There are 119 reasons why nothing will change in the wake of the Lake Oroville spillway disaster, why this repetitive flooding and evacuation pattern will continue interminably. There is one reason for hope. Of the 120 people in the state Legislature, which has failed to address this problem for decades, exactly one of them was […]
The Board of Consultants determined the forensic teams’ list of potential Oroville Dam spillway failures are being addressed in the new design, according to a new memorandum published Last week. The board’s report said the spillway design is ready for final review, with major redesigns including heightening walls beside of the main spillway. Also, a […]
Every year for almost half a century, California snow surveyor Pat Armstrong has trekked the rugged Sierra Nevada with three simple tools: a snow core tube, a scale and a notebook. For as long as he can remember, state water officials have relied on the accuracy of those tools to deliver crucial data on the […]
Everything is surprising about this sea. Saltier than the ocean, it breeds then suffocates tilapia. A mirage in the desert, it feeds flyway pelicans and cormorants. But it feels like a graveyard. Birds are dying in mortal rhythm with the fish. There is no tide and rivers flow north to a southern inlet. The sea […]
Friday in the Bay Area saw something unusual: Not a drop in housing prices, or a win from the San Francisco Giants. But rain in June. A cold front blustering in from the Pacific Ocean off the Washington and Oregon coast brought gray skies and the first measurable rainfall on Thursday and Friday to the […]
Even after a very rainy winter in California, the state—and much of the West—is still experiencing drought conditions. To call water a complex issue is an understatement. Tershia D’Elgin has immersed herself in the subject of Western water rights. In her book, The Man Who Thought He Owned Water, the San Diego-based writer and water […]
David Little: James Gallagher Keeps Pressure On Oroville Spillway Saga
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-RecordThere are 119 reasons why nothing will change in the wake of the Lake Oroville spillway disaster, why this repetitive flooding and evacuation pattern will continue interminably. There is one reason for hope. Of the 120 people in the state Legislature, which has failed to address this problem for decades, exactly one of them was […]
New Spillway Design Said To Pass Muster
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Oroville Mercury Registerby Risa JohnsonThe Board of Consultants determined the forensic teams’ list of potential Oroville Dam spillway failures are being addressed in the new design, according to a new memorandum published Last week. The board’s report said the spillway design is ready for final review, with major redesigns including heightening walls beside of the main spillway. Also, a […]
Measuring The Snowpack Goes High-tech With Airborne Lasers And Radar
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Joseph SernaEvery year for almost half a century, California snow surveyor Pat Armstrong has trekked the rugged Sierra Nevada with three simple tools: a snow core tube, a scale and a notebook. For as long as he can remember, state water officials have relied on the accuracy of those tools to deliver crucial data on the […]
OPINION: Salton Sea’s Radical Turning Point Needed A Different Kind Of Storytelling
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert Sun (Palm Springs)by Greg BurtonEverything is surprising about this sea. Saltier than the ocean, it breeds then suffocates tilapia. A mirage in the desert, it feeds flyway pelicans and cormorants. But it feels like a graveyard. Birds are dying in mortal rhythm with the fish. There is no tide and rivers flow north to a southern inlet. The sea […]
How Much Rain Did The Bay Area Get?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Vallejo Times Heraldby Paul RogersFriday in the Bay Area saw something unusual: Not a drop in housing prices, or a win from the San Francisco Giants. But rain in June. A cold front blustering in from the Pacific Ocean off the Washington and Oregon coast brought gray skies and the first measurable rainfall on Thursday and Friday to the […]
Life On The Farm In The West Is Shaped By Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Civil Eatsby Amber TurpinEven after a very rainy winter in California, the state—and much of the West—is still experiencing drought conditions. To call water a complex issue is an understatement. Tershia D’Elgin has immersed herself in the subject of Western water rights. In her book, The Man Who Thought He Owned Water, the San Diego-based writer and water […]