WESTERN WATER NEWS
Four Years of Drought: Washington State’s Governor Seeks Collaboration on the State’s Water Future243
REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Issues Colorado River Operating Guide-
lines245
California State Water Resources Control Board Moves Toward California’s First SGMA Interim Plan as Courts Define the Limits of Probationary
Authority247
California State Water Resources Control Board to Consider $50,000 to $250,000 Fee for “Good Actor” Fee Exclusion Requests in Probationary
Basins249
Idaho Water Resource Board Receives Technical Updates Concerning the Health of the Eastern Snake Plan Aquifer250
New Mexico Weighs New State and NPDES Surface-Water Permitting
Frameworks252
EPA NEWS AND SANCTIONS
Recent EPA News, Investigations and Sanctions254
LAWSUITS FILED OR PENDING
Nevada Files Suit in the U.S. District Court Challenging the Bureau of Reclamation’s August 2026 Record of Decision for Colorado River Guide-
lines259
RECENT FEDERAL DECISIONS
Circuit Court of Appeals:
Ninth Circuit Affirms Endangered Species Act
Applies to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Operation of the Klamath Project261
Yurok Tribe v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 179 F.4th 663 (9th Cir. 2026).
District Court:
U.S. District Court for Arizona Invalidates Incidental Take Statements for Coronado National Forest Grazing Program263
Center for Biological Diversity v. Moore, ___F.Supp.4th___, Case No. CV-23-00354-TUC-AMM (D. Ariz. Aug. 18, 2026).
U.S. District Court Denies Preliminary Injunction over Shasta Dam Operations, Upholding U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation’s Water Plan265
San Francisco Baykeeper v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, ___F.Supp.4th___, Case No. 2:26-cv-00671-JLT-EPG (E.D. Cal. Aug. 3, 2026).
RECENT STATE DECISIONS
California Court of Appeal Limits Scope of Regulatory Fees under SGMA to Owners and Operators of Groundwater Wells267
Garst v. Tehama County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, 121 Cal.App.5th 507 (3rd Dist. 2026).
