Even before the plane left the runway, it was clear the crew of researchers examining the fallout from California’s historic drought would not return with good news.
A late-season surge of rain and snow melt made a bad year better for the Colorado River, but it wasn’t enough to lift Lake Mead out of record-low territory. The reservoir that supplies 90 percent of the Las Vegas Valley’s drinking water bottomed out at 1,071.61 feet above sea level on July 1, its lowest level since […]
A drive around the north state these days shows how remarkably fast the fragile water picture can change. It can be confusing as well. Just three months ago, at the end of an El Niño rainy season, the state’s two largest reservoirs — Shasta and Oroville — looked blissfully the same. They were full for the […]
The controversial $15.7 billion plan to build two giant water tunnels in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is moving closer to reality though huge financial and legal challenges loom.
Scientists from two federal agencies are about to overhaul the rules governing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, potentially increasing protections for endangered fish populations and limiting the amount of water pumped to Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will re-examine the nearly decade-old environmental regulations […]
Ongoing attention to the Colorado River emphasizes its crucial role as the “lifeblood” that sustains millions of Americans across dozens of cities and countless farms in the American West. For the seven states that comprise the Colorado River Basin—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—the Colorado River has stimulated growth and opportunity for […]
An Eye-Opening Flight Over California’s Dying Forests
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis AlexanderEven before the plane left the runway, it was clear the crew of researchers examining the fallout from California’s historic drought would not return with good news.
Lake Mead Still Shrinking, but Lower Consumption Offers Glimmer of Hope
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Henry BreanA late-season surge of rain and snow melt made a bad year better for the Colorado River, but it wasn’t enough to lift Lake Mead out of record-low territory. The reservoir that supplies 90 percent of the Las Vegas Valley’s drinking water bottomed out at 1,071.61 feet above sea level on July 1, its lowest level since […]
OPINION: Oroville Drains While Shasta Looks Marvelous
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Chico Enterprise-RecordA drive around the north state these days shows how remarkably fast the fragile water picture can change. It can be confusing as well. Just three months ago, at the end of an El Niño rainy season, the state’s two largest reservoirs — Shasta and Oroville — looked blissfully the same. They were full for the […]
California’s $15.7 Billion Water Project Inches Forward
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Bond Buyer (New York)The controversial $15.7 billion plan to build two giant water tunnels in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is moving closer to reality though huge financial and legal challenges loom.
BLOG: Feds Take New Look at Delta, Endangered Fish Species
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Dale KaslerScientists from two federal agencies are about to overhaul the rules governing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, potentially increasing protections for endangered fish populations and limiting the amount of water pumped to Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will re-examine the nearly decade-old environmental regulations […]
Colorado River More Important Than Ever
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Desert Independent (Blythe)Ongoing attention to the Colorado River emphasizes its crucial role as the “lifeblood” that sustains millions of Americans across dozens of cities and countless farms in the American West. For the seven states that comprise the Colorado River Basin—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—the Colorado River has stimulated growth and opportunity for […]