The state water board has egg—or should I say mud—all over its collective face. Earlier this month, board members refused to lift the drought restrictions on Californians. By keeping them in place until the traditional review time in April, they ignored pleas from water agencies to eliminate the restrictions now. Board members refused to lift […]
The water level behind the troubled dam at Lake Oroville is rising for the first time since authorities ordered an emergency evacuation more than a week ago. But officials said Tuesday that the lake still has plenty of room to take in heavy recent rainfall. Department of Water Resources Director Bill Croyle says the water […]
Just because nature allows a delay of many years while officials dither over a catastrophe in the making doesn’t make that disaster any easier to handle when it finally strikes. This is one major lesson of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis that saw the sudden evacuation of almost 200,000 people from their homes due to […]
Late last month, a list of infrastructure projects purportedly prioritized by the Trump administration sparked headlines across the country. Several of the projects aim to swell water supplies in the West, including a controversial plan to capture groundwater beneath California’s Cadiz Valley, a venture to pipe water out of an aquifer in New Mexico, and […]
Lake Oroville will partially reopen on Thursday, nearly two weeks after more than 180,000 Northern California residents evacuated their homes and the lake area closed due to fears that the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam could fail. California State Parks closed the state recreation area, with the exception of the visitor center and north and […]
Now that we can take a breath and look back over the past week and a half, clearly there are moments that never will be forgotten. We know that the Oroville Dam spillway incident will be among the biggest news events of 2017, and we’ve only started the recognition and acknowledgements for jobs well done […]
BLOG: The State Water Board Missed The Mark
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Pleasamton Weeklyby Tim HuntThe state water board has egg—or should I say mud—all over its collective face. Earlier this month, board members refused to lift the drought restrictions on Californians. By keeping them in place until the traditional review time in April, they ignored pleas from water agencies to eliminate the restrictions now. Board members refused to lift […]
Rain Swells California’s Troubled Lake Oroville
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Associated Press (As published by U.S. News)The water level behind the troubled dam at Lake Oroville is rising for the first time since authorities ordered an emergency evacuation more than a week ago. But officials said Tuesday that the lake still has plenty of room to take in heavy recent rainfall. Department of Water Resources Director Bill Croyle says the water […]
OPINION: Ignored Oroville Warning Raises Other Big Questions
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enteriprise Recordby Thomas EliasJust because nature allows a delay of many years while officials dither over a catastrophe in the making doesn’t make that disaster any easier to handle when it finally strikes. This is one major lesson of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis that saw the sudden evacuation of almost 200,000 people from their homes due to […]
Why Desalination Alone Won’t Water The West
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Journal (Cortez, Colo.)by Emily BensonLate last month, a list of infrastructure projects purportedly prioritized by the Trump administration sparked headlines across the country. Several of the projects aim to swell water supplies in the West, including a controversial plan to capture groundwater beneath California’s Cadiz Valley, a venture to pipe water out of an aquifer in New Mexico, and […]
Lake Oroville Will Partially Re-Open Thursday As Boat Owners Eager To Return To Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enteriprise Recordby Dani AnguianoLake Oroville will partially reopen on Thursday, nearly two weeks after more than 180,000 Northern California residents evacuated their homes and the lake area closed due to fears that the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam could fail. California State Parks closed the state recreation area, with the exception of the visitor center and north and […]
OPINION: Think About Who Needs Financial Help
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Oroville Mercury RegisterNow that we can take a breath and look back over the past week and a half, clearly there are moments that never will be forgotten. We know that the Oroville Dam spillway incident will be among the biggest news events of 2017, and we’ve only started the recognition and acknowledgements for jobs well done […]