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

At Its Lowest Point in History, Lake Powell Sees First Growth in Months

/in , , /by /KPNX TVby Hunter Bassler

Nearly 50 years after being filled, Lake Powell recently reached its lowest point.

Since then, the lake’s seasonal uptrend in water levels has begun.

Lake Powell hit a new low of 3520.46 feet on March 13, data from the Bureau of Reclamation shows.

However, the following eight days all saw more water flow into the lake than out of it, resulting in just under half a foot of rise in water levels. The increase is the first sustained gains the lake has seen since May of last year.

Full Story

What Will the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision on a Navajo Nation Water Rights Case Mean for Other Tribes?

/in , /by /The Colorado Sunby Shannon Mullane

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on a case that focuses on water access for the Navajo Nation but could impact battles for the resource across the West.

For 20 years, the Navajo Nation’s fight for water has been circulating through lower courts. The foundation of the case reaches back more than 150 years, involving the treaties that established the reservation, decades of court decisions and the United States’ legal responsibilities to the Navajo Nation.

Full Story

Alameda County Water District Drops Drought Surcharge After Wet Winter

/in , /by /CBS Bay Area

The Alameda County Water District announced Wednesday that surcharges prompted by years of drought will be dropped in April, following one of the wettest winters on record.

At a special meeting held Tuesday, the agency’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to end the surcharges, which were put in place after a water shortage emergency was declared.

Full Story

Opinion: Western Water Crisis Solutions Inevitably End With a Lot Less for California Farms

/in , /by /CalMattersby Jim Newton

A modest proposal for western water: Turn off the spigot to the Imperial Valley and let the farms go fallow. In return, provide a water future for Arizona, Nevada and Southern California.

Sure, there would be a price to pay. California’s Imperial Valley, which sits in the southeastern corner of the state, bordered by Arizona and Mexico, produces alfalfa, lettuce, corn and sugar beets, among other crops.

Full Story

Photos Shows Lake Mead’s Water Levels as Senator Issues Dire Warning

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Anna Skinner

Senator Mark Kelly recently shared two photos of Lake Mead, Arizona, and the stark contrast between the two fueled concerns about the reservoir’s ability to recover from severe drought.

Torrential rain on the West Coast has filled some California reservoirs to the point of overflow, and nearby states such as Utah also saw their reservoirs benefit from the excess rain. However, Lake Mead water levels remain relatively unchanged and still at nearly their lowest in the reservoir’s history.

Full Story

Senator Anna M. Caballero Announces Statewide Legislative Strategy to Ensure Water for All Californians

/in , /by /Senator Anna M. Caballero News Releaseby Senator Anna M. Caballero

A reliable and sustainable water supply is critical to every aspect of California’s economy and the quality of life for all Californians. That is why Senator Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced) is authoring Senate Bill 366, The California Water for All initiative, as an important step in creating adequate statewide water supplies for future generations.

Full Story

California Extreme Weather is the New Normal

/in , , /by /Newsweekby Robyn White

California’s bout of extreme wet weather could become the new normal as climate change worsens, a researcher has warned.

A bomb cyclone battered the state on Tuesday, bringing down trees and power lines. At least one person was killed after a tree fell onto a vehicle, the Los Angeles Times reported. Early on Wednesday, more than 130,000 customers were still without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

Full Story

Powerful Pacific Tempest Clobbers Storm-Battered California

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Martha Mendoza

A strong late-season Pacific storm that brought damaging winds and more rain and snow to saturated California has been blamed for two deaths and forecasters said additional flooding was possible Wednesday in parts of the state.

Tuesday’s storm blasted the San Francisco Bay Area with powerful gusts and downpours, pounded Sacramento — the state capital — with intense hail and set rainfall records in Southern California.

Full Story

What is El Niño and How Does It Affect the Weather?

/in , , /by /AccuWeatherby Thomas Leffler

A major key to shaping weather patterns worldwide is found in the tropical Pacific Ocean, far from any mainland. Known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, this climate phenomenon is the pattern that can create significant differences in average ocean temperatures and often plays a pivotal role in how global weather patterns unfold.

Full Story

Solutions for Building Water Resilience in California

/in , , /by /Maven's Notebookby Heather Cooley

With the ever-changing climate and increasingly dry summers, California faces water challenges, despite this year’s bountiful snowpack. At the February meeting of the California Water Commission, Heather Cooley, Director of Research at the Pacific Institute, explained how increasing water efficiency, water reuse, and stormwater capture is essential to building and enhancing California’s water resilience.

Full Story