Public News Service

Concentrated animal feeding operations often house thousands of cattle at a single location. (Lukas Vincour/Zv�rata Nej�me/We Animals Media)

Report: CA factory farms perilously close to your produce

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collab…

Heavy flooding was seen in Dos Rios in April 2023. (River Partners)

A ranch, rewilded: The transformation of California’s newest state park

By Elizabeth Hewitt for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism …

Small seasonal streams lost Clean Water Act protections last year when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration in 'Sackett v. EPA.' (Derrick/Adobe Stock)

On World Water Day, advocates call on Congress to reinstate protections

Today is World Water Day, established 21 years ago by the United Nations to promote clean, fresh water. This year, advocates in the U.S. are …

Water flows through part of Dos Rios Ranch Preserve. The former farmland now acts as a storage area for floodwaters during wet years. (Cameron Nielsen/Grist)

How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland

By Jake Bittle for Grist.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

Around 99% of species listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1973, including the chinook salmon, have been saved from extinction. (Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)

Endangered Species Act turns 50 today

Fifty years ago today, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law - establishing protections that saved species such as the …

According to Pacific Environment, wind-assist propulsion can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per cargo ship by 30% over the course of a voyage. (Cargill and BAR Technologies)

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

The importance of making ports and shipping more environmentally friendly was the topic of a town hall meeting on Tuesday. Three California members …

People can cut down on single-use plastics by avoiding bottled soft drinks and bottled water, and bringing reusable jugs instead. (Lazyllama/Adobe Stock)<br />

This Year, Declare Your Independence from Single-Use Plastics

This Fourth of July, ocean conservation groups want Americans to declare their independence from single-use plastics. A new report, "Charting a …

A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means ephemeral streams, such as this one in the mountains east of San Diego, are no longer protected by the Waters of the United States rule. (Chris Hunkeler/Flickr)

Conservation Groups Slam SCOTUS Ruling on Wetland Protections

The U.S. Supreme Court has gutted federal protections for much of the country's wetlands. The court found that the Waters of the United States rule…

All 14 billion gallons of water in the San Gabriel Dam were collected in the last six months. (Caleigh Wells)

Los Angeles Reuses Lots of Stormwater, but Wants to Save More

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News S…

A section of a natural Los Angeles River inspires debate over whether more of the river could look this way. (Caleigh Wells)

Residents Want a Natural L.A. River; Officials Say It’s Risky

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News S…

Healdsburg resident Brad Simmons relies on the city's supply of free recycled wastewater to keep his small orchard of fruit trees verdant. (Naoki Nitta)

Despite Deluge, Recycled Wastewater Bolsters CA Water Security

By Naoki Nitta for Grist.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration St…

The San Francisco-San Joaquin Delta is the heart of California's water system. (Steve Martarano/USFWS)

Conservation Groups Criticize State Water Board's Side Deals for Delta Water

The State Water Board now says it will take another two years to finalize the San Francisco-San Joaquin Delta water management plan, and it is …

The pilot project in Turlock will test a variety of canal widths and solar panel types. (Solar Aquagrid)

Solar Panels Planned on Aqueduct to Save Power and Energy

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News S…

A new short film explores issues around the potential drying of the landscape in Long Valley and Little Round Valley in the Eastern Sierra. (Keep Long Valley Green Coalition)

New Film Highlights Water Struggle Between Rural High Desert and L.A.

UPDATE: A response from the L.A. Dept. of Water & Power has been added, which arrived after deadline. (10:35 a.m. MDT, Nov. 15, 2022) A new film …

Fields amid a sinking delta in California's Central Valley. (California Dept. of Water Resources)

Carbon Credits versus the Big Gulp

By Katherine Ellison for Hothouse.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publi…

All water agencies across California have until 2024 to provide the state with a full inventory of lead water lines, galvanized pipes and fittings that need to be replaced. (Pololia/Adobe Stock)

Advocates Press for Changes to CA Lead Pipe Replacement Program

October has been Children's Environmental Health Month and this week is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, so groups in California that …

A huge oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969 fueled the environmental movement that campaigned for the passage of the Clean Water Act three years later. (Antandrus/Wikimedia Commons)

On Clean Water Act’s 50th Anniversary, Issue Returns to Supreme Court

The Clean Water Act turns 50 years old this week, but parts of it are currently under attack in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case could …

The Yurok Tribe hopes that money from the Inflation Reduction Act will allow a big expansion of its forest restoration programs, like this one along the Trinity River in northern California. (Matt Mais/Yurok Tribe).

