No, humans cannot make it rain, stop the rain, or produce real rainbows in the sky. But we can do things that protect ourselves from the rain and get it to work for our agriculture and overall economy. And it’s clearer than ever that Californians have simply failed to do those things as the Oroville […]
The area around a huge dam at California’s second-largest reservoir is in a state of emergency, with some 180,000 residents ordered to evacuate the area Sunday out of fears that part of Oroville Dam could fail. A glimmer of hope arrived late Sunday night, when officials said water had finally stopped pouring over the dam’s […]
Few people realize how outdated our systems for water information are. Because of data limitations, real-time, transparent decisions about drought management, flood response and groundwater protection have eluded the state for the past century. Without basic numbers on where, when and how much water is available and being used, we can’t improve how we manage […]
Sacramento County advised residents in the Tyler Island area south of Walnut Grove to evacuate Monday due to a compromised levee. About 20 homes are in the area, said Sacramento County Water Resources spokesman Matt Robinson. Tyler Island is protected by a ring levee. The county expected imminent failure of the North Fork Mokelumne River […]
It wasn’t so long ago that residents here had to drag their houseboats into a dusty field from the barren banks of Lake Oroville, which had almost no water left to keep them afloat. Now after weeks of rain, that dusty field is swelling with water and nearly 200,000 people had to evacuate the area […]
Federal officials Monday ordered California to convene a five-member independent board of dam experts to review the condition of Oroville’s auxiliary spillway and the damaged regular concrete spillway, and to make recommendations about how to improve safety during the emergency and over the long-term. In a letter to the state Department of Water Resources, the […]
California’s Oroville Dam Disaster Is A Wake-Up Call For America
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CNBC (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.)by Jake NovakNo, humans cannot make it rain, stop the rain, or produce real rainbows in the sky. But we can do things that protect ourselves from the rain and get it to work for our agriculture and overall economy. And it’s clearer than ever that Californians have simply failed to do those things as the Oroville […]
Signs Of Hope At Oroville Dam, After Overflow Sparked Large Evacuation Sunday
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /NPRby Bill ChappellThe area around a huge dam at California’s second-largest reservoir is in a state of emergency, with some 180,000 residents ordered to evacuate the area Sunday out of fears that part of Oroville Dam could fail. A glimmer of hope arrived late Sunday night, when officials said water had finally stopped pouring over the dam’s […]
OPINION: As We Fix California Water System, Also Fix Data System
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Modesto Beeby Michael Kiparsky and Roger BalesFew people realize how outdated our systems for water information are. Because of data limitations, real-time, transparent decisions about drought management, flood response and groundwater protection have eluded the state for the past century. Without basic numbers on where, when and how much water is available and being used, we can’t improve how we manage […]
Compromised Levee Forces Evacuation Of Tyler Island In Delta; Unrelated To Oroville
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ellen GarrisonSacramento County advised residents in the Tyler Island area south of Walnut Grove to evacuate Monday due to a compromised levee. About 20 homes are in the area, said Sacramento County Water Resources spokesman Matt Robinson. Tyler Island is protected by a ring levee. The county expected imminent failure of the North Fork Mokelumne River […]
In Shadow Of California Dam, Water Turns From Wish To Woe
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The New York Timesby Mike McPhate and Jess BidgoodIt wasn’t so long ago that residents here had to drag their houseboats into a dusty field from the barren banks of Lake Oroville, which had almost no water left to keep them afloat. Now after weeks of rain, that dusty field is swelling with water and nearly 200,000 people had to evacuate the area […]
Feds Order Independent Safety Review Of Oroville Spillways
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /OrovilleMR Newsby Matthias GafniFederal officials Monday ordered California to convene a five-member independent board of dam experts to review the condition of Oroville’s auxiliary spillway and the damaged regular concrete spillway, and to make recommendations about how to improve safety during the emergency and over the long-term. In a letter to the state Department of Water Resources, the […]