Elected officials and other groups representing those living below the troubled Oroville Dam have asked the Trump administration to hold off on renewing its 50-year license, saying the federal government should at least know why the spillway broke in half last winter before signing off. On Wednesday, the dam’s owner, the California Department of Water […]
For the first time in more than two weeks, rain fell overnight in the Bay Area. But the amount of precipitation recorded was minimal, and with no rain in the forecast through Sunday, December remains on track to be one of the driest in the Bay Area on record. Rain totals were generally less than one-tenth […]
Is California back in drought? The unusually warm, dry start to this winter – along with intense wildfires in southern California – has many Californians experiencing “drought deja vu.” Despite this uneasy feeling, we are not in drought. The state’s reservoirs – the traditional measure of vulnerability during drought – are in good shape thanks to […]
Moving closer to final decisions about which California water projects will receive funding from a bond passed by voters in 2014, the California Water Commission heard presentations regarding about a dozen storage projects that have applied for bond funding. Potential projects include large-scale surface storage, reservoir expansions, groundwater projects and recycled-water projects.
After a series of powerful atmospheric rivers brought the wettest rainy season on record to Northern California, brimming reservoirs became a symbol of the state’s plentiful water reserves and the end of a five-year drought. Now that this year’s season has started with below average precipitation and the northern part of the state has seen […]
California’s management of water is not working for anyone. Environmental advocates argue that state and federal regulators have set water-quality and flow standards that do not adequately protect fish and wildlife, and have not enforced these requirements when they are most needed. Farm and urban interests claim that these regulations have been ineffective and cause unnecessary […]
Politicians to Trump: Don’t Relicense Oroville Dam Until We Know Why Spillway Failed
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento BeeElected officials and other groups representing those living below the troubled Oroville Dam have asked the Trump administration to hold off on renewing its 50-year license, saying the federal government should at least know why the spillway broke in half last winter before signing off. On Wednesday, the dam’s owner, the California Department of Water […]
Despite Overnight Rain In Bay Area, December Tracking To Be One Of Driest On Record
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /East Bay Timesby Mark GomezFor the first time in more than two weeks, rain fell overnight in the Bay Area. But the amount of precipitation recorded was minimal, and with no rain in the forecast through Sunday, December remains on track to be one of the driest in the Bay Area on record. Rain totals were generally less than one-tenth […]
OPINION: California Is Still Dry And December Is Almost Over. Is It Too Soon For The D-word?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Jeffrey Mount and Ellen HanakIs California back in drought? The unusually warm, dry start to this winter – along with intense wildfires in southern California – has many Californians experiencing “drought deja vu.” Despite this uneasy feeling, we are not in drought. The state’s reservoirs – the traditional measure of vulnerability during drought – are in good shape thanks to […]
Project Backers Seek Investments From Water Bond
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /AgAlert (Sacramento)by Christine SouzaMoving closer to final decisions about which California water projects will receive funding from a bond passed by voters in 2014, the California Water Commission heard presentations regarding about a dozen storage projects that have applied for bond funding. Potential projects include large-scale surface storage, reservoir expansions, groundwater projects and recycled-water projects.
Is The Dry Start To The Rainy Season Pushing California Reservoirs Back Toward A Drought?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /SF Gateby Amy GraffAfter a series of powerful atmospheric rivers brought the wettest rainy season on record to Northern California, brimming reservoirs became a symbol of the state’s plentiful water reserves and the end of a five-year drought. Now that this year’s season has started with below average precipitation and the northern part of the state has seen […]
OPINION: A Water Right For The Environment In California
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Brian Gray, Leon Szeptycki, Barton “Buzz” ThompsonCalifornia’s management of water is not working for anyone. Environmental advocates argue that state and federal regulators have set water-quality and flow standards that do not adequately protect fish and wildlife, and have not enforced these requirements when they are most needed. Farm and urban interests claim that these regulations have been ineffective and cause unnecessary […]