Media Coverage Archives

Salton Sea: Congressmen Ruiz and Vargas Reintroduce Bill to Address New River Pollution

January 27, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Mark Olalde

U.S. Reps. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, and Juan Vargas, D-San Diego reintroduced a bill this week that is aimed at cleaning up the New River, a highly polluted waterway originating near Mexicali, Mexico that flows north, emptying into the Salton Sea. The bill, HR491, would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create an organization to be called the California New River Restoration Program, which would coordinate funding and cleanup projects.

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What is an Atmospheric River? California has Long History of Intense Rain Storms, Floods

January 27, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Tribuneby John Lindsey

An intense cold front will tap into subtropical moisture and take on atmospheric river characteristics as it moves southeastward through the Central Coast on Wednesday into Thursday.

At this time, between 2 and 4 inches of rain is expected along the Central Coast. However, if the front stalls over a particular area, rainfall amounts will be much higher.

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Something was Killing Baby Salmon. Scientists Traced it to a Food-Web Mystery

January 27, 2021/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /Los Angeles Timesby Susanne Rust

The biologists working in a fish hatchery near Shasta Dam grew increasingly concerned last year when newly hatched salmon fry began to act strangely — swimming around and around, in tight, corkscrewing motions, before spiraling to their deaths at the bottom of the tanks.

Certain runs of chinook salmon in California are imperiled; the hatcheries and the fry raised there are the federal government’s last-ditch effort to sustain these ecologically and economically vital fish populations.

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How a Water War on the Kings River Could Alter the Valley as We Know it

January 27, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Chelsea Campos /The Sunby Alex Tavlian

Though it doesn’t hold historical contentiousness like its counterpart along the Central Valley Project, the Kings River has its own tale to tell.

Serving as a lifeline of sorts for three of the central San Joaquin Valley’s five major counties, the Kings is filled with its own universe of water agencies run by engineers, lawyers, farmers, and politicos jockeying to manage the state’s most precious resource on one stream.

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As Storm Sets Up to Pummel Tahoe, Meteorologists Forecast a Future Without Snow

January 26, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /SF Gateby Julie Brown

One week, it’s fires; the next, it’s feet upon feet of snow. In the middle of January, high winds and dry conditions sparked wildfires throughout California. Now, an atmospheric river is taking aim at the state with a huge amount of water. In the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe region, forecasters are calling for between three and six feet of snow by the end of this week.

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Mulching for Water-Use Efficiency

January 26, 2021/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Water News Network

Even though temperatures rarely drop below freezing in most parts of Southern California, many people overlook winter when it comes to caring for their native plants and traditional landscapes. There are many things that can help keep landscapes healthy and water-efficient, especially during the winter months when there is more natural rainfall. One of these things is to use a layer of mulch to prevent water loss and insulate landscapes during colder times.

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Snow Blankets the Mountains and Winds Shut Down COVID-19 Vaccinations Near Petco

January 26, 2021/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins and Karen Kucher

One of the biggest coastal wind storms in years walloped San Diego County Monday and ushered in heavy snow that blanketed the region’s mountains and driving rain that nudged wildland areas away from the precipice of drought.

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‘The Most Basic Form of PPE’: 1.6 Million Households Face Water Shutoffs

January 26, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /CalMattersby Jackie Botts

In April, the governor issued an executive order that barred water shutoffs for customers who don’t pay their water bills. State leaders are looking for ways to bail out struggling residents and smaller water systems alike, both buckling under $1 billion in water debt statewide.

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Opinion: California Must Change Course to Avoid Water Shortages

January 26, 2021/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Redlands Daily Factsby Daniel Kolkey

Californians have recently endured increasingly aggressive wildfires, rolling power outages, and smoke-filled air for days. Unless the state government changes course, we can add water shortages to this list.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, California has already suffered three droughts during this century – 2001-2002, 2007-2009, and 2012-2016. To address this reality, the state has enacted legislation to require urban water agencies, under penalty of $1,000 fines per day, to increasingly reduce average water use by residents and businesses, without requiring any significant steps to increase water capture and storage during wet years.

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