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As Deadline Approaches, Colorado River Stewards Debate How to Share Water

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Scott Franz

It’s crunch time for negotiators from California and six other Western states trying to strike a deal before Feb. 14 on how to share the dwindling Colorado River. But four days of talks in a Salt Lake City conference room earlier this month did not appear to have sparked a breakthrough.

“We got tired of each other,” Utah’s negotiator, Gene Shawcroft, said last week at a public board meeting, days after the meeting ended. “And two of the days, we made some progress, but one day we went backwards almost as much progress as we made in two and a half days.”

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Editorial: A Trickle of Water Sense From California

/in , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journal

California has hundreds of miles of coastline, yet melted snow from other states remains an important source of its water. Perhaps a needed change is on the horizon — one that would even help Nevada.

Interstate negotiations over the Colorado River appear deadlocked. The three Lower Basin states, including Nevada, remain at odds with their four Upper Basin counterparts. There is significant disagreement over what to do when the river doesn’t deliver enough water. Unfortunately, that has been the reality for many years, as the river was overallocated from the beginning. Lake Mead is forecast to drop even further in the coming months.

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Rain, Not Snow: Extraordinary Warmth Leaves Mountains Less Snowy Across the West

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

At UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, located at 6,894 feet above sea level near Donner Pass, researchers collect detailed measurements of the snowpack each day.

There is still some snow on the ground to measure, but less than they usually see in late January.

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Trump Administration Approves Plan Backed by Newsom to Build Largest California Reservoir in 50 Years

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

The Trump administration on Friday gave its approval for plans to build Sites Reservoir, a vast 13-mile-long off-stream lake north of Sacramento that would provide water to 500,000 acres of Central Valley farmland and 24 million people, including residents of Santa Clara County, parts of the East Bay and Los Angeles.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a document called a “record of decision” for the proposed project, signing off on its environmental review process.

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The Region’s Three Sewage Recycling Systems, Prompted by Drought, Will Soon Go Online

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Garrick

Because leaders across this drought-afflicted region all embraced the same innovative idea a decade ago, three separate sewage recycling systems will soon come online in Oceanside, East County and San Diego.

While drought was the main motivator for spending millions to purify sewage into drinking water, local leaders were also spurred by increasing costs for imported water and long-term concerns about the Colorado River.

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Valley Center Municipal Water District Water Shutdown Does Not Affect Residential Use

/in , /by /Valley RoadRunner

Temporary Agricultural Water Restrictions During San Diego Aqueduct Shutdown January 24 through February 3.

Valley Center Municipal Water District directly contacted affected customers. If you were not directly contacted, you are likely not affected.

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Colorado River States Scramble for Deal Ahead of Meeting With Trump Officials

/in , /by /Las Vegas Review Journalby Alan Halaly

With frustrating meetings on a near-daily basis, the seven states that share the Colorado River are scrambling to deliver any semblance of an agreement as they gear up for a high-profile discussion with the Trump administration next week.

About 40 million people — and economically vital farms — in the American West rely on the river for their water supply in some of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver.

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Officials Stunned After Sudden Turnaround of Crucial U.S. Water Supply: ‘We’re Not Back to Normal’

/in , /by /The Cool Downby Elijah McKee

Washington’s Yakima River basin has been thirsty for rain, but it’s finally getting a drink.

Drought conditions have not let up in the region for three years. But in the first full week of last December, its mountain reservoirs racked up a combined 36 inches of rain.

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Poway Approves Water Rate Hikes Totaling Almost 26% Over the Next Five Years

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Poway residents will be paying more for water after the City Council’s Jan. 20 approval of a 9.9% rate increase this year, with another 4% hike each year for the next four years. Additionally, the cost of recycled water is increasing by 23% this year and wastewater costs are scheduled to rise by 3% each year from 2028 through 2030, according to a staff report.

The 2026 rate increases started with the Jan. 21 water bills, said the city’s Director of Finance Craig Schmollinger. The average customer is expected to pay $24.22 per month more, or $48.43 more per bimonthly billing period for water.

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Californians Have Been Using Far Less Water Than Suppliers Estimated — What Does This Mean for the State?

/in , /by /Live Science by Chris Simms

Water use in California was lower than officials estimated it would be between 2000 and 2020, according to a new report.

The findings raise questions about the accuracy of long-term water-demand projections, which could have knock-on effects on costs borne by consumers, but overall the news that water demand is lower than projected is positive for the state and its regular battles against drought, experts told Live Science.

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