Lake Oroville is nearing its full capacity, a stark contrast to its all-time low of 643 feet above sea level nearly four years ago. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is closely monitoring the water levels and operations of Lake Oroville. According to DWR spokesperson Raquel Borrayo, the lake is currently at 98% capacity.
Golden State officials have said the Delta Conveyance Project will pump 3,000 cubic feet of water per second, strengthening water resources in Southern California. To Malissa Tayaba, it’s a project that will desecrate her ancestors’ graves. Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, spoke Wednesday outside of the California Capitol against the project that’s been estimated to cost $20 billion.
The organizations representing critical networks that keep the lights on, the water running and transportation systems humming across the U.S. are bracing for a possible surge of Iranian cyberattacks. Virtually every critical infrastructure sector is on high alert amid a deepening conflict between Iran and Israel, though no major new cyber threat activity has been publicly reported so far. As these groups proactively step up their defenses, it’s unclear whether Washington is coordinating with them on security efforts — a change from prior moments of geopolitical unrest, when federal agencies have played a key role in sounding the alarm.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the department that oversees water management, could have its next leader come from Arizona. President Donald Trump nominated Ted Cooke to be the agency’s next commissioner. The big picture: Trump nominated Cooke for commissioner on Monday. The nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Driving the news: Cooke was the manager for the Central Arizona Project from 2015 to 2023 and has over two decades of experience with the agency.
A surge in dust storms across California’s Central Valley is linked to expanding tracts of fallowed farmland, as growers abandon irrigation to conserve water. In short: a new study found that 88% of California’s human-caused dust events stem from fallowed agricultural land, especially in the drought-prone Central Valley. Remote sensing data from 2008 to 2022 show a 36% per decade increase in airborne dust over the Central Valley, as more fields go unplanted to comply with water conservation mandates.
A group of mayors representing cities across the West is calling for the federal government and state leaders to rally around efforts to help the region address water scarcity as climate change takes a toll on the Colorado River and other vital water sources. The bipartisan group Climate Mayors outlined a series of proposals for the Trump administration and state governments in a document released this week, saying federal and state involvement and financial support will be essential as cities seek to advance solutions including new infrastructure and water-saving initiatives.
In April, there was a post. “We will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!” President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. The president’s signature declarative, all-caps style had collided with the highly technical realm of water negotiations between the United States and Mexico. It’s a world governed by an 81-year-old treaty that binds the two neighbors’ taps at a time when water is increasingly scarce on the border.
California Democrats tried last week to dissuade Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum from cuts to water infrastructure funding. Instead, they got a clear view of the Trump administration’s priorities. The water security programs may be working, but budget cuts are more important, Burgum told lawmakers during a House hearing on President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the Department of the Interior.
President Donald Trump promised to break California’s water rules wide open. So far, he’s mostly working within them. Five months after Trump issued a pair of directives for federal agencies to overturn state and Biden-era rules limiting water deliveries, the federal government has done no such thing. Instead, it’s quietly increasing water flows following the very rules Trump once railed against — at least for now.
President Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Mexico this year, claiming the country violated a treaty and is stealing water from Texas farmers. It’s part of a dispute over shared water in the Rio Grande River and its tributaries. A fight exacerbated by higher temperatures and a greater demand for water. Stephanie Sy reports for our series on the impact of climate change, Tipping Point.
