Yesterday, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) General Manager Jeff Kightlinger reported to MWD Board Members on the Water Planning and Stewardship Committee that the new phased-in tunnels project would require a $5.1 billion contribution and that MWD would receive the same amount of water with operation of the first 6,000 cfs tunnel, as they would with operation […]
California is about to learn a whole lot more about how water moves through its many diverse landscapes. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded a $2.2 million grant to the University of California to use remote sensors and drones to monitor hydrology across various landscapes. The subject areas will be the U.C.’s Natural Reserve System, a network of protected lands covering […]
If California taxpayers are going to spend $2.7 billion on new water storage projects, the projects had better come with many more environmental benefits. That was the message sent by the California Water Commission, which on February 2 released its first analysis of 11 projects vying for a share of the riches. The money will come from Proposition 1, […]
/in California and the U.S./by Mike Lee /San Gabriel Valley Tribune (As published by, The Orange County Register)by Steve Scauzillo
Anyone caught wasting water in California may be fined as much as $500 under new rules being considered by the state water board, officials said Monday. The State Water Resources Control Board is expected to adopt regulation coming before the board on Feb. 20 that would make it a crime to commit any of seven wasteful […]
The California Legislature unanimously passed Assemblyman James Gallagher’s bill requiring high hazard dams be inspected annually on Monday – the one-year anniversary of the Oroville Dam spillway evacuation. The bill also sets standards for those inspections and requires consultation with independent experts to update dam safety practices every 10 years, a periodic review of original […]
One year after the Oroville spillway disaster, one enormous question remains: What now? The answer is simple: Start over. Politicians, government agencies, businesses and other interested parties have said the federal government needs to hit the pause button on relicensing the Lake Oroville project. We think the rewind button would be better.
Fact-Check: As MWD’s Tunnels Tab Continues To Increase, Water Deliveries Could Decrease
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /YubaNet.com (Nevada City)Yesterday, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) General Manager Jeff Kightlinger reported to MWD Board Members on the Water Planning and Stewardship Committee that the new phased-in tunnels project would require a $5.1 billion contribution and that MWD would receive the same amount of water with operation of the first 6,000 cfs tunnel, as they would with operation […]
Drones And Wireless Sensors Take California Water Research To New Level
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserCalifornia is about to learn a whole lot more about how water moves through its many diverse landscapes. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded a $2.2 million grant to the University of California to use remote sensors and drones to monitor hydrology across various landscapes. The subject areas will be the U.C.’s Natural Reserve System, a network of protected lands covering […]
Can New California Water Storage Projects Win State Funding?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserIf California taxpayers are going to spend $2.7 billion on new water storage projects, the projects had better come with many more environmental benefits. That was the message sent by the California Water Commission, which on February 2 released its first analysis of 11 projects vying for a share of the riches. The money will come from Proposition 1, […]
California’s Drought Restrictions On Wasteful Water Habits Could Be Coming Back — This Time They’ll Be Permanent
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Gabriel Valley Tribune (As published by, The Orange County Register)by Steve ScauzilloAnyone caught wasting water in California may be fined as much as $500 under new rules being considered by the state water board, officials said Monday. The State Water Resources Control Board is expected to adopt regulation coming before the board on Feb. 20 that would make it a crime to commit any of seven wasteful […]
Gallagher’s Dam Safety Bill Goes To Governor On Evacuation Anniversary
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Risa JohnsonThe California Legislature unanimously passed Assemblyman James Gallagher’s bill requiring high hazard dams be inspected annually on Monday – the one-year anniversary of the Oroville Dam spillway evacuation. The bill also sets standards for those inspections and requires consultation with independent experts to update dam safety practices every 10 years, a periodic review of original […]
OPINION: On Oroville Relicensing, Don’t Just Delay; Start Over
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Oroville Mercury RegisterOne year after the Oroville spillway disaster, one enormous question remains: What now? The answer is simple: Start over. Politicians, government agencies, businesses and other interested parties have said the federal government needs to hit the pause button on relicensing the Lake Oroville project. We think the rewind button would be better.