Sacred Arizona Spring Drying Up as Border Wall Construction Continues
Midway down a cactus-covered hill in one of the driest parts of Arizona is a miracle: a spring. Water continually streams out of the ground, down a small channel, and into a pond.
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COVID-19 Puts Spotlight on Equity Considerations in Utility Clean Energy, Efficiency and Relief Efforts
The COVID-19 public health crisis brought into sharp relief the importance of shifting benefits to more vulnerable communities, participants said at a Monday panel during the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Summer Policy Summit.
House FY21 Spending Bill Includes No New Direct WIFIA Appropriations
As the start of the federal Fiscal Year 2021 rapidly approaches on October 1st, the U.S. House has begun working to advance its annual Appropriations (funding) bills through their committee process. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed its Interior and Environment bill to fund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and core clean water programs.
IID Retains Control Over Colorado River Water In Legal Tussle With Farmer Michael Abatti
The Imperial Irrigation District and farmer Michael Abatti have been locked in a years-long legal battle with as many twists as the river over which it has been fought. The saga might finally come to an end, though, after a California appellate court handed down a ruling on Thursday that found IID is the rightful manager of the portion of the Colorado River guaranteed to the Imperial Valley.
More Clashes in Mexico Over Repaying U.S. Water Debt
Farmers once again clashed with Mexican military forces Sunday to protest releases of water from a dam to repay a water debt owed to the United States.
Unpaid Bills Spiking at Some Water Utilities
Several state legislators have asked the Governor to extend his order prohibiting water shutoffs for nonpayment to even the smallest water utilities.
Right now, the Governor’s April 2 order applies to water utilities serving 200 or more connections.
Gold Rush-Era Mercury Mine Closed in 1972 Is Still Contaminating
Nearly half a century after a Gold Rush-era quicksilver mining operation shut down in northern California, mercury continues to flow into a nearby creek, and federal officials blame the mine’s state landmark status for cleanup delays.
Agency Throws Curveball in Largest U.S. Dam Demolition Plan
Federal regulators on Thursday threw a significant curveball at a coalition that has been planning for years to demolish four massive hydroelectric dams on a river along the Oregon-California border to save salmon populations that have dwindled to almost nothing.
Scientists Predict Dramatic Increase in Flooding, Drought in California
California may see a 54 percent increase in rainfall variability by the end of this century, according to new research from the lab of Assistant Professor Da Yang, a 2019 Packard Fellow and atmospheric scientist with the University of California, Davis. Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, Yang and his co-authors predict the entire West Coast will experience greater month-to-month fluctuations in extremely dry and wet weather, especially in California. The lead author is Wenyu Zhou, a postdoctoral researcher in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where Yang has a dual appointment.
The study explores the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO), an atmospheric phenomenon that influences rainfall in the tropics and can trigger everything from cyclones over the Indian Ocean to heatwaves, droughts and flooding in the United States.
There Were No Reports of Coronavirus in Yosemite. Then They Tested the Park’s Sewage
Like a lot of the rural West, Yosemite National Park stood as a safe haven from the coronavirus. No park employees or residents tested positive. No visitors reported being sick. The fresh air and open space seemed immune.
