The city of Oroville sued the California Department of Water Resources on Wednesday over the Oroville Dam crisis, accusing the state agency of mismanaging the dam and knowingly performing inadequate maintenance on its main flood-control spillway. In a blistering lawsuit filed in Butte County Superior Court, the city said DWR encouraged a “culture of corruption” […]
Winter is off to an alarmingly dry start across the Colorado River Basin, but you wouldn’t know it from the latest federal projections for Lake Mead. A monthly report by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation offers a slightly sunnier outlook for the reservoir than the agency had predicted in December, though both projections say the […]
A late arrival to winter is taking hold, and every creek, river and waterfall is acquiring its own personality. Some, like Silver Falls in the remote Santa Cruz Mountains, are roaring, having been jump-started by 7 inches of rain in the past week. Others, like Carson Falls in the Marin Watershed, have been brought to […]
One of Jerry Brown’s biggest failures as governor has been his stubborn, foolhardy approach to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that provides a portion of the drinking water for 25 million Californians, including more than 5 million South Bay and East Bay residents. The news Friday that the Brown administration is reportedly scaling back his $17 […]
The millions of trees that died in the Sierra Nevada during California’s five-year drought may have actually helped the state’s water supply once the historic dry spell finally ended, according to a new study. Scientists led by UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute examined how much water was being absorbed by plant life in 1 million acres […]
The verdict is in and California stands convicted of gross negligence in the construction and maintenance of the nation’s highest dam, Oroville. The dam on the Feather River came very close to failing last year, forcing the evacuation of a quarter-million people living downstream. Heavy outflows revealed structural flaws in the dam’s concrete spillway and when […]
‘Culture Of Corruption’ Cited As Oroville Sues State Over Dam Crisis
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler and Ryan SabalowThe city of Oroville sued the California Department of Water Resources on Wednesday over the Oroville Dam crisis, accusing the state agency of mismanaging the dam and knowingly performing inadequate maintenance on its main flood-control spillway. In a blistering lawsuit filed in Butte County Superior Court, the city said DWR encouraged a “culture of corruption” […]
‘Historically bad start’ to winter not reflected in Lake Mead projections
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Las Vegas Review-JournalWinter is off to an alarmingly dry start across the Colorado River Basin, but you wouldn’t know it from the latest federal projections for Lake Mead. A monthly report by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation offers a slightly sunnier outlook for the reservoir than the agency had predicted in December, though both projections say the […]
As Winter Arrives, Rain Ignites Waterfalls Across Northern California
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleA late arrival to winter is taking hold, and every creek, river and waterfall is acquiring its own personality. Some, like Silver Falls in the remote Santa Cruz Mountains, are roaring, having been jump-started by 7 inches of rain in the past week. Others, like Carson Falls in the Marin Watershed, have been brought to […]
OPINION: How to Decide if a Single Delta Tunnel Makes Sense
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Mercury News (San Jose)One of Jerry Brown’s biggest failures as governor has been his stubborn, foolhardy approach to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that provides a portion of the drinking water for 25 million Californians, including more than 5 million South Bay and East Bay residents. The news Friday that the Brown administration is reportedly scaling back his $17 […]
Why Millions Of Dead Trees In The Sierra May Have Helped Save Water During The Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan SabalowThe millions of trees that died in the Sierra Nevada during California’s five-year drought may have actually helped the state’s water supply once the historic dry spell finally ended, according to a new study. Scientists led by UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute examined how much water was being absorbed by plant life in 1 million acres […]
OPINION: Dan Walters: Forensic Report Confirms Oroville Dam Lapses
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Napa Valley Registerby Dan WaltersThe verdict is in and California stands convicted of gross negligence in the construction and maintenance of the nation’s highest dam, Oroville. The dam on the Feather River came very close to failing last year, forcing the evacuation of a quarter-million people living downstream. Heavy outflows revealed structural flaws in the dam’s concrete spillway and when […]