KneeDeep Times

Antioch Desalination Plant Could Boost Local Water Supply

Posted by Magali Gauthier | Nov 13, 2025

Quick Reads

A woman in a blue jacket, a brown hat, purple pants and carrying a clipboard speaks to a group of about eight students in front of a large tree and a marsh — Who Will Inherit the Estuary? Training for a Rough Future

Author By Juan Pablo Pérez-Burgos

The six-month program teaches students aged 17 -24 about the challenges facing communities around the SF Estuary, from Stockton to East Palo Alto.

A panel sits at a table on an auditorium stage with a presentation in the background and a slide saying "State of Our Estuary: Reporting on the Health of the San Francisco Estuary" — Split Verdict Over State of the Estuary

Author By Sonya Bennett-Brandt

Habitat restoration and pollution regulations are holding the Bay steady, but the Delta is losing some of its ecological diversity, says SF Estuary Partnership scorecard.

Three volunteers in coats and headlamps untangle an owl from a net — Volunteers Catch and Release Tiny Owls For Science

Author By Amy Moore

In Santa Rosa, citizen scientists capture northern saw-whet owls to help further research on climate impacts to the bird.

What to Know about PFAS in Tri-Valley Water

Author By Rain Hepting

In this nonfiction comic, explore how the city of Pleasanton is dealing with PFAS- contaminated groundwater.

KneeDeep organizes its stories in three departments: In Fight or Flight, read about decision-making in the face of advancing water, fire, or stormy weather, and building for safety, efficiency and equity. City & County zeroes in on where change begins: with local government and within each community. Hearts and Minds recognizes that without human connection, all the engineering or money in the world can’t save us.

In-Deep

A large silver pipe with green tape marking it for "brackish filter water" — Antioch Desalination Plant Could Boost Local Water Supply

Author By Magali Gauthier

The $120 million plant opened this fall and treats 8 million gallons of brackish water a day, 75% of which is drinkable.

A collage shows water pipes and power lines next to the inside of a data center with computer servers. — How Cities Can Make AI Infrastructure Green

Author By Duncan Agnew

Data centers fueling AI can suck up massive amounts of energy, water and land, but local policies can mitigate the impact.

Brick building in Chinese Camp survived the burn, but only just. — After The Fire: Scenes from Chinese Camp

Author By Tristan Moore

One of California’s oldest Gold Rush settlements takes stock after a devastating fire -- a photo essay.

The red, white and gray facade of an affordable housing development, with bikeshare docks in front — CEQA Reforms: Boon or Brake for Adaptation?

Author By Cariad Hayes Thronson

California Environmental Quality Act updates may open up more housing, but some are sounding alarms about bypassed environmental regulations.

People wait for trains inside a San Francisco Muni station as a red and silver train heading for Balboa Park arrives. — Without Transit Rescue Measure, Bay Area Faces Major Climate Setback

Author By Duncan Agnew

BART, Caltrain, Muni, and AC Transit could face devastating cuts, pushing thousands more cars onto Bay Area roads, unless voters intervene.

The Hardest & Most Important Thing to Do Next: Education

Author By Ariel Rubissow Okamoto

This August BCDC approved a public sea level rise education program to be spearheaded by the Exploratorium, in lieu of a fill removal project for their redevelopment of Pier 17.

Quick Reads

Who Will Inherit the Estuary? Training for a Rough Future

by Juan Pablo Pérez-Burgos | Nov 13, 2025

The six-month program teaches students aged 17 -24 about the challenges facing communities around the SF Estuary, from Stockton to East Palo Alto.

Split Verdict Over State of the Estuary

by Sonya Bennett-Brandt | Nov 13, 2025

Habitat restoration and pollution regulations are holding the Bay steady, but the Delta is losing some of its ecological diversity, says SF Estuary Partnership scorecard.

Volunteers Catch and Release Tiny Owls For Science

by Amy Moore | Nov 13, 2025

In Santa Rosa, citizen scientists capture northern saw-whet owls to help further research on climate impacts to the bird.

What to Know about PFAS in Tri-Valley Water

by Rain Hepting | Nov 13, 2025

In this nonfiction comic, explore how the city of Pleasanton is dealing with PFAS- contaminated groundwater.

Artist Repurposes Shoreline Detritus

by Stephanie Lam | Oct 29, 2025

Courtney Griffith scours beaches and parks for everything from plastic to charcoal, mangled ropes and burnt wood to use in her work.

Youth Group Tackles Heat Islands in Santa Rosa

by Amy Moore | Oct 29, 2025

A new youth advisory team convened by the Greenbelt Alliance and Latino Service Providers is exploring heat disparities in southwest Santa Rosa.

In-Depth

How Cities Can Make AI Infrastructure Green

by Duncan Agnew | Nov 13, 2025

Data centers fueling AI can suck up massive amounts of energy, water and land, but local policies can mitigate the impact.

After The Fire: Scenes from Chinese Camp

by Tristan Moore | Oct 29, 2025

One of California’s oldest Gold Rush settlements takes stock after a devastating fire — a photo essay.

CEQA Reforms: Boon or Brake for Adaptation?

by Cariad Hayes Thronson | Oct 14, 2025

California Environmental Quality Act updates may open up more housing, but some are sounding alarms about bypassed environmental regulations.

Without Transit Rescue Measure, Bay Area Faces Major Climate Setback

by Duncan Agnew | Oct 14, 2025

BART, Caltrain, Muni, and AC Transit could face devastating cuts, pushing thousands more cars onto Bay Area roads, unless voters intervene.

The Hardest & Most Important Thing to Do Next: Education

by Ariel Rubissow Okamoto | Sep 10, 2025

This August BCDC approved a public sea level rise education program to be spearheaded by the Exploratorium, in lieu of a fill removal project for their redevelopment of Pier 17.

Extremes-in-3D

This special, seven-part KneeDeep Times investigative series explores fire, flood, heat and other extremes in three dimensions — science, people, place — and reports on how researchers, activists, city planners, and community leaders are building climate resilience.