Earlier this month, a proposed bond measure in the California Legislature had included $280 million to pay for building thousands of acres of ponds, wetlands and other dust-control projects around the Salton Sea. This week, after negotiations among lawmakers, the amount earmarked for the Salton Sea was slashed to $200 million.
With Harvey and Irma understandably making headlines, it can be easy to be forget the infrastructural crises we’ve already had to deal with this year. Take the overflow of the Oroville Dam spillway in northern California back in February. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released a flyover of the spillway in its […]
Dam removal is a relatively new area of science. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that tearing down a dam to restore a river became a regular occurrence across the United States. Most dam removals have been studied and monitored closely to ensure that results meet expectations and to avoid harmful consequences. But there haven’t been many […]
As state lawmakers debate far-reaching bills that could reshape the energy landscape in California and across the West, some groups are urging the Legislature to require new geothermal power plants at the Salton Sea before a key deadline Tuesday* night — but those groups can’t agree on what the geothermal mandate should look like.
After suffering more than a week under searing, desert-like heat, winter might be the furthest thing from the minds of most Californians. However, to borrow a phrase from TV’s “Game of Thrones,” winter is coming. The only question is whether the gods will allow a rerun of last winter which unexpectedly dumped record amounts of […]
A “sanctuary state” bill deal, the emergence of a $4 billion parks and water bond, two new California legal fronts against the Trump administration, and the Mexican foreign minister’s visit to the state Capitol – just another Manic Monday as lawmakers begin their final week of work before adjourning for the year.
California Bond Proposal Includes $200 Million for the Salton Sea
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)Earlier this month, a proposed bond measure in the California Legislature had included $280 million to pay for building thousands of acres of ponds, wetlands and other dust-control projects around the Salton Sea. This week, after negotiations among lawmakers, the amount earmarked for the Salton Sea was slashed to $200 million.
Here’s the Massive Construction Project to Fix the Oroville Dam
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Popular Mechanics (New York)With Harvey and Irma understandably making headlines, it can be easy to be forget the infrastructural crises we’ve already had to deal with this year. Take the overflow of the Oroville Dam spillway in northern California back in February. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released a flyover of the spillway in its […]
Study: Rivers Recover Faster Than Expected After Dam Removal
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)Dam removal is a relatively new area of science. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that tearing down a dam to restore a river became a regular occurrence across the United States. Most dam removals have been studied and monitored closely to ensure that results meet expectations and to avoid harmful consequences. But there haven’t been many […]
Will California Mandate New Salton Sea Geothermal Plants at 11th Hour?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)As state lawmakers debate far-reaching bills that could reshape the energy landscape in California and across the West, some groups are urging the Legislature to require new geothermal power plants at the Salton Sea before a key deadline Tuesday* night — but those groups can’t agree on what the geothermal mandate should look like.
‘Winter Is Coming’: What Do Climate Scientists Predict For California?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Mercury News (San Jose)by Steve ScauzilloAfter suffering more than a week under searing, desert-like heat, winter might be the furthest thing from the minds of most Californians. However, to borrow a phrase from TV’s “Game of Thrones,” winter is coming. The only question is whether the gods will allow a rerun of last winter which unexpectedly dumped record amounts of […]
Capitol Roundup: Immigration Deal, Parks Bond, DACA Developments
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radio News (Sacramento)A “sanctuary state” bill deal, the emergence of a $4 billion parks and water bond, two new California legal fronts against the Trump administration, and the Mexican foreign minister’s visit to the state Capitol – just another Manic Monday as lawmakers begin their final week of work before adjourning for the year.