Snowmelt is shrinking and runoff is coming earlier on the Upper Colorado River, the source of 90 percent of water for 40 million people in the West. This is leading to vegetation changes, water quality issues and other concerns. But it may be possible to operate reservoirs differently to ease some of these effects. In September’s […]
The biggest ticket item on California’s November ballot, tucked between the governor’s race and local elections, is $8.9 billion in bonds to help modernize California’s sprawling waterworks. The measure, which was authored by a former state water director, would fund scores of projects, from shiny new desalination plants to upgrades of old dams and aqueducts […]
Barely a week past summer, some Sierra Nevada peaks have received a dusting of snow — and a bigger accumulation is possible this weekend. The unsettled weather and brisker-than-normal temperatures that have lingered in the Bay Area this week brought hail and snow to the higher elevations of the Lake Tahoe area. The National Weather Service’s […]
Water saving in urban California continued to slide in August, but Butte County agencies generally conserved twice as much water as the rest of the state. The State Water Resources Control Board reported Tuesday that statewide, water use was down 12.6 percent in August, compared to August 2013. That’s a decline from 13.6 percent in […]
Sites Reservoir, the largest new water storage proposal in California, recently won a commitment of $816 million in state funds to help with construction. It promises to deliver enough water every year, on average, to serve one million homes. But regulatory realities looming in the background may mean the project has substantially less water at […]
State law does not currently allow surface water to be used for groundwater recharge if the goal is managing pollution, reversing subsidence or controlling salinity. That could be a problem as local agencies begin trying to make their groundwater use more sustainable. Groundwater depletion is a big problem in parts of California. But it is not the only […]
Deeply Talks: Drought on the Colorado – Can We Adapt to Changing Runoff?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserSnowmelt is shrinking and runoff is coming earlier on the Upper Colorado River, the source of 90 percent of water for 40 million people in the West. This is leading to vegetation changes, water quality issues and other concerns. But it may be possible to operate reservoirs differently to ease some of these effects. In September’s […]
California Water Woes: Ballot Measure Aims at Solutions, but at a Steep Cost
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderThe biggest ticket item on California’s November ballot, tucked between the governor’s race and local elections, is $8.9 billion in bonds to help modernize California’s sprawling waterworks. The measure, which was authored by a former state water director, would fund scores of projects, from shiny new desalination plants to upgrades of old dams and aqueducts […]
Yes, that’s Snow in the Sierra and More is Expected this Weekend
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /The Mercury News (San Jose)Barely a week past summer, some Sierra Nevada peaks have received a dusting of snow — and a bigger accumulation is possible this weekend. The unsettled weather and brisker-than-normal temperatures that have lingered in the Bay Area this week brought hail and snow to the higher elevations of the Lake Tahoe area. The National Weather Service’s […]
Statewide Water Saving Sliding; at Half of Local Conservation Rate
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Andrea Mora /Oroville Mercury-Registerby Steve SchoonoverWater saving in urban California continued to slide in August, but Butte County agencies generally conserved twice as much water as the rest of the state. The State Water Resources Control Board reported Tuesday that statewide, water use was down 12.6 percent in August, compared to August 2013. That’s a decline from 13.6 percent in […]
California’s Largest Proposed Water Storage Project Hits Regulatory Hurdles
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Pacific Standard (Santa Barbara)by Matt WeiserSites Reservoir, the largest new water storage proposal in California, recently won a commitment of $816 million in state funds to help with construction. It promises to deliver enough water every year, on average, to serve one million homes. But regulatory realities looming in the background may mean the project has substantially less water at […]
Is Groundwater Recharge A ‘Beneficial Use’? California Law Says No.
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserState law does not currently allow surface water to be used for groundwater recharge if the goal is managing pollution, reversing subsidence or controlling salinity. That could be a problem as local agencies begin trying to make their groundwater use more sustainable. Groundwater depletion is a big problem in parts of California. But it is not the only […]