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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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Opinion: Future of California at Risk the Longer Landmark CEQA Environmental Law Remains Unchanged

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Tracy Hernandez & Jim Wunderman

Like our changing climate and its many impacts on our communities, economy and environment; like the collapse of critical infrastructure; like the humanitarian homelessness crisis on our streets and the housing shortage driving it; like so many other slow-motion disasters that have befallen us, the warning signs have been unmistakably clear.

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California Faces Rapid Snowmelt From Heat Wave; Flood Fears in Yosemite, Elsewhere

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

After weeks of uncertainty, forecasters say an incoming California heat wave will trigger rapid snowmelt on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada and cause more flooding in portions of the San Joaquin and Owens valleys this week.

Temperatures in Central California are forecast to climb into the high 80s and mid-90s beginning Wednesday and into the weekend, with the potential for some areas to approach daily records.

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Experimental Water Release Continues Lake Mead’s Rise

/in , , /by /8NewsNowby Duncan Phenix

A large release of water from Lake Powell began Monday morning. It’s water that will eventually end up in Lake Mead near Las Vegas after a two-day journey through the Grand Canyon where it will help restore sandbars and beaches while moving sediment downriver.

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How El Niño Could Influence Next Winter In California, The West

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Jonathan Erdman

El Niño is likely next winter and that could play an important role in the weather in parts of storm-weary California and the West.

But there are some important caveats and stubborn myths about this that also need to be addressed.

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