Dan Bacher

March 3, 2020 – On February 28, the powerful Westlands Water District signed a permanent water repayment contract with the Bureau of Reclamation to provide Central Valley Project water in perpetuity to the growers in the powerful, politically-connected water district on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The annual irrigation deliveries provided to […]

VALLEJO, California September 13, 2019 – For the fourth consecutive year, Chief Caleen Sisk and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe will lead a 300-mile prayerful journey tracing the migratory spawning route of winter-run Chinook salmon to advocate for the restoration of salmon runs, protection of waterways and preservation of the lifeways of indigenous people.  Known as […]

August 28, 2019 – Under pressure from environmental justice groups, California Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the withdrawal of last month’s appointment of Negar “Nikki” Noushkam, 44, of Los Angeles, to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board. Environmental justice groups opposed the appointment because Noushkam had served as an environmental project manager and process engineer at […]

August 21, 2019 – In February of 2017, I reported on how the Trump administration granted requests from Government Jerry Brown’s regulators to exempt three aquifers near the Fruitvale, Round Mountain and Tejon oilfields in California’s Kern County from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. According to Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity at the time, […]

January 3, 2019 – In the wacky world of California water, you never know what outrageous claims a water diverter might come up with. Just ask the State Water Resources Control Board, who recently reached a $10,000 settlement agreement with two Trinity County property owners over allegations that they “deliberately made misstatements” in reporting water diversion and […]

Sept. 7, 2018 – In a conference call with reporters and a press release issued on September 5, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) revealed that its cost estimate to construct the main and emergency spillways at Oroville Dan has ballooned from $200 million in the early days of the spillway crisis to $1.1 billion. Critics of DWR’s handling of the spillway […]

The San Joaquin River below Friant Dam in Fresno County. Photo by Dan Bacher. July 10, 2018 – The State Water Resources Control Board on July 6 released its final draft plan to increase water flows through the Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries — the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers — a move praised by fishermen and environmentalists, […]

July 5, 2018 – In a controversial move blasted by environmental groups, the U.S. Forest Service on June 27 issued a new permit to Nestlé Waters North America allowing the international company to keep withdrawing water from the San Bernardino National Forest for its water bottling pipeline, despite evidence that its operations are draining spring-fed Strawberry Creek.   Nestlé, the world’s largest water-bottling […]

April 26, 2018 – The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee Tuesday failed to approve AB 1826, Assemblymember Jim Frazier’s bill to end the Delta Stewardship Council in 2020 and transfer its duties to the Delta Protection Coalition. Six Assemblymembers voted no, eight abstained and zero voted for AB 1826. The no votes were Chair Eduardo Garcia, […]

January 31, 2018 – A critical hearing needed to approve Governor Jerry Brown’s controversial Delta Tunnels project has been delayed until February 8. The California Water Fix Hearing Team of the State Water Resources Control Board has delayed the hearing as it continues to review several motions to delay a key hearing by 90 days […]

SACRAMENTO January 22, 2018 – On January 18, Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay, issued a statement responding to alleged unlawful ex parte communications between the State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources regarding the proposed Delta Tunnels outlined in complaints filed by Delta region local governments, public agencies and advocacy organizations. “If […]

January 12, 2018 – The embattled California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced Wednesday the appointment of a new director, Karla Nemeth, who has worked in key management positions at DWR since 2009, and the “restructuring” of key positions at the agency. Nemeth’s appointment comes in the wake of the release of a scathing independent report […]

Oct. 24, 2017 – Six House Democrats today asked the GAO, the federal watchdog agency that conducts investigations and audits on behalf of Congress, to issue a legal opinion about the Bureau of Reclamation’s funding scheme. The penalty for this type of misuse of public money can include removal from office. Here is the news release just in […]

September 7, 2017 – Ohlone leader Corrina Gould of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu will hold a press conference at the West Berkeley Shellmound site (1900 4th Street – corner of Hearst Avenue) this Friday, September 8 at 2:00 PM. The two highly respected women leaders will […]