California and the U.S.
The latest news and analysis covering water issues in Caliornia and the rest of the United States.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
‘Rivers In The Sky’ Are Why California Is Flooding
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /National Geographicby Alejandra BorundaPowerful rainstorms have battered Northern California this week. The culprit? Atmospheric rivers. The rains were born far away, deep in the tropical Pacific, where water evaporated from the warm ocean surface and fizzed into the atmosphere. The drenched air parcel flow then moved sinuously along, an “atmospheric river” winding its way toward land. When that […]
The Drought Plan And Water Conservation
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Arizona Public Media (Tucson)by Ariana BrociousMonday is the new deadline for all parties to sign the drought contingency plan — the deal between seven states to share less water on the Colorado River. Arizona state lawmakers approved the deal ahead of a late January deadline but the federal government said it didn’t meet the mark. Meanwhile, some say the plan […]
‘An Excellent Water Year’: Snow Depth Doubles In State’s Latest Sierra Survey
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Michael McgoughIt’s no surprise, but feet upon feet of Sierra snow across multiple storms in February translated to healthy snow water content for California. How healthy? Department of Water Resources officials observed more than double what they measured last month at Phillips Station near Echo Summit, recording 113 inches of snow depth with a snow water […]
Drought Monitor Only Tells Part Of The Story
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /ABC 10 (Sacramento)by Monica WoodsThe U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is released weekly to indicate what areas throughout the United States are experiencing some level of the five-category drought. The USDM levels range from the lower end of Abnormally Dry to the highest level of drought, Exceptional Drought. During the recent five-year drought, which ended with the record-setting winter of […]
Winter Storms Wash Drought Almost Completely Off California Map
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /SFGate (San Francisco)by Amy GraffBack-to-back storms hammering California this winter have nearly washed drought off the California map. After the recent atmospheric river, only a lingering sliver of “moderate drought” conditions remains near the Oregon border. The federal Drought Monitor Map, one way to measure drought that’s mainly used in agriculture, shows two percent of the state with “moderate […]
Oroville Dam Staying Low To Provide Room For Wet Weather, Possible Use Of Reconstructed Spillway
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Robin EpleyOroville Dam is currently the only reservoir in the state that’s below average elevation — but that’s on purpose, said the state’s Department of Water Resources. “If the lake begins to rise very quickly in the coming weeks due to large storms and increased inflows, then DWR may consider using outflow mechanisms,” the department said […]