California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking a probe into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power after reports of water supply issues that may have hindered wildfire response efforts. Fire hydrants running dry and the closure of the Santa Ynez Reservoir are two key concerns. "I have directed state water and firefighting officials to prepare an independent after-incident report examining the causes of lost water supply and water pressure in municipal water systems during the fire events, and to identify measures that local government can implement to provide adequate water supply for emergency response during future catastrophic events," said Newsom.
Several parts of California are under boil-water advisories due to recent wildfires, with the conflagrations destroying more than 10,000 structures in the Los Angeles area. Wildfires threaten water quality in several ways, including power outages that disrupt service and treatment, structural damage that results in water leaks and chemical contamination from smoke and melted plastic pipes. As evacuation orders are lifted, residents should remember that their drinking water isn't necessarily safe for consumption, says Andrew Whelton of Purdue University.
Small-scale, female farmers in South Africa are using indigenous knowledge to adapt to increasing droughts, according to research by Jabulile Mzimela, lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Zululand. These systems -- including practices like water harvesting, pest control and soil regeneration -- have been developed over generations and are crucial for managing resources sustainably, emphasizing the need to integrate these traditional practices into formal climate adaptation policies to enhance resilience and food security.
The Bureau of Reclamation has allocated $250 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expedite the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a 130-mile water delivery system from the Pueblo Reservoir to southeast Colorado. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper say the funding will help provide clean water to 50,000 people.
The Department of the Interior is investing $514 million in water infrastructure projects across four Western states, aiming to provide clean drinking water to communities. The Arkansas Valley Conduit project in Colorado receives the largest share, $250 million, to replace contaminated groundwater and deliver safe water to 50,000 people. Other significant projects include the Sites Reservoir Project and B.F. Sisk Dam Raise in California.
Media reports often assert that increasingly intense flooding will "swallow millions of US acres within decades" and "erase cities by 2050," among other alarming predictions. However, many such articles cover modeling studies that make an outdated assumption, argue authors of a recent research letter published in the journal Earth's Future. This approach, known as bathtub modeling, is useful for its ability to estimate a basic picture of potential flood vulnerabilities across large areas quickly and cheaply, but it's also flawed.
Federal flood maps have created a "safe development paradox" that encourages development in vulnerable areas just outside designated flood zones, according to a study by North Carolina State University researchers. The study found that up to 24% of all development in 2,300 counties occurs within 820 feet of the 100-year flood zone boundary, a trend expected to persist through 2060 unless policy changes occur. This issue is highlighted by hurricanes such as Helene and Florence, which caused significant flooding in areas designated as having minimal flood risk.
A weak La Nina has finally emerged in the Pacific Ocean, characterized by unusually cold water in the central equatorial region, but it is expected to have less impact on global weather patterns than usual. The delayed appearance of this La Nina, following the end of the last El Nino in June, has puzzled scientists and may be related to warmer ocean temperatures in recent years. While some effects of La Nina have already been observed globally, including potential impacts on weather in the United States, Indonesia, Australia and Africa, this particular La Nina is predicted to dissipate by summer.
Leaders should embrace agile optimism, which is more open-minded than fragile optimism that hinges on positive outcomes, writes Nick Tasler, an organizational psychologist. "Believing that you or your team can accurately predict all the details on the road to your desired outcome without making any missteps ensures that it's only a matter of time before your fragile optimism shatters into a thousand little pieces," Tasler writes.
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