Federal Power Act Reform
A group of environmental organizations active in hydropower relicensing (including Friends of the River) in collaboration with hydro industry players (collectively, the “Uncommon Dialogue”) have arrived at a set of reforms to the Federal Power Act…
Klamath River dam removals: “So yes, it’s happening.”
For decades, the Klamath has been severely impacted by a sequence of four PacifiCorp dams near the California-Oregon border. And finally, after decades of work…
Delta Tunnel Doings
Friends of the River, along with a coalition of environmental groups have been beating on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize that the federal draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was fundamentally flawed…
2022-2023 High Water Roundup
2022–2023 has shaped up to be one of the better high-water water years in California history. Specifically, it felt like 1983 — a high snow pack year.
Friends of the River Submits a Brief in the U.S. Supreme Court
Friends of the River litigation regarding state authority under the Clean Water Act may reach the Supreme Court…
State Water Resources Control Board Wakes Up
In February 2022 the State Water Resources Control Board controversially approved a petition to reduce flows to and through the Delta despite nature’s bounty…
PG&E Seeks to Spin Off its Non-nuclear Generation Assets to PG&E Subsidiary
The perennially bankrupt PG&E has made a proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission to form a subsidiary with a 49% non-PG&E stake to own its non-nuclear generation assets. The reason — to raise some cash from investors in the new subsidiary…
Some San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Agencies don’t get a Passing Grade
Somewhat predictably, parts of the San Joaquin Valley west and east sides and the Tulare Basin may be in danger of SWRCB taking over management of their groundwater basins rather than their local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs)…
Klamath River: Construction staging starts on Copco 1 Dam removal
After a generation of intense work and controversy, the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River has begun with the initiation of construction staging for the removal of the Copco 1 Dam…
Fishing Groups Call for Closure of 2023 Salmon Season
Returns of Chinook salmon from the ocean last year have been bad enough that the major fishing organizations (commercial and guides) have recommended that the 2023 ocean salmon fishery be closed to most fishing.
Court Upholds Trump Era Clean Water Act Rules - For Now
President Trump’s Clean Water Act rules have been reinstated by the federal 9th Circuit Appeals Court until a trial on the merits…