On Tuesday, as Sacramento attempts to advance the Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta Tunnel, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) reintroduced legislation to finally kill this disastrous boondoggle once and for all. The Stop the Delta Tunnel Act would prohibit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from issuing a federal permit necessary for the project to be implemented.
Last week’s rain and floods in California may soon give way to concerns about drought in the West as spring kicks off the region’s dry season. This year’s storms won’t erase looming drought worries across the entire southwestern U.S., experts fear. Of particular concern are the giant reservoirs of the Colorado River basin, Lakes Mead and Powell, which remain far below capacity.
The water outlook in California is bright, with major reservoirs exhibiting strong levels and a near-average snowpack, according to the latest data.
The state’s three largest reservoirs – Trinity, Shasta and Oroville – are currently holding more than 75% of their capacity, a significant boost compared to typical levels for this time of year.
Last month’s wildfires in California destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 29 people and will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. President Trump has claimed that state officials made the disaster worse by how they managed the state’s complex water system. William Brangham looks at those allegations and the realities of water management in the nation’s most populous state.
Reservoirs across California recently received good news only weeks after a late January snowpack update from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) sparked concern. Although a series of atmospheric rivers brought heavy snow to high-elevation areas in parts of northern and central California in November and December, Southern California had an unusually dry start to the winter season. The lack of precipitation fueled wildfires in the region in January and furthered the state’s challenges with drought.
Santa Rosa. Paradise. Boulder County. Lahaina. Los Angeles. All are places that have shown that American cities and their water systems weren’t built to withstand wildfire, experts say. Hydrants trickled. Pumps and treatment plants lost power. Chemical contaminants were sucked into pipes, requiring extensive and costly work. In Paradise alone, where the 2018 Camp Fire killed at least 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, rebuilding the drinking water system is expected to cost $125 million and take three-and-a half more years.
According to a new comprehensive analysis of drinking water and sewer rates, the combined water and sewer bill for a typical U.S. household has increased by 4.6% from 2023 to 2024 and about 24% in the past five years.
Plastic straws, high flow toilets and incandescent light bulbs could make comebacks as President Donald Trump works to end certain environmental standards.
I fear we have entered a new, dangerous era under President Donald Trump’s second term. In recent days, we have witnessed water management decisions being made in Washington without the benefit of input from local experts and those being impacted.
Immigration and border security will be the likely focus of U.S.-Mexico relations under the new Trump administration. But there also is a growing water crisis along the U.S.–Mexico border that affects tens of millions of people on both sides, and it can only be managed if the two governments work together. Climate change is shrinking surface and groundwater supplies in the southwestern U.S. Higher air temperatures are increasing evaporation rates from rivers and streams and intensifying drought.
