California and the U.S.
The latest news and analysis covering water issues in Caliornia and the rest of the United States.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
Winter Rains Boon For Thirsty, Drought-Stricken Birds
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /NBC Bay Areaby Joe Rosato Jr.Funny what a little rain can do. Last summer, the Grassland Ecological Area — a sprawling wetland tucked into agricultural fields near Los Banos in California’s Central Valley — was bone dry. For the hundreds of thousands of traveling birds that stopover in the wetlands each year, it was if someone had boarded up the […]
Concern Raised Over Water Agencies’ Stress Tests
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Matt WeiserCalifornia has shifted its message on the drought. Now, instead of calling on residents to cut their water consumption collectively by 25 percent, water agencies are saying something akin to this: “Trust us, it’s all under control.” In May, the State Water Resources Control Board threw out the numerical conservation mandates it had imposed on […]
Former Interior head enlisted for California delta tunnels
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Associated Press (As Published by The Mercury News)California Gov. Jerry Brown has enlisted a Washington senior statesman to help his massive, $15.7 billion water tunnel proposal clear regulatory and financial hurdles, officials said Thursday. Since June 22, the state has paid former Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt $10,305 a month to advise senior administration officials on the project. Brown wants a number […]
Weakening La Niña forecast may mean closer to normal SoCal rain this winter
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /89.3 KPCCby Sanden TottenThat’s because in the past, strong La Niña events typically bring warm, dry winters in Southern California. However, when there is a weak La Niña or none at all, odds are better we might see a regular winter with average rainfall. “I’d say that’s a reasonable bet,” said Michael Jacox, an ocean scientist with the Southwest Fisheries Science […]
OPINION: Planning for California’s Water Future
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Mark W. CowinWe cannot rebuild California’s water infrastructure from the ground up. All the dams, pumps, aqueducts – and rules and laws – arise from 200 years of human engineering in the Golden State. Our forebears designed these projects for the sole benefit of a few million people, and today we struggle to adapt them to the […]
How ‘Green’ Is Hydropower?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /EcoWatchby Dr. David SuzukiPeople have harnessed energy from moving water for thousands of years. Greeks used various types of water wheels to grind grain in mills more than 2,000 years ago. In the late 1800s, people figured out how to harness the power to produce electricity. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, hydropower has expanded, producing […]