The Rundown
- Bureau of Reclamation signs an agreement to explore Colorado River water swaps in the lower basin involving desalinated or recycled water.
- SEC proposes eliminating climate-disclosure rules for publicly traded companies.
- Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing this week on post-2026 Colorado River operations.
- DOE announces $775 million to support coal-fired power plant upgrades and restarts.
- The latest federal wildfire outlook shows risk moving north and west in the next three months.
- Federal fisheries agency grants a key authorization for a huge California water tunnel.
And lastly, EPA reiterates a cybersecurity warning from water sector groups related to public records requests.
“Interstate exchanges, including those using new sources of water such as ocean desalination and recycled wastewater, could increase water supply reliability and increase water management tools to help meet the basin’s challenges.” – Excerpt from an agreement signed between Reclamation and six water agencies in Arizona, California, and Nevada to explore water trades in the lower Colorado River basin.
By the Numbers
2.4 Million: Acres burned in the United States through the end of May, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That is nearly double the 10-year average for that period.
In context: Why Wildfire Experts Are So Worried About This Year’s Fire Season
$775 Million: New funding announced by the Energy Department to upgrade coal-fired power plants, build new ones, or restart shuttered units. “Rest assured, coal will play a critical role in our nation’s long-term energy security,” Kyle Haustveit, energy undersecretary, said in a statement.
News Briefs
Colorado River Water Trade
Long-term drying in the Colorado River basin is forcing officials to think about water in new ways – and across state lines.
The Bureau of Reclamation signed a memorandum of understanding with six water agencies in Arizona, California, and Nevada to explore interstate water swaps involving desalinated or recycled water.
Signatories include the San Diego County Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, and Salt River Project.
The memorandum is a commitment to assess the laws and policies required to enable these trades.
Regional partnerships could be a way to introduce new water into a shrinking system by making the most efficient use of infrastructure. Agencies in Arizona or Nevada, many hundreds of miles inland, could invest in desalination or recycled water projects on the California coast. California agencies would take the desalinated or recycled water and pull less from the Colorado River. The extra Colorado River water could then be withdrawn in Arizona or Nevada.
The opportunities – though expensive, like all new water sources – are there. San Diego is not currently using the full capacity of its desalination plant and is looking for buyers.
EPA Cyber Advisory
The EPA reiterated a cybersecurity warning from two water sector groups about the risk of revealing key operational data via public records requests.
WaterISAC, a cybersecurity group, and the American Water Works Association noted that an AI service provider used a public records request to gain access to data on water treatment flow rates, energy use, reservoir elevations, and water chemistry.
“Such operational data could be used maliciously to threaten continuity of service which could harm the public and national security interests,” WaterISAC wrote.
The group recommended that water utilities review their public disclosure requirements.
Climate Non-Disclosure
The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing to eliminate Biden-era rules that required publicly traded companies to inform investors about climate risks and how the companies planned to address them.
The SEC claims that it exceeded its authority (“a dramatic overreach”) when it finalized the 2024 rule, which ordered companies to disclose things like greenhouse gas emissions and how extreme weather or drought could affect business.
The 2024 rule “imposes substantial costs that are not justified by the informational benefits they may provide to some investors,” the SEC now says.
Public comments are being accepted through August 3. Submit them through the SEC’s comment form.
Studies and Reports
Delta Tunnel Update
The National Marine Fisheries Service said that a huge water-delivery tunnel through California’s main delta ecosystem will not kill off federally-listed fish species or destroy their habitat.
The biological opinion is an important step in the permitting process for the Delta Conveyance Project, a centerpiece of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempt to ensure water moves from north to south in California.
The document acknowledges that construction of the 45-mile tunnel will damage habitats and kill or injure some fish, largely due to noise and sediment in the water. But the harm will not be so great as “to jeopardize the continued existence” of salmon, steelhead, and green sturgeon.
Wildfire Risk Update
The June update from the National Interagency Fire Center shows risk moving north and west through the summer.
High-risk wildfire areas in June include the Four Corners region, the Upper Great Plains, and northern Michigan.
As summer rains enter those regions, the risk profile shifts to the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Northern California by August and September.
On the Radar
Snow Drought Webinar
On June 8 – today – NOAA will hold a public webinar to discuss research into snow drought, like the one that hit the American West this winter. The webinar begins at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, and the speaker is Daniel McEvoy from the Desert Research Institute. Register here.
Colorado River Hearing
On June 10, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the post-2026 operation of the Colorado River.
Interior Department and Bureau of Reclamation officials will testify on the first panel. The second panel includes state agency officials as well as reps from environmental and ranching groups.
Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.
