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Dust Storms Surge in California as Farmers Fallow More Fields

/in , /by /EHN

A surge in dust storms across California’s Central Valley is linked to expanding tracts of fallowed farmland, as growers abandon irrigation to conserve water. In short: a new study found that 88% of California’s human-caused dust events stem from fallowed agricultural land, especially in the drought-prone Central Valley. Remote sensing data from 2008 to 2022 show a 36% per decade increase in airborne dust over the Central Valley, as more fields go unplanted to comply with water conservation mandates.

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The West’s ‘Climate Mayors’ Call for Federal Help as Colorado River Flows Decline

/in , /by /LA Timesby Ian James

A group of mayors representing cities across the West is calling for the federal government and state leaders to rally around efforts to help the region address water scarcity as climate change takes a toll on the Colorado River and other vital water sources. The bipartisan group Climate Mayors outlined a series of proposals for the Trump administration and state governments in a document released this week, saying federal and state involvement and financial support will be essential as cities seek to advance solutions including new infrastructure and water-saving initiatives.

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Trump Pushes ‘America First’ in Mexico Water Deal. Experts Worry It May Backfire

/in , /by /KJZZby Nina Kravinsky

In April, there was a post. “We will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!” President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. The president’s signature declarative, all-caps style had collided with the highly technical realm of water negotiations between the United States and Mexico. It’s a world governed by an 81-year-old treaty that binds the two neighbors’ taps at a time when water is increasingly scarce on the border.

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Water Security Program Not as Important as Budget Cuts, Interior Secretary Tells California

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Em Luetkemeyer

California Democrats tried last week to dissuade Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum from cuts to water infrastructure funding. Instead, they got a clear view of the Trump administration’s priorities. The water security programs may be working, but budget cuts are more important, Burgum told lawmakers during a House hearing on President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the Department of the Interior.

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Trump’s Quiet Truce on California Water

/in , /by /Politicoby Camille von Kaenel

President Donald Trump promised to break California’s water rules wide open. So far, he’s mostly working within them. Five months after Trump issued a pair of directives for federal agencies to overturn state and Biden-era rules limiting water deliveries, the federal government has done no such thing. Instead, it’s quietly increasing water flows following the very rules Trump once railed against — at least for now.

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U.S. Accuses Mexico of Stealing Water From Texas Farmers as Climate Strains Resources

/in , /by /PBS Newsby Stephanie Sy, Mary Fecteau, Sam Lane, and Julia Galiano-Rios

President Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions against Mexico this year, claiming the country violated a treaty and is stealing water from Texas farmers. It’s part of a dispute over shared water in the Rio Grande River and its tributaries. A fight exacerbated by higher temperatures and a greater demand for water. Stephanie Sy reports for our series on the impact of climate change, Tipping Point.

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U.S. Water Infrastructure is Crumbling: It’s Time to Revitalize It

/in , /by /Fast Companyby Nathan Creech

In an age defined by self-driving cars, autonomous spacecraft, and artificial intelligence, it may come as no surprise that the science of effective water management often goes unnoticed. Many of us—especially in the U.S.—have grown accustomed to the convenience of clean, reliable water, and often take it for granted. In fact, most Americans engage with the U.S. water system only via a series of fleeting touch points—when they turn a faucet, water their lawn, or start their dishwasher—and have come to expect a seamless experience.

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San Diego is Seeing More Weather That Fuels Wildfires

/in , /by /Axios San Diegoby Kate Murphy and Nadia Lopez

Hot, dry and windy weather that fuels wildfires is becoming more common in San Diego County and much of the western U.S. amid climate change, a new analysis finds. Why it matters: What used to be several months of fire season is stretching in some places into a yearlong phenomenon, straining fire departments and others tasked with controlling or containing blazes. Driving the news: The number of hot, dry and windy — fire weather — days rose by 37 in the Southwest and 21 in the West on average between 1973 and 2024, per an analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.

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San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District End 15-Year Dispute With Settlement Agreement

/in , /by /Hoodlineby Ben J. Acostas

After a prolonged period of legal strife, the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California have called a truce, ending a 15-year dispute over water rates and pricing. This settlement is a significant step towards cooperation in managing Southern California’s water resources, which impact nearly 19 million residents.

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In the Arizona Desert, a Farm Raising Fish Raises Questions About Water Use

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Melina Walling, Annika Hammerschlag, and Joshua A. Bickel

Storks scatter, white against blue water, as Dan Mohring’s pickup truck rumbles down the dirt road. He’s towing a trailer full of ground-up beef, chicken, fish and nutrient bits behind him, ready to be shot out of a cannon into the ponds below. It’s time to feed the fish. Mohring fires up the machine and the food flies out in a rainbow arc. Then the water comes alive.

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