California and the U.S.

The latest news and analysis covering water issues in Caliornia and the rest of the United States.

Butte County Prosecutor Wants State Agency Fined Up To $51 Billion For Oroville Spillway Failure

Butte County prosecutors are seeking up to $51 billion in fines and penalties against California’s water agency for damage caused to local river-based wildlife after the Oroville Dam spillway failure last year, officials said. In a civil complaint filed Wednesday, Dist. Atty. Mike Ramsey accused the Department of Water Resources of failing to build the […]

More U.S. Drought In A Second-Year La Niña?

Currently, we are fully immersed in the second winter of a “double-dip” La Niña.   Although it will take some time before we can see how this event stacked up with past events, you might have noticed that it has been quite dry over much of the U.S. this winter, with drought expanding across several regions, particularly in […]

Is California Entering Another Drought? Experts Answer Your Questions.

The lack of rain and snow in California has people wondering if we’re headed into another drought. There’s less than 25 percent of the average amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada. That on its own could incite drought panic. Lauren Bisnett with the California Department of Water Resources says the saving grace is last […]

Time To Get Rid Of Two Outdated Water Words: ‘Drought’ And ‘Normal’

Water policy is becoming a prisoner of its own limited vocabulary, particularly when it comes to the weather. Here is a case that “drought” and “normal” belong in the dustbin of history, for their overuse can lead to the wrong conversation. These words are not so sinister as to be banned from the dictionary. But they […]

Jerry Brown Officially Downsizes Delta Tunnel Plan. But Can He Sell One Tunnel?

The troubled Delta tunnels project was officially downsized Wednesday, as Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration announced it would attempt to build a single tunnel in its effort to re-engineer California’s elaborate water-delivery system. Unable to secure enough money from California’s water agencies for the original twin tunnels concept, the California Department of Water Resources said it […]

What’s The Chance For A ‘Normal’ Rain Year Now? Grim, If History Is A Gauge

Hoping for a March Miracle to bail out California’s dry winter? It’s not likely. A review of more than 100 years of rainfall records of major cities in California — including San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Rosa, Redding and Fresno — shows that none have ever finished the rainy season with normal rainfall […]