Nature bats last and the weather in March is hitting a grand slam for the outdoors. The latest storms to sweep across the Bay Area, Sierra Nevada and Northern California are a game changer for the snowpack, reservoir levels — and the imminent blossoming of spring across the parklands and greenbelt in the Bay Area. In […]
Stay away from my lake, Californians. It’s too important, for the likes of you. Yes, as a legal matter, I don’t own Lake Mathews. But I’ve always felt a kinship with a Riverside County reservoir that spells our mutual name the correct way, with just one “t.” What’s more, Lake Mathews serves as the beating […]
Atmospheric rivers are vital to western water supplies, yet until very recently they were poorly understood: difficult to predict and measure, and very hard for scientists to estimate where they would make landfall. These are often erroneously called “pineapple express” storms, a term that applies to only a subset of atmospheric river events that originate near Hawaii. Most […]
Less than a year after Gov. Jerry Brown declared the end of a statewide drought in April 2017, people are conserving less water and California’s water systems are once again vulnerable to drought. Following an unusually dry winter, water conservation this year has fallen far below the mandated levels during the state’s recent multiyear drought, resulting […]
The Trump administration is pushing forward with a colossal public works project in Northern California — heightening the towering Shasta Dam the equivalent of nearly two stories. The problem is that California is dead-set against the plan, and state law prohibits the 602-foot New Deal-era structure from getting any taller. But in these times of […]
State Parks workers were pulling cable up a launch ramp at Bidwell Marina Thursday because the water level in Lake Oroville is on the rise. March’s storms have brought the lake level up almost 13 feet since the start of the month, according to the Department of Water Resources website. As of 2 p.m. Thursday […]
Nature Hits It Out Of The Ballpark With Rain, Snow
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Tom SteinstraNature bats last and the weather in March is hitting a grand slam for the outdoors. The latest storms to sweep across the Bay Area, Sierra Nevada and Northern California are a game changer for the snowpack, reservoir levels — and the imminent blossoming of spring across the parklands and greenbelt in the Bay Area. In […]
Fellow Californians, Keep Your Hands Off My Lake
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Joe MathewsStay away from my lake, Californians. It’s too important, for the likes of you. Yes, as a legal matter, I don’t own Lake Mathews. But I’ve always felt a kinship with a Riverside County reservoir that spells our mutual name the correct way, with just one “t.” What’s more, Lake Mathews serves as the beating […]
Big Improvement In Predicting Drought-Busting Atmospheric Rivers
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserAtmospheric rivers are vital to western water supplies, yet until very recently they were poorly understood: difficult to predict and measure, and very hard for scientists to estimate where they would make landfall. These are often erroneously called “pineapple express” storms, a term that applies to only a subset of atmospheric river events that originate near Hawaii. Most […]
Water Conservation In California Drops After Dry Winter
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Daily Californian (Berkeley)by Phil ZhangLess than a year after Gov. Jerry Brown declared the end of a statewide drought in April 2017, people are conserving less water and California’s water systems are once again vulnerable to drought. Following an unusually dry winter, water conservation this year has fallen far below the mandated levels during the state’s recent multiyear drought, resulting […]
California Doesn’t Want This Towering Water Project. Trump Administration May Build It Anyway
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Evan Halper and Sarah D. WireThe Trump administration is pushing forward with a colossal public works project in Northern California — heightening the towering Shasta Dam the equivalent of nearly two stories. The problem is that California is dead-set against the plan, and state law prohibits the 602-foot New Deal-era structure from getting any taller. But in these times of […]
March Storms Have Raised Lake Oroville Level 13 Feet
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Oroville Mercury RegisterState Parks workers were pulling cable up a launch ramp at Bidwell Marina Thursday because the water level in Lake Oroville is on the rise. March’s storms have brought the lake level up almost 13 feet since the start of the month, according to the Department of Water Resources website. As of 2 p.m. Thursday […]