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This Giant Climate Hot Spot is Robbing the West of its Water
On New Year’s Day in 2018, Paul Kehmeier and his father drove up Grand Mesa until they got to the county line, 10,000 feet above sea level. Instead of the three to five feet of snow that should have been on the ground, there wasn’t enough of a dusting to even cover the grass.
The men marveled at the sight, and Kehmeier snapped a photo of his dad, “standing on the bare pavement, next to bare ground.”
Court Rules in Favor of Klamath Irrigation District, State Water Rights
A win for state water rights came earlier this month after the Marion County Circuit Court ruled that the Bureau of Reclamation cannot release water from Upper Klamath Lake for flows down the Klamath River.
Failing to Plan for Sea Level Rise — Even Amid a Pandemic — Could Be Catastrophic, Experts Warn
If California lawmakers set aside climate concerns like sea level rise, and focus only on the pandemic, the state could be setting itself up for an even worse economic hardship, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office cautioned in a report Monday.
San Diego Homes Improperly Charged
San Diego homes and businesses have been improperly charged for a program that keeps toxic sewer water from being discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
A new report from Interim City Auditor Kyle Elser said the city failed to charge Industrial Wastewater Control Program permit holders enough to cover the costs of the program.
According to the City Auditor’s Office, many of the fees charged to industrial polluters have not been adjusted since 1984. The Public Utilities Department agreed to adjust the fees last year, but failed to do so, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Santa Clara Valley Water District asks voters for $682 million parcel tax for floods, dams, environmental projects
After years marked by a historic statewide drought and devastating floods around downtown San Jose, Santa Clara County’s largest water provider has decided to ask voters to approve a parcel tax to pay for a wide variety of projects, from flood control to creek restoration, along with some costs of rebuilding the county’s largest dam at Anderson Reservoir.
Water Utilities Pin Hopes on WRDA Bill During Coronavirus Pandemic
The Senate and House will negotiate soon on robust legislation for water infrastructure projects, which is especially critical for water and wastewater facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent to Republican and Democratic congressional infrastructure leadership on Monday, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies urged that the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 authorize strong funding for the public water sector.
New Study says Forecasters are Overestimating Future Demand for Water
Californians have grown used to the idea that water is a precious commodity, one that we risk running out of without conservation.
A new report by the Pacific Institute suggests Californians have learned to conserve so well that water forecasters need to rethink their approach to estimating future water demand.
A Warming California Sets the Stage for Future Floods – UCLA Study Finds that Continued Climate Change Will Deliver a Dangerous One-Two Punch for State’s Water Managers
By the 2070s, global warming will increase extreme rainfall and reduce snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, delivering a double whammy that will likely overwhelm California’s reservoirs and heighten the risk of flooding in much of the state, according to a new study by UCLA climate scientists.
Energy Bills Skyrocket as More Californians Stay at Home and Work Remotely
Word to the wise: Brace yourself before opening this month’s electric bill.
With Californians spending more time at home and working remotely during the pandemic, household appliances are sucking up way more energy than usual. Couple that with a few wicked heat waves, and you’ve got a recipe for some shocking electric bills.
