Think of the Delta floodplain as a giant bathtub. Now imagine you’ve got a plug that you can insert or take out at will, allowing you to control the amount of water that fills up the plain, creating ideal conditions to grow the aquatic plant life that supports salmon and other fish species. Finally, imagine […]
Despite last weekend’s rainstorms, California is still faced with a serious drought. So it’s perhaps not surprising that state regulators are talking about ways to return to state-mandated conservation targets and preparing for even stricter measures. Regulators are planning to roll out California’s first-ever water budgets — budgets for each district’s allowable supply. The long-range […]
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) offered turf rebates like many other water suppliers, but it ended up funding one company that, according to many observers, left only gravel wastelands in its wake. The turf removal company known as Turf Terminators has been surrounded with controversy for some time, with a groundswell of […]
Flint, Mich., is not the only place in the U.S. facing a devastating, preventable public health disaster. In January 2018, water that had been flowing into the Salton Sea will be diverted from the Imperial Valley and sent to urban water districts. As a result, the Salton Sea will shrink rapidly, leaving behind vast areas […]
Over the past 100 years, this arid region of Central Washington has undergone a stunning transformation. Engineers and farmers have captured the annual mountain snowmelt and used it to change the sagebrush steppe into an agricultural Eden of tree fruits, mint, hay, and corn. Rows of green crops adorn a once-parched landscape. Reservoirs funnel water […]
The big weekend storm means an end to the official fire season and perhaps the start of long-term healing to California’s drought-devastated pine forests. There are twists to both stories. Over the weekend near Tahoe, the snow line was roughly 8,500 feet, well above 7,056-foot Donner Pass on Interstate 80, and flash-flood watches were posted […]
BLOG: Wallace Weir: A New Beginning In California’s River Management
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Michael LevitinThink of the Delta floodplain as a giant bathtub. Now imagine you’ve got a plug that you can insert or take out at will, allowing you to control the amount of water that fills up the plain, creating ideal conditions to grow the aquatic plant life that supports salmon and other fish species. Finally, imagine […]
OPINION: California Should Start Water Restrictions Now
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco ChronicleDespite last weekend’s rainstorms, California is still faced with a serious drought. So it’s perhaps not surprising that state regulators are talking about ways to return to state-mandated conservation targets and preparing for even stricter measures. Regulators are planning to roll out California’s first-ever water budgets — budgets for each district’s allowable supply. The long-range […]
Critics Slam Turf Removal Company’s Rebate-Driven Work
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Total Landscape Care (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)by Jill OdomThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) offered turf rebates like many other water suppliers, but it ended up funding one company that, according to many observers, left only gravel wastelands in its wake. The turf removal company known as Turf Terminators has been surrounded with controversy for some time, with a groundswell of […]
OPINION: Salton Sea Water Diversion Could Be Catastrophic For Public Health
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Timothy J. Bradley and David L. FeldmanFlint, Mich., is not the only place in the U.S. facing a devastating, preventable public health disaster. In January 2018, water that had been flowing into the Salton Sea will be diverted from the Imperial Valley and sent to urban water districts. As a result, the Salton Sea will shrink rapidly, leaving behind vast areas […]
How The Western Water Wars May End
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Mass.)by Zack ColmanOver the past 100 years, this arid region of Central Washington has undergone a stunning transformation. Engineers and farmers have captured the annual mountain snowmelt and used it to change the sagebrush steppe into an agricultural Eden of tree fruits, mint, hay, and corn. Rows of green crops adorn a once-parched landscape. Reservoirs funnel water […]
With Rains Come Benefits To Forest That Aren’t Always Obvious
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Tom StienstraThe big weekend storm means an end to the official fire season and perhaps the start of long-term healing to California’s drought-devastated pine forests. There are twists to both stories. Over the weekend near Tahoe, the snow line was roughly 8,500 feet, well above 7,056-foot Donner Pass on Interstate 80, and flash-flood watches were posted […]