The state of California has passed the first hurdle in the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As of June 30th, local groundwater agencies (GSAs) were formed for basins classified by the state as at risk for groundwater depletion. The SGMA is expected to radically overhaul the way Californians have utilized groundwater.[1] Unlike with surface water supplies, which are strictly regulated through a complex system of water rights, groundwater basins have historically been regulation free. This inefficient management of resources has led to drastic depletion of groundwater throughout the state, such as the San Joaquin Valley, where land […]

In the Western United States, environmental water right transfers have become an important tool to protect critical water resources.  A new study conducted by Stanford University has assessed the use and efficacy of water right transfers among seven states in the Colorado River Basin. The study highlights progress made by select states and significant areas of improvement required by others. Water rights transfers provide a method for water rights holders to change the point of diversion, place of use, and withdrawal of a body of water from its original purpose. When transferring a water right to the environment, the transaction […]

Earlier this month, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency in response to the state’s rapidly disappearing coastline. The state of emergency coincides with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority approving a new draft of the state’s 50-year master plan to battle the quickly receding coastline. “Decades of saltwater intrusion, subsidence and rising sea levels have made the Louisiana coast the nation’s most rapidly deteriorating shoreline. It loses the equivalent of one football field of land every hour,” a recent NPR article explained.[1] According to the declaration, if no further action is taken, an additional 2,250 […]

On April 7, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown declared the drought officially over, rescinding the emergency order he signed in 2014. As the worst drought to ever hit the region in 1,200 years has come and gone, Brown reminded Californians that the next drought could be around the corner and that ‘conservation must remain a way of life’.[1] Just as other catastrophic events lead to policy and regulatory changes, the brutal conditions between 2012 and 2016 are already leaving a legacy, changing the way Californians use, think, and prioritize water for generations to come. “There’s no question that we’ll be better […]

At the end of February, Denver Water along with state and federal officials renewed the “Forests to Faucets” partnership with a reinvestment of $33 million. The money used to renew the project will help prevent wildfires and soil erosion, which directly affects water quality of natural waterways. Federal officials estimate that 60 million Americans rely on drinking water, where water quality is directly influenced by the health of national forests and grasslands. Municipal water providers are often proactively involved in forest health because of their direct link to water quality. Forests that are prone to beetle damage can result in […]