Land subsidence from overpumping groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley has been called the largest human alteration of the Earth’s surface. When the last comprehensive surveys were made in 1970, subsidence in excess of one foot had occurred over more than 5,200 square miles (13,000 sq km) of irrigable land – half the entire valley. Southwest of […]
After five years of increasing drought, the level of Santa Barbara County’s thirst on Monday finally climbed from “severe drought” to “moderate drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which began keeping track of the statewide situation in December 2011. Santa Barbara County didn’t fall into drought until the eighth week of 2012 when it […]
After record winter rainfall helped alleviate California’s drought, the relentless storms have left some farmers frustrated with the rain’s negative effects on their profit margins. Immanuel Solis, a longtime flower cultivator and merchant from Watsonville, noted that business at the local farmer’s markets has been slow. “[Customers] do not want to bring plants to their […]
With California now on track to have the rainiest year in its history—on the heels of its worst drought in 500 years—the state has become a daily reminder that extreme weather events are on the rise. And the recent near-collapse of the spillway at California’s massive Oroville Dam put an exclamation point on the potentially […]
Researchers from Stanford and the University of Calgary have transformed pulses of electrical current sent 1,000 feet underground into a picture of where seawater has infiltrated freshwater aquifers along the Monterey Bay coastline. The findings, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Hydrology but are available online now, help explain […]
It is a simple question really: How much is the massive repair project below Lake Oroville costing each day. Simple or not, it has been appallingly difficult to get it answered. Representatives of our newspaper group have been asking how much the crisis at the dam is costing and, oh yes, who’s picking up the tab? The reporters have asked […]
BLOG: The Dangers Of Land Subsidence From California’s Groundwater Overdraft
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by William M. Alley, Rosemarie AlleyLand subsidence from overpumping groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley has been called the largest human alteration of the Earth’s surface. When the last comprehensive surveys were made in 1970, subsidence in excess of one foot had occurred over more than 5,200 square miles (13,000 sq km) of irrigable land – half the entire valley. Southwest of […]
Santa Barbara County Moves Up A Notch In Drought Designation
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Lompoc Record (Santa Maria, Calif.)by Mike HodgsonAfter five years of increasing drought, the level of Santa Barbara County’s thirst on Monday finally climbed from “severe drought” to “moderate drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which began keeping track of the statewide situation in December 2011. Santa Barbara County didn’t fall into drought until the eighth week of 2012 when it […]
California Farmers Give Mixed Reactions To Recent Rainfall
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Peninsula Press (Stanford, Calif.)by Jordan HuelskampAfter record winter rainfall helped alleviate California’s drought, the relentless storms have left some farmers frustrated with the rain’s negative effects on their profit margins. Immanuel Solis, a longtime flower cultivator and merchant from Watsonville, noted that business at the local farmer’s markets has been slow. “[Customers] do not want to bring plants to their […]
Climate Change Complicates The Whole Dam Debate
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Scientific American (Armonk, NY)by Richard ConniffWith California now on track to have the rainiest year in its history—on the heels of its worst drought in 500 years—the state has become a daily reminder that extreme weather events are on the rise. And the recent near-collapse of the spillway at California’s massive Oroville Dam put an exclamation point on the potentially […]
Scientists Map Seawater Threat To California Central Coast Aquifers
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Phys.org (Douglas, Isle Of Man, U.K.)Researchers from Stanford and the University of Calgary have transformed pulses of electrical current sent 1,000 feet underground into a picture of where seawater has infiltrated freshwater aquifers along the Monterey Bay coastline. The findings, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Hydrology but are available online now, help explain […]
OPINION: Taxpayers Deserve Transparency On Oroville Expenses
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /East Bay TimesIt is a simple question really: How much is the massive repair project below Lake Oroville costing each day. Simple or not, it has been appallingly difficult to get it answered. Representatives of our newspaper group have been asking how much the crisis at the dam is costing and, oh yes, who’s picking up the tab? The reporters have asked […]