Blame the increase in frequency and severity of wildfires in California on drought and climate change. As the number of fires goes up each year, so does the costs of suppression. Those firefighting costs have also increased because more people are living in what fire scientists call the “urban-wildland interface.” “It just shows you the cost escalation because […]
France and California have different environmental, agricultural, economic, institutional and cultural contexts. However, both are moving to more local management of groundwater. In California, the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) required the creation of local groundwater sustainable agencies (GSA) and groundwater sustainability plans (GSP) to end groundwater overdraft and other undesirable conditions by 2040. […]
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 […]
Potable water supply professionals continue to struggle with growing populations, drought, and shrinking groundwater and surface water sources. Early in the game, no solution to the sustainable water supply problem is out of the question. Fortunately, current technology has the ability to defuse the concerns often associated with hysterical media headlines such as “Toilet to […]
The drought rules were relaxed, but Californians didn’t open the spigots.The state’s urban residents are continuing strong water conservation, cutting water use 21.5 percent in June compared with June 2013, the baseline year, despite state officials easing mandatory drought targets earlier this year. The new data was released Tuesday morning by the State Water Resources Control […]
Harmful plumes of algae in waterways have been much in the news lately, in California and nationally. We talked to James Cloern, a senior scientist at the US Geological Survey and a member of the PPIC Water Policy Center’s research network, about this pressing water quality issue. PPIC: What are algal blooms, and how big a […]
The ‘New Normal’ For Wildfires In California
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)by Ed JoyceBlame the increase in frequency and severity of wildfires in California on drought and climate change. As the number of fires goes up each year, so does the costs of suppression. Those firefighting costs have also increased because more people are living in what fire scientists call the “urban-wildland interface.” “It just shows you the cost escalation because […]
BLOG: What We Can Learn About How the French Manage Groundwater
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Deeply (New York)by Corentin GirardFrance and California have different environmental, agricultural, economic, institutional and cultural contexts. However, both are moving to more local management of groundwater. In California, the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) required the creation of local groundwater sustainable agencies (GSA) and groundwater sustainability plans (GSP) to end groundwater overdraft and other undesirable conditions by 2040. […]
Feds to Take New Look at Delta, Endangered Fish Species
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby 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 […]
When “Reuse” is not a Dirty Word
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Water Technology (Birmingham, Ala.)by Steven LondonPotable water supply professionals continue to struggle with growing populations, drought, and shrinking groundwater and surface water sources. Early in the game, no solution to the sustainable water supply problem is out of the question. Fortunately, current technology has the ability to defuse the concerns often associated with hysterical media headlines such as “Toilet to […]
California Drought: Residents Cut Water Use 21.5 Percent in June Despite Relaxed Drought Rules
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /East Bay Times (Walnut Creek)by Paul RogersThe drought rules were relaxed, but Californians didn’t open the spigots.The state’s urban residents are continuing strong water conservation, cutting water use 21.5 percent in June compared with June 2013, the baseline year, despite state officials easing mandatory drought targets earlier this year. The new data was released Tuesday morning by the State Water Resources Control […]
How Green is my Water?
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Public Policy Institute of California (San Francisco)by Lori PottingerHarmful plumes of algae in waterways have been much in the news lately, in California and nationally. We talked to James Cloern, a senior scientist at the US Geological Survey and a member of the PPIC Water Policy Center’s research network, about this pressing water quality issue. PPIC: What are algal blooms, and how big a […]