A new science report from the United Nations spells out in excruciating detail the pain of climate change to people and the planet with the idea — the hope really — that if leaders pay attention, some of the worst can be avoided or lessened.
One scientist calls it the “Your House is On Fire” report.
While these reports often can come across as depressing, to scientists and world leaders, the idea isn’t to lower people’s spirits.
A new era of groundwater management in California continues to take shape as local agencies develop and implement plans that identify how they intend to achieve groundwater sustainability goals over the next 20 years.
“The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, if you haven’t heard about it, it’s knocking on your door and will soon be pretty much a part of your life if you’re trying to farm,” said Cordie Qualle, professional engineer and faculty fellow at California State University, Fresno.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and a top leader in the state Legislature on Friday filled in a key part of a developing plan to boost the desert state’s increasingly strained water supply.
They plan to create a state agency to acquire new supplies and develop and fund projects, with deep pockets and the authority to go out and find sources that can secure the state’s water future. One potential project is a multibillion-dollar desalination plant in Mexico, but many others are also being eyed along with efforts to conserve existing supplies.
Twenty years ago, undamming the Klamath River seemed like an impossibility. Against all odds, the project is entering its home stretch and dam removal may begin as early as this year.
On Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a draft environmental impact statement detailing how removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River would have permanent and significant benefits for the environment and the public. One of the biggest benefits would be the restoration of water quality and temperatures, which are essential for the survival of fish species in the river that local tribes and fishermen rely upon.
Climate scientists working on the latest international assessment of rising threats to society say it’s imperative that communities adapt now.
Their warning touches on several fields that Arizona and its neighbors in the Southwest are now attempting to tackle, from drought mitigation and wildfire management to the dangers of urban heat.
In the vast labyrinth of the West Coast’s largest freshwater tidal estuary, one native fish species has never been so rare. Once uncountably numerous, the Delta smelt since 2016 has largely vanished from most annual sampling surveys. But in December, state and federal biologists began for the first time ever releasing captively bred adult Delta smelt into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as part of a three-year effort to draw the species away from the brink of extinction.
It is not every day that a story comes along that makes you stand up and cheer. As a reporter I was contacted about such a story and feel grateful I was able to meet everyone involved and share their story. Aaron Byzak, Chief External Affairs Officer – Tri-City Medical Center, commented, “I’m sure you are aware that this story is remarkable in many ways, but also emblematic of just how amazing our health system is when everything lines up.”
Seventy-six-year-old Temecula resident Steve Kissick had been staying in his RV for a few days, as he was assisting daughter Morgan and her husband Garron Alexander in some projects at their new home in Vista at 2392 Mira Sol Drive.
Less than a month before Poseidon Water was expected to appear before the California Coastal Commission in hopes of moving forward with its controversial desalination plant in Huntington Beach, the company asked that the scheduled March 17 hearing be postponed to give its staff more time to thoroughly review documents.
“In order to accommodate the California Coastal Commission’s staff and their diligent review of our application, Poseidon Water made the decision to voluntarily delay the hearing on the Coastal Development Permit until later this spring,” Jessica Jones, Poseidon director of communications, said in a statement issued this week.
In January, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began testing a process to determine which reservoirs within its South Pacific Division are possible candidates for the use of forecast-informed reservoir operations. Relying on advancements in weather and hydrologic forecasting to improve reservoir management, FIRO offers a method for optimizing operations. Ultimately, the Corps intends to assess all its reservoirs nationwide to see whether they might make good candidates for FIRO.
Typically, reservoirs designed for purposes of flood control and water supply are operated in accordance with guide curves that are designed to ensure adequate storage capacity in advance of flood events and maximize storage for later uses.
The Iron Gate Dam, one of four dams on the Klamath River, will be removed in 2023. It will be the largest dam removal in U.S. history.
For Pachomio Feliz, the waters of the Klamath River and Pacific are life. He’s a member of the Yurok Tribe.
“This is our lifeblood,” he said. “Without the river, we’d be dead.”
