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.
BLOG: How Is California Spending the Water Bond?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Public Policy Institute of California (San Francisco)by Jelena Jezdimirovic, Ellen HanakAlmost two years ago, California voters passed Proposition 1—a $7.5 billion water bond intended to provide significant investments in the state’s drought-challenged water systems. Today, Californians concerned about the prospects of worsening drought may wonder how the state is spending these funds, and whether they are moving out the door fast enough. Proposition 1 has […]
California and National Drought Summary
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Sierra Sun Times (Mariposa)Precipitation for the USDM period (June 7-14) was generally below normal for much of the country. Areas that received above normal rainfall were in Florida and along the coast Georgia and the Carolina’s. This was associated with Tropical Storm Colin which exited the coast late in the previous period. Precipitation fell in the Great Basin […]
First Step in California Groundwater Law Stirs Debate
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Amy QuintonTwo years ago, California became one of the last states in the West to pass a law to manage groundwater. The political will to do so took decades. But the bigger battle may be putting the law into practice. Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County may be a perfect example of how hard it’s […]
Groundwater levels still falling
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Stockton Recordby Alex BreitlerWhat a difference a year doesn’t make. For anyone who doubts that we’re still in a drought, San Joaquin County’s groundwater “savings account” was even more depleted this spring than last, despite improved rainfall over the course of the winter. Routine surveys of hundreds of wells across the county revealed water levels had dropped about […]
Going, going, GONE — California’s snowpack has vanished
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Discover Magazineby Tom YulsmanAfter El Niño failed to deliver salvation from California’s epic drought, it has now come to this: Statewide, snowpack is down to just 6 percent of normal for this time of year. For all intent and purposes, this vital source of water for tens of millions of Californians, and one of the world’s most productive […]
California’s Street Trees Are Worth About $1 Billion
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /City Labby Laura BlissIt’s hard to motivate meaningful responses to abstract environmental problems. That’s why some scientists have thrown their weight behind putting dollar signs on nature. Their hope is that if people better grasp the dividends society reaps from rivers, forests, soil, and the atmosphere, they might support investing in protecting it. Certainly, that’s the philosophy the […]