Monday, January 12, 2026

As California’s Drought Ends, Pasadena Weighs Future of Its Underground Water Reserve

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

As the Municipal Services Committee gears up to discuss the Raymond Basin at its next meeting, a new wrinkle has developed that will impact the discussion.

California is drought-free for the first time in decades after a powerful winter brought heavy rain and snow.

While the short-term relief is welcome, water officials caution it does not erase longer-term risks, particularly for cities like Pasadena that depend heavily on imported water.

The majority of Pasadena’s water is imported through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which delivers water across Southern California using a blend of Colorado River supplies, State Water Project deliveries, and local sources.

The federal government is preparing to reset how the Colorado River is managed after 2026. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released a draft plan outlining potential operating rules for Lake Mead and Lake Powell once current guidelines expire at the end of next year and if the seven Colorado River Basin states fail to reach an agreement.

The states have not reached a negotiated agreement on future operations, and federal officials have warned that without consensus, the federal government may step in with its own rules.

Those federally imposed options could include deeper water delivery cuts.

While Pasadena does not directly purchase water from the Colorado River, the river is still central to the city’s water supply.

If California’s Colorado River allocation is reduced, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California would have less imported water to distribute regionwide. That would increase reliance on other imported sources, particularly the State Water Project, and place greater pressure on local groundwater supplies.

For Pasadena, that reality brings renewed attention to the Raymond Basin, the groundwater basin that serves the city and neighboring communities. After years of drought, the basin has seen declining storage levels.

Municipal Services Committee Chair and District 3 Councilmember Justin Jones said climate change is intensifying both the stress on the Colorado River and the volatility of California’s weather.

“This is why we are discussing the Raymond Basin at MSC. Climate change is putting pressure on the Colorado River and driving more extreme weather patterns that make imported water less predictable,” Jones said. “That’s why protecting and replenishing the Raymond Basin is essential for long-term reliability and why it is also a critical local resource if imported supplies are disrupted during an emergency.”

Jones noted that while wet years can provide temporary relief, climate change is producing longer dry stretches punctuated by intense storms, a pattern that complicates long-range water planning.

The committee is scheduled to discuss the Raymond Basin at 4 p.m. on Jan. 13 in Council Chambers.