The start of 2017 brought a rare dusting of snow to some locations in the Bay Area. Rain fell overnight Sunday and the cold temperatures meant snow fell in elevations as low as 1,500 feet. Our cameras captured white caps on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and St. Helena in Napa County. At noon, […]
Here in the land of beauty and make-believe, it’s important to keep up appearances. Tracy Quinn sees it whenever she walks her dog: sprinklers irrigating pretty green lawns and wasted water bleeding across sidewalks during the state’s driest spell in centuries. “It drives me crazy,” said Quinn, a water policy analyst for the Natural Resources […]
Despite five years of record drought, many Californians have not been required to cut their water use. Some wielded a heavy hand at the tap, enjoying green lawns and showy landscapes even as water supplies dried up. This could soon change. If the rains fall short this winter — or whenever the next bad drought […]
The Delta smelt has survived 2016, but that’s about where the good news ends. Surveys that wrapped up this month revealed no real increase in smelt numbers despite a wetter year with more freshwater flow in the Delta. In fact, the smelt’s situation may actually have gotten worse: For the first time since the extensive […]
During the 1920s, the city of Los Angeles was burgeoning. Demographics were changing and geographic boundaries were being pushed out in all directions. Oil was booming, industrialization was in full swing, and water was in high demand. Southern California was very dry and thirsty, on the heels of a drought and on the verge of […]
The Colorado River is like a giant bank account for seven different states. Now it’s running short. For decades, the river has fed growing cities from Denver to Los Angeles. A lot of the produce in supermarkets across the country was grown with Colorado River water. But with climate change, and severe drought, the river […]
Chilly Weather Brings Rare Dusting Of Snow To Bay Area Peaks
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KTVU (Oakland)The start of 2017 brought a rare dusting of snow to some locations in the Bay Area. Rain fell overnight Sunday and the cold temperatures meant snow fell in elevations as low as 1,500 feet. Our cameras captured white caps on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and St. Helena in Napa County. At noon, […]
California Officials Say A New Plan Will Make Water Conservation ‘A Way Of Life’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Washington Postby Darryl Fears Mentioned: Carlsbad Desalination PlantHere in the land of beauty and make-believe, it’s important to keep up appearances. Tracy Quinn sees it whenever she walks her dog: sprinklers irrigating pretty green lawns and wasted water bleeding across sidewalks during the state’s driest spell in centuries. “It drives me crazy,” said Quinn, a water policy analyst for the Natural Resources […]
Water Guzzlers Face More Fines, Public Shaming Under New State Law
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderDespite five years of record drought, many Californians have not been required to cut their water use. Some wielded a heavy hand at the tap, enjoying green lawns and showy landscapes even as water supplies dried up. This could soon change. If the rains fall short this winter — or whenever the next bad drought […]
No Bounceback For Delta Fish
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Record Net (Stockton)by Alex BreitlerThe Delta smelt has survived 2016, but that’s about where the good news ends. Surveys that wrapped up this month revealed no real increase in smelt numbers despite a wetter year with more freshwater flow in the Delta. In fact, the smelt’s situation may actually have gotten worse: For the first time since the extensive […]
Surveying the Colorado River Aqueduct
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The American Surveyor (Frederick, Md.)by Sherri Lee Barnes and Paul L. Tucker,During the 1920s, the city of Los Angeles was burgeoning. Demographics were changing and geographic boundaries were being pushed out in all directions. Oil was booming, industrialization was in full swing, and water was in high demand. Southern California was very dry and thirsty, on the heels of a drought and on the verge of […]
High Demand, Low Supply: Colorado River Water Crisis Hits Across The West
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /NPRby Grace Hood and Lauren SommerThe Colorado River is like a giant bank account for seven different states. Now it’s running short. For decades, the river has fed growing cities from Denver to Los Angeles. A lot of the produce in supermarkets across the country was grown with Colorado River water. But with climate change, and severe drought, the river […]