Placer County Local News: Water


All Local Water News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment

Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation projects have helped to build California, but they are also damaging the state’s environment for people, plants and animals by eliminating essential wetlands.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis

Almost one million California residents are forced to drink from contaminated water supplies, or pay for bottled water. Economic inequality makes the crisis worse. What is the state doing to fix it?

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/18/2025
Billions of state and federal dollars are spent on Lake Tahoe. But is all this attention actually protecting this unique treasure? Pollutants pour in, while development continues. Funding has shifted in focus to tourism and traffic projects, while money spent directly on fixing the lake has declined.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/12/2025
The governor’s planned $20 billion tunnel to divert more water south and bypass the Delta would bring years of construction noise, pollution and traffic. Residents worry their rural farm towns will never be the same.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

03/12/2025
Read on to learn the story behind the Army Corps of Engineers abrupt release of billions of gallons of water from two California dams despite pushback from water managers and state elected officials.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/11/2025
A new conservancy will oversee work to improve vegetation, water quality and natural habitat in the Salton Sea. Will nearly half a billion dollars in projects be enough?

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/03/2025
Oakland Democrat Buffy Wicks said lawmakers will soon see 20 bills to speed up housing construction, along with more on energy, water and transit.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

02/28/2025
State and federal water managers have announced significant increases to water allocations across California thanks to early February storms and healthy reservoir levels.

Auburn Journal logo From Auburn Journal...

02/27/2025
Image for display with article titled PCWA Prepares for Second Year of Water Reductions

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) announced that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has halted water releases from Lake Spaulding to facilitate ongoing infrastructure repairs. As a result, water reductions for PCWA customers in 2025 are expected to match those implemented last year.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/24/2025
The governor vowed to clear the way for more groundwater recharge. Has it worked? “We’re still tinkering around with small numbers,” one expert says.

California Local Pin Marker From YubaNet...

02/22/2025
Water releases have been halted by PG&E again as repairs on infrastructure continue. Read on for the latest.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

02/22/2025
A new bill by a Bay Area state senator aims to create a special fund to help clean up so-called forever chemicals in California’s water supply. Senate Bill 454 was introduced by Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on February 18 and, if passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor, would create the PFAS Mitigation Fund.

Auburn Journal logo From Auburn Journal...

02/21/2025
Image for display with article titled Second Repair Coming to Spaulding Powerhouse 2

A report on the ongoing PG&E Lake Spaulding repairs and impacts of water delivery to the Placer County Water Agency were made at its Auburn office on Thursday afternoon.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

02/20/2025
Image for display with article titled Tahoe’s Father of Snow Science: James E Church

How many inches of pow did we receive? It's what every powder-hound wants to know after a highly anticipated snowstorm blows through. But there's another measurement to a snowstorm that has a more practical purpose—just how many inches of water are in that pow?

Placer Sentinel logo From Placer Sentinel...

02/17/2025
Image for display with article titled County Water Agency Approves Project to Increase Storage at Hell Hole Reservoir

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors approved a $5.8 million contract for the Hell Hole seasonal storage increase project, adding to the capacity of the Hell Hole Reservoir so it can store more water during wetter winters.

California Local Pin Marker From Roseville Today...

02/13/2025
In their February 13 meeting, the Placer County Water Agency approved $5.8 million in funding to increase water storage capacity at Hell Hole Reservoir. Read on to learn more about this project.

Sierra Sun logo From Sierra Sun...

02/03/2025
Image for display with article titled Tahoe City Public Utility District Expands Water Rate Assistance Program to Help More Customers

The Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD) Board of Directors recently approved the expansion of its Water Rate Assistance Program. The expanded program is intended to provide water rate assistance to more TCPUD water customers, with discounts of up to 50%. 

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

02/03/2025
Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about one-third of California’s water needs, was far lower than average for the end of January at one of the state’s measurement points on January 31.

California Local Pin Marker From Stocktonia...

02/01/2025
Read on to learn more about the Trump-ordered "emergency" release of water from two San Joaquin Valley reservoirs and how it is literally going down the drain (and not to preserve LA from fires as claimed).

Placer Sentinel logo From Placer Sentinel...

01/24/2025
Image for display with article titled Placer County Water Agency Invests in Recreation and Sustainability Through Major Infrastructure Upgrades

Campground modernization and dam upgrades will enhance visitor experience, improve environmental health, and optimize water and power management.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/22/2025
It would be impossible to overstate the complexity of water supply management in California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/21/2025
Trump apparently wants to override new Biden-Newsom rules that have widespread support among Southern California cities and some Central Valley farmers.