California’s 2016 Water Year drew to a close Friday, ending a fifth consecutive year marked by meager precipitation that fell more often as rain than snow. Record warm temperatures created an early and below-average runoff that was in large part absorbed by parched soil before ever reaching the State’s reservoirs. The water content of the […]
Here, on the front lines of the state’s recently declared water war, we have more questions than ammunition.Is the State Water Resources Control Board serious? Is the water board even in charge? Was Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for “voluntary agreements,” instead of regulatory demands, a suggestion or an order? Who will go extinct first – […]
Every October in California, leaves and temperatures fall, pumpkins dot the fields and college football season takes stride. But despite the trappings of autumn, October is California’s most dangerous month for wildfires, posing a deadly mixture of heavy seasonal winds, unpredictable weather patterns and bone dry vegetation. If history is a guide, the Loma fire, which began burning through […]
This summer, as temperatures soared and groundwater depletion created more San Joaquin Valley sinkholes, Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, put forth legislation to fast-track conservation of underground water supplies. The proposal was modest: Delay drilling in overdrafted basins until the state’s new groundwater law takes hold in earnest. The bill squeaked through the Senate. Then the […]
This summer, as temperatures soared and depleted groundwater turned the San Joaquin Valley into a collection of sinkholes, state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, put forth legislation to fast-track conservation of underground water supplies. The proposal was modest: Delay drilling in overdrafted basins until the state’s new groundwater law takes hold in earnest. The bill squeaked […]
A plan to build two huge tunnels to shunt fresh water around the Sacramento Delta is supposed to be funded entirely by the people who received the water. But taxpayers may end up paying a substantial amount of the tab. That’s according to documents obtained by the Stockton-based environmental group Restore the Delta that discuss […]
Water Year 2016 ends, California Suffered ‘Snow Drought’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Lake County NewsCalifornia’s 2016 Water Year drew to a close Friday, ending a fifth consecutive year marked by meager precipitation that fell more often as rain than snow. Record warm temperatures created an early and below-average runoff that was in large part absorbed by parched soil before ever reaching the State’s reservoirs. The water content of the […]
OPINION: Who Will Go Extinct First, Salmon or Valley Farmers?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Modesto Beeby Mike DunbarHere, on the front lines of the state’s recently declared water war, we have more questions than ammunition.Is the State Water Resources Control Board serious? Is the water board even in charge? Was Gov. Jerry Brown’s call for “voluntary agreements,” instead of regulatory demands, a suggestion or an order? Who will go extinct first – […]
Why October is California’s Most Dangerous Month For Wildfires
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Paul RogersEvery October in California, leaves and temperatures fall, pumpkins dot the fields and college football season takes stride. But despite the trappings of autumn, October is California’s most dangerous month for wildfires, posing a deadly mixture of heavy seasonal winds, unpredictable weather patterns and bone dry vegetation. If history is a guide, the Loma fire, which began burning through […]
OPINION: ‘Drill, baby, drill’ is not the answer to California’s water woes
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno BeeThis summer, as temperatures soared and groundwater depletion created more San Joaquin Valley sinkholes, Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, put forth legislation to fast-track conservation of underground water supplies. The proposal was modest: Delay drilling in overdrafted basins until the state’s new groundwater law takes hold in earnest. The bill squeaked through the Senate. Then the […]
OPINION: Stop the groundwater grab
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento BeeThis summer, as temperatures soared and depleted groundwater turned the San Joaquin Valley into a collection of sinkholes, state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, put forth legislation to fast-track conservation of underground water supplies. The proposal was modest: Delay drilling in overdrafted basins until the state’s new groundwater law takes hold in earnest. The bill squeaked […]
$16 Billion Delta Tunnels May Hit Taxpayers
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KCETby Chris ClarkeA plan to build two huge tunnels to shunt fresh water around the Sacramento Delta is supposed to be funded entirely by the people who received the water. But taxpayers may end up paying a substantial amount of the tab. That’s according to documents obtained by the Stockton-based environmental group Restore the Delta that discuss […]