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November Deluge Breaks Rainfall Records. New Storm Will Bring Snow to Southern California

Since Oct. 1, downtown L.A. has gotten 4.14 inches of rain, quite a bit more than the average 0.89 inches. For November, the average over the last 30 years is just 0.78 inches, but we’ve had 2.82 inches so far. This is currently the 19th wettest November since 1877, and given that there’s more rain to come, this could become one of the top 10 starts to a rainy season.

Another storm going to drop between a half-inch and 1 inch of rain across much of the area, and as much as 2 inches in the mountains. Several inches of snow could fall above 5,000 feet. Downed trees and minor debris flows are possible as strong winds and concentrated downpours pass through the area. We could see rain on Thursday and Friday as well, but the forecast is a bit uncertain. Next week things should dry out and warm up, with temperatures climbing into the 70s and 80s.

A California City’s Groundbreaking Path to Water Self-Sufficiency

On Main Street in Santa Monica, Calif., a parking lot sits between the courthouse and a boarded-up convention center. Visitors looking for a parking spot or charging their electric vehicles would never guess that a world-class water management system churning out millions of gallons of purified water sits underneath it.

The city’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) is a state-of-the-art water recycling system that has helped bring Santa Monica 85 percent of the way to complete water self-sufficiency. Groundwater from the Santa Monica Basin is the major source of supply for the city, augmented by purchases from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In 2011, the city was importing almost half its water, generating fears about what officials would do in case of an emergency.

Recent Rain Boosts Early Totals for 2025-26 Water Year in Northern California

A late fall storm that soaked the North State and brought high wind gust is padding rain totals for what has been a wet start to Northern California’s water year.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Redding Regional Airport had received 4.24 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which was the start of 2025-26 water year, according to the National Weather Service.

OPINION: As Trump Sends California Water to Farmers, Native Salmon Face Extinction

California’s wild salmon have faced just about every obstacle imaginable over the decades as they now cling to survival. Dams have blocked where they are supposed to spawn. Levees deny young fish the floodplain for feasting. Pumps send them in deadly wrong directions.

But all the previous man-made threats to the salmon have nothing on President Donald Trump.

 

Officials Celebrate Much-Needed Recovery of Crucial U.S. Water Supply: ‘We’re Doing Really Well’

Oregon water managers are celebrating an exciting milestone this fall. Owyhee Reservoir is ending its irrigation season with 170% of its 35-year average water volume, which is a sign of much-needed stability for local farmers and communities.

Capital Press reported that officials say the reservoir’s healthy levels are great news for the coming seasons. When the irrigation season closed on October 10, the reservoir held 357,000 acre-feet of water — nearly double what’s typical for the time of year.

Atmospheric River to Soak SoCal, Rain Pushes Into the Weekend

After a hot start to the week, we are prepping for a significant storm as models give us a better idea of what to expect.

An atmospheric river will bring periods of heavy rainfall and mountain snow, gusty winds and thunderstorms to California mainly Friday and Saturday in Southern California.

Why Gov. Katie Hobbs Wants Trump Administration to Broker Colorado River Deal

As a federally imposed deadline for a Colorado River agreement came and went without a deal, Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature called for the federal government to intervene. Hobbs and the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Legislature blamed Colorado and the other Upper Basin states for the impasse.

They sent a joint letter Tuesday to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, asking him to ensure Arizona receives its share of Colorado River water and sharply criticizing the Upper Basin states for their refusal to share in water cuts.

 

California’s Drying Salton Sea Harms the Lungs of People Living Nearby, Say Researchers

Chemical-laden dust from southern California’s drying Salton Sea is probably harming the lungs of people around the shrinking body of water, and the effects are especially pronounced in children, new peer-reviewed research from the University of California, Irvine, shows.

A separate peer-reviewed study from the University of California, Riverside, also found the Salton Sea’s contaminated dust seemed to alter lung microbiome, which could trigger pulmonary problems that have been reported around the lake.

OPINION: Don Wagner Calls for Common Sense in Sacramento: Ag, Water, and the Future of California

The November 5 edition of the AgNet News Hour struck a chord with California farmers and voters alike as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill welcomed Don Wagner, candidate for Secretary of State of California, to discuss the state’s leadership crisis, water mismanagement, and the fight to restore common sense to Sacramento.

Wagner, currently serving in Orange County and endorsed by former Secretary of State Bill Jones and former Governor Pete Wilson, said the same thing many Californians are feeling: “The problems in this state are entirely man-made.” He pointed to decades of political gridlock and poor decision-making that have crippled business, agriculture, and infrastructure. “We don’t have a resource problem,” Wagner said. “We have a government problem. It’s bad policy, not bad luck, that’s hurting California.”

Deadline for Mexico to Pay Water Owed to Us Fast Approaching

The clock is ticking down on Mexico’s deadline this month to pay the United States water it owes under a 1944 international treaty. So far, Mexico has paid less than half what it owes during this five-year cycle, which ends on Oct. 25.

Former McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, chairman of the Region M Water Planning Group, says Mexico has the water due to recent rains. But it hasn’t paid the United States, and specifically South Texas.