Tag Archive for: Biden Administration

Biden Administration Outlines Options for Addressing Colorado River Water Shortages

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

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.

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Expansion of San Luis Reservoir Set to Boost California’s Water-Storing Capacity

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The Biden administration and eight California water agencies have reached an agreement to share in the costs of raising a dam to expand San Luis Reservoir, a nearly $1-billion project intended to increase the state’s water-storage capacity and benefit a group of urban communities and agricultural areas.

The plan to raise B.F. Sisk Dam and enlarge the reservoir near Los Banos will enable it to hold more water during wet years, boosting the reserves of water suppliers in parts of the Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley.

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Amid Controversy, California and the Biden Administration are Preparing New Water Plans

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

The Biden and Newsom administrations will soon adopt new rules for California’s major water delivery systems that will determine how much water may be pumped from rivers while providing protections for imperiled fish species.

But California environmental groups, while supportive of efforts to rewrite the rules, are criticizing the proposed changes and warning that the resulting plans would fail to protect fish species that are declining toward extinction in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay.

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Biden Administration Punts on Big Colorado River Move

/in , /by /Politicoby Annie Snider

The Biden administration has told Colorado River negotiators it no longer plans to issue its draft set of plans for managing the waterway in December, leaving the next major move in the battle over the West’s most important river to the next president.

The federal plans for the waterway are of increasing importance since the seven states that share it are deadlocked over new rules to govern the river after 2026. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation had said for months that it intended to issue them as part of a draft environmental impact statement at the end of the year.

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Rep. Levin Announces $32 Million in Federal Funding for Regional Desalination Projects

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Rep. Mike Levin announced Thursday that he has secured $32.2 million in federal funds for three desalination projects to increase water security in north San Diego and south Orange counties.

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Colorado River Negotiators Say They Need More Time, As Biden Administration Wants Deal By Election

/in , /by /KJZZby Alex Hager

The policymakers working on a new management plan for the Colorado River say they need more time to bridge disagreements about how to share its water.

State negotiators from Wyoming to California are under pressure to agree on new guidelines for managing the river. The current rules expire in 2026, but state leaders disagree about who should bear the brunt of cutbacks to water demand. At a meeting this week in Colorado, John Entsminger, who manages water in Nevada, says those hard decisions probably won’t come soon.

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Major California Water Recycling Program Gets $99M Boost

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Jennifer Yachnin

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced it would invest $99 million in taxpayer funds to support the creation of the world’s largest water recycling center, a project aimed in part at easing California’s reliance on the drought-stricken Colorado River.

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Biden Pledges $3B More to Rid US Water of Lead. But for Flint, It’s Not That Simple

/in , , /by /Scripps Newsby Carrie Cochran

Thursday, President Biden is expected to announce an infusion of funding aimed at eliminating the country’s dangerous lead pipes that carry drinking water into people’s homes and businesses.

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Biden Sets New Target to Protect Vast US Water Sources

/in , , /by /Reutersby Reuters
The Biden administration on Tuesday set a new goal to protect vast U.S. water sources, from rivers to wetlands, as part of a series of announcements marking Earth Week. The administration plans to announce a new goal of protecting, restoring and reconnecting 8 million acres (3.2 million hectares) of threatened wetlands and 100,000 miles (161,000 km) of rivers and streams, according to White House documents.
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For the First Time, U.S. May Force Polluters to Clean Up These ‘Forever Chemicals’

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Maxine Joselow and Brady Dennis

The Biden administration on Friday moved to force polluters to clean up two of the most pervasive forms of “forever chemicals,” designating them as hazardous substances under the nation’s Superfund law.

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