On the bottom of what used to be a shallow bay, bulldozers and excavators are clawing into the dry lakebed. Over the past decade, the shore of the Salton Sea has receded more than a mile at Red Hill Bay, leaving a dusty plain of salt-laden soil that crunches and crumbles underfoot. Workers have been using […]
After more than a decade of dead lawns, vacant storefronts, and failed community action, District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele’s report of a significant decrease in future water rates took a while to sink in with residents Tuesday at the Northshore Community Center in Lucerne. In fact, he had to ask them for a response. The […]
It doesn’t matter how old you are, or if you weren’t even born at the time: Most residents know about the great floods of the area from 1955, 1986 and 1997. One flood residents may not know about, though, is the “Forgotten Flood” of 1940 that devastated 780 square miles of Sutter, Butte, Tehama, Glenn […]
New research suggests that “flash droughts” – like the one that unexpectedly gripped the Southern Rockies and Midwest in the summer of 2012 – could be predicted months in advance using soil moisture and snowpack data. Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) analyzed the conditions leading up to the 2012 drought, which […]
Sacramentans are still saving water, but their conservation efforts have slipped compared with a year ago, suggesting that the relaxation of statewide drought mandates is prompting more consumption. The Sacramento Regional Water Authority reported Wednesday that area residents reduced water consumption in September by 15 percent compared with the September 2013 baseline. A year ago, […]
Farmland values are tumbling in California’s Central Valley, reflecting a drop in key commodity prices as well as concerns over water shortages and the state’s enduring drought. A study released Wednesday by agricultural lender Rabobank N.A. says the price of farmland in parts of the valley will decline by as much as 30 percent between […]
As the Salton Sea’s decline looms, a rush to cover up dry lakebed
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert SunOn the bottom of what used to be a shallow bay, bulldozers and excavators are clawing into the dry lakebed. Over the past decade, the shore of the Salton Sea has receded more than a mile at Red Hill Bay, leaving a dusty plain of salt-laden soil that crunches and crumbles underfoot. Workers have been using […]
Deal slashes water use rates
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Lake County Record Bee (Lakeport))by Jason MorashAfter more than a decade of dead lawns, vacant storefronts, and failed community action, District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele’s report of a significant decrease in future water rates took a while to sink in with residents Tuesday at the Northshore Community Center in Lucerne. In fact, he had to ask them for a response. The […]
Remembering a ‘Forgotten Flood’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Appeal Democrat (Marysville)by Rachel RosenbaumIt doesn’t matter how old you are, or if you weren’t even born at the time: Most residents know about the great floods of the area from 1955, 1986 and 1997. One flood residents may not know about, though, is the “Forgotten Flood” of 1940 that devastated 780 square miles of Sutter, Butte, Tehama, Glenn […]
Soil moisture, snowpack data could help predict ‘flash droughts’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /WHNT19 News (Huntsville, Alabama)by Jake ReedNew research suggests that “flash droughts” – like the one that unexpectedly gripped the Southern Rockies and Midwest in the summer of 2012 – could be predicted months in advance using soil moisture and snowpack data. Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) analyzed the conditions leading up to the 2012 drought, which […]
Is Sacramento slacking when it comes to saving water?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerSacramentans are still saving water, but their conservation efforts have slipped compared with a year ago, suggesting that the relaxation of statewide drought mandates is prompting more consumption. The Sacramento Regional Water Authority reported Wednesday that area residents reduced water consumption in September by 15 percent compared with the September 2013 baseline. A year ago, […]
The value of Central Valley farmland is falling. Here’s why.
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dale KaslerFarmland values are tumbling in California’s Central Valley, reflecting a drop in key commodity prices as well as concerns over water shortages and the state’s enduring drought. A study released Wednesday by agricultural lender Rabobank N.A. says the price of farmland in parts of the valley will decline by as much as 30 percent between […]