Fearsome gusts of desert wind routinely kicked up swirling clouds of choking dust over Owens Lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada after 1913, when its treasured snowmelt and spring water was first diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It was not until 2001, and under a court order, that the Los Angeles […]
The next huge natural catastrophe to strike California might not be an earthquake. New research suggests that a major flood could inundate large swaths of California in the next few decades. The last “200-year flood” was more than 150 years ago, and climate change is jacking up the odds of a repeat sooner rather than […]
Many of my Central Valley legislative colleagues are furious that the staff at Governor Jerry Brown’s Water Commission have rigged the system so the recently announced proposed funding for Temperance Flat Reservoir is just that – flat. It’s not surprising that environmentally-oriented staff at the California Water Commission (and other state agencies such as the State […]
California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is vital to water supplies for 25 million people and 4 million acres of farmland. It is linked to the Pacific Ocean via San Francisco Bay, which makes this water supply uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise. Yet understanding sea level rise in the Delta is complicated. The largest estuary on […]
Need a financial incentive to rip out your water-sucking lawn in favor of something a little more drought friendly? Here it is: The Metropolitan Water District is bringing back landscape rebates, starting in July: The district will offer a rebate of $1 per square foot of turf removal. And, depending upon where you live, you […]
Owens Lake: Former Toxic Dust Bowl Transformed Into Environmental Success
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /Los Angeles Timesby Louis SahaganFearsome gusts of desert wind routinely kicked up swirling clouds of choking dust over Owens Lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada after 1913, when its treasured snowmelt and spring water was first diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It was not until 2001, and under a court order, that the Los Angeles […]
Editorial: Water Investment Must Include Flood Preparation
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /Santa Rosa Press-Democratby Editorial BoardThe next huge natural catastrophe to strike California might not be an earthquake. New research suggests that a major flood could inundate large swaths of California in the next few decades. The last “200-year flood” was more than 150 years ago, and climate change is jacking up the odds of a repeat sooner rather than […]
Jerry Brown Disses The Central Valley … Again
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /Fox & Houndsby Senator Andy VldakMany of my Central Valley legislative colleagues are furious that the staff at Governor Jerry Brown’s Water Commission have rigged the system so the recently announced proposed funding for Temperance Flat Reservoir is just that – flat. It’s not surprising that environmentally-oriented staff at the California Water Commission (and other state agencies such as the State […]
California Delta A Flash Point For Conflict As Climate Change Unfolds
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /Water Deeplyby Matt WeiserCalifornia’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is vital to water supplies for 25 million people and 4 million acres of farmland. It is linked to the Pacific Ocean via San Francisco Bay, which makes this water supply uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise. Yet understanding sea level rise in the Delta is complicated. The largest estuary on […]
In Reversal, Santa Clara Valley District May Provide $650 Million To Brown’s Delta Tunnels Plan
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /San Jose Mercury Newsby Paul RogersWant To Ditch The Lawn? Turf Removal Rebates Are Coming Back
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Gayle Falkenthal /Los Angeles Timesby Rene LynchNeed a financial incentive to rip out your water-sucking lawn in favor of something a little more drought friendly? Here it is: The Metropolitan Water District is bringing back landscape rebates, starting in July: The district will offer a rebate of $1 per square foot of turf removal. And, depending upon where you live, you […]