California Drought, Dry Conditions Causing Concern for Farms and Agriculture
Much of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions are seeing abnormally dry or drought-like weather so far in winter 2021.
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A Tiny Fish is on the Brink of Extinction. Does it Matter that Another Just Like It is Thriving?
California’s tiny delta smelt is not a terribly impressive fish at first glance, and not really at second glance either. It’s about the length and width of a finger, silvery and kind of see-through – looks a bit like a sardine.
Oceanside Gets $1M Federal Grant to Protect, Restore Wetlands
A wetland enhancement project in south Oceanside has been selected as the recipient of a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, it was announced Thursday.
The award was issued through the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grant program, which funds projects that protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems.
Mexico Says It Fixed the Tijuana River Sewage Problem. It’s Partly True
Like a giant garbage disposal, three huge new green pipes sit on Mexico’s side of the border, shredding trash in the Tijuana River that would otherwise jam this critical piece of the city’s wastewater system that caused spills on the United States side.
Biden Urged to Back Water Bill Amid Worst US Crisis in Decades
Democratic lawmakers and advocates are urging Joe Biden to back legislation proposing unprecedented investment in America’s ailing water infrastructure amid the country’s worst crisis in decades that has left millions of people without access to clean, safe, affordable water.
Will California’s Desert be Transformed Into Lithium Valley?
California’s desert is littered with remnants of broken dreams — hidden ghost towns, abandoned mines and rusty remains of someone’s Big Idea. But nothing looms larger on an abandoned landscape than the Salton Sea, which languishes in an overlooked corner of the state.
Opinion: Don’t be Smug About Texas’ Troubles. California Isn’t Prepared for Disasters Either
The collapse of the power grid in Texas last week, and the cascading infrastructure failures that resulted from it, are stark examples of why a proactive government matters. A complete evaluation will surely show that, like most accidents and failures, many factors played a role, but it is already easy to see that the avoidance of government regulation contributed to the cold-weather chaos.
Arizona Changes ‘Use It or Lose It’ Water Law
A change in Arizona water law will let farmers and ranchers conserve water without worrying about losing their rights to it in the future.
Like most western states, Arizona water rights are “use it or lose it,” meaning that if farmers or ranchers don’t use their full amount for a certain number of years they risk forfeiting their rights forever. Kim Mitchell, senior water policy advisor with Western Resource Advocates, said that disincentivizes conservation at a time when we increasingly need more of it.
“We’re on the heels of 20 years of drought and now we have these recent commitments to divert less water from the Colorado River. And annual flow in many of our water courses have been decreasing with climate change and the drought that continues to grip the region,” Mitchell said.
How Does a State Use 40 Percent Less Water?
A recent study found that if the Colorado River drought continues, Arizona, California, and Nevada may have to cut their water usage by nearly half. Acceptance is the first step.
$650 Million Santa Ana River Plan Adds Fish-Saving Methods to Water-Saving Projects
The San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District has decided to join them, not fight them.
Stymied by environmental barriers and losses in court for 11 years, the large water wholesaler serving 700,000 residential and business customers from Fontana to Yucaipa is on the precipice of releasing an environmentally based plan that would nearly double its supply of water by diverting billions of gallons from the Upper Santa Ana River, while mitigating the effects on 20 indigenous fish and bird species.
