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

Parched By Drought, Lake Mead Water Levels Could Lead To Statewide Water Limits

Arizona risks losing water rights because of a lingering, nearly two-decade long drought in the Colorado River that could restrict water use ranging from farmers’ crops to how many households receive water, state water experts say. Calcium rings around Lake Mead tell the story of declining water levels, with cream markings permanently decorating the canyon walls that shows high levels that haven’t been seen since 1983. Current surface elevation is at 1,081 feet. If it drops another six feet, water to Arizona will likely be cut, according to an Arizona budget document.

OPINION: Why Go For Desal When California Has Cheaper Options?

While winter rains have refilled California reservoirs and dumped near-record snow on the mountains, communities across the state are wisely seeking ways reduce their vulnerability to future droughts. One option some are considering is seawater desalination. Tapping the vast ocean seems like a promising solution, and proponents often tout Australia and Israel, which have adopted this technology. We agree that California should look at experiences in other parts of the world. But we need to have all the facts and make the right decisions for our communities.

VIDEO: See Where The Proposed Delta Tunnels Would Go

The twin tunnels would take water from the Sacramento River and transport it under the Delta. See which islands and rivers they would cross.

California Ordering Inspections At Aging Dams After Crisis

California is ordering immediate spillway inspections at about 70 aging dams that it believes might not be sound enough to protect downstream communities in a flood, a state dam regulator said Wednesday. The engineering and on-site reviews are part of stepped-up inspections following February’s surprise failures of both spillways at California’s 770-foot-high (230-meter-high) Oroville Dam, the nation’s tallest. Authorities ordered nearly 200,000 people to evacuate in that crisis. Since then, regulators at California’s dam-safety division began reviewing their records on the 1,250 dams they monitor, focusing on 100 big, aging dams that have people downstream, supervising engineer Daniel Meyersohn said.

OPINION: Delta Tunnels Are Not a Climate Project

Fresno Bee columnist Dan Morain recently conflated the proposed Delta tunnels with a project that offers a solution for managing California’s water in our changing climate. This argument misses the mark. Gov. Jerry Brown is correct when he says that President Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement is disastrous for the environment and will have negative consequences for California. California just experienced a five-year drought and climate scientists predict more weather extremes in the decades to come.

VIDEO SERIES: California’s Dying Sea

In this series, The Desert Sun investigates the crisis of the shrinking Salton Sea, from its worsening dust storms to its disappearing birds. The lake is becoming a toxic dust bowl — nearly 15 years after California lawmakers promised to fix it.

The Salton Sea Crisis: California’s Largest Lake is Rapidly Shrinking

Salton Sea’s creation was nothing but a big accident. In 1905, irrigation canals on the banks of the Colorado River broke, flooding the Salton basin and submerging the town of Salton. By 1907, the canals were fixed, yet, the lake had been already formed. Initially, the new lake was marketed as a “miracle in the desert.” In the 50s and 60s, it attracted over half a million tourists per year. Even Hollywood stars, like the Beach Boys and Sonny Bono would visit regularly.

Some Anti-drought Programs Face Cuts

For the past 5 years, parched Californians suffered through the state’s worst drought. Wildfires, reduced crop production, environmental damage, cities running dry – all were part of the misery. But with the drought now broken by an unprecedented wet season and snow pack, it’s possible to look back and see the positives develop, especially when it comes to the state budget. Many homeowners dealt with the stress of monitoring water usage in their homes to avoid fines and penalties, with the result that water was conserved.

OPINION: No Good Reason to Lift Watering Restrictions

Now that we’re all good and trained in responsible residential irrigation management, the Bakersfield Water Board is set to consider dropping drought-prompted watering restrictions today. We urge the board not to do so. You might ask, Why not? We’ve got a nice, broad flow in the lower Kern River, to cite but one highly visible example of our current state of plenty.Because, to cite that same example, the status quo is a barren, dry river bed. The West is in a constant and ongoing state of drought, interrupted by relatively uncommon water surplus like the situation we’re enjoying now.

OPINION: Drain the Swamp, Not the Sierra

The president of the United States wants to “drain the swamp.” Of course he is using this saying as a metaphor for mismanagement and government waste. It seems to me that California, however, is hell bent to drain the Sierra Nevada – in the literal sense – as if this action was without consequence. While I support “draining the swamp” of excess bureaucracy, I am opposed to California’s “draining the Sierra” or taking water from one ecological region to meet the environmental needs of another.