In the first opportunity for Oroville residents to ask direct questions of state water officials in the city where the spillway disaster unfolded, a crowd of about 300 people fired off many good questions. They got a lot of good answers, too. At the end of it all, one thing was obvious: The state has […]
The rain has largely stopped after one of the wettest winters in California. But as spring temperatures begin to climb and snow in the Sierra Nevada melts, the threat of flooding has communities across the Central Valley on edge. The storms that set a rainfall record in Northern California have left a vast layer of […]
What caused the worst drought in California history? This question will haunt the state’s water managers, even as they begin to put the five-year drought behind them. Now a pair of federal researchers may have the beginnings of an answer to the question. In two new papers, they describe a new wave pattern in the upper […]
The last time Tom Fayram walked on water, Lake Cachuma was just a mud puddle. Today, Cachuma is half full, thanks to this season’s extravagant deluge. But even amid this newfound aquatic abundance, Fayram — as the county’s official water czar — might find the ability to walk on water an occupational necessity in the months to come, given […]
Outside consultants agree with the state’s plan to spend the next two summers replacing sections of Oroville Dam’s still largely intact upper spillway rather than trying to tear it all out in one season. But the public can’t see the recommendations the independent board of consultants gave the Department of Water Resources to ensure the […]
The State Water Resources Control Board adopted rules Tuesday to protect people and wildlife consuming fish from freshwater streams, lakes and rivers in California that contain mercury – a potent neurotoxin. The new regulations would protect Californians that rely on fish as a source of food such as Native Americans and other non-tribal subsistence fishers, […]
Editorial: State’s Oroville Recovery Focus Should Be More Than Just Spillway
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Chico Enterprise-RecordIn the first opportunity for Oroville residents to ask direct questions of state water officials in the city where the spillway disaster unfolded, a crowd of about 300 people fired off many good questions. They got a lot of good answers, too. At the end of it all, one thing was obvious: The state has […]
Rains End, But Flooding Dangers Loom If Massive Sierra Snowpack Melts Too Quickly
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Los Angeles Timesby Joseph SernaThe rain has largely stopped after one of the wettest winters in California. But as spring temperatures begin to climb and snow in the Sierra Nevada melts, the threat of flooding has communities across the Central Valley on edge. The storms that set a rainfall record in Northern California have left a vast layer of […]
Newly Identified Climate Pattern May Have Caused California’s Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserWhat caused the worst drought in California history? This question will haunt the state’s water managers, even as they begin to put the five-year drought behind them. Now a pair of federal researchers may have the beginnings of an answer to the question. In two new papers, they describe a new wave pattern in the upper […]
Santa Barbara County Vies for Better Water Reliability as Drought Subsides
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Santa Barbara Independentby Nick WelshThe last time Tom Fayram walked on water, Lake Cachuma was just a mud puddle. Today, Cachuma is half full, thanks to this season’s extravagant deluge. But even amid this newfound aquatic abundance, Fayram — as the county’s official water czar — might find the ability to walk on water an occupational necessity in the months to come, given […]
Oroville Dam: The latest on Spillway Repairs – and What State Won’t Tell Us
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale KaslerOutside consultants agree with the state’s plan to spend the next two summers replacing sections of Oroville Dam’s still largely intact upper spillway rather than trying to tear it all out in one season. But the public can’t see the recommendations the independent board of consultants gave the Department of Water Resources to ensure the […]
California Sets New Rules For Mercury Levels In Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Hometown Station (Santa Clarita)by Devon MillerThe State Water Resources Control Board adopted rules Tuesday to protect people and wildlife consuming fish from freshwater streams, lakes and rivers in California that contain mercury – a potent neurotoxin. The new regulations would protect Californians that rely on fish as a source of food such as Native Americans and other non-tribal subsistence fishers, […]