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Western States Chart Diverging Paths as Water Shortages Loom

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Sophia Eppolito and Felicia Fonseca

As persistent drought and climate change threaten the Colorado River, several states that rely on the water acknowledge they likely won’t get what they were promised a century ago.

But not Utah.

Republican lawmakers approved an entity that could push for more of Utah’s share of water as seven Western states prepare to negotiate how to sustain a river serving 40 million people. Critics say the legislation, which the governor still must sign, could strengthen Utah’s effort to complete a billion-dollar pipeline from a dwindling reservoir that’s a key indicator of the river’s health.

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Opinion: Racial Justice Requires Equitable Access to Reliable Drinking Water

/in , /by /The Orange County Register by Jose Barrera

Vice President Kamala Harris was right on point last year when she said that clean water is a fundamental human right. President Biden has put those words into action by signing an executive order establishing a White House council on environmental justice.

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Opinion: Newsom Should Kill Plan to Drain State Reservoirs

/in , , /by /The Mercury News

On the tail end of the second dry winter in a row, with water almost certain to be in short supply this summer, California water officials are apparently planning to largely drain the equivalent of the state’s two largest reservoirs to satisfy the thirst of water-wasting farmers. Gov. Gavin Newsom must stop this irresponsible plan, which threatens the environmental health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the water supply for about one-third of the Bay Area residents. We should be saving water, not wasting it. Employing conservation measures now will lessen mandatory water restrictions in the event of a long-term drought.

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Report Calls For “Radical Changes” To Colorado River Management

/in , , /by /KNAUby Melissa Sevigny

A recent report from Colorado River experts says it’s time for radical new management strategies to safeguard the Southwest’s water supplies. It’s meant to inform discussions on how to renegotiate certain parts of the Law of the River that will expire in 2026. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke about the report with Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.

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Jared Huffman: Support is Needed to Help Pay Water Bills

/in , /by /Times Standardby Sonia Waraich

State residents have been struggling to keep up with their water bills during the COVID-19 pandemic, but government officials say help is on the way.

Survey results from the State Water Resources Control Board released in late January estimate about 1.6 million or 12% of households across the state have not paid their water bills resulting in an estimated $1 billion in statewide household water debt. The average household debt is $500.

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Late-Winter Pacific Storm Brings Rain and Snow to California

/in , , /by /AP News

A cold, late-winter Pacific storm brought rain and snow to California on Tuesday. Winter storm warnings were posted or scheduled to take effect during the day in mountains from the Oregon border south to the U.S-Mexico border. Mountain travel was discouraged due to the potential for major delays, chain controls and near-whiteout conditions, the National Weather Service said. The San Francisco Bay Area weather office warned of possible hail, thunderstorms and downpours that could make driving risky.

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Critical Water Year On Tap for Klamath Basin

/in , , /by /Capital Pressby George Plaven

If 2020 was a difficult water year for the Klamath Basin, then 2021 is likely to be even more challenging. With record-low inflows coming into Upper Klamath Lake, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation anticipates it will not have anywhere near enough water this summer to meet minimum requirements for endangered fish — let alone enough water to meet irrigation demands for farmers and ranchers.

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Some California Water Well Permits Require Environmental Review

/in , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Maeve Allsup

Proposed water wells in California don’t all require environmental review under state and local permit laws, but state standards governing well location will sometimes require local governments to make discretionary decisions, triggering such a look, a state appellate court said.

The California Environmental Quality Act requires discretionary decisions—those that require an agency to exercise judgment in deciding whether to approve a project—to undergo an environmental review. Ministerial decisions made to determine legal compliance, however, don’t require such weighing.

 

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Multiyear Drought Builds in Western US With Little Relief in Sight

/in , /by /CNN Weatherby Chad Myers

While much has been written this year about atmospheric rivers, avalanche warnings and even flash flooding, the western half of the United States is experiencing a crushing drought. The weather patterns have left parts of the Northwest soggy. Still, 80% of the land in the western states face some official category of drought. That is nearly half of the entire continental US, or put another way, the size of New York State times 25. The drought is affecting more than 70 million people.

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Crowfoot Calls for Patience with Voluntary Agreements

/in , , /by /Agri-Pulseby Brad Hooker

Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the Delta flows issue has been decades in the making and “it’s going to take some time to figure this out.”

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