This U.S. Drought Monitor week saw a swath of above normal precipitation stretching from western Texas northeastward through parts of western Oklahoma, much of Kansas, northwest Missouri and into northern Illinois. A combination of moisture flowing in from the Southwest and Southeast along with a stalled frontal boundary brought abundant precipitation to areas of Texas […]
Cotton plants are getting ready to bloom, and as you drive by some of the cotton farms in the San Joaquin Valley, you might notice a lot more white. That’s because farmers in the state are growing more cotton, according to the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations. The acreage size in California has grown […]
/in California and the U.S./by Mike Lee /Total Landscape Care (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) by Jill Odom Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Although most of California has continued to conserve water during the ongoing drought after mandatory water usage cuts were dropped, the state has now passed legislation to discipline water wasters if conservation levels fall. A bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday requires urban water suppliers, cities, water districts and private water companies with more than […]
Touring a 14-square-mile Delta island where sweeping cornfields will provide a home for legions of sandhill cranes come winter, a team of government officials from Mexico got a pretty good idea Wednesday how private lands can be used to benefit public resources. The visit to Staten Island was part of a weeklong tour by the […]
/in California and the U.S./by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Padma Nagappan Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Located in Riverside and Imperial counties, about 150 miles (240km) southeast of Los Angeles in the desert, the Salton Sea is a 360-square-mile (930-square-km) lake, the largest by area in California. But that status is under threat, as the lake has been shrinking for years, exposing the dry lakebed and creating dust that has hurt […]
A few years ago, on a ranch in the small Marin town of Nicasio, a series of events led to an important environmental discovery. Scientists found that a single application of compost on rangeland helps plants suck carbon from the air and store it in the ground. Compost on less than three acres can offset […]
California and National Drought Summary for August 30, 2016
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Sierra Sun Times (Mariposa)by Chris FenimoreThis U.S. Drought Monitor week saw a swath of above normal precipitation stretching from western Texas northeastward through parts of western Oklahoma, much of Kansas, northwest Missouri and into northern Illinois. A combination of moisture flowing in from the Southwest and Southeast along with a stalled frontal boundary brought abundant precipitation to areas of Texas […]
Valley Farmers Growing 35% More Cotton, Despite Another Year of Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Your Central Valley (Fresno)by Connie TranCotton plants are getting ready to bloom, and as you drive by some of the cotton farms in the San Joaquin Valley, you might notice a lot more white. That’s because farmers in the state are growing more cotton, according to the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations. The acreage size in California has grown […]
California Law Enables Public Shaming of Those Who Waste Water
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Total Landscape Care (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) by Jill Odom Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityAlthough most of California has continued to conserve water during the ongoing drought after mandatory water usage cuts were dropped, the state has now passed legislation to discipline water wasters if conservation levels fall. A bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday requires urban water suppliers, cities, water districts and private water companies with more than […]
Mexican Officials Visit Delta to Learn Conservation Practices
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Stockton Recordby Alex BreitlerTouring a 14-square-mile Delta island where sweeping cornfields will provide a home for legions of sandhill cranes come winter, a team of government officials from Mexico got a pretty good idea Wednesday how private lands can be used to benefit public resources. The visit to Staten Island was part of a weeklong tour by the […]
BLOG: California Is Running Out of Time to Save the Salton Sea
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Padma Nagappan Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthorityLocated in Riverside and Imperial counties, about 150 miles (240km) southeast of Los Angeles in the desert, the Salton Sea is a 360-square-mile (930-square-km) lake, the largest by area in California. But that status is under threat, as the lake has been shrinking for years, exposing the dry lakebed and creating dust that has hurt […]
Our Waste Could Help Reverse Climate Change
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Examinerby Robyn PurchiaA few years ago, on a ranch in the small Marin town of Nicasio, a series of events led to an important environmental discovery. Scientists found that a single application of compost on rangeland helps plants suck carbon from the air and store it in the ground. Compost on less than three acres can offset […]