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Groundwater Pumping is Causing Land to Sink at Record Rate in San Joaquin Valley

For decades, a costly problem has been worsening beneath California’s San Joaquin Valley: the land has been sinking, driven by the chronic overpumping of groundwater.

As agricultural wells have drained water from aquifers, underground clay layers have compacted and the ground surface has been sinking as much as 1 foot per year in some areas.

California Water Agency Considers Spending $141 Million on Delta Tunnel Project

The powerful board of Southern California’s largest urban water supplier will soon vote on whether to continue funding a large share of preliminary planning work for the state’s proposed water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The 38-member board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is set to consider approving $141.6 million for planning and preconstruction costs at its Dec. 10 meeting.

How will the Northwest’s “Bomb Cyclone” Impact San Diego?

As San Diego’s wet season arrives and rain totals climb, scientific terms like “bomb cyclone” and “atmospheric river” are used to give context as to what is causing rain in the region. But, what do these terms really mean? And, will the same impact seen in other parts of the state carry over to San Diego?

The questions carry weight as the first atmospheric river of the season hits the Pacific Northwest this week and rain and snow are expected to hit Northern California through Sunday.

American Water Customers Sue for Damages of More than $5M After Recent Hack

American Water Co., hit by hackers early this month, now is being sued by customers seeking damages for the potential theft of identity information.

At least five suits in Camden federal court say claims will exceed $5 million, the minimum required for proposed class action litigation.

California’s Rainy Season Begins with a Bomb Cyclone Bang. Are we in for a Third Record Wet Winter?

The first major atmospheric river storm to hit the West Coast this season is kicking off the rainy season with a bang, as the system rapidly strengthened — to the tune of a bomb cyclone — before pummeling Northern California and southern Oregon with dangerous winds and heavy rains that could cause disruptions for several days.

Supercharged by that dramatic bombogenesis and warm Pacific temperatures, which together pumped up the system’s winds and moisture, the storm could cause life-threatening flooding and damaging high surf north of the Bay Area, with prolonged, heavy rainfall, strong winds and significant mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

New PBS Doc Names San Diego as America’s ‘Wildest City’

A new nature documentary “San Diego: America’s Wildest City” showcases fascinating wildlife from the ocean to the desert and mountains.

The big picture: San Diego has more biodiversity than any county in America. That means the 3.3 million people who live here are surrounded by more plants, animals, and microorganisms than anyone else in the country.

Biden Administration Outlines Options for Addressing Colorado River Water Shortages

The Biden administration has announced a range of options for new rules to address chronic water shortages and low reservoir levels on the Colorado River, a vital water source for seven Western states that has dwindled during more than two decades of drought compounded by climate change.

The Interior Department released four alternatives for new long-term rules aimed at dealing with potential shortages after 2026, when the current operating rules expire. The announcement of the proposed alternatives represents one of the Biden administration’s final steps to outline potential paths toward reaching a consensus among California and the six other states, as well as the region’s 30 Native tribes.

‘Bomb Cyclone’ Brings High Winds and Soaking Rain to Northern California and Pacific Northwest

What was expected to be one of the strongest storms in the northwest U.S. in decades arrived Tuesday evening, knocking out power and downing trees across the region.

The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks beginning Tuesday and lasting through Friday as the strongest atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season bears down on the region. The storm system is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.

Federal Probe Finds Vulnerabilities Across More than 300 US Water Systems

The report highlights ongoing concerns about the threat of attack targeting the drinking and wastewater utility industry in the U.S. A growing number of utilities have faced attacks from criminal ransomware and state-linked threat groups over the past year, including adversaries linked to Russia, China and Iran.

Just last month American Water Works, the nation’s largest regulated water utility, was targeted in a cyber intrusion and had to take certain systems offline.

California can Make Climate Policy Decisions Today that Address the Problems of Tomorrow

In the wake of one of the most consequential elections in American history, California looms large. What occurs here is happening to roughly one in every eight Americans — and what’s happening in California is climate change.

The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record globally. Here in California, residents sweltered through the hottest July the state had ever experienced. And one of the most important ways California is experiencing climate change is in its water.