Headlines

May 12, 2025

COMMENTARY: Costly, unnecessary infrastructure delays put California’s water supplies at risk

Maven’s Notebook
By Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors

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.…

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Uniting the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project Would Benefit All Water Users

Public Policy Institute of California
An accident of history has left California with two massive, overlapping water projects: the federally operated Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) operated by the California Department of Water Resources. Maintaining and operating two projects that serve the same purpose is inefficient. Moreover, the projects are often beset by controversy and conflict when state and federal administrations change.

California set out to build the CVP in the late 1920s but could not finance it due to the Great Depression. The federal government stepped in and began construction of the CVP in 1935 with Shasta Dam—which created the state’s largest reservoir—as its anchor. In 1960, state voters passed the Water Resources Development Act, which funded construction of the SWP. This project included Oroville Dam, which created its capstone reservoir, and the California Aqueduct, which provides water to southern California.…

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Dust is a Danger to Central Valley Health and Will Likely Get Worse, Researchers Find

ucmerced.edu
People don’t think about dust much until it’s time to clean the house, but a new report by UC researchers could raise awareness of the growing threat of dust and dust storms.

Dust affects everything from cardiovascular and brain health to traffic collisions and agricultural yield. “Beyond the Haze: A UC Dust Report on the Causes, Impacts, and Future of Dust Storms in California” details the wide-ranging impacts of dust on health, public safety, the environment and California’s economy.…

Read the full article at ucmerced.edu