CA Groups, Tribes Praise New Bill, Call for Climate Emergency Declaration

As President Joe Biden gets ready to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law, California conservation groups are hailing it as the country's …

In the 1920s and 1930s, agents for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power posed as ranchers and bought land and water rights in Mono County. (Jennifer Little)

Local Groups Reel after Court Rules LADWP Can Cut Irrigation

The futures of tourism, wildlife and ranching in Mono County are now at the mercy of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - according to …

Conservation groups want to restore vegetation in coastal areas such as Elkhorn Slough near Monterey Bay, which sequesters carbon in the soil, helping to slow climate change. (Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve)

Bill Moves Forward to Lock More Carbon In the Soil

California has seen a lot of proposals to reduce carbon emissions; now a plan to scrub existing pollution is moving forward in the Legislature…

Irrigation in Long Valley in Southern Mono County supports ranching, fishing and local wildlife. But it may be cut off in order to send more water south to Los Angeles. (Jonathan Hyla)

Water Wars: Court Case to Decide Fate of Long Valley in Rural Mono County

Conservation groups are speaking out in support of water rights in rural Mono County, saying thirsty Los Angeles is endangering wildlife, ranching …

California just experienced the driest three months on record, which has led to extremely low snowpack, part of a severe drought linked by experts to climate change. (California Dept. of Water Resources)

CA Updates Climate Adaptation Strategy in Wake of New IPCC Report

State and international reports on the effects of climate change are out this week, urging government efforts fighting climate change to speed up …

Birders place artificial nesting platforms to aid endangered species in the Kendall-Frost Marsh in Mission Bay. (Craig Chaddock)

Report: California Wetlands Help Slow Climate Change

SAN DIEGO -- Ninety percent of California's wetlands are gone, and the movement to restore them has taken on added urgency in light of the climate …

The Build Back Better Act would greatly expand renewable-energy projects in order to fight climate change. (AdamKaz/iStockphoto)

Climate-Conscious Businesses Call for Passage of Build Back Better Act

LOS ANGELES -- A chorus of business leaders is speaking out in favor of the Build Back Better plan in Congress, including more than a dozen from …

This year's water release from the Morelos Dam is a more targeted version of the first iteration of the diversion project, which took place in March 2014. (Peter McBride/Raise the River)

Colorado River Flows Once Again to Gulf of California

By Lourdes Medrano for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Chinook salmon spawn in four runs per year. The eggs, fry and juveniles in the winter and fall runs are expected to be harmed this year by water flows that are too warm. (dhogan172/Adobe Stock)

Groups Warn of Massive Salmon Die-Off, Press for Water Reform

SHASTA LAKE, Calif. - Within the next several weeks, experts are expecting a massive die-off of winter-run Chinook salmon as they spawn below the …

A new study says California's eelgrass beds have been decimated by pollution, dredging, development, sea level rise and other problems. (Kathyrn Beheshti/U.C. Santa Cruz)

Loss of CA Eelgrass Leads to Coastal Erosion, Hurts Marine Life

MISSION BAY, Calif. -- An important part of California's coastal ecosystem, eelgrass, is disappearing, with 90% gone since the 1950s. A report …

Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe opposes efforts to raise the Shasta Dam and enlarge the reservoir because it would flood her tribe's ancestral lands. (Winnemem Wintu Tribe)

California's McCloud River Among "Most Endangered" in U.S.

REDDING, Calif. - The 2021 top 10 list of America's "Most Endangered Rivers" is out - and the McCloud River in Shasta County is number seven…

Kern County produces about 70% of California's oil and more than 90% of its natural gas. However, 20% of county residents live at or below the federal poverty line. (Zhengzaishuru/iStockphoto)

Kern County Clean-Air Advocates Plead for State Intervention

KERN COUNTY, Calif. -- Groups fighting for clean air and against climate change are calling for the State of California to step in after the Kern …

This map shows the part of the Inglewood oil field that lies within Culver City, close to several neighborhoods. (Baker & O'Brien, Inc.)

