Biographical Sketch of John Earl
John Earl is an investigative journalist with 19 years of experience reporting on Southern California water-management issues. Earl is known for his in-depth and exclusive coverage of local water districts in Orange County, particularly their past pursuit of the controversial Poseidon Ocean Desalination project proposed for Huntington Beach, California. His investigative and explanatory reporting exposed the flaws and risks associated with the project, catalyzing public action and influencing mainstream media narratives. His work ultimately contributed to the defeat of what he describes as one of America’s great water-project scams.
Earl began focusing on water issues at the OC Voice, a print newspaper he co-owned and edited from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, he launched the Surf City Voice, a local investigative news blog based in Huntington Beach. In its evolution, his platform has grown into SoCal Water Wars, a Substack hosted newsletter focused on water-management topics such as climate change, drought, government and corporate transparency—and environmental justice. Earl’s goal is to place Southern California water issues within broader state, national, and international perspectives.
SoCal Water Wars delves into the complex dynamics of water politics, highlighting conflicts among major entities like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Orange County Water District, and the San Diego County Water Authority.
Earl ‘s reporting explores the tension between water districts’ business models and the environmental challenges posed by human-induced climate change. His reporting emphasizes the need for transparency to create equitable and sustainable solutions to water-management challenges within an environmental justice context. His favorite credo is “Think globally, act locally.” Borrowed from René Dubos, Pulitzer Prize winning biologist, humanist, and environmentalist.
Awards:
Recipient of the Dan Bacher Public Trust Communications Award from the California Water Impact Network.
“Southern California Journalist John Earl is the recipient of the 2025 Dan Bacher Award. John is known for his tenacious investigative reporting of South State water policies and disputes, particularly in Orange County. His meticulous and relentless coverage of the proposed Poseidon Ocean Desalination plant in Huntington Beach exposed deep flaws and risks with the project, catalyzing public opposition that ultimately defeated the scheme.
“John first covered water issues for the OC Voice, a print newspaper he co-owned and edited from 2006 to 2009. In 2010 he launched the Surf City Voice, a local investigative news blog based in Huntington Beach. That outlet subsequently evolved into SoCal Water Wars, a Substack-hosted newsletter focused on the issues that affect state water management, including climate change, drought, and government and corporate malfeasance.
“Given the decline of reliable legacy news outlets and the rise of conspiracist and partisan social media, our democratic institutions are at great risk,” observed Krieger. “There’s no way to sugar coat it. But John has shown that a single person dedicated to ferreting out the truth can still make a difference.”
Other praise for SoCal Water Wars:
