It’s fitting that the Bay Area was named after Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. After all, the San Francisco Bay Delta was historically one of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth. Sadly, the estuary is now on the brink of ecological collapse. Starved of fresh water flow from rivers […]
Voters will decide Tuesday whether California borrows nearly $9 billion for water infrastructure projects in the state where its scarcity often pits city dwellers, farmers, anglers and environmentalists against one another. Proposition 3 would devote the money to storage and dam repairs, watershed and fisheries improvements, and habitat protection and restoration. It is the largest […]
The same black-and-white perspective that overshadows nearly all discussion on the water of the San Francisco Bay-Delta unfortunately briefly became San Francisco policy last week when the Board of Supervisors reflexively labeled the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission as being against restoring the health of the bay-delta’s ecosystem. In this narrative, one party incorrectly identifies restoring unimpaired […]
Before we even go there, yes it’s true that sometimes El Nino forecasts can be a total bust. Famously, the last big one did the exact opposite of what we were thinking. Around the world, the El Nino of 2015-16 was spot on, but not in California, and that is what we remember. With that […]
The California Department of Water Resources has released a time-lapse video showing four months of daily construction progress from June 26 through October 31. The camera angle looks up the lower chute of the spillway from the diversion pool until mid-August, then shifts to the middle chute from August 15 to September 11, where roller-compacted […]
California voters will weigh in on 11 statewide ballot propositions on November 6th—a relatively small number for a state where the record number is 45. Still, the measures cover a lot of ground: everything from gas taxes to housing to breaks for emergency workers to daylight savings time to water conservation. There was even a ballot […]
OPINION: San Joaquin Water Plan Is Good For The Delta And Valley
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Peter DrekmeierIt’s fitting that the Bay Area was named after Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. After all, the San Francisco Bay Delta was historically one of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth. Sadly, the estuary is now on the brink of ecological collapse. Starved of fresh water flow from rivers […]
California Voters Consider $9 Billion For Water Projects
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Capital Press (Salem, Oregon)by Don ThompsonVoters will decide Tuesday whether California borrows nearly $9 billion for water infrastructure projects in the state where its scarcity often pits city dwellers, farmers, anglers and environmentalists against one another. Proposition 3 would devote the money to storage and dam repairs, watershed and fisheries improvements, and habitat protection and restoration. It is the largest […]
OPINION: Buying A Myth On California Water Impedes Real-World Solutions
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Brent Hastey and Steve LaMarThe same black-and-white perspective that overshadows nearly all discussion on the water of the San Francisco Bay-Delta unfortunately briefly became San Francisco policy last week when the Board of Supervisors reflexively labeled the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission as being against restoring the health of the bay-delta’s ecosystem. In this narrative, one party incorrectly identifies restoring unimpaired […]
With This Dry Forecast, We’re Starting To Wonder, Where Is El Nino?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /ABC10by Rob CarlmarkBefore we even go there, yes it’s true that sometimes El Nino forecasts can be a total bust. Famously, the last big one did the exact opposite of what we were thinking. Around the world, the El Nino of 2015-16 was spot on, but not in California, and that is what we remember. With that […]
See Four Months Of Oroville Dam Spillway Construction In One Minute
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby David CaraccioThe California Department of Water Resources has released a time-lapse video showing four months of daily construction progress from June 26 through October 31. The camera angle looks up the lower chute of the spillway from the diversion pool until mid-August, then shifts to the middle chute from August 15 to September 11, where roller-compacted […]
If Proposition 3 Passes, 2018 Could Become California’s Highest-Funded Year for Water Projects in Decades
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Pacific Standard Magazineby Kate WheelingCalifornia voters will weigh in on 11 statewide ballot propositions on November 6th—a relatively small number for a state where the record number is 45. Still, the measures cover a lot of ground: everything from gas taxes to housing to breaks for emergency workers to daylight savings time to water conservation. There was even a ballot […]