California lowers Colorado draw: State water agencies said they would reduce water withdrawals from the Colorado River by up to 400,000 acre-feet annually, equal to 9 percent of the state’s allotment but far less than federal officials are seeking. (Los Angeles Times)
New head of utilities agency: President Biden appointed Andy Berke, who expanded no-cost internet service to low-income families while mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to be administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. (USDA)
Force majeure on Mississippi: Ingram Barge Co. formally declared force majeure because of low water on the Mississippi River that has affected its operations downstream of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, interfering with its ability to move cargo. (Reuters)
Drought and climate change: Drought that stretched across three continents this summer was made 20 times more likely by climate change, according to researchers from World Weather Attribution. (Associated Press)
Salmon die-off: Hundreds of thousands of salmon returning to spawn in British Columbia’s streams and rivers may have died because of drought that reduced flows in the waterways. (CBC News)