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How Will a Second Trump Presidency Shape the Colorado River?

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Alex Hager

The people who will determine the future of the Colorado River said they do not anticipate major changes to their negotiation process as a result of former president Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Multiple officials from states that use the Colorado River pointed to historical precedent and said that similar negotiations in the past were largely unaffected by turnover in presidential administrations. Historically, state leaders have written the particulars of river management rules, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation implements the states’ ideas.

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What the Science Says About Fluoride in Water

/in , /by /ABC 10 News by Patrick Terpstra

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’ll be serving in a major health care policy role in the upcoming Trump administration, where his to-do list includes telling local communities to stop adding fluoride to drinking water.

“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy posted to the social media site X.

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US, Mexico Reach Agreement on Rio Grande Water Deliveries Amid Drought, Shortages

/in , /by /Reuters
An agreement aimed at ensuring more regular water from Mexico to the United States has been reached, both governments said on Saturday, following a long period of tension over a decades-old treaty.
A new measure of the International Boundary and Water Commission, which oversees the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water treaty, will provide Mexico with “tools and flexibility to deliver water earlier in the five-year cycle,” a statement by the IBWC said.
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Here We Go Again: California Prepares to Battle Trump Over Environmental Policies

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Julie Cart, Alejandro Lazo, Alastair Bland and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

When President Donald Trump took office in 2017, his favorite sparring partner was California. The state’s ambitious environmental policies often clashed with the president’s promise to “drill, baby drill for oil” and rein in California’s regulations.

Now it’s California v. Trump, 2.0 — and the stakes are much the same. Candidate Trump threatened to dismantle many environmental programs and hollow out federal regulatory agencies on his first day in office.

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Climate Change Identified as Main Driver of Worsening Drought in the Western United States

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Humanity’s heating of the planet, driven by the burning of fossil fuels and unchecked emissions of greenhouse gases, has become the main driver of worsening droughts in California and the American West, according to new research.

A team of UCLA and NOAA scientists found that while droughts in the last century were caused mainly by decreases in precipitation through natural cycles, an entirely different pattern has taken hold as a result of the rising temperatures this century.

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The Water Bubble is About to Burst

/in , /by /Fast Companyby Mark Hans Richer

The United States has faced various economic bubbles, but one lesser-known phenomenon is taking its toll nationwide: the “water bubble.” Earth has a finite amount of water; only 0.5% is accessible, fresh, and usable. It’s our most precious resource, and it’s under incredible stress. Water scarcity is increasing, water quality is deteriorating, and cities and states are scrambling to address these challenges.

Water faces challenges in three key areas: climate change, infrastructure, and water waste. These issues are raising awareness and concern about the future of our water resources.

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Growing Food Instead of Lawns in California Front Yards

/in , /by /The New York Timesby Cara Buckley

On a corner lot in Leimert Park in dusty South Los Angeles, not far from Obama and Crenshaw Boulevards, sits a curiosity that’s wildly different from all the neighboring grassy yards. Abundant and lush, it looks like a mash-up between a country idyll and something dreamed up by Dr. Seuss.

Tangles of grapes and blackberries grow in clusters along a trellis. Leafy rows of basil, sweet potatoes and mesclun spring from raised garden troughs. Most striking are corridors of elevated planters stacked four high, like multilevel bunk beds, filled with kale, cabbage, arugula, various lettuces, eggplants, tatsoi and collard greens.

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California Voters Approve Proposition 4, the Bond Measure for Water and Environmental Projects

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Melody Petersen

California voters have approved a $10-billion bond measure to finance water, clean energy and other environmental projects.

Proposition 4 allocates $3.8 billion for water projects, including those that provide safe drinking water, water recycling projects, groundwater storage and flood control. An additional $1.5 billion would be spent on wildfire protection, and $1.2 billion would go toward protecting the coast from sea level rise.

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Trump, RFK Jr. Stir Debate Over Fluoride in Public Water: What to Know

/in , /by /The Hillby Joseph Choi

Former President Trump and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have raised fluoride in water as a public health measure to be addressed if Trump retakes the White House.

Over the weekend, Kennedy wrote on social platform X, “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S​. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.” He then claimed, without citing evidence, that fluoride is “industrial waste” that causes a list of harms.

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A Tiny Threat Could have Big Impacts on California’s Drinking Water

/in , /by /SFGATEby Suzie Dundas

At first glance, the small golden mussel doesn’t look like much of a threat. When clustered on a pier or the bottom of a buoy, the brownish spheres wouldn’t draw much attention, especially as they look like several of California’s native mussel species.

But the tiny mollusks, which can reach up to 2 inches in length, are a big concern: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Parks, and the California Department of Water Resources just announced the invasive species has been found in North America for the first time in the Port of Stockton in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — and they’re already in at least one California reservoir.

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