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An Extra Boost of Water is Flowing Into Grand Canyon After a Wet Winter

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

An extra pulse of water has been sent through the Grand Canyon this week. The Bureau of Reclamation is running a “high-flow experiment” at Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona, which means a big release of water designed to move and redeposit sand and sediment will make its way downstream from the dam. This experiment is the first since 2018, and comes in response to forecasts for an above average spring snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains.

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Colorado Leaders Are Rallying Against a Railway Project That Would Carry Crude Oil Along the Colorado River

/in , , /by /CPR Newsby Tom Hesse

A railway project in Eastern Utah is drawing significant pushback in Colorado as elected officials voice concerns about crude oil risks to the Colorado River, which is the West’s primary freshwater river.

The Uinta Basin Railway project would build around 80 miles of train tracks connecting oil production to America’s rail network.

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California’s Reappearing Phantom Lake Could Remain for Two Years in the Central Valley

/in , , /by /CNBCby Emma Newburger

Satellite images taken over the past several weeks show a dramatic resurrection of Tulare Lake in California’s Central Valley and the flooding that could remain for as long as two years across previously arid farmland.

The satellite imagery, provided by the Earth imaging company Planet Labs, show the transition from a dry basin to a wide and deep lake running about ten miles from bank to bank on land used to grow almonds, tomatoes, cotton and other crops.

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Lorelei Cloud is the First-Ever Tribal Member on Colorado’s Top Water Board. Here’s How She Plans to Tackle Her New Role.

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Shannon Mullane

With Western water challenges in mind, Lorelei Cloud has a message for policymakers: There should be room for partnerships — not fear — when Native American tribes join the negotiating table.

In March, Cloud became one of the newest members of the state’s top water agency, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, when Gov. Jared Polis appointed her to represent the San Miguel-Dolores-San Juan drainage basin in southwestern Colorado. She’s also the first known tribal member to hold a seat on the board since its creation in 1937.

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‘We Can’t Be Living in an Economy of 40 Million People This Close to the Edge.’

/in , , /by /Capital & Mainby Dan Ross

Lake Mead, in Arizona and Nevada, is the largest reservoir in the United States and part of the Colorado River system, which supplies water to seven U.S. states and part of Mexico, including one third of the water used in Southern California. It also supplies 30 Tribal Nations.

At the end of last year, experts predicted that, due to drought and heavy demand for water, Lake Mead was just two years shy of dead pool, when water levels drop below the point at which it can flow downstream of the reservoir.

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The Very Bad Math Behind the Colorado River Crisis

/in , , /by /Gristby Jake Bittle & Daniel Penner

California and Arizona are currently fighting each other over water from the Colorado River. But this isn’t new — it’s actually been going on for over 100 years. At one point, the states literally went to war about it. The problem comes down to some really bad math from 1922.

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Two Key Projects to Give Full Water Supplies to Farms

/in , , /by /Ag Alert by Christine Souza

After a series of winter storms boosted California’s reservoirs and snowpack, state and federal officials are pledging full water deliveries, increasing 2023 allocations for farmers and water districts to 100% of requested supplies for the year.

With snowmelt occurring, the California Department of Water Resources said last week it expects to deliver 100% of requested water supplies from the State Water Project. That is up from a 75% allocation announced in March.

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Lawmakers Propose $4.5B Flood Protection Bond Measure

/in , , /by /ABC 7 KRCR by Muna Sadek

Californians could be voting on a major flood protection bond next November.

State lawmakers are pushing a $4.5 billion bond measure which would help fund water infrastructure projects across the state.

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Safe Drinking Water is a Right. Experts Want AI to Help Make It a Reality.

/in , /by /University of California, Berkeley by Rachel Leven

Safe, clean and affordable drinking water is a human right in California. But making that legal requirement a reality is a difficult challenge exacerbated further by climate change.

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Tahoe Area Put on Flood Watch This Weekend as Snowpack Melts

/in , /by /SF Gateby Andrew Chamings

The Lake Tahoe region has been put on flood watch this coming weekend as unseasonably warm weather melts the Sierra Nevada’s almighty snowpack.

“Creeks and streams will be running high fast,” the National Weather Service warned. “Low-water crossings may be flooded.”

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