Unlike some deserts, California’s Mojave Desert is full of life. There are tortoises and bighorn sheep, breathtaking wildflower blooms and Joshua trees. Many of the state’s plant and animal species can be found only there. It’s a unique and beautiful ecosystem, but also a fragile one. Life in the Mojave is sustained by underground aquifers […]
A flurry of lawsuits over Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels continued on Monday, with several Delta counties, farm groups and environmentalists joining the fray as expected. San Joaquin County invoked the draining of Owens Lake a century ago for urban Southern California, and the diversion of the San Joaquin River for agriculture, in support of […]
A coalition of conservation groups on Monday sued the California Department of Water Resources challenging its approval of two 35-mile long tunnels that will divert water from the Sacramento River and a San Francisco area delta to Southern California. Filed in Sacramento County state court, the lawsuit said the so-called Delta tunnels project will significantly […]
Two local water agencies announced today that more than 200,000 acre-feet of water has been imported into the Coachella Valley so far this year due to Californina’s wetter-than-usual winter, which should help prevent overdrafting of the aquifer. The Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency issued a joint statement touting the figure, which is […]
They have one of the most powerful legal weapons found in any courtroom – the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But environmental groups, local governments and others face an uphill climb in their fight against the controversial Delta tunnels project. History suggests that suing under the California environmental law likely won’t be enough to […]
Now that there’s a list of projects vying for the $2.7 billion in Proposition 1 money dedicated to water storage, you’d think the chances of the proposed Sites Reservoir in Colusa County getting some of that cash would be clearer. Not so. There are few surprises in the list of projects. The uncertainty is because […]
OPINION: The Scheme to Pump Desert Water to L.A. Could Destroy the Mojave. California’s Legislature Needs to Block It
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles TimesUnlike some deserts, California’s Mojave Desert is full of life. There are tortoises and bighorn sheep, breathtaking wildflower blooms and Joshua trees. Many of the state’s plant and animal species can be found only there. It’s a unique and beautiful ecosystem, but also a fragile one. Life in the Mojave is sustained by underground aquifers […]
County Claims Tunnels Would ‘Devastate’ Delta
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Stockton RecordA flurry of lawsuits over Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels continued on Monday, with several Delta counties, farm groups and environmentalists joining the fray as expected. San Joaquin County invoked the draining of Owens Lake a century ago for urban Southern California, and the diversion of the San Joaquin River for agriculture, in support of […]
Conservation Groups Challenge California Water Diversion Project
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /ReutersA coalition of conservation groups on Monday sued the California Department of Water Resources challenging its approval of two 35-mile long tunnels that will divert water from the Sacramento River and a San Francisco area delta to Southern California. Filed in Sacramento County state court, the lawsuit said the so-called Delta tunnels project will significantly […]
Water Agencies Announce More Than 200K Acre-Feet of Water Imported into Coachella Valley
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KESQ (Palm Springs)Two local water agencies announced today that more than 200,000 acre-feet of water has been imported into the Coachella Valley so far this year due to Californina’s wetter-than-usual winter, which should help prevent overdrafting of the aquifer. The Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency issued a joint statement touting the figure, which is […]
Dozens are suing to block Delta tunnels. Will it matter?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerThey have one of the most powerful legal weapons found in any courtroom – the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. But environmental groups, local governments and others face an uphill climb in their fight against the controversial Delta tunnels project. History suggests that suing under the California environmental law likely won’t be enough to […]
OPINION: Water Bonds Should Be Used to Fund Sites Reservoir
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /East Bay Times (San Jose)Now that there’s a list of projects vying for the $2.7 billion in Proposition 1 money dedicated to water storage, you’d think the chances of the proposed Sites Reservoir in Colusa County getting some of that cash would be clearer. Not so. There are few surprises in the list of projects. The uncertainty is because […]