Local leaders greeted the arrival of Infrastructure Week in Washington on Monday with plenty of praise and plans for spending their share of the $1.2 trillion included in a six-month-old federal public works package.
But while local officials remain upbeat about the package, troubles with rising material costs, disrupted supply chains and workforce shortages threaten to hinder projects—at least in the near-term.
Conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its watershed are changing as droughts become warmer and more intense. But as our new study highlights, California is not doing a good job of tracking these changes. That’s making it even tougher to manage the water that is available for the benefit of the state’s communities, economy and environment.
In the middle of a parched summer in the arid West, any amount of rain can feel like a gift. But in reality, those precious summer showers barely move the needle when it comes to water.
“Regardless of what you get in the summer,” said Becky Bolinger, Colorado’s assistant state climatologist, “what really impacts the water availability in the Colorado River is what happens in the winter.”
The California Coastal Commission tonight rejected the proposed construction of a desalination plant in Huntington Beach, sealing the controversial project’s fate after more than 20 years of debate.
The unanimous decision about the $1.4-billion plant in Huntington Beach is pivotal because it sets a high bar for the future of turning seawater into drinking water in California, which can help buffer its vulnerable water supply against drought.
The questions came fast and furious for nearly five hours Wednesday night, offering a glimpse into the world of wealth, worry and water.
“We have a few large koi pond [sic] with over 100 fish,” one person said during an angst-filled town hall meeting of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. “Is there a special exemption for them?”
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1.9 billion in grant funding to the State Revolving Funds to accelerate progress on water infrastructure projects. Combined with historic investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding will help states, Tribes, and territories upgrade water infrastructure to provide safe drinking water, protect vital water resources, and create thousands of new jobs in communities across the country.
The Colorado River is in crisis — one deepening by the day.
It is a powerhouse: a 1,450-mile waterway that stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Sea of Cortez, serving 40 million people in seven U.S. states, 30 federally recognized tribes and Mexico. It hydrates 5 million acres of agricultural land and provides critical habitat for rare fish, birds and plants.
Gov. Gavin Newsom today unveiled his revised state budget for the 2022-’23 Fiscal Year. The $300.7 billion budget includes several priorities of interest to ACWA members, including funding for drought, climate change, forest management and more.
Building upon last year’s three-year, $5.2 billion allocation to support drought response and long-term water sustainability, the governor’s revised budget includes an additional $2 billion for drought response and water resilience. This is part of the governor’s larger $47.1 billion climate package.
When a wildfire tore through drought-stricken towns near Boulder, Colo., late last year, it reminded Americans that fire risk is changing. It didn’t matter that it was winter. It didn’t matter that many of the more than 1,000 homes and other structures lost sat in suburban subdivisions, not forested enclaves. The old rules no longer applied.
After years of on-again-off-again drought conditions and decades of precarity relying on imported water, Southern California has instituted major limitations on how residents can use water. Within weeks, residents will only be allowed to irrigate their yards once a week. Lush lawns and abundant flower gardens, your days may be numbered.
This is likely just the start.
