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OPINION: Ringside: Will Advocates for More Water Supply Projects Find Unity?

/in , /by /California Globeby Edward Ring

There’s only one way to restore reliable water allocations to farmers, avoid turning our cities into rationed “xeriscaped” heat islands, and cope with whatever the climate ultimately delivers. That’s to build more infrastructure to safely and sustainably produce millions of acre feet of new fresh water every year.

There are many practical ways to accomplish this. Some are controversial. Others, less so. But chances are slim that any of them will happen anytime soon unless advocates for more water are unified.

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Major U.S. Reservoir Avoids ‘Dead Pool’ Status Thanks to California Farmers: ‘Lowest Levels Since 1940s’

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Michael Muir

Water levels in the largest reservoir in the United States are looking a whole lot healthier after two years of voluntary conservation efforts from an array of local stakeholders in California.

SFGATE reported that after years of decline and getting perilously close to “dead pool” status — when a reservoir’s water is too low to send downstream — Lake Mead’s water levels are up 16 feet in the last two years.

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San Diego County Expected to Remain Dry for at Least the Next 10 Days

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

You might as well stick your umbrella in the closet. San Diego County is unlikely to receive rain for the next 10 days, and daytime high temperatures will be above normal, says the National Weather Service.

Large high-pressure systems are blocking seasonal storms from the Gulf of Alaska and Canada from dropping into Southern California.

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California Cities Pay a Lot for Water; Some Agricultural Districts Get It for Free

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Rachel Becker and Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett

California cities pay far more for water on average than districts that supply farms — with some urban water agencies shelling out more than $2,500 per acre-foot of surface water, and some irrigation districts paying nothing, according to new research.

A report published today by researchers with the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and advocates with the Natural Resources Defense Council shines a light on vast disparities in the price of water across California, Arizona and Nevada.

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Storm Chaser Shocked by Findings From New California Reservoir Study: ‘Incredible’

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Zachary Ehrmann

California’s major reservoirs have surged to their highest levels in years, with all key water storage facilities now holding at or above 100% of historical averages for this time of year, per Newsweek.

The dramatic turnaround is welcome news for communities that have endured years of persistent drought, offering critical relief to nearly 40 million residents and vast agricultural operations.

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OPINION: Trump Sides With Agriculture Again in California’s Neverending Water Wars

/in , , /by /Cal Mattersby Dan Walters

From the onset of his foray into presidential politics a decade ago, Donald Trump has been obsessed with managing California’s water, often interjecting himself into decades-long conflicts over how the precious commodity should be divvied up.

During his first stint as president, Trump was heavily influenced by the Westlands Water District, a huge agricultural water agency in the San Joaquin Valley that sought more irrigation water for itself and other farm interests.

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Wet Start to California Water Year Improves Drought, But Snowpack Lags

/in , /by /Sierra Sun Times

National Integrated Drought Information System officals say wet start to California water year improves drought, but snowpack lags.

Water Year 2026 (October 1, 2025–September 20, 2026) began very differently than Water Year 2025. Drought developed in the first few months of the last water year and expanded over the region. This water year, over the course of 2 months, drought across California-Nevada has improved by 1-3 categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

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Mexico to Send More Water to US Despite Trump’s Tariffs Threat

/in , /by /AP

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed her country’s intention to increase water deliveries to the United States, though not immediately, despite threats from US President Donald Trump to impose a 5 per cent tariff hike on Mexican imports.

Ms. Sheinbaum announced on Tuesday that Mexico is proposing a water delivery this month, with further shipments planned for the coming years.

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Opinion: A Water District Using Its Own Water Shouldn’t Be Controversial

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Manny Delgado and Steve Castaneda Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

A water district drawing down water from its own reservoir should not be controversial. It should be expected. That is, quite literally, what reservoirs are built for: to store water in wet times and use it wisely when conditions allow.

Yet in recent weeks, after one of the wettest Novembers in recent memory, Sweetwater Authority’s transfer of water from Loveland Reservoir to Sweetwater Reservoir has generated debate. That debate misses the larger point.

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Trump Again Threatens Tariffs on Mexico Over Long-Running Water Dispute

/in , /by /New York Timesby Chris Cameron

President Trump threatened on Monday to impose an additional 5 percent tariff on Mexican goods over a long-running water dispute, reigniting diplomatic tensions that had flared earlier this year over water shortages in the borderlands.

In a social media post, Mr. Trump accused Mexico of failing to provide more than 800,000 acre-feet of water — or more than 260 billion gallons — under a 1944 treaty mediating the distribution of water from three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Colorado and the Tijuana. The president said that Mexico needed to “release 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31st, and the rest must come soon after.”

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