Mexico recently paid a small portion of the water it owes the United States under a 1944 international treaty. A total of 56,750 acre-feet of water was paid via “a transfer of ownership in Amistad Dam” on April 30, Frank Fisher, spokesman for U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission told Border Report on Wednesday.
California’s climate is changing faster than our infrastructure can keep up. In the past five years, we’ve seen atmospheric rivers cause catastrophic flooding, prolonged drought has devastated agricultural communities and perpetuated a lack of access to safe drinking water, and inconsistent snowpack makes it difficult for water managers to plan for the future. This is our new norm. Yet, much of California’s water infrastructure was built for a climate reality that no longer exists.
The United States resumed water deliveries to Mexico after initially denying the request for the emergency transfer from the Colorado River, according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico is expected to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to South Texas every five years. This five-year period ends in October, and so far, Mexico has delivered 530,730 acre-feet.
Outside of major cities like Fresno and Clovis, drinking-water quality for San Joaquin Valley residents can be dicey.
The Valley is full of examples of rural water systems failing to either produce enough supply or deliver fresh water that is not tainted by contaminants, be they manufactured, like farming chemicals, or naturally occurring elements in local soils like arsenic.
As the Trump administration spearheads federal rules revisions on water, considering the removal of Clean Water Act protections, Utah environmental advocates worry it could impact 79% of the water in the Great Salt Lake Basin.
President Donald Trump has long complained about modern rules that limit water flow for showerheads, making it harder for him to wash his “beautiful hair.”
In his first term, Trump directed that restrictions on showerheads be loosened, an action that former President Joe Biden reversed.
Now Trump is going to let the water flow — again.
A coalition of top scientists loaded its last set of wastewater samples for analysis Sunday after receiving the final word from San Diego County late last week that the work should cease due to a nationwide clawback of federal public health funds.
The United States is holding back water payments to Mexico in order to send a message, the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commissioner told Border Report.
California public health officials are touting the safety and health benefits of fluoride in drinking water, as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly revealed plans to curtail the practice and the Environmental Protection Agency announced it will conduct a review on the topic.
Utah has become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, over opposition from dentists and national health organizations who warn the move will lead to medical problems and disproportionately affect low-income communities.
