Governor Gavin Newsom is pushing to lay the groundwork for building a $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta before his term expires, and state water regulators are considering whether to grant a...more
4/28/2025
/ California ,
Energy Projects ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Environmental Policies ,
Governor Newsom ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
Permits ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Water Rights
President Donald Trump on Monday issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior to develop a new plan within 90 days “to route more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to...more
1/27/2025
/ California ,
Clean Water Act ,
Crops ,
Department of the Interior ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Farmers ,
Governor Newsom ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
State and Local Government ,
State Water Boards ,
State Water Project ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies ,
Wildfires
California officials have joined a legal effort to restore water to the Kern River after an abrupt shutoff of water dried up the river and killed thousands of fish in Bakersfield....more
10/25/2024
/ Bureau of Land Management ,
California ,
Critical Habitat ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Farms ,
Geothermal Energy ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
Inland Waterways ,
Natural Resources ,
Salmon ,
Water ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Supplies
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
7/22/2024
/ California ,
Climate Change ,
Crops ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Drinking Water ,
Drought ,
Farm Bureau ,
Farmers ,
Groundwater ,
Lack of Authority ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
Wastewater ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights
In recent years, the demand for industrial warehouse, distribution, and outdoor storage uses has surged. This robust demand, a response to the e-commerce boom and other market forces, has driven a critical need for logistics...more
Powerful pumps that supply much of California’s population with water have killed several thousand threatened and endangered fish this year, prompting environmental groups to demand that state and federal agencies take...more
4/15/2024
/ Bureau of Reclamation ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Department of the Interior ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Endangered Species ,
Environmental Policies ,
Farms ,
Groundwater ,
Rivers ,
Water ,
Water Management ,
Water Supplies
Top water officials for the seven Colorado River Basin states met in December 2023 at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference to resume negotiating a new compromise for how they will share — and cut back on —...more
1/15/2024
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Bureau of Reclamation ,
CA Supreme Court ,
Construction Industry ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Drought ,
Farmers ,
Food Supply ,
Housing Developers ,
Rivers ,
Water ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Management ,
Water Supplies ,
Wetlands
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
9/25/2023
/ Crops ,
Drinking Water ,
Drought ,
Farmers ,
Groundwater ,
Recycling ,
Surface Water ,
Tribal Lands ,
Wastewater ,
Water Resources Control Board ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies
When ranchers violated an emergency order to stop pumping water from the Shasta River in 2022, state officials fined them $4,000, or roughly $50 each. Now California legislators are weighing a bill that would triple fines for...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
In early November, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case brought by the Navajo Nation that could have far-reaching impacts on tribal water rights in the Colorado River Basin....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
As severe drought conditions continue across the western U.S., Allen Matkins will begin publishing a quarterly newsletter focused on recent legal, regulatory, and policy issues impacting water users and suppliers in...more
6/20/2022
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Drinking Water ,
Drought ,
Groundwater ,
Groundwater Management Plan ,
Hydropower ,
Popular ,
State Water Boards ,
State Water Project ,
Water ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Rights ,
Water Supplies
Offshore wind development in federal waters off the California coast is rapidly moving closer to reality. Although construction and operation remains several years away, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the...more
On September 30, 2021, certain COVID-related suspensions of filing, noticing, and posting deadlines and tribal consultation timelines mandated by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines and certain...more
With the end of the first quarter of 2021 approaching, we thought it timely to issue an update on selected recent developments and proposed changes in law and policy touching environmental, land use, and natural resource...more
On September 23, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-80-20 (Order). Among its provisions, the Order extends the prior suspension by Executive Order N-54-20 of public noticing requirements mandated by certain...more
10/1/2020
/ CEQA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Executive Orders ,
Filing Requirements ,
Governor Newsom ,
Mitigated Negative Declaration ,
Notice of Determination (NODs) ,
Notice Requirements ,
Posting Requirements ,
Public Notice ,
State of Emergency
In response to public-health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-54-20 (Order) on April 22, 2020. Among its provisions, the Order suspends certain noticing...more
In the past, the Legislature has taken action to help developers weather times of uncertainty and economic downturn. For example, in the wake of the Great Recession, the Legislature amended the Subdivision Map Act (Map Act;...more