have grown greater — “when I first started seeing articles about the Corpus Christi situation, I was struck immediately by this sense that sometimes things never change,” said Kenna Archer, an associate professor of history at Angelo State University.

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