On October 1, 2026, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) conducted a hearing regarding water quality in the Scott River and Shasta River. The Regional Board considered a five-year extension of conditional waivers for the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) issued under the Waste Discharge Requirement program. The Regional Board gave…
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Checking in on the Smith River
The Smith River, whose mainstem and three forks flow a total of approximately 124 miles, flows from the Klamath Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Del Norte County, California. This waterway is arguably the most beautiful stream in California. For my money, it’s one of the most beautiful on Earth. The Smith River is a…
The art of protection: guarding hatchery salmon from pathogens
It takes effort to keep hatchery salmon safe, particularly from live disease-causing agents like bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms, which collectively are called pathogens. The fish hatcheries run by federal and state agencies employ different techniques to ensure the health of California’s salmon populations. In California, the two agencies involved in this effort are U.S. Fish…
CSPA and Allies Comment on August Final Draft Bay-Delta Plan
State Water Board Plans Adoption on October 28, 29, and (if needed) 30 On September 18, 2026, CSPA joined a coalition of environmental organizations, fishing organizations, and Tribal advocates in comments on the August “Final” Draft Bay-Delta Plan. The State Water Board issued the draft on August 19, 2026. At the center of the proposed…
CSPA and Allies Comment on Revised Draft Water Rights Permit for Sites Reservoir
State Water Board Plans Adoption on November 4 On October 5, 2026, CSPA joined allied environmental organizations, fishing organizations, a Tribe, and Tribal advocates (“NGO Parties”) in comments on the Revised Draft Water Rights Permit and Revised Draft Water Rights Decision on the proposed Sites Reservoir. The State Water Board and its Administrative Hearing Office…
An anti-regulatory federal government tries to strongarm California over who controls the State’s water resources
by Chris Shutes and Gary Bobker First published as guest commentary in Maven’s Notebook, September 13, 2026 The latest chapter in the Trump Administration’s war on California opened on September 3 and 4, 2026, when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation– which operates the largest water project in California – and Westlands Water District – the…
Short Casts From the Desk of Chris Shutes
Bay-Delta Plan released: On August 19, 2026, the State Water Board released the almost-final version of the update of the Bay-Delta Plan. The Plan allows the vast majority of water right holders in the Bay-Delta watershed from Stockton north to skate under “voluntary agreements” that marginally increase flows compared to existing conditions. Comments on the…
Reminding ourselves why we do this: return to cherished streams after 40 years
For two years, I did not fish once. For someone who spends most of his waking life trying to make conditions better for California’s fish, this is not the desired condition. I had the chance to partially correct this sorry situation this August when I returned to the Bridgeport (Mono County) area to fish a…
From spike-toothed salmon to modern salmonids: paleontology’s lessons for climate change
The spike-toothed salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus) was a roughly 7-foot-long species that lived along the Pacific Coast and Japan five million years ago. This history of this species, particularly its evolution and extinction, reveals that it is difficult to predict the results of climate change. Data from spike-toothed salmon fossils, reviewed with information from biological studies…
Notes from the field: Silver Fork American River—Part 2
Last month, I was back in the Silver Fork American River watershed, roughly 6 miles east of reaches covered in my previous article. The outing inspired me to write a sequel. But before I give you the skinny on the trip’s fly-fishing adventures, there is a bit of business to discuss. The Silver Fork American…
Which state government agency has jurisdiction and the political will to enforce instream flows?
California is world-renowned as an environmental leader. Yet agencies are reluctant to enforce laws that ensure people and fish have clean water. Those who advocate for salmon recovery and track agency performance on reversing damage to aquatic ecosystems can attest: the enactment of environmental regulations does not guarantee that those laws will get enforced. Enforcement…
Pulling the Rug out from under: “Updating” Water Rights Decision 1641
A July 11, 2026 article in Valley Ag Voice reports that Adam Nickels, acting Regional Director for the California-Great Basin region of the Bureau of Reclamation, is on record as proposing to improve “water supply reliability” by “updating” Water Rights Decision 1641. The article quotes Mr. Nickels as follows: “We actually know today that D-1641…
Upholding Tribal Beneficial Uses in water management
On July 22, 2026, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) held a workshop about Draft Guidance on designating Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBUs). The phrase “designating TBUs” means the State will officially identify and recognize specific tribal uses. The State will also call out specific water bodies in which those uses are explicitly…
Notes from the Field: Silver Fork American River
Summertime allows me to venture into the high country of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and assess river and stream conditions for CSPA. Last week, I made my way up to the Silver Fork American River. The El Dorado Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project no. 184) controls summer flows in the Silver Fork.…
A Look at the Great Lakes: Part 2 of CSPA’s golden mussel coverage
In the mid to late 1980s, the Great Lakes region began addressing the spread of zebra and quagga mussels. These two species are not native to the U.S. They have done an enormous amount of ecological damage in the Great Lakes and their tributaries. The federal government and States in the Great Lakes region have…