As CA Considers Fracking Ban, Culver City is One Step Ahead

CULVER CITY, Calif. -- State lawmakers proposed a bill, Senate Bill 467, to ban fracking last week, but one city, Culver City, has already taken a …

$A bill would ban new fracking projects in California. (Jens Lambert/iStockphotos)$

Climate Groups Praise New Bill to Ban Fracking, Limit Oil Drilling in CA

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Groups that fight climate change are applauding a bill introduced Tuesday to halt new permits for fracking starting next year…

The Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River near Hornbrook, Calif., is one of four that will be removed in 2023 as part of a new agreement. (Matthew Wier/CalTrout)

CA, OR Kickstart Removal of 4 Dams on Klamath River

HORNBROOK, Calif. -- The states of California and Oregon are stepping in to revive a Klamath River dam-removal project that has been in the works for …

Puente Hills landfill in the Los Angeles area is the largest waste dump in America. (Britta Gustafson/ Wikipedia)

CA Urges Court to Make Feds Regulate Air Pollution from Landfills

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California, eight other states and the Environmental Defense Fund are asking a federal judge to force the Environmental …

Bottled water is being distributed to needy families in areas where water supplies are compromised, mainly in the San Joaquin and eastern Coachella Valleys. (Isabel Solorio)

COVID-19 Worsens Water Crisis for Families in Rural California

By Claudia Boyd Barrett for Yes! Media Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service/Public News Service Reporting for the YES…

Vernal pools like this one will lose federal protections as the EPA withdraws the WOTUS rule.(California Native Plant Society)

Trump EPA Weakens Clean Water Protections

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Trump administration gutted Obama-era water protections on Thursday – and now, conservation groups are pushing …

La Corporaci�n de Desarrollo �City Heights� de San Diego gan� los subsidios del Reto Comunitario de la AARP (�AARP Community Challenge�) en 2018 y 2019. Este parque de El Caj�n debut� el oto�o pasado. (CHDC)

Subvenciones del Desafío Comunitario mejoran la habitabilidad en toda CA

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Cuatro comunidades de California verán algunas mejoras grandes en los próximos meses - gracias al programa …

The cause of an oil leak in Kern County, shown here in May when it first started, has yet to be determined. (California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response)

Cleanup Continues on Large Oil Spill in Kern County

MCKITTRICK, Calif. – Conservation groups are calling for a ban on new drilling as crews assess the damage from a large oil spill in Kern County…

Hayfork Creek is part of the area that would be protected under a public-lands bill being heard in Congress on Wednesday. (Paul Higley)

Hearing Wednesday in Congress on Bills to Protect CA Public Lands

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Leaders from California's conservation and outdoor-recreation communities will testify in Washington, D.C., Wednesday in …

$The Trump administration contends that fracking is a valuable use for public lands, while environmental groups press for more renewable energy. (Jens Lambert Photography)$

One Week Left for Public to Comment on Feds’ CA Fracking Plan

FRESNO, Calif. — Time is running out for people to offer their two cents about the Trump administration's plan to allow more fracking on 1 …

The St. Francis Dam collapse in 1928 is California's second-deadliest disaster, after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. (H.T. Strearns/U.S. Geological Survey)

Remembering California’s 2nd-Deadliest Disaster

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Ninety-one years ago this spring, the St. Francis Dam collapsed, sending a 160-foot wall of water crashing 54 miles …

Seasonal pools like this one could be further protected under a new state wetlands policy. (California Native Plant Society)

Groups Call On State to Protect Wetlands from Trump Rollbacks

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Conservation groups are urging the state to better protect California's wetlands in the face of imminent rollbacks by the …

Thousands of vernal pools, such as this one in California, will lose federal protection if a new version of the

Groups Vow to Fight Rollback of Clean-Water Protections

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Negative reaction from conservation groups was swift to a Trump administration proposal on Tuesday to remove federal clean-…

The joint project addresses erosion and sediment issues that still affect wildlife in the Angles National Forest. (SWCA Environmental Consultants)

CA Project Repairs Damage from Decades-Old Fire; Plans for Future

LOS ANGELES — It's been 16 years since the Copper Fire of 2002 ravaged parts of the Angles National Forest north of Santa Clarita, but damage …

Conservation groups fear that Bonanza Spring in the Mojave National Preserve could dry up, endangering wildlife, if the Cadiz Water Project goes forward. (Michael Gordon)

