A “use-it-or-lose-it” system of water allocation has historically required growers in California to irrigate their land or lose their water rights, whether market forces compelled them to grow crops or not. Now, in a significant breakthrough for the state’s water economy, a community of farmers near Ventura are about to join a new groundwater market. The […]
Residents of San Luis Obispo will be paying more for water and sewer after the City Council unanimously passed rate increases Tuesday. The new rates, which are set to go into affect at the start of the 2018-19 fiscal year on July 1, will amount to about 3 percent higher costs for water services and 4 […]
California’s fabled beaches are shrinking, with waves and tides eventually expected to slosh over thousands of coastal homes and businesses. That’s the entirely plausible prediction from scientists studying climate change and rising ocean levels linked to hotter temperatures. In less than 30 years, rising waters will flood about 20,000 homes along the state’s shoreline. A warmer ocean […]
It was only a few years ago that climatologists like Jet Propulsion Lab’s Bill Patzert were warning Angelenos that rainy days could soon be a distant memory. The period between late 2011 and 2014 was the driest in California history since record-keeping began, according to the Western Regional Climate Cente.
Water use across the country reached its lowest recorded level in 45 years. According to a new USGS report, 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn for use in the United States during 2015. This represents a 9 percent reduction of water use from 2010 when about 354 Bgal/d were withdrawn and the lowest level […]
The wet winter of 2017 brought an opportunity to test groundwater recharge – the intentional spreading of water on fields to percolate into the aquifer – as a tool for restoring groundwater levels and helping basins comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This is especially important in the San Joaquin Valley, which has the […]
A New Groundwater Market Emerges In California. Are More On The Way?
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Alastair BlandA “use-it-or-lose-it” system of water allocation has historically required growers in California to irrigate their land or lose their water rights, whether market forces compelled them to grow crops or not. Now, in a significant breakthrough for the state’s water economy, a community of farmers near Ventura are about to join a new groundwater market. The […]
SLO Residents Will Pay More For Monthly Water And Sewer Costs
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)by Nick WilsonResidents of San Luis Obispo will be paying more for water and sewer after the City Council unanimously passed rate increases Tuesday. The new rates, which are set to go into affect at the start of the 2018-19 fiscal year on July 1, will amount to about 3 percent higher costs for water services and 4 […]
OPINION: Effect Of Rising Seas Has A Time Line And Cost
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleCalifornia’s fabled beaches are shrinking, with waves and tides eventually expected to slosh over thousands of coastal homes and businesses. That’s the entirely plausible prediction from scientists studying climate change and rising ocean levels linked to hotter temperatures. In less than 30 years, rising waters will flood about 20,000 homes along the state’s shoreline. A warmer ocean […]
As Rainy Season Comes To A Close, Officials Call For Conservation
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Hub (Los Angeles)by Hugo GuzmanIt was only a few years ago that climatologists like Jet Propulsion Lab’s Bill Patzert were warning Angelenos that rainy days could soon be a distant memory. The period between late 2011 and 2014 was the driest in California history since record-keeping began, according to the Western Regional Climate Cente.
Water Use Across The United States Declines To Levels Not Seen Since 1970
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /USGS (Reston, Va.)Water use across the country reached its lowest recorded level in 45 years. According to a new USGS report, 322 billion gallons of water per day (Bgal/d) were withdrawn for use in the United States during 2015. This represents a 9 percent reduction of water use from 2010 when about 354 Bgal/d were withdrawn and the lowest level […]
The Two Biggest Challenges To Groundwater Recharge In California
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Alvar Escriva-BouThe wet winter of 2017 brought an opportunity to test groundwater recharge – the intentional spreading of water on fields to percolate into the aquifer – as a tool for restoring groundwater levels and helping basins comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This is especially important in the San Joaquin Valley, which has the […]