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The Colorado River Is Overcommitted. Here’s Why – And What We Can Do About It

/in , /by /KJZZ Radio Phoenixby Bret Jaspers

In the very early years of the 20th century, Western leaders had big dreams for growth, dreams tied to bringing water from the Colorado River across mountains and deserts.

In dividing up the river, they assigned more water to users than the system actually produces. The consequences of the so-called “structural deficit” are being felt today, as states sweat through difficult river diplomacy to prop up water levels in reservoirs.

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Atmospheric River, Tropical Downpours and Unseasonably Warm Weather to Kick Off Holiday Week

/in , /by /CBS Newsby Jeff Berardelli

Wild weather will bear down on the holiday season with a soaking atmospheric river for the West, drenching tropical downpours for the South and soaring temperatures in the East. For most, dreams of a white Christmas will remain just that.

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Pineapple Express Storm Will Bring Flooding And Snow To The West

/in , /by /San Jose Mercury Newsby Allison Chinchar

An atmospheric river is moving to the West Coast, likely to bring menacing flooding, heavy mountain snow, and damaging winds.

Atmospheric rivers are narrow corridors of the upper atmosphere that transport intense moisture from a large body of water onto land.

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OPINION: California Must Stop Agriculture From Fouling Our Drinking Water

/in , /by /CALmattersby Horacio Amezquita

The San Jerardo housing cooperative in Salinas is home to 60 farm workers and their families. I am its general manager.

The people in my housing cooperative breathe pesticides when neighboring fields are sprayed. When agricultural practices harm wildlife, we see the change in our backyards. The people of San Jerardo also have a stake in moving toward more sustainable agricultural practices.

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Water Managers Consider the Future of the Colorado River

/in , , /by /Nevada Public Radio (Las Vegas)by Rachel Christiansen

A rather quiet gathering of those who control the most precious resource in the West happened on the Strip last week.

It was the annual Colorado River Water Users Association Conference.

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US Senator Proposes Money, Oversight to Boost Dam Safety

/in , , /by /Associated Pressby David A. Lieb

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Tuesday called for more federal money and oversight to shore up the nation’s aging dams following an Associated Press investigation that found scores of potentially troubling dams located near homes and communities across the country.

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For This Climate Scientist, The Getty Fire Made Clear The Need To Prepare For Disaster

/in , /by /CALmattersby Robert Lempert

My personal and professional lives collided in the middle of the night at the end of October when my neighbor pounded on our front door.

Had we received the warnings of the growing Getty fire? We hadn’t. Our neighbor shouted that mandatory evacuations had been issued for much of our Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles.

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Manipulation of Rivers Jeopardizes Resilience of Native Chinook Salmon

/in , /by /oceanographic

The heavy management of river systems in California is causing a compression in the migration timing of Chinook salmon to the point that they crowd their habitats. As a result, they might miss the best window for entering the ocean to grow into adults. Currently, less than 3% of wetland habitat remains in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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Central Valley, Regional Water Projects Get $14M

/in , /by /Escalon Times (Oakdale, Calif.)

In a landmark win for the Central Valley, Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) recently announced that $14 million in investments has been secured for Central Valley and regional water projects in the bipartisan year-end funding deal. Harder has been pushing these projects both publicly and privately during House deliberation earlier this year and during the drafting of the final deal this month. These projects were also included and supported in Rep. Harder’s SAVE Water Resources Act. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law this week.

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House Passes Federal Spending Bill

/in , /by /Turlock Journal (Turlock, Calif.)by Kristina Hacker

The House voted to pass a $1.4 trillion government-wide spending package on Tuesday, which includes $14 million in investments for Central Valley and regional water projects.

The spending legislation would forestall a government shutdown this weekend and give President Donald Trump steady funding for his U.S.-Mexico border fence. The year-end package is anchored by a $1.4 trillion spending measure that ends a months-long battle over spending priorities.

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