The preliminaries are just about over. Permanent structural repairs are about to begin at Oroville Dam. Five months after an unprecedented emergency forced a mass evacuation, state officials said Wednesday they’re ready to start replacing the now-demolished lower portions of Oroville’s main flood-control spillway. Construction contractor Kiewit Corp. plans to install the first slabs of […]
Two federal agencies’ decision last week to green-light construction of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta twin-tunnels plan is an unwelcome setback for opponents of the project. But it’s not the huge milestone that proponents claim. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opinion merely said that building the tunnels “doesn’t deepen any […]
A coalition of environmental and fishing groups on Thursday filed the first of what are expected to be many lawsuits challenging Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17.1 billion plan to build two massive water tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, come four days after two federal agencies […]
Winter weather brings seismic tremors. A new study reveals how water buildup and runoff throughout the year can increase stress along faults in California, triggering small earthquakes. “This kind of observation is extremely important to constrain our models of earthquakes,” says Jean-Philippe Avouac, a geologist at Caltech who was not involved in the study. Improved […]
Federal wildlife officials gave the first approval last week to Gov. Jerry Brown’s decade-old plan to re-engineer California’s water system by building twin tunnels to ship water around the delta to cities and farms. It’s a regrettable step in a long, costly and politically charged approval process with an uncertain outcome. It doesn’t make sense […]
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California today released the first of three “white papers” on the Delta tunnels, which are supposed to inform MWD board members as the district moves toward a September vote on the project. Most of what’s in there has been reported previously. But here are a few things I found […]
They’ve Demolished Most Of Oroville Dam’s Troubled Spillway. What’s Next?
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Dale KaslerThe preliminaries are just about over. Permanent structural repairs are about to begin at Oroville Dam. Five months after an unprecedented emergency forced a mass evacuation, state officials said Wednesday they’re ready to start replacing the now-demolished lower portions of Oroville’s main flood-control spillway. Construction contractor Kiewit Corp. plans to install the first slabs of […]
OPINION: Must Stop the Twin-Tunnels Water Boondoggle
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /East Bay TimesTwo federal agencies’ decision last week to green-light construction of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta twin-tunnels plan is an unwelcome setback for opponents of the project. But it’s not the huge milestone that proponents claim. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opinion merely said that building the tunnels “doesn’t deepen any […]
Groups File First Legal Challenges In Delta Tunnels Fight
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan SabalowA coalition of environmental and fishing groups on Thursday filed the first of what are expected to be many lawsuits challenging Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17.1 billion plan to build two massive water tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, come four days after two federal agencies […]
Snow And Rain Tug On Earthquake Faults In California
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Science News Magazine (Washington, D.C.)by Maria TemmingWinter weather brings seismic tremors. A new study reveals how water buildup and runoff throughout the year can increase stress along faults in California, triggering small earthquakes. “This kind of observation is extremely important to constrain our models of earthquakes,” says Jean-Philippe Avouac, a geologist at Caltech who was not involved in the study. Improved […]
Costly Approval Doesn’t Guarantee The Governor’s Delta Tunnels
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /San Francisco ChronicleFederal wildlife officials gave the first approval last week to Gov. Jerry Brown’s decade-old plan to re-engineer California’s water system by building twin tunnels to ship water around the delta to cities and farms. It’s a regrettable step in a long, costly and politically charged approval process with an uncertain outcome. It doesn’t make sense […]
BLOG: More on the Delta Tunnels JPA
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /eSan Joaquin Blogby Alex BreitlerThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California today released the first of three “white papers” on the Delta tunnels, which are supposed to inform MWD board members as the district moves toward a September vote on the project. Most of what’s in there has been reported previously. But here are a few things I found […]