Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use...more
7/25/2025
/ California ,
Conservation ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Groundwater ,
Infrastructure ,
Inland Waterways ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Supplies
California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
6/24/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
CEQA ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Energy ,
Demolition ,
Density Bonus ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Impact Fees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Natural Resources ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sackett v EPA ,
Water Conservation ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands ,
Wildfires
As climate variability and drought continue to challenge California’s water supply, the state is renewing its focus on seawater desalination as part of a diversified water portfolio. While only a handful of large-scale...more
6/20/2025
/ California ,
Department of Water Resources ,
Desalination ,
Environmental Policies ,
Government Agencies ,
Natural Resources ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Stakeholder Engagement ,
Water ,
Water Quality ,
Water Supplies
Beginning January 1, 2025, the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” regulatory framework requires urban retail water suppliers — not individual households or businesses — to adopt a series of “urban water use...more
6/20/2025
/ California ,
Climate Change ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Natural Resources ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Sustainability ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water Conservation ,
Water Supplies
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
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order, calling on state agencies to create a comprehensive Water Resilience Portfolio, has set goals for recycling at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030 and...more
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
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
How does California’s drought — or on the other end of the spectrum, an overabundance of water — impact our economy, infrastructure, and real estate development? David Osias and Barry Epstein, both partners at the law firm...more
In last year’s update, we provided an overview of federal and California regulatory actions designed to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These actions...more
5/2/2023
/ California ,
CEQA ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Housing Developers ,
Office Space ,
Offshore Wind ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government
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