Deadline Looms to Pass Bill on Controversial CA Water Project

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Conservation advocates say it's now or never to protect the aquifer underneath the Mojave Trails National Monument in the …

The Renewable Fuel Standard has led to an all-time high demand for corn, but also water shortages and pollution. (Bob Nichols/U.S. Department of Agriculture)

EPA Report: Renewable Fuels Standard Backfiring for Environment

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. government has acknowledged that the Renewable Fuel Standard is harming the environment. In a recent report…

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

A new study shows that climate change could be worsened by CO2 emitted by more organisms growing in streams. (California Native Plant Society)

Study: Streams Emit Greenhouse Gases as Temperatures Warm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Streams and rivers will emit increasing amounts of carbon dioxide as temperatures rise from climate change, according to a …

Conservation groups protested before the Metropolitan Water District vote in Los Angeles on Tuesday. (Restore the Delta)

Massive Twin Tunnels Project Rescued by SoCal's Largest Water Agency

LOS ANGELES - The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has thrown its support behind the twin tunnels project, known as the "Water Fix,…

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PNS Daily Newscast - September 20, 2024

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CA: Water

Report: CA factory farms perilously close to your produce

A ranch, rewilded: The transformation of California’s newest state park

On World Water Day, advocates call on Congress to reinstate protections

How can California solve its water woes? By flooding its best farmland

Endangered Species Act turns 50 today

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

This Year, Declare Your Independence from Single-Use Plastics

Conservation Groups Slam SCOTUS Ruling on Wetland Protections

Los Angeles Reuses Lots of Stormwater, but Wants to Save More

Residents Want a Natural L.A. River; Officials Say It’s Risky

Despite Deluge, Recycled Wastewater Bolsters CA Water Security

Conservation Groups Criticize State Water Board's Side Deals for Delta Water

Solar Panels Planned on Aqueduct to Save Power and Energy

New Film Highlights Water Struggle Between Rural High Desert and L.A.

Carbon Credits versus the Big Gulp

Advocates Press for Changes to CA Lead Pipe Replacement Program

On Clean Water Act’s 50th Anniversary, Issue Returns to Supreme Court

CA Groups, Tribes Praise New Bill, Call for Climate Emergency Declaration

Local Groups Reel after Court Rules LADWP Can Cut Irrigation

Bill Moves Forward to Lock More Carbon In the Soil

Water Wars: Court Case to Decide Fate of Long Valley in Rural Mono County

CA Updates Climate Adaptation Strategy in Wake of New IPCC Report

Report: California Wetlands Help Slow Climate Change

Climate-Conscious Businesses Call for Passage of Build Back Better Act

Colorado River Flows Once Again to Gulf of California

Groups Warn of Massive Salmon Die-Off, Press for Water Reform

Loss of CA Eelgrass Leads to Coastal Erosion, Hurts Marine Life

California's McCloud River Among "Most Endangered" in U.S.

Kern County Clean-Air Advocates Plead for State Intervention

As CA Considers Fracking Ban, Culver City is One Step Ahead

Climate Groups Praise New Bill to Ban Fracking, Limit Oil Drilling in CA

CA, OR Kickstart Removal of 4 Dams on Klamath River

CA Urges Court to Make Feds Regulate Air Pollution from Landfills

COVID-19 Worsens Water Crisis for Families in Rural California

Trump EPA Weakens Clean Water Protections

Subvenciones del Desafío Comunitario mejoran la habitabilidad en toda CA

Cleanup Continues on Large Oil Spill in Kern County

Hearing Wednesday in Congress on Bills to Protect CA Public Lands

One Week Left for Public to Comment on Feds’ CA Fracking Plan

Remembering California’s 2nd-Deadliest Disaster

Groups Call On State to Protect Wetlands from Trump Rollbacks

Groups Vow to Fight Rollback of Clean-Water Protections

CA Project Repairs Damage from Decades-Old Fire; Plans for Future

Deadline Looms to Pass Bill on Controversial CA Water Project

EPA Report: Renewable Fuels Standard Backfiring for Environment

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

Study: Streams Emit Greenhouse Gases as Temperatures Warm

Massive Twin Tunnels Project Rescued by SoCal's Largest Water Agency