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.
No More Patch and Pray — Privatize Oroville Dam
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleJust about one year ago, the collapse of two spillways at Oroville Dam forced the frantic evacuation of 188,000 people, caused millions of dollars in property damage and triggered hundreds of lawsuits. Earlier this month, an independent forensic team found that decades of reckless mismanagement by the California Department of Water Resources caused the crisis. […]
Drought Deja Vu: California Snowpack At 30 Percent Of Normal
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SF Gateby Kurtis AlexanderYosemite’s Half Dome saw a picturesque dusting of snow this past week while skiers in Tahoe welcomed a shot of fresh powder. Yet California’s Sierra Nevada is plunging deeper into a warm, dry winter that shows little sign of a turnaround. Mile-high mountainsides were low on snow Monday and alpine skies remained a stubborn summer […]
Jerry Brown’s Two Big Public-Works Projects Are Foundering
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno BeeDuring his second governorship, Jerry Brown has frequently touted big public-works projects as the mark of a great society—a marked change from his first stint four decades ago, when “small is beautiful” and “lower your expectations” were his oft-voiced themes. He did it again last week, effusively plugging two major public works, twin water tunnels […]
DWR Increases Water Allocations By 5 Percent
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Oroville Mercury newsState Water Project contractors got a slight uptick Monday in the amount of water they will be getting this year. The Department of Water Resources increased the allocation from the 15 percent announced in December to 20 percent of the amount of water requested. The allocations always start low, and usually rise as the rainy […]
Specter Of Drought Looms As California’s Weather Turns Dry Again
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler and Ryan SabalowThe storms have passed and California’s dry winter has returned, raising the specter that the state could be entering another drought less than a year after the last one officially ended. After a brief spell of rain and snow improved California’s water conditions last week, the National Weather Service said Monday it’s forecasting at least […]
OPINION: What Is The Benefit Of Sites Reservoir?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Daily Democrat (Woodland)by Duane Chamberlain and Matt RexroadLast week, state regulators released their initial findings for potential dam and reservoir projects that could receive funds from Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond passed by voters in 2014 in response to California’s record drought. The bond was approved with the promise of at least $2.7 billion for increased water storage but based […]