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Some of Arizona’s Most Valuable Water Could Soon Hit the Market

/in , /by /Circle of Blueby Brett Walton

South of Headgate Rock Dam, beyond riverbanks lined with willow and mesquite, the broad floodplain of the Colorado River spreads across emerald fields and sun-bleached earth.

The Colorado River has nourished these lands in present-day western Arizona for millennia, from the ancestral Mohave people who cultivated corn, squash, beans, and melons, to the contemporary farmers of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, whose reservation extends for 56 miles along its namesake river.

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As Colorado River States Await Water Cuts, They Struggle to Find Agreement on Longer-Term Plans

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Suman Naishadham

The federal government is expected to announce water cuts soon that would affect some of the 40 million people reliant on the Colorado River, the powerhouse of the U.S. West. The Interior Department announces water availability for the coming year months in advance so Western cities, farmers and others can plan.

Behind the scenes, however, more elusive plans are being hashed out: how the basin will share water from the diminishing 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river after 2026, when many current guidelines that govern it expire.

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Mystery Water Flow Flooding Backyards in Rancho Peñasquitos

/in , /by /CBS8by David Gotfredson

A waterfall has been flowing in the backyard of Ron White’s home on Wescott Court in Rancho Peñasquitos just below Black Mountain for the past year.

“The big rains happened, and by this time last year in August, we thought it would go away, and it did not,” said White.

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UCSD Researchers Suggest Mars has Water, a Key ‘Ingredient for Life’

/in , /by /Axios San Diegoby Kate Murphy

In a new study, UC San Diego researchers suggest Mars has large amounts of liquid water miles beneath its surface after analyzing data from NASA’s InSight lander mission.

Why it matters: Knowing if, when, where and how much water exists on Mars helps scientists determine the water cycle and evolution of the planet, and whether it can sustain life or was able to in the past.

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OPINION: Delta Tunnel Project will Protect California’s Vital Water Supply

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby David Bini and Tim McRae

California’s history is defined by building great and innovative infrastructure projects that improve our quality of life and set our state up for continued economic prosperity. From the Golden Gate Bridge to interstates 5 and 80, these projects are symbols of how major infrastructure investments can drive incredible economic growth. Though the creation of these projects was seemingly impossible to many at their inception, they quickly became an essential part of our critical infrastructure fabric that sustains our economy and way of life.

We are at a similar crossroads in building reliable water infrastructure to deliver water to two-thirds of Californians through the Delta Conveyance Project. This proposed project has been studied, refined, redesigned and rerouted due to extensive public input and thoughtful improvements by Gov. Newsom’s administration.

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Bakersfield Water Bills Going Up. How Much? That’s a Little Murky

/in , /by /SJV Waterby Lois Henry

Bakersfield customers of California Water Service could be paying 34.5% more each month to fill their tubs and flush their toilets in coming years.

That’s how much the water company is seeking to boost rates over 2026, 2027 and 2028, subject to approval by the California Public Utilities Commission. If approved at the requested amounts, Bakersfield residents who use 8,977 gallons a month would see a bill of $47.87 go to $56,58 in 2026, then $61.02 in 2027 and $66.20 in 2028.

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OPINION: California Dam Raise Would Take More Delta Water. Why Are Environmentalists Silent?

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Marek Warszawski

Fresno drivers headed to the Bay Area via Pacheco Pass on Highway 152 can’t help but take note of a sprawling inland sea that seemingly appears out of nowhere among the yellowed, oak-dotted foothills.

This is San Luis Reservoir, essentially a 2 million acre-foot holding tank built to irrigate San Joaquin Valley farms and supply drinking water to Silicon Valley. Its construction was considered such a significant addition to California’s water supply that President John F. Kennedy turned out in 1962 to push the dynamite plunger.

 

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July was California’s Hottest Month Ever, as Climate Warms to Dangerous New Extremes

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

The month of July kicked off with a dire warning: A rare, long-duration heat event was forecast to bring extreme heat risk across the West, with triple-digit temperatures and dangerous fire conditions expected in much of California for days on end.

That outlook quickly proved accurate — and would end up defining almost the entire month in the Golden State, which would see little relief from unrelenting heat.

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Drought-Related Water Pollution Disproportionately Affects California Latino Communities: Study

/in , /by /The Hillby Sharon Udasin

Drought-driven drinking water contamination is disproportionately affecting members of California’s Latino communities, a new study has found.

Among the pollutants plaguing these water systems are arsenic and nitrate, which are linked to an increased risk of a variety of diseases, according to the study, published Wednesday in the American Journal of Public Health. Some such illnesses include cancers, cardiovascular diseases, developmental disorders and birth defects.

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Local Water Rates to Increase 14.9%

/in , /by /Valley Road Runner by David Ross Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Valley Center Municipal Water District rates will see an overall rate increase of 16.1 % effective January 1, 2025 from its wholesale supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), which supplies 100% of VCMWD’s water. When combined with a lower 5% increase for locally controlled operations costs, the net impact for most customers will be 14.9%.

Last year the overall rate of increase was 9%. “This one is a little bit larger than we have seen in the past,” VCMWD Gen. Mgr Gary Arant told The Roadrunner. “Though in the mid-90s rates went up over 30% in some years. It is certainly not unprecedented in the history of rate increases.”

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