California is borrowing up to $500 million to pay for the crisis at Oroville Dam, although it expects to be reimbursed for its costs. The Department of Water Resources obtained a $500 million line of credit last week to cover expenses connected to the spillway fracture at Oroville, including the permanent repairs. DWR obtained a […]
California’s ambitious plan to tunnel under the West’s largest estuary has always had two primary goals: to restore imperiled native fish and to improve water deliveries to farms and cities. An early analysis by federal wildlife agencies, however, indicates the project might make life worse for fish. The so-called WaterFix project calls for building two […]
The drought is over, but that doesn’t mean the end of calamity for Northern California. The abundance of rain and snow could produce more wildfires and drownings, officials say. Fires already have burned nearly 10 times as much territory statewide as they did during the same period of 2016. And while forecasters say the record […]
The lead-poisoned drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., has gotten all the headlines, but California has a water contamination problem that endangers far more people, and it has existed for decades. State officials knew for a generation that many Californians lack access to clean, safe drinking water, yet, disgracefully, they did not begin to address […]
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 […]
Oroville Dam: With Bills Rolling In, State Borrows Heavily
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerCalifornia is borrowing up to $500 million to pay for the crisis at Oroville Dam, although it expects to be reimbursed for its costs. The Department of Water Resources obtained a $500 million line of credit last week to cover expenses connected to the spillway fracture at Oroville, including the permanent repairs. DWR obtained a […]
‘These Fish Are In A Bad Way.’ How Many More Will Die Because Of The Delta Tunnels?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Matt WeiserCalifornia’s ambitious plan to tunnel under the West’s largest estuary has always had two primary goals: to restore imperiled native fish and to improve water deliveries to farms and cities. An early analysis by federal wildlife agencies, however, indicates the project might make life worse for fish. The so-called WaterFix project calls for building two […]
The Drought Is Over. So Why Is California’s Wildfire Risk Growing?
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /The Sacramento Beeby Sam StantonThe drought is over, but that doesn’t mean the end of calamity for Northern California. The abundance of rain and snow could produce more wildfires and drownings, officials say. Fires already have burned nearly 10 times as much territory statewide as they did during the same period of 2016. And while forecasters say the record […]
Op-Ed: California’s Water Crisis Is Dangerous, Just Like Flint’s. Will The State Clean It Up Once And For All?
/in California and the U.S. /by Andrea Mora /Los Angeles Timesby Jacques LeslieThe lead-poisoned drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., has gotten all the headlines, but California has a water contamination problem that endangers far more people, and it has existed for decades. State officials knew for a generation that many Californians lack access to clean, safe drinking water, yet, disgracefully, they did not begin to address […]
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 […]