Farmers in southern Tulare County will face greater scrutiny for groundwater pumping after the state placed the region on probation following a lengthy hearing in Sacramento on Tuesday....more
A judge has temporarily blocked a plan by a California state water board to take over monitoring groundwater use in a portion of the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, according to a copy of the decision obtained on July 16. Kings...more
In an order filed Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle denied a private property owner’s effort to enjoin the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers from enforcing their September 2023...more
State and federal officials move forward plans and policies for water conservation, conveyance, and climate resilience. The winter of 2022-23 brought historic levels of precipitation to California after years of deep...more
The California 2023 Legislative Session ended on September 14, 2023, and presented the Governor with several important changes to California’s water-related statutes. The Governor had until October 14, 2023, to sign all...more
California legislators have passed a bill articulating the scope of the State Water Resources Control Board’s authority to investigate water rights. Senate Bill 389, which will go to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for a final...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) on Tuesday released a new rule that reduces the number of federally protected waters by more than half following a Supreme Court...more
With torrential rains drenching California, state water regulators have endorsed a plan to divert floodwaters from the San Joaquin River to replenish groundwater that has been depleted by heavy agricultural pumping during...more
On Monday, September 12, 2022, a California Court of Appeal upheld a decision that the State Water Resources Control Board (the “Board”) lacks jurisdictional authority to issue curtailment notices to pre-1914 appropriative...more
California legislators reject bill to curb agricultural groundwater pumping - The Bakersfield Californian – September 4 - California lawmakers have rejected proposed legislation seeking to rein in agricultural...more
On September 12, 2022, the Court of Appeal for the Sixth District issued its opinion in the California Water Curtailment Cases, No. 1-15-CV285182 (2022). The court held that the State Water Resources Control Board (State...more
A California Court of Appeal held that the EIR for a public water authority’s river diversion and water storage project adequately described the unadjudicated waters to be diverted and adequately analyzed impacts to water...more
Ramifications for Urban Water Suppliers and Non-Functional Turf - The State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) has adopted an emergency regulation (Regulation) requiring urban water suppliers to implement the...more
THE DROUGHT CRISIS - 2021 was the driest year California has experienced in a century. At the end of the water year, spanning October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021, the State received only 11.87 inches of precipitation,...more
Limited water supply, restrictions on use, and higher costs may be in store for next year if the state’s drought conditions persist. This year has been critically dry and hot for California, resulting in déjà vu as the...more
At its January 20, 2021 Board meeting, the State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB” or “Board”) adopted its final General Waste Discharge Requirements (“WDRs”) for Winery Process Water (“Winery Order”) and associated...more
Congress sends landmark conservation bill to White House - Bullet The New York Times – July 22 - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a measure that, for the first time, guarantees maximum annual funding...more
In Brooks v. Byler et al., Marion County Circuit Court Case No. 19CV27798, the Marion County Circuit Court rebuked the Oregon Water Resources Department’s (OWRD) attempt to regulate groundwater users based on OWRD’s blanket...more
The State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) announced on March 26, 2020, that it does not anticipate bringing enforcement actions against water rights holders who are required to make annual filings by April 1,...more
Guidance Increases Uncertainty for Restoring Brownfields - The long-awaited CalEPA guidance for screening and evaluating vapor intrusion has been issued as a draft for public comment. This state-wide guidance, jointly...more
Governor Newsom proposes new plan for San Joaquin River Delta - Governor Gavin Newsom revealed a novel approach Tuesday to managing the San Joaquin River Delta that would keep more water in the fragile delta while restoring...more
Despite extensive negotiation, insufficient bipartisan support was garnered to obtain inclusion of robust PFAS provisions in Congressional year-end spending legislation. Initially, there was some expectation that U.S. EPA...more
Results from the first phase of sampling drinking water supply wells for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were recently published by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and show...more
New California Law to Help Achieve SGMA Requirements - Assembly Bill 658, signed into law last week, creates new temporary diversion permits allowing for excess surface water capture during high-flow events. Permits...more
On August 23, 2019, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced updated, and significantly lowered state notification levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The same day,...more