You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

OPINION: Newsom Is Shrinking Brown’s Pet Projects

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Walters

When Jerry Brown began his first governorship in 1975, he quickly set himself apart from his father, former Gov. Pat Brown. The elder Brown’s legacy had been an immense expansion of the state’s public-works infrastructure—new colleges and universities, a web of freeways and, most of all, a massive project to carry water from Northern California to the fast-growing cities of Southern California. The younger Brown echoed economist E.F. Schumacher’s aphorism that “small is beautiful,” suggested that California’s high population growth was a thing of the past and virtually shut down highway and freeway construction.

Full Story

Four Years After California’s Largest Dam Removal Project, How Are The Fish Doing?

/in , /by /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Paul Rogers

Four years ago, construction crews with huge jackhammers tore apart a 10-story concrete dam in the wooded canyons of the Carmel River, between the Big Sur hills and the beach front town of Carmel. The destruction of the San Clemente Dam, which had blocked the river since 1921, remains the largest dam removal project in California history. It’s still early, but one of the main goals of the project seems to be on track: The river is becoming wilder, and struggling fish populations are rebounding.

Full Story

See The Captivating Flux Of Western Alkaline Waters

/in , /by /High Country Newsby Aya Okawa

Two million years ago, as glaciers carved much of North America, torrential rains flooded what is now the Western United States, forming vast lakes across the region. The only remnants of that era are millions of saline ponds, some so small that over a hundred can be concentrated into a square kilometer. These lakes are now quickly shrinking. With less runoff from snowpack, and more water being diverted for agriculture, the lakes’ levels are rapidly decreasing, becoming even higher in salt content.

 

Full Story

OPINION: California Communities Must Act On Climate Resiliency Now

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Stephan Dolezalek and Martin Lagod

Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills, didn’t have the budget to clear out brush before the coming fire season, but the city staff also could not afford to wait until public funds were available. So, they created a GoFundMe campaign asking residents to lend the municipality money to rent a herd of goats to do the job.

Full Story

Council OKs Contract For Wastewater Study

/in , /by /Escalon Timesby Marg Jackson

Escalon City Council members on Monday night unanimously awarded a contract to Pace Advanced Water Engineering out of Fountain Valley for a comprehensive study at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The goal of the study is multi-faceted, aimed primarily at finding ways to improve the efficiency at the plant and determine if its capacity can be expanded. The bid price was $72,180 and council members had several pages of detailed ‘scope of work’ information to review provided by the firm prior to making their decision.

Full Story

Wildfire Burn Zones Depleting Snowpack Across West, Which Fuels More Fires And Snow Loss, Research Shows

/in , /by /Reno Gazette Journal by Benjamin Spillman

Wildfires that increasingly plague the American West are contributing more than previously known to the deterioration of the region’s snowpack, according to newly published research. The effect of wildfires on snowmelt is more widespread and longer lasting than people thought and has ramifications across the region, where cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Reno and Salt Lake rely heavily on melting snow to replenish water supplies.

Full Story

Finally, California And IID Reach Agreement On Salton Sea Access And Liability

/in , /by /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Janet Wilson

The Imperial Irrigation District board of directors voted Tuesday to allow access across its lands for critically needed state wetlands projects at the Salton Sea, designed to tamp down dangerous dust storms and give threatened wildlife a boost. In exchange, California will shoulder the maintenance and operations of the projects, and the state’s taxpayers will cover the costs of any lawsuits or regulatory penalties if the work goes awry. Tuesday’s vote clears a key hurdle to constructing 3,700 acres around the heavily polluted New River at the south end of the lake, implementing what’s known as the Species Conservation Habitat plan.

Full Story

As U.N. Warns Of Widespread Extinction, California Is Already Losing Species

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Anna M. Phillips

Many are imperiled by loss of habitat, rising ocean temperatures and rural and urban areas’ demand for ever-increasing amounts of fresh water. Worldwide, the U.N. assessment found that of an estimated 8 million plant and animal species, about 1 million are on the brink of extinction because of the damage humans are inflicting on the Earth through global warming, logging, farming, mining and other activities. It was compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries. The full report won’t be made public until later this year, but a summary released Monday offered a damning assessment of human impacts over the last five decades.

Full Story

Ample Water Supply Expected This Summer After Snowpack Survey

/in , /by /Hanford Sentinelby Julissa Zavala

Just in time for summer, when water demand is at its highest, water officials are predicting an ample amount of water supply to people and farms this year based on Sierra Nevada snowpack levels. “2019 has been an extremely good year in terms of snowpack,” said Jon Ericson, chief of the Division of Flood Management for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). “Based on our surveys, we are seeing a very dense, cold snowpack that will continue to produce run-off into late summer.” Thursday, the DWR conducted the fifth and final snow survey of 2019 at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada, just off Highway 50 near Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Full Story

Gavin Newsom’s $209 Billion Budget Calls For New Taxes. Can He Get Them Passed?

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Sophia Bollag

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed new taxes and fees to fund health care subsidies, clean drinking water and tax credits for low-income families. But state revenue outpacing even his most optimistic predictions could present a challenge for him as he attempts to raise taxes. Last month, corporate taxes came in at $3.4 billion, much higher than the Newsom administration’s estimated $2.6 billion. Income taxes also came in ahead of projections, making up for a shortfall earlier in the year, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Full Story