Metropolitan board appoints Southern California water leader 
Shivaji Deshmukh as agency’s next general manager

"Metropolitan Water District is part of the fabric of Southern California, delivering the water supply that has helped the region grow and thrive for nearly 100 years. I am thrilled to be joining this indispensable organization, particularly as it sets the course for water reliability for the next century with critical decisions on the horizon about various water supply, storage and conveyance projects."

Shivaji Deshmukh, incoming general manager

Metropolitan focuses on priorities in Colorado River negotiations 

Low water conditions reveal the light-colored "bathtub ring" at Lake Mead in this 2022 photo, showing the decreased water level from years of drought conditions on the Colorado River. Photo courtesy of DWR.

Metropolitan continues to work with other Colorado River water users to develop a new set of rules that will guide the river’s operations starting in 2027. Developing an agreement supported by all seven Colorado River Basin states remains Metropolitan’s goal. A consensus agreement would avoid lengthy court battles with unpredictable consequences.

An agreement would help maintain the reliability of the Colorado River to our region if it includes:

• Equitable Shortage Sharing: Equitable sharing of shortages by all states and Mexico and all water sectors – agricultural, urban and tribes, with sufficient flexibility so that reductions can be made when they have the least impacts.
• Local Dry-Year Reliability: Flexibility for Metropolitan to store Colorado River water in Lake Mead when supplies are available and draw on that stored water when Northern California supplies are low, both to produce agreed-upon reductions and provide reliable water to Southern California communities.
• Interstate Augmentation Opportunities: Provide for collaborative development and funding of new supplies, like Pure Water Southern California, across states, allowing for multi-state benefits through water exchanges and shared financing.
• Protection of Power Generation: Ensure measures are implemented to protect power generation at Lake Mead’s Hoover Dam, a key source of power for the Colorado River Aqueduct.
• Planning Certainty: Provide predictability on how much supply water users can plan for from the Colorado River for the term of the post-2026 guidelines. Predictability, even if it requires reductions, will allow decision-making on investments.

Learn more at Metropolitan’s web page on the Colorado River. 

Metropolitan boosts funding to control growth of invasive mussels

A golden mussel. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Water Resources.

Protecting Metropolitan's water sources means staying vigilant against invasive species. With golden mussels recently detected in State Water Project reservoirs in Southern California, and in Metropolitan's system upstream of Mills Water Treatment Plant, Metropolitan is taking action.

This month, Metropolitan's board of directors approved $1.97 million for work to mitigate and control the spread of invasive mussels at district facilities receiving State Water Project supplies.

The board also approved an additional $500,000 for monitoring equipment and to help control the spread of mussels.


Invasive mussels can quickly reproduce and create a nuisance to operations by clogging pipes, valves, strainers and other water infrastructure. They do not affect the safety of drinking water.

Metropolitan has been managing and controlling quagga mussels in its Colorado River Aqueduct system since 2007 and is applying that expertise to this new invasive mussel challenge to ensure continued reliable operations.

Metropolitan names Inlet/Outlet Tower at Diamond Valley Lake after attorney key to reservoir’s construction

A key facility at Diamond Valley Lake was dedicated this month in honor of former Metropolitan General Counsel N. Gregory Taylor, who was instrumental in getting the reservoir built.

During the Oct. 9 ceremony at DVL, Metropolitan named the 270-foot Inlet/Outlet Tower for Taylor, who served as Metropolitan's general counsel from 1993 until his retirement in 2000. During that time, Taylor played a central role in securing the necessary approvals for the reservoir’s construction, ensuring Southern California has reliable water supplies through drought, emergencies and other challenges. The tower controls the flow of water into and out of the reservoir.

Taylor, who passed away in 2023, guided the creation of programs to offset environmental impacts from the construction of DVL, including the purchase of 3,700 acres for the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. Because of his leadership and environmental stewardship, construction of DVL had the support of the environmental community and the project was completed on time and on budget.

“Diamond Valley Lake is the cornerstone of the water security that Metropolitan provides communities across Southern California, and it would not have been built without the vision and dedication of Gregory Taylor,” Metropolitan board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. said.

Read the press release.

More than 500 contractors and consultants attend MetWorks contracting opportunities workshop

The fifth MetWorks event was held Oct. 23 in the City of Industry. Metropolitan Construction Contracts Team Manager Shalia Coburn (above, right) was among the speakers sharing information about upcoming projects.

Metropolitan held one of its largest ever MetWorks contracting workshops on Oct. 23, with more than a dozen agencies sharing information about upcoming projects and over 500 contractors and consultants in attendance.

MetWorks is a series of quarterly construction workshops organized by Metropolitan's Business Outreach Team in coordination with partner agencies to highlight contracting opportunities. The workshops provide prospective contractors with an understanding of Metropolitan's high standards for construction, submittal requirements and schedule of upcoming projects. The program's goal is to foster collaboration and provide transparency during the construction and procurement process.

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