You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

As La Niña Strengthens, Forecasters Warn of a Potential Return to Drought

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith and Grace Toohey

As La Niña gathers strength in the tropical Pacific, forecasters are warning that the climate pattern could plunge California back into drought conditions in the months ahead.

La Niña is the drier component of the El Niño Southern Oscillation system, or ENSO, which is a main driver of climate and weather patterns across the globe. Its warm, moist counterpart, El Niño, was last in place from July 2023 until this spring, and was linked to record-warm global temperatures and California’s extraordinarily wet winter.

Full Story

Federal Official: Nevada, Lower Basin States Meet Key Colorado River Water Goals Ahead of Schedule

/in , /by /Las Vegas Sunby Kyle Chouinard

A plan from water officials in Arizona, Nevada and California to cut back on the amount of water those states use from the Colorado River in exchange for money with hopes of saving 3 million acre-feet of water over three years is meeting conservation goals, a top water official said Wednesday.

The 2023 agreement has already seen 1.7 million acres of improvement less than one year into the effort, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said. She says she believes the states are on pace to reach their original goal.

Full Story

US Gov’t Agency Issues Warning over Water Sector’s Security

/in , /by /Cyber Magazineby Kristian McCann

The rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape is increasingly putting critical infrastructure at risk, with a watchdog putting The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under scrutiny for its lacklustre approach to cybersecurity in the water sector.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights alarming trends in cyber attacks targeting water and energy systems, emphasising the urgent need for improved defences and strategic planning.

Full Story

Feds will Pay California Farmers Not to Use Colorado River Water

/in , /by /Las Vegas Review Journalby Alan Halaly

A key Colorado River conservation goal just got more realistic.

The Bureau of Reclamation approved an agreement this week that will keep 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead that would have been used by the Imperial Irrigation District, which uses more water from the river than any city or farming district in the West.

Full Story

Are You Prepared? Stronger Earthquakes Striking in Southern California in 2024

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

If it seems there have been more and bigger earthquakes in Southern California recently, it’s because there have been more.

Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist from California Technical Institute in Pasadena, posted on social media that there have been 13 earthquakes in Southern California with magnitudes of 4.0 or greater this year.

Full Story

CA Farmers Agree to Conserve 700,000 Acre-Feet of Water in Lake Mead Through 2026

/in , /by /Nevada Currentby Jennifer Solis

The Imperial Irrigation District in California, which uses more Colorado River water than any other district in the West, finalized an agreement on Monday to leave up to 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026.

As part of the landmark conservation agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the district will receive federal funding for conservation programs from 2024 through 2026 to conserve up to 300,000 acre-feet a year of water that will remain in Lake Mead to aid the drought-stricken Colorado River.

Full Story

Some of Arizona’s Most Valuable Water Could Soon Hit the Market

/in , /by /Circle of Blueby Brett Walton

South of Headgate Rock Dam, beyond riverbanks lined with willow and mesquite, the broad floodplain of the Colorado River spreads across emerald fields and sun-bleached earth.

The Colorado River has nourished these lands in present-day western Arizona for millennia, from the ancestral Mohave people who cultivated corn, squash, beans, and melons, to the contemporary farmers of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, whose reservation extends for 56 miles along its namesake river.

Full Story

As Colorado River States Await Water Cuts, They Struggle to Find Agreement on Longer-Term Plans

/in , /by /Associated Pressby Suman Naishadham

The federal government is expected to announce water cuts soon that would affect some of the 40 million people reliant on the Colorado River, the powerhouse of the U.S. West. The Interior Department announces water availability for the coming year months in advance so Western cities, farmers and others can plan.

Behind the scenes, however, more elusive plans are being hashed out: how the basin will share water from the diminishing 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river after 2026, when many current guidelines that govern it expire.

Full Story

UCSD Researchers Suggest Mars has Water, a Key ‘Ingredient for Life’

/in , /by /Axios San Diegoby Kate Murphy

In a new study, UC San Diego researchers suggest Mars has large amounts of liquid water miles beneath its surface after analyzing data from NASA’s InSight lander mission.

Why it matters: Knowing if, when, where and how much water exists on Mars helps scientists determine the water cycle and evolution of the planet, and whether it can sustain life or was able to in the past.

Full Story

OPINION: Delta Tunnel Project will Protect California’s Vital Water Supply

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby David Bini and Tim McRae

California’s history is defined by building great and innovative infrastructure projects that improve our quality of life and set our state up for continued economic prosperity. From the Golden Gate Bridge to interstates 5 and 80, these projects are symbols of how major infrastructure investments can drive incredible economic growth. Though the creation of these projects was seemingly impossible to many at their inception, they quickly became an essential part of our critical infrastructure fabric that sustains our economy and way of life.

We are at a similar crossroads in building reliable water infrastructure to deliver water to two-thirds of Californians through the Delta Conveyance Project. This proposed project has been studied, refined, redesigned and rerouted due to extensive public input and thoughtful improvements by Gov. Newsom’s administration.

Full Story