California Water Issue 2025

World Water Day as declared by the UN is March 22nd. This year the UN has named Glacier Preservation as the theme. We celebrate World Water Day to draw attention to the fact that water is finite, yet water is life, sustaining us all. How do we balance the two? We...

Water sustains life, connects communities, and shapes our future—yet Los Angeles has long relied on distant sources, often at the expense of Indigenous people, their sacred territories, and delicate ecosystems. It’s time to reimagine a future built on sustainable,...

2025 is the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (IYGP2025) by the United Nations General Assembly to "highlight the importance of glaciers and ensure that those relying on them, and those affected by cryospheric processes, receive the necessary hydrological,...

ICO’S MISSION STATEMENT The Los Angeles Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Angeles Chapter) serves as a bridge that enables underserved youth, disabled individuals, and others to visit and develop an appreciation for our natural environment. We work with schools,...

Oroville Dam Spillway. Trees burnt during Woolsey Fire. As the chair of the Water Committee, I am always being invited to participate in something or show up somewhere. I try very hard to meet the demand, knowing that there is always a connection to be made when you...

This World Water Day, learn about the history of water in Los Angeles with Angeles Chapter Water Committee Chair and Co-Chair of the Sierra Club CA Water Committee Charming Evelyn, and California Naturalist and Environmental Educator Jason Wise. Directed and edited by...

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power On Monday, January 6, the first forecasted strong windstorm of the year was expected to bring damaging winds of 50-80 miles per hour. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and our employees had prepared for...

WRD’s service area map and the geographical locations of its facilities in Southern Los Angeles County. The Water Replenishment District (WRD) has a rich history of successful groundwater management, ensuring a sustainable water supply for 4 million people in Southern...

The Dust Bowl was one of the most difficult times in American history. Farmers had made some mistakes with their techniques, including believing that “rain follows the plow” and not using dry land techniques which led to an increase in soil erosion. When severe...

Photo: New generator being hoisted into place at one of Suburban’s pump station sites. The back up generators allow us to keeping pumping water for fire fighting even when utility power is cut due down powerlines (fallen branches or trees, burned poles, etc.), a...

In 1906 after a horrific fire, San Francisco brought in urban planner Daniel Burnham and architect Willis Polk, taking tragic devastation as an opportunity for a reset. Present day Los Angeles is facing increased heat in the 21rst century, rain of higher intensity but...

Richard Garcia knows a thing or two about water in the Central Valley. A dedicated member of Sierra Club’s Kern-Kaweah Chapter and longtime resident of California’s agricultural hub, Garcia has lived around the region’s waterways, seeing them change over time as...

From the shifting sand dunes of Montaña de Oro to the lively shores of Venice Beach, California’s coastline has long been a treasure shared by all. At the heart of its protection stands the California Coastal Commission (CCC), an agency created not to stop progress,...

If you love Malibu, you’re feeling the brutal loss of that row of beautiful houses burnt to the ground along Pacific Coast Highway. And… Sea level rise is coming. These days it’s hard in Malibu to do much of anything but feel the after image of fire, to see ruins,...

The dangerous impacts of deep seabed mining are revealed in this compelling documentary film about the unique unexplored ecosystems in our largest remaining wilderness.  Enjoy a 20-minute global perspective about the emerging threat to our oceans at...

“Two things only the people anxiously desire — bread and circuses.”  Juvenal, Roman poet. c. 55 – 127 AD  Derived from Juvenal’s observation, the contemporary phrase “bread and circuses” means to gain public approval, not by excellence in public service or public...

A mountain lion walks down a dirt path in the Santa Monica Mountains, her journey is followed by a national park service (NPS) mountain lion biologist from a tracking device on the lion's radio collar, her journey leads to her den of two kittens. This is new...

The 2025 California State Legislature is in full swing. Every year, hundreds of environmental bills are introduced in the state legislature, and Sierra Club CA- the legislative and regulatory branch of the Sierra Club in California- tracks these bills to ensure good...

Reasonable minds recognize that climate change is occurring worldwide, and that we need to take steps to avoid its worst consequences. This involves both cutting down on fossil fuel use and capturing carbon that is still being generated.   While the majority of...

Rindge Dam. Photo by RJ Van Sant, State Parks. During the 1930s-1960s, large-scale hydroelectric dam construction surged across the United States. Today, California has thousands of these public and private dams, from small earthen barriers to large reservoirs...

Learn more about Glacier Preservation, World Day for Glaciers & World Water Day 2025: https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day