DWR conducted its first snow survey of the season last week at Phillips Station, west of Lake Tahoe, where the manual survey recorded a snowpack of 91% for this location. DWR’s readings from 130 stations placed throughout the Sierra Nevada indicate that the statewide snowpack is 108% of average for this date, compared to just 28% on this date last year. On average, the Sierra Nevada snowpack supplies approximately 30% of California’s water needs. DWR conducts snow surveys at Phillips Station monthly, January through April and, if necessary, May. The next survey is tentatively scheduled for February 3. More information about California’s current hydrological conditions is available online, as are readings for current regional snowpack and historical snowpack comparison graphs.

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has announced important dates related to the draft 2026 California 303(d) List of Impaired Waters and the supporting draft staff report. The documents will be available for a 60-day public review and comment period from January 30 to April 2. A staff-hosted public workshop will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. This event is virtual only; registration is required. In addition, a State Water Board public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Mar. 18. Refer to the public notice for details of each item.

OneShoreline, an independent government agency that works across jurisdictional boundaries to secure and leverage public and private resources, and the California Natural Resources Agency announced that the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) now includes a section requiring a study of measures to adapt to rising sea levels in the San Francisco Bay Area. The study, anticipated to begin in 2026 and to be conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will study impacts of sea level rise on the nine-county Bay Area’s ocean and bay shorelines with focus on frontline communities, vulnerable infrastructure, and nature-based strategies.

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) will host its 37th annual California Small Farm Conference starting on Sunday, Feb. 23. The week-long event will feature more than 60 virtual and in-person workshops and gatherings around the state. This year’s theme, “Rooted in Place,” honors the vital relationship between farmers, communities, and the land they steward. Registration fees, starting at $20, are based on a sliding scale to help ensure everyone can attend. Founded in 1978, CAFF is a California-based nonprofit that builds sustainable food and farming systems through local and statewide policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs to initiate institutionalized change.