Water management in the West can often seem to pit people against wildlife, but it doesn’t have to, according to a recent report by the National Audubon Society. The report highlights how drying saline lakes in the West and changing riparian habitat along the Colorado River are impacting migrating birds. But the two habitats also share a vulnerability […]
Current weather forecasting tools are less than adequate for managing California’s most vital natural resource, state water officials said Tuesday. People at the state Department of Water Resources are now working with researchers at NASA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to develop new technology to better forecast moisture-laden atmospheric river storms, like the ones […]
Like every autumn, October is bringing cooler weather, changing leaves and pumpkins to fields across California. But unlike the past five years, when a historic drought gripped the state, there’s something new across the landscape: full reservoirs. From a water supply standpoint, California is heading into this winter’s rainy season in much better shape than […]
Marijuana is becoming big business around the West as more states legalize the plant’s cultivation for recreational purposes. California’s entry into the field, which becomes official on January 1, is certain to bring an explosion of cannabis-related commerce simply because of the size of its market. All this poses a vital question: How much will marijuana tax the […]
As California continues an epic regulatory effort to reallocate water supplies for salmon habitat, an equally big question looms over the process: How much water do salmon and other native fish really need? The question is at the core of a process led by the State Water Resources Control Board to take water from existing […]
Last week, President Trump’s Department of the Interior decided to exempt itself and the California State Water Project from rules protecting threatened native fish and their critical habitat in the Bay-Delta estuary. These rules are called “Fall X2,” and they require maintaining freshwater habitat in the Delta further west in wet years like 2017, when […]
Migrating Birds Are Running Out Of Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Ian EvansWater management in the West can often seem to pit people against wildlife, but it doesn’t have to, according to a recent report by the National Audubon Society. The report highlights how drying saline lakes in the West and changing riparian habitat along the Colorado River are impacting migrating birds. But the two habitats also share a vulnerability […]
OPINION: California Needs Better Weather Prediction Tools for Water Management
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Union Democrat (Sonora)Current weather forecasting tools are less than adequate for managing California’s most vital natural resource, state water officials said Tuesday. People at the state Department of Water Resources are now working with researchers at NASA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to develop new technology to better forecast moisture-laden atmospheric river storms, like the ones […]
California’s Reservoirs Are Full, But Will This Winter Be Wet Or Dry?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Mercury News (San Jose)Like every autumn, October is bringing cooler weather, changing leaves and pumpkins to fields across California. But unlike the past five years, when a historic drought gripped the state, there’s something new across the landscape: full reservoirs. From a water supply standpoint, California is heading into this winter’s rainy season in much better shape than […]
As Marijuana Industry Explodes, Some Shift Focus To Water Conservation
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserMarijuana is becoming big business around the West as more states legalize the plant’s cultivation for recreational purposes. California’s entry into the field, which becomes official on January 1, is certain to bring an explosion of cannabis-related commerce simply because of the size of its market. All this poses a vital question: How much will marijuana tax the […]
California Is Giving Water Back to Native Fish – but How Much?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserAs California continues an epic regulatory effort to reallocate water supplies for salmon habitat, an equally big question looms over the process: How much water do salmon and other native fish really need? The question is at the core of a process led by the State Water Resources Control Board to take water from existing […]
BLOG: The San Francisco Bay-Delta Gets Trumped
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Natural Resources Defense Council (New York)by Kate PooleLast week, President Trump’s Department of the Interior decided to exempt itself and the California State Water Project from rules protecting threatened native fish and their critical habitat in the Bay-Delta estuary. These rules are called “Fall X2,” and they require maintaining freshwater habitat in the Delta further west in wet years like 2017, when […]