Tag Archive for: Water and Politics

California Lawmaker Pushes for Audit of Multibillion Dollar Water Conveyance Project

/in , /by /Courthouse News Serviceby Alan Riquelmy

Golden State officials have said the Delta Conveyance Project will pump 3,000 cubic feet of water per second, strengthening water resources in Southern California. To Malissa Tayaba, it’s a project that will desecrate her ancestors’ graves. Tayaba, vice chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, spoke Wednesday outside of the California Capitol against the project that’s been estimated to cost $20 billion.

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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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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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OPINION: California’s Water Crisis is a Question of Infrastructure: It’s Time for the Delta Conveyance Project

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Charley Wilson and Richard Lambros

California has often positioned itself as a leader in responding to the dangers of climate change. From pioneering clean energy initiatives to enforcing some of the strictest emissions regulations in the nation, the state has consistently taken bold steps to prepare for the future. Yet when it comes to water infrastructure, which is also an important part of our response to climate change, we are falling dangerously behind.

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End to Longtime Water Agency Feud Will Benefit VC Ratepayers

/in , /by /Valley Roadrunnerby newsdesk Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority June 2 announced the settlement of a 15-year legal dispute over rates and the price term of an exchange agreement between the agencies. At a news conference in San Diego, leaders from two of the state’s largest water agencies hailed the conclusion of all pending litigation, highlighting their commitment to fostering greater teamwork on a range of issues that affect nearly 19 million Southern California residents. The settlement dismisses all pending appeals, maintaining earlier judicial decisions on various matters.

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‘Dead on Arrival:’ State Sen. Cabaldon, Delta Caucus Draw ‘Red Line’ on Fast-Tracking Delta Tunnel Project

/in , /by /CapRadioby Sarit Laschinsky, Vicki Gonzalez

For decades, California officials have debated and discussed various projects to redirect more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta toward communities and farms in the southern portion of the state. The latest iteration of these plans is the Delta Conveyance Project, a single tunnel along the Sacramento River stretching just south of Clarksburg near the town of Hood, to a reservoir near Livermore.

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California’s Water Security Demands Action, Not More Delays

/in , /by /Capitol Weeklyby Jennifer Pierre

California’s water infrastructure is buckling under the weight of inaction. The State Water Project — the backbone of water delivery for 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland — is being pushed to the brink by climate change, extreme weather swings and seismic vulnerabilities. Without action, we’re facing a future of increased water shortages, higher costs and diminished reliability for communities and farms alike.

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Trump EPA Moves to Weaken Drinking Water Limits on Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’

/in , /by /Politicoby Annie Snider

The Trump administration said Wednesday it intends to roll back first-ever limits set by the Biden administration on four toxic “forever chemicals” contaminating water supplies across the country. Even low levels of the chemicals known as PFAS are linked with cancer, immune system problems, developmental effects and other health ailments. EPA-mandated testing has found them in nearly half of Americans’ drinking water.

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Newsom Seeks to Short-Cut Process to Build $20-Billion Delta Water Tunnel

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to accelerate his administration’s plan to build a $20-billion water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by short-cutting permitting for the project and limiting avenues for legal challenges. Newsom urged the Legislature on Wednesday to adopt his plan to “fast-track” the tunnel, called the Delta Conveyance Project, as part of his revised May budget proposal.

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Arizona, Utah, CA, WA Seek Federal Money for Water Infrastructure

/in , /by /The Center Squareby Chris Woodward

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, is part of a bipartisan bill to unlock federal funding for water infrastructure in the West. Working alongside U.S. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, Kelly has introduced the Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act. It’s part of efforts by their states, Washington state and California to get federal dollars